isaackaneao

[isaackaneao]

Listening To October

Today, one of my favorite songs.  Perfect for this week.

Press Play, and listen, with a few of my suggestions below.

Much of this song is instrumental.  The pictures above don’t really matter, but the music does.

As you listen, take a few deep breaths, and picture your concerns, your possessions, your obstacles as if they were leaves, falling down from a tree.

 Here are the lyrics Bono sings:

Oc…

[isaackaneao]

Christian Men: do something radical this week

If married, love your wife. Play with your kids. Serve your church. Repent. Read your Bible. Pray. Give hope to a struggling young man. Share the gospel. Laugh. Honor women. Protect women. Rejoice in Christ. Repeat until dead. - Owen Strachen

[isaackaneao]

Living His Word

“This is the LORD’s battle” - 1 Samuel 17:47

Our verse for today comes from the biblical story of David and Goliath. David had gone down from the camp of the Israelite army into the valley of Elah to meet the Philistine giant Goliath and engage him in battle. In faith David said to Goliath, “Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:46). David had faith because he knew whose battle it was. He knew that the struggle between the Philistine army and the Israelite army was the Lord’s battle and the Lord would fight for him.

A battle does not have to be a military battle. In this troubled world of ours battles can break out in any area of life. However, there are two basic kinds of battle. There are the Lord’s battles and there is every other battle. Before we descend into the valley of Elah we should ask ourselves first: whose battle is this? Is this a battle that the Lord wants to fight or is it something else? Is this a battle that the Lord has decided to get involved in so that His Kingdom will advance or is it just something that we have stirred up and want to happen?

It is important to ask ourselves this question because there isn’t anything more vain and fruitless than to engage in a battle that has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. Satan and his minions stir up battles all over the world and in every area of life and they do nothing more than take life to ever and ever lower levels of goodness and grace. Getting involved in battles like that is a waste of time, talent, and energy. Getting involved in battles like that does not inspire anyone to rise up in the faith of David.

On the other hand, there isn’t anything more meaningful and fruitful than to engage in a battle that has everything to do with the Kingdom of God. When God and the armies of heaven engage in battle all over the world and in every area of life they take life to ever and ever higher levels of goodness and grace. Getting involved in battles like that is a profitable use of time, talent, and energy. Getting involved in battles like that can inspire one to rise up in the faith of David.

Today, then, ask yourself. Whose battle is this?

© 2016 by Bible League International

[isaackaneao]

The Transfiguration

by Alexander Bruce

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” - Matthew 17:1-3

The transfiguration is one of those passages in the Saviour’s earthly history which an expositor would rather pass over in reverent silence. Who is able fully to speak of that wondrous night scene among the mountains of Hermon? There the mortal body of Jesus, being transfigured, shone with celestial brightness, and the spirits of just men made perfect appeared and held converse with Him respecting His approaching passion. And a voice came forth from the excellent glory, pronouncing Him to be God’s well-beloved Son. It is too high for us, this august spectacle, we cannot attain unto it. Its mystery surpasses our comprehension.

The transfiguration must be viewed in connection with the announcement made by Jesus shortly before concerning His death. This is evident from the simple fact that the three evangelists note the time of its occurrence with reference to that announcement and the conversation which accompanied it. All tell how, within six or eight days thereafter, Jesus took three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and brought them into a high mountain and was transfigured before them. This minute accuracy here signifies in effect, “While the foregoing communications and discourses concerning the cross were fresh in the thoughts of all the parties, the wondrous events we are now to relate took place.”

This inference is fully borne out by a statement made by Luke respecting the subject of the conversation on the holy mount between Jesus and His celestial visitants. “And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” That death was the theme of their talk. They had appeared to Jesus to converse with Him about it; and when they ceased speaking, they took their departure for the abodes of the blessed.

Luke further records that, previous to His transfiguration, Jesus had been engaged in prayer. It was the same as that prayer in the garden. The cup of death was present to the mind of Jesus, the cross was visible to His spiritual eye, and He prayed for nerve to drink, for courage to endure. The attendance of the three confidential disciples, Peter, James, and John, significantly hints at the similarity of the two occasions. The Master took these disciples with Him into the mount, as He afterwards took them into the garden, that He might not be altogether destitute of company and kindly sympathy as He walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and felt the horror and the loneliness of the situation.

