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For This is Ha'Sami (live music from The Spriton Pavilion) words by the #Thraathon winner @skeksa

Listen & sing along with us if you know this traditional tale of the Spritons. Play along with these Gelflings and Podlings gathered in lovely Sami Thicket at The Pavilion. 🎼DOWNLOAD MP3🎵 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oorVZR7Wmr7l_lhvdnE6TJqiTWq4rtGR?usp=sharing 

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#JimHenson #DarkCrystal Age of Resistance got canceled... Now what? 🤔 Let's look at the official announcement and brainstorm what to do from here. I'll be joined by Sean from Angle of Eternity (joined me for the trivia) live @ 8:15pm CST 📺 tonight.

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https://www.facebook.com/events/223178495413486/ 

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Of Divorce & Remarriage

Sermons via Pastor David Dykstra of Grace Covenant Baptist Church, Willis, Texas. wherein he examines every text in the Bible that talks about Divorce and Remarriage.:

The Puritan Confessions on Divorce & Remarriage

Why do the 1689 London Baptist Confession and the Savoy Declaration NOT include the divorce and remarriage section from the Westminster Confession of Faith, from which they came.

Divorce & Remarriage under the Sinai Covenant

Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Exodus 21:7-11

Divorce and Remarriage Under the Prophets

Jeremiah 3:1-10, Malachi 2:13-16

That Thorny Issue of Divorce

Luke 16:18, Matthew 5:31-32

Thoughts on the Permanence View of Marriage

Matthew 19 —Critical examination against the “Permanence View” of marriage.

During this sermon he also recommends his two part series on when it is right for a Christian to rebel:

Thoughts on Rebellion - Pt 1 |  Thoughts on Rebellion - Pt 2

Divorce & Remarriage under Christ and The Apostles

Matthew 19 cont., 1 Corinthians 7

Divorce & Remarriage under Christ and The Apostles, part 2

Paul’s directive to those in mixed marriages in 1 Corinthians 7 and proving that abuse is a form of abandonment, and thus a valid reason for a divorce. Recommended article to read “It Matters Whom You Marry” by Rebecca VanDoodewaard (RVD)”

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...now that I have been a Christian many years, I have come to see a great absence in A.C.T.S. There is a practice of biblical praying that is missing, and without it, I believe Christian praying can become unreal and pastorally unhelpful. ...

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Everyone likes helping animals, and when the animals are as cute as Final Fantasy Universe’s Chocobos, it’s no wonder why players are via Dice Tower News

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This e-book was chosen by our readers to be placed on sale.

Author(s): Carl R. Trueman Publisher: Christian Focus Publications Price: $2.99

Do you have an opinion? There is an increasing tendency in Evangelical circles to regard disagreement in our allegedly post-modern world as inherently oppressive. Too many people sit on the fence and ignore, or are unaware of, the fact that Christianity is an historical religion. As Laurence Peter once said “History repeats itself because nobody listens.” The point of having a debate is not to have a debate and then agree to differ (sitting around in a mutually affirming love-fest) – the point of debate, as the Apostle Paul clearly demonstrates time and again in the book of Acts, is to establish which position is best. Carl Trueman’s intends to provoke you with this collection of essays into thinking for yourself and to have an opinion on THINGS THAT MATTER!

You can listen to the author as he speaks about this book here on “Pilgrim radio”.

Click the following post title to view these deals with the purchase links: The Wages of Spin via Gospel eBooks

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JOHNSON CITY, TN—It’s been well documented that Baptists live longer than nonbelievers and even members of other faith traditions. A landmark study released Wednesday claims to have discovered the reason for their increased longevity: the casserole. In the 1980s, researchers at East Tennessee State University set out to observe the life expectancy of members of each

. . . finish reading Report: Baptists’ Impressive Life Expectancy Linked To Casserole Consumption.

via The Babylon Bee

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When your work day is finished, you log out of your computer, drive home and relax. If you then fire up another computer and sit in front of it playing games, it might not be as relaxing as it could be.