It is now clear how we must view the transfiguration scene in relation to Jesus. It was an aid to faith and patience, specially vouchsafed to the meek and lowly Son of man in answer to His prayers, to cheer Him on His sorrowful path towards Jerusalem and Calvary. Three distinct aids to His faith were supplied in the experiences of that wondrous night. The first was a foretaste of the glory with which He should be rewarded after His passion, for His voluntary humiliation and obedience unto death. For the moment He was, as it were, raptured up into heaven, where He had been before He came into the world; for His face shone like the sun, and His raiment was white as the pure untrodden snow on the high alpine summits of Hermon. “Be of good cheer,” said that sudden flood of celestial light, “the suffering will soon be past, and Thou shall enter into Thine eternal joy!”

A second source of comfort to Jesus was the assurance that the mystery of the cross was understood and appreciated by saints in heaven, even if not by the darkened minds of sinful men on earth. He greatly needed such comfort, for among the men then living (His chosen disciples no exception), there was not one to whom He could speak on that theme with any hope of eliciting an intelligent and sympathetic response. Only a few days ago He had ascertained, by painful experience, the utter incapacity of the twelve to comprehend the mystery of His passion, or even to believe in it as a certain fact. Speaking with the great lawgiver and the great prophet of Israel on the subject of His death was doubtless a real solace to the spirit of Jesus. We know how He comforted Himself at other times with the thought of being understood in heaven, if not on earth. When heartless Pharisees called in question His conduct in receiving sinners, He sought at once His defense and consolation in the blessed fact that there was joy in heaven at least, whatever there might be among them, over one penitent sinner. Surely, then, we may believe that when He looked forward to His own decease, the crowning evidence of His love for sinners, it was a comfort to His heart to think, “Up yonder they know that I am to suffer, and comprehend the reason why, and watch with eager interest to see how I move on with unfaltering step, with my face steadfastly set to go to Jerusalem.”

A third, and the chief solace to the heart of Jesus, was the approving voice of His heavenly Father. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,“ declaring in effect His satisfaction with the way in which His Son had glorified His name hitherto, and His confidence that He would not fail to crown His career of obedience by a God-glorifying death.

[isaackaneao]

David's Temporary Insanity — Part One

2 Samuel 11.2

Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

I thought a lot about what to call this article.  The caption in my Bible calls this chapter ‘Bathsheba, David’s Great Sin’. But I think a lot of us have been where David was that night and, looking back on it, it seems like temporary insanity afflicted us.  And we wonder how, loving Jesus, we could ever have gone so far astray.

The first thing we notice in the story of David’s great sin is opportunity.  David hadn’t gone out to battle with his army but had decided to stay home.

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.  But David remained at Jerusalem.  —2 Samuel 11.1 (NASB)

'But David remained at Jerusalem.’  Why? We aren’t privy to his reasoning. Maybe he simply thought that Israel was strong enough and secure enough to go into battle without him.

But he was restless in the night and couldn’t sleep, so he went up to the roof and paced. To those of us in the north, this may sound strange, for our roofs are steeply pitched so that the heavy snow won’t accumulate but will slide off harmlessly without causing the roof to collapse.  But in the drier climate of the Middle East, roofs are usually flat.  On the roof, you will often find cisterns for collecting the meager rainfall, potted fruit trees, even grape arbors and gardens.  So David wasn’t tramping around on tarpaper; he was likely walking through a garden-like setting.

And from his vantage point on the roof, David saw a beautiful woman bathing on the roof of her home.  Now that’s unusual.  Even though it was nighttime, to bathe on the rooftop in plain sight of anyone else who happened to be out and about indicates a lack of modesty on Bathsheba’s part.  That doesn’t excuse David’s sin, but the devil used it to lure the king.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul expresses the desire that Christian women should dress modestly, so as not to be a distraction for men.

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.  —1 Timothy 2.9-10 (NASB)

Paul isn’t saying that women shouldn’t dress nicely, only that they shouldn’t dress provocatively so as to become a stumbling block to men.  Bathsheba could hardly be unaware of her impact on whomever saw her bathing on the rooftop; she was wearing her birthday suit.

At this point, David could have turned away and avoided his egregious sin against God. But he lingered and gave Satan the opportunity to lead him deeper into sin.  Jesus warned against this.

'You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery”; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ —Matthew 5.27-28 (NASB)

David lingered, watching Bathsheba, and allowing her beauty and immodesty to entice him, to lead him into sin.  Jesus also warned about that.

'If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.’  —Matthew 5.29 (NASB)

The Messiah runs a tight ship, doesn’t He?  To look is as bad as to do.  Do whatever it takes to avoid falling into sin and losing your eternal soul to the fires of hell.