As productivity site 99u explains, if you’re using the same mental activities to relax as you do to work, your brain isn’t really getting a rest. You might spend all day reading text on a screen at work and then try to relax by reading news sites or an ereader at home. You might like one of these activities more, but for your brain it’s still pretty much the same. To really relax, it’s better to find something that doesn’t resemble the work you do:

As you’d expect, feeling that work demands were more intense around lunch time went hand in hand with feeling more end-of-day fatigue. Crucially, the right kind of break provided a protective buffer against this link between work demands and fatigue. Which kind of break was this? Only relaxation and social break activities had any benefit. Cognitive activities during work breaks actually made fatigue worse, likely because reading websites or checking emails taxes many of the same mental processes that we use when we’re working.

Of course, this is sometimes a hard thing to accomplish when your typical relaxation activities like video games can use the same devices as the ones you work on. However, you can still tweak your routine by moving your gaming to the living room or use a device like a Kindle to read instead of your phone. Even little differences can make a huge impact on your brain’s relaxation time.

A Science-Backed Guide to Taking Truly Restful Breaks | 99u

Photo by Elvert Barnes.

via Lifehacker

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I’ve been doing a lot thinking about social media, as I taught a class on it at church last month and I’m currently writing a book about it. In the process of doing all of this, I realized that so much of what I see on Facebook is negative. A lot of that negativity is centered around the news – angrily sharing news stories or hand-wringing about stories that have been shared. The other portion of negativity, however, was far more personal.

It was whining. Straight up complaining.

Before we get too far, let me be clear that life is tough and unfair. We all have legitimate complaints.

But then, that’s sort of my problem with this trend: everyone has problems! What makes your problems more important than anyone else’s? Why do we all need to stop to validate your issues when we all have issues that could use some validation?

I digress.

My real argument against the anti-social trend of complaining on social media takes aim at the intellectual root. (To deal with the spiritual root, read Philippians 2:14-16.) This root is a fundamental misunderstanding of the word “venting.”

What It Means to “Vent”

To vent is to release something out of its container so as to lessen the pressure felt by the container as a whole. Venting is a controlled release to relieve pressure. What people are doing online isn’t venting. It’s spewing.

When you vent, it’s controlled. You say what must be said. You don’t unpack every issue you have. You don’t write the War and Peace of status updates. Furthermore, if you don’t feel less pressure afterward, if your internal situation hasn’t improved, you haven’t vented.

You’ve spewed.

When venting pollutes.

Spewing Bile: Signs Your Sick

I don’t like this word, “spewing.” It’s gross, but that’s the point I want to drive home – what people have been doing on social media is disgusting. Airing your dirty laundry isn’t healthy: it’s a sign that you’re sick.

Think about it: when you’re sick, you often end up vomiting. You spew forth filth and food particles, feeling a tiny bit better afterward.

Maybe. Vomiting doesn’t make you better. In fact, if you keep vomiting, you could get worse or even die. The only way to deal with this is to actively seek help through medicine and/or treatments.

Simply spewing forth your bile for everyone to see, comment on, and give you some shallow validation won’t make any of your problems better. You have to seek some help.

And that’s where the spiritual kicks back in.

Read the Bible. Pray about your situation. Then, find someone who’s more mature than you to whom you can vent some of your frustration. Then, you might actually receive some wise advice that may not actually validate your frustration but may instead point your role in causing your own problems.

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts that I felt like venting to you all.

Social Media Spewing: Venting Redefined first appeared on ChurchMag and is sponsored by ChurchMag Press.

via ChurchCrunch

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Looks like this new book, that we first mentioned here, is now being published by Reformation Heritage Books:

The Christian Sabbath: Its Redemptive-Historical Foundation, Present Obligation, and Practical Observance

by Dr. Robert Paul Martin 

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“Everyone who loves the Scriptures yet has questions about whether we should keep the Fourth Commandment today should read this book.”

– Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Summary:

Christian history has shown that in each generation the issue of the role of God’s law in the Christian life always resolves itself into a critical question, especially for those who wish to affirm the integrity and on-going authority of the Ten Commandments as a God-given ethical norm for Christian behavior. The question: what about the fourth commandment? Most believers have no doubt concerning the other nine commandments of the Decalogue. But under the terms of the New Covenant, does God require his people to keep holy a Sabbath day? This question never proves simple, but the answer given in some cases defines a group of Christians as much as their answers on other disputed points, such as church order, baptism, or spiritual gifts. Here is an honest attempt to answer this question biblically.

Author:

Robert Paul Martin served for many years as Dean and Professor of Biblical Theology in Trinity Ministerial Academy, Montville, New Jersey. Subsequently he served for twenty years as pastor of Emmanuel Reformed Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington and continues to serve as Professor of Biblical Theology in Reformed Baptist Seminary, Taylors, South Carolina. Dr Martin and his wife Colleen have three children, Andrew, Iain-Josiah, and Lydia, and live in Renton, Washington.

Details:

Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Trinity Pulpit Press; 1 edition (February 16, 2016)

Endorsements:

“An exegetical, theological, historical, ethical, polemical, and practical masterpiece that made me worshipfully exclaim, “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” This book has the potential to transform a seventh of your life from a legalistic drudge, or a dry duty, to an immeasurable delight.”

– Dr. David Murray, Pastor and Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

“In an age where the Fourth Commandment appears to have been completely forgotten, a comprehensive and careful study of the Sabbath issue is welcome. This is a classic treatment deserving careful and sustained consideration by an equally careful scholar-preacher.”

– Derek W.H. Thomas, Robert Strong Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology, RTS Atlanta

“The Christian Sabbath is one of the greatest blessings that the risen Christ gave to his church. Yet for many, the assertion that there is a Christian Sabbath is a foreign concept. Robert Martin presents the grounds of Sabbath-keeping in light of its place in redemptive-history, culminating in theological and practical conclusions regarding how we should observe it today. This makes his book a useful blend of biblical, exegetical, and practical theology that aims to recover a vital aspect of the Christian life.”

– Ryan M. McGraw, Pastor of First OPC, Sunnyvale, CA

via

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2016

SOUTHWEST FOUNDERS CONFERENCE

HOSTED BY: HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH, Mansfield, Texas

Baptist History

September 22-23, 2016

Speakers:

Dr. Robert Oliver,

Pastor David Hendrickx, and Pastor Jason Montgomery + more

2016 SWFC Information: Click Here

Online Registration: Click Here

The conference brochure may be download here:

Download (PDF, 135KB)

via The Confessing Baptist

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Last summer we asked you to help us with the My Soul Among Lions Psalms 1–10 Kickstarter. Many of you did so and God used your generosity to bring about the production and distribution of seventeen new versions of the first ten Psalms. God has blessed this work as these songs have become part of the household music of many individuals, families, and churches both near and far.

Now we’re ready to roll tape on the second volume, Psalms 11–20. Yup! We need your help this time, also.

Would you please watch and share this Psalm 11-20 Kickstarter video and do whatever you can to help us with this work? And if you can't help with the Kickstarter campaign, we ask you to pre-order the album because even that will be a help and encouragement to us. Thanks. To God be the glory!

Blog Tags: 

Announcements

via Blog

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Starting on September 6th, new T-Mobile postpaid subscribers or current postpaid customers looking to change their plan will have exactly one choice: the ONE plan. T-Mobile is dramatically simplifying its [admittedly, confusing at times] plan structure for individuals and families by introducing literally one plan. Again: the ONE plan. It works like this - as you can see in detail in our post on the news - but let me give you the flyby version.

As an individual, you'd pay $70 per month for the ONE plan. Unlimited talk, text, and data. Sounds nice! And simple. But the strings attached aren't so much strings as structural-grade steel cables. Want to be able to watch video above 480p on your LTE connection (i.e., turn off Binge On)? You'll need to fork over $25 per month extra. OK, so now, at $95 per month, it's really unlimited, right? Well, no. If you go over 26GB of data use in a month, you risk being throttled during peak congestion and high network load. Fun!