David’s downfall is reminiscent of Eve’s original sin.

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.  —Genesis 3.6 (NASB)

The forbidden fruit appealed to the senses.  It looked delicious; it was 'a delight to the eyes’; and it was 'desirable'—to make one 'wise’, to be sure, but we can always find an excuse for sin, can’t we?

Did David repent of his lustful desire?  No. Instead, he went a step farther and inquired about the woman.  Then, despite having been told she was married, he had her brought to him so that he could indulge in the adultery he had already committed with his eyes (2 Samuel 11.3-4).

When Bathsheba became pregnant from the encounter, David compounded his sin by trying to cover it up.  At this point in his life, pleasing God was the farthest thing from David’s mind and heart. He had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah recalled from the battle in the hope that he would lie with his wife and Bathsheba could pass the child off as Uriah’s.

But God didn’t let David off the hook that easily.  Uriah was an honorable man and refused to go home to his soft bed while his buddies were camping in the field.  And so, in desperation, David added murder to his sin of adultery.  He ordered Joab, the commander of his army, to arrange for Uriah to be killed in battle.  That was bad enough, but David had Uriah deliver the letter ordering his own death. David was developing calluses on his conscience.

[isaackaneao]

I thought for today’s Saturday Spotlight I would feature the Presbyterian Church USA. It is one of the few Reformed denominations in the United States of America to deny an over seven decades old fallacy; that marriage is between one man and one woman. In 2011, the Presbyteries of the PC(USA) passed Amendment 10-A permitting congregations to ordain openly Gay and Lesbian elders and deacons, and allowing presbyteries to ordain ministers without reference to the fidelity/chastity provision, saying “governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates”. They have also invited trans people to the “fullness of the life of the church” without discrimination; they also do not withhold the office of teaching Elder for LGBTQ people. They have sacrificed popularity for truth and liberty in Christ Jesus as he expressed in his words “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and life abundantly”.  Lord, we thank you for this denomination We ask that you would bless them and their leadership. We ask you would guide the ministers of your word and sacraments around the world to follow this denominations example and that we would move away from ignorance and bigotry and move towards love. Give those who don’t see the errors of false doctrines and maliceful corruptions of your precious word new, softer, hearts Lord. And we pray that someday your church may all be one. in Jesus name, Amen. 

[isaackaneao]

Science fiction and fantasy books that are f/f! 

Similar posts:

Trans SFF books

Bi and Pan SFF books

Ace spectrum SFF books

If you want more queer science fiction and fantasy, you can visit my queer SFF database. 

I’m not transcribing all the text, but you can find the titles, authors, information on TW, etc beneath the cut.

Keep reading

[isaackaneao]

IMPORTANT THIS COULD SAVE SOMEONE LIFE

30 compressions 2 breaths. 100 compressions per minute. The pace is to the tune of either staying alive or baby shark.

[isaackaneao]

i will personally burn you for implying that christians are systematically persecuted go to school

Hi! Perhaps a little lesson would be good here.

The first Christian to be persecuted was Christ himself. They literally killed him for what he taught.

Christianity was illegal for the first 300 years of its existence, until Constantine was like “O wait that shit’s dope I wanna do that too.” In that time, Christians were regularly tortured, beheaded, stoned, burned alive, drawn and quartered, and – in a word – persecuted. There are records of that, both in the Bible and in historical texts. Take your pick of which you would like to look further into, and do that, please.

Some time in the fourth century AD, king Athanaric of Terving decided to kill some Christians. This one was called the “Gothic persecution” because he specifically targeted Goths that had converted to Christianity.

In the year 516 AD a Jewish warlord in Yemen by the name of  Yousef Asa'ar decided that all Christians must convert to Judaism or die. When they refused, he killed about 20,000 Christians.

During the Roman-Persian wars, Christians were persecuted by Jews and by Persians. This one had a death toll of about 17,000 Christians. 

During the mid seventh century, Christians living in areas governed by sharia law were banned from spreading their faith by threat of death. They were also forced to pay higher taxes; those who could not do so were required to surrender their children, who were then sold as slaves. Christian men were not permitted to marry Muslim women, but Muslim men were allowed to marry Christian women. 

If we jump to the 14th century, we see massive persecutions committed by Tamerlane. This became known as the Assyrian genocide, where at least 20,000 Christians were killed. 

In 17th Century Albania, Christians were forced to pay higher taxes than non-Christians, leading them into poverty where they were then unable to afford basic necessities, like, oh, you know, food.