But hey, at least you get tethering, right? All the tethering you can handle is included... at 2G speeds. If you want proper high-speed tethering? That's another $15 per month, and you get a measly 5GB of tethering data. Once you go over that 5GB, you'll need to pay another $15 for another 5GB of tethering data. Insert Lando Calrissian "this deal gets worse all the time" GIF here.

For the person who uses their smartphone in the way T-Mobile wants and expects them to - not for mobile HD video, and not for extensive tethering - the ONE plan may represent a solid value. But that value really is just a mirage: HD video and tethering are easily the fastest and most common ways to use up significant amounts of mobile data. And T-Mobile knows this. It's been their plan all along, as is now becoming much more clear: make people pay extra if they actually want to use their plan in ways that typically that consume a lot of data, while simultaneously feeding them a narrative that they're getting tons of "value" and "unlimited" access. The ONE plan seems to be the final piece of the T-Mobile revenue enhancement and marketing narrative puzzle.

You'll likely see a lot of tables and math comparing the new ONE plan to T-Mobile's old plans introduced as part of Uncarrier X last year in the next few days. And I do implore you to pay attention to them. For example, at $65 a month, you can get 6GB of LTE data - all of which is available for tethering and Data Stash. You can also turn off Binge On at no cost on this plan. I don't know about you, but I'd take this deal in a heartbeat over T-Mobile's new ONE plan.

But I'll leave the extensive comparisons to everyone else. What you need to know is this: T-Mobile's new ONE "unlimited" plan is a data plan that makes you pay extra to turn off video data throttling, pay extra to use your plan data how you want to use it (tethering), and is still subject to draconian "network management" restrictions if you go over a certain amount of data each month. In other words? The thing T-Mobile most seems to have "simplified" with the ONE plan is its business plan to investors. The ONE plan seeks to profit on consumers who are actually savvy of how their data plan works and demand it be flexible and not subject to annoying restrictions.

I think we can safely say the "Uncarrier" age is over. This is very "carrier," T-Mobile, and your customers will see it for what it is.

via Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets - Android Police

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If you look up the definition of a micro game, I think Akua would be pictured right next to it.  Quick playing? via Dice Tower News

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Gyms in Pokémon Go can be intimidating if you don’t know what you’re doing. These tips will turn you into a pokémon trainer so good other players will have to start giving you badges.

In this video from the Tech Insider YouTube channel, you’ll learn a few tricks for taking on and defending gyms that you may not know about yet. For starters, don’t think any gym is too tough to take over. Just because you see some pokémon with high CPs in there doesn’t mean you can’t win with the right tactics. Here’s what you should do:

Know which pokémon are better at attacking: If you want to attack, use pokémon like Snorlax, Dragonite, Lapras, Vaporeon (even after the patch), Arcanine, and Exeggutor.

Choose a gym with low foot traffic: Some gyms are constantly under attack and switching hands every five minutes. Go for less busy gyms that will let you attack and leave defenders in peace.

Choose and Organize your pokémon before a battle: Set the attack order of your pokémon from lowest CP to highest CP. You don’t want to burn out your strongest pokémon right off the bat. Also, take into effect each of their typings so each one of your pokémon will be effective at some point in the battle.

Attack with friends: Pokémon Go is made to be played with friends and other trainers you might find out and about. If a gym is too tough, try attacking it simultaneously with someone on the same team.

Leave your best defender behind: The best defenders to place in an empty gym usually have the most health, so they can last longer against attackers. The best defenders are Lapras, Poliwrath, Dragonite, Snorlax, Exeggutor, and Slowbro in that order.

Keep your best defender out of the battle: When you clear out a gym, you have to stick a pokémon in there quickly or someone else will. That’s why it’s best to keep your defender out of your battles and at full health. A defender has to have full health to get placed, and the time it takes to heal a pokémon is just long enough for someone else to swoop in and steal your victory.

After you’ve secured the gym, you can hang out for a while and level up its prestige so other teammates can place their pokémon in there as well. Now you’re ready to get out there and rep your team with pride.

You’ve tossed a few PokéBalls, caught a few Caterpies, and spun your way to a few items at the… Read more Read more

Become ‘Pokémon GO’ gym master | YouTube

via Lifehacker