The French Revolution was accompanied by the dechristianization of France, wherein clergy were deported or killed, churches were desecrated and pillaged, and public worship and religious education were outlawed. A law was passed in 1793 that made it illegal to be or harbor a priest who had not sworn off his ordination, by penalty of death.

Christianity has been illegal in China since the late 17th century. This one’s still going on today. We see “Catholicism” rising in China, but the “priests” and “bishops” are hand-selected by the Chinese government, who then tells the Church to ordain them. If that doesn’t reek of state propaganda and suppression of religion to you, I don’t know what will.

In Japan in 1614, the Tokugawa shogunate decided they’d had enough of Christianity in their country. They ordered the expulsion of missionaries and execution of converts. Naturally, the Christians didn’t like that. A young Japanese Christian,  Amakusa Shirō Tokisada, led the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. When the Hara Castle fell, the shogunate’s forces killed 37,000 Christians. They put Amakusa’s head on a spike at Nagasaki for public display.

And now we’ve reached the “Modern Era.”

Between the years of 1843 and 1847, Kurdish and Ottoman forces killed over 10,000 Assyrian Christians, and sold thousands more into slavery. During the Bulgarian Uprising and Russo-Turkish War, over 15,000 non-combatant Christians were killed. 

The Hamidian massacres occurred between 1894 and 1896. In these, the forces of the Ottoman Empire targeted Armenian and Assyrian Christians. It is estimated that as many as 325,000 were killed. Another 546,000 people were made destitute by deportations and destruction of farmstead towns and villages. Unarmed Assyrian women were raped, tortured, and murdered. 

The Young Turks government of the Ottoman Empire apparently wanted in on the fun. This resulted in about 3.4 million deaths, including 1.5 million Armenian Christians, 750,000 Assyrian Christians, 900,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, and 250,000 Maronite Christians between the years of 1915 and 1921.

The Bolsheviks wanted to remove the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, so they promoted atheism and intentionally murdered 500,000 Christians during the 20th Century. 

When the Soviets took over, they continued the slaughter. It’s estimated that the total number of Christian victims of the soviets is somewhere from 12 million to 20 million. 

In Mexico, the Christero War occurred because of persecutions. (When the Soviet Union opened an embassy in Mexico, the Soviet ambassador was awed at how closely the Soviet Union and Mexico resembled each other.) From 1926 to 1934, the number of priests in Mexico dropped from 4500 to 334. These remaining priests needed to be licensed by the Mexican government. The ones who were no longer able to serve had either emigrated, been expelled, or fallen to assassination. 

Let’s move on to “the present” (the last 30 years or so).

It is estimated that over 100,000 Christians are killed annually because of their faith. The World Evangelical Alliance estimates that over 200 million Christians are denied some fundamental human rights solely because of their faith. Paul Valley (a Rabbi) states that roughly 80% of all acts of religious discrimination is directed at Christians, despite them making up only 33% of the world’s population. 

There is a Christian non-profit organization that publishes a “World Watch List,” which is a list of the 50 countries most dangerous for Christians. North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Eritrea, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran are the top ten on 2018′s list. 

Sudan and Iran still implement the death penalty for apostasy (converting from Islam to Christianity, or even secretly practicing Christianity without openly professing a conversion).

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt published in May of 2019 that Christian persecution in the Middle East is “arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN” due to extremist groups and failure of state institutions to protect their citizens. 

From 2011 to 2013, over 150 Christians have been kidnapped for ransom in Egypt.

Despite making up only 5% of the Iraqi population, Christians account for 40% of the refugees living in nearby countries. 

You may not remember, but in 2017, Isis took a group of Christians and beheaded them, one by one, on video. They expressly stated the people were being murdered for being Christian.

But no, you’re right. There definitely hasn’t been systematic persecution of Christians. I must be imagining all of that.

Thank you for illuminating the dim recesses of my narrow mind and worldview.

[isaackaneao]

[isaackaneao]

Something my pastor said today regarding suicide:

“The voice in your head telling you to kill yourself is never from God.”

——

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

[isaackaneao]

As I write this, at 1 am EST, it's been exactly 50 years - almost to the hour - since the Stonewall riots began.

In those 50 years, Stonewall has gained an almost mythical quality to it. Almost everyone who was there that night has a slightly different story - and some can't even agree on whether they were there or not at all! But what we do know is that Stonewall changed everything. Before, the fledgling gay rights movement was focused on assimilation. The goal had been to prove to cisgender and heterosexual people that we weren't a threat, because deep down we were just like them.

The gay liberation movement, formed in the aftermath of the Stonewall riots, took a different approach. Stonewall showed we were a threat - we had strength in numbers, and there would be hell to pay if weren't treated with the respect we deserve.

People like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Stormé DeLarverie, and other veterans of the Stonewall riots and the following gay liberation movement fought tooth and nail for the rights we have today (and in some cases, like Miss Major, they're not done fighting). Today, as we remember Stonewall fifty years later, I want you to honor them and the sacrifices they made by continuing the fight, whatever form it may take.

Vote. Protest. Boycott. Unionize. Educate.

Fight.

To honor our past, take action in the present, and together we will create a better future.

[isaackaneao]

#JESUSCHRIST #JESUS #CHRIST #MESSIAH😔🙏🏽 #OURLORDANDSAVIOR😔🙏🏽 #YESHUA😔🙏🏽 #EMMANUEL😔🙏🏽 #JIL #JESUSISLORD😇👨🙏🏽 #JESUSISKING😇👨🙏🏽👑😔🙏🏽 #JESUSISABLE😇👨🙏🏽🤨☝🏽 #JESUSISLOVE😇👨🙏🏽❤ #JESUSISLIGHT😇👨🙏🏽💡#JESUSSAVES!!!🤨✊🏽

[isaackaneao]

#YES😊 #AMEN😇🙏🏽 #PRAISETHELORD🖐🏽😔 #PRAISEGOD🖐🏽😔 #PREACH👐🏽 #TRUTH🙌🏽 #LORDGOD😔🙏🏽 #YHWH😔🙏🏽 #YESHUA😔🙏🏽 #JEHOVAH😔🙏🏽 #HEAVENLYFATHER😇🧔🙏🏽 #OURONEANDONLYFATHERINHEAVEN🤨☝🏽😇🧔🙏🏽😔🙏🏽 #THEONEANDONLYTRUEGOD🤨☝🏽😇🧔🙏🏽😔🙏🏽 #GODISLORD😔🙏🏽 #GODISKING😇🧔🙏🏽👑😔🙏🏽 #GODISLIGHT😇🧔🙏🏽💡 #GODISLOVE❤😊 #GODISABLE😇🧔🙏🏽🤨☝🏽

[isaackaneao]

#AMEN😇🙏🏽 #PRAISETHELORD🖐🏽😔 #PRAISEGOD🖐🏽😔 #PRAISEJESUS🖐🏽😔 #PREACH👐🏽 #TRUTH🙌🏽 #GOD😇🧔🙏🏽 #LORDGOD😔🙏🏽 #YHWH😔🙏🏽 #YESHUA😔🙏🏽 #JEHOVAH😔🙏🏽 #HEAVENLYFATHER😇🧔🙏🏽 #OURONEANDONLYFATHERINHEAVEN🤨☝🏽😇🧔🙏🏽😔🙏🏽 #THEONEANDONLYTRUEGOD🤨☝🏽😇🧔🙏🏽😔🙏🏽 #NOOTHERGODSBEFOREME🚫😔🙏🏽 #GODISLORD😔🙏🏽 #GODISKING😇🧔🙏🏽👑😔🙏🏽 #GODISLOVE😇🧔🙏🏽❤ #GODISABLE😇🧔🙏🏽🤨☝🏽 #GODISLIGHT😇🧔🙏🏽💡 #JIL #JESUSISLORD😔🙏🏽 #JESUSISKING😇👨🙏🏽👑😔🙏🏽 #JESUSISLOVE😇👨🙏🏽❤ #JESUSISABLE😇👨🙏🏽🤨☝🏽 #JESUSISLIGHT😇👨🙏🏽💡 #JESUSSAVES!!!🤨✊🏽 #GODISGREAT😇🧔🙏🏽🤗 #HAPPINESS😊😁😄😃 #JOY🤗 #PEACE🤨✌🏽☮😇🙏🏽😔🙏🏽 #LOVE❤😊 #SERENITY😌 #STRENGTH💪🏽🤨 #HUMILITY😔🙏🏽

Simple truths to repeat when you’re in a spiritual battle:

God’s got this

The Lord fights for me

Jesus loves me

Not today satan

I am a child of God

He is able

It is finished

His Grace is sufficient

Joy comes in the morning

I am not alone

I am fearfully & wonderfully made

Fear has no grip on me

Christ is enough for me

He has overcome the world

I am a new creation in Christ

Jesus conquered the grave

Sin doesn’t define me, Christ does

Be still & know

God is good

[isaackaneao]

what i learned is that God will change your heart, before He will change your situation