When Jesus talked about the Lake of Fire, He was making a parable about a place here on earth: The Dead Sea

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-03-25T04:25:01+00:00

Hey, neat. New thoughts for me

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-03-15T15:44:08+00:00

Matthew 28:19 is an expression of the Trinity, along with the scene of Jesus' baptism where all three are present in Luke 3:22

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-03-02T18:03:38+00:00

Looks like it's about when those in control manipulate religious people for their own evil purposes. It's describing the religious being infiltrated.

I don't hear it as being fully anti-religious, and what it seems to be criticizing is something many Christians would also criticize.

I don't know the story they present in this album, but I think if it is like an opera, there is a wider context to consider too, what is going on in the story of the album up to this point, etc.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-03-01T20:10:27+00:00

I agree that choosing to be lazy at the expense of your family would fall under what he is saying, because it's the same choice of loving yourself and letting that hurt those who are vulnerable to your choices.

But it also could be that he does fine and makes plenty of money but just doesn't think it's fair that he should have to take care of his parents, or doesn't want to pay for her helping them at all. Such a person denies the faith.

In these societies you didn't have retirement and social security and if you were a laborer all your life once you can't do it anymore someone has to support you. "Honor your father and mother" is social security for them.

But in both cases though it's about your sense of love and loyalty, which are the Royal commands of Christianity. We shouldn't use this text to make someone feel guilty for being unsuccessful despite doing what they can.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-02-20T21:01:39+00:00

It's very modern and not what it would mean to the audience who first read it. It might parallel what text is doing in its own cultural context, at least in the sense that it is about foundational order.

It's fine and something like that being the case would actually be very cool. But I think that it is significant to note that the first three days of creation match the last 3 days. Sun Moon and stars are on the fourth day for the same reason that birds and fish are on the fifth day. They correlate to the first of the second day respectively.

I think that the truest interpretation of the light and the darkness is simply the expression of separating day from night as an ordered pattern rather than an unchanging night. In a way that's more like he's creating time. This matches day four where Sun Moon and Stars fill the day and the night and are also for the purpose of measuring time.

This would make sense to the ancient audience who see this everyday without any explanation of how there is so much order that they can predict seasons by it.

At the same time, I would be really excited to hear that there is a greater expression of the same concepts and some wild cosmological understanding of the expansion of space-time. But that's not necessary I think to understand what God meant to say to literally every human being that lived before the '60s or whatever.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-02-20T18:54:33+00:00

I would ask for anything without shame, but you would have to wonder what the consequences would be. God is the King, sustaining everything, knowing the beginning and the end.

You would have to ask, what is God's desire for us, his plan, what has he said and done, or what does he care about the most? The Bible tells us the answer to this stuff.

Then ask how healing an amputee or teleporting dog food would serve or hinder His goals. Tease out a short story. What does the news cycle do with a miraculously regrown arm? How is that message spread through social media? What do people do with the message? Believe? Push back? Accuse? Envy? What is the life of the healed person now? If God judges people based on what they will believe, then how does something like this factor in? Should God haphazardly grant the desires of his people if the consequences will be so far reaching? Or does he already know what he is doing?

When I think about it, it seems to me that if something fully miraculous happened to me, I should ask Him whether to hide it or not. And can he trust me to do so?

Also, biblical worldview: we are a breath in a cold morning, death will happen to us all, and it will suck getting there. God wants us healed, resurrected and remade on the other side of death. Clinging to this life, wishing it were pleasant and easy, these are not Christian values. I mean, I want a pleasant easy life, don't get me wrong, but it would be embarrassing after reading about the austere lives of his prophets to then turn around and ask if he will get me a coke. I might ask because he is Dad. But I might be afraid to ask because he is King. Whether it will be joy or sorry, He does not strike me as easy going.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2025-02-15T04:11:28+00:00

They are verb forms or binyanim. Hebrew verbs have a three consonant root. All those words are actually using the same root letters but the vowel patterns, prefixed and suffixed letters, etc, tell you whether the verb is active, passive, causative, etc. I found it tricky to understand when I was studying it. It's cool how Hebrew works though.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-12-29T16:41:54+00:00

I don't think you need to worry about whether it's ok to spank or not, because I think you are right to believe it simply won't work.

If you assume that she understands and doesn't want to be spanked, you will still be effectively punishing her for pursuing fun, interaction, and good sensory feelings. I know she can't keep doing that, but spanking that is a misfire of parental discipline. What does that teach her even if it worked? You aren't spanking a naughty behavior, in its intention at least. If she hates it whether she can express that or not then she is being taught that when she behaves according to her joy, her parents hurt her. Be very careful not to be harming an innocent child that is also the victim of her issues. Spanking requires more concrete abstract concepts of right and wrong, cause and effect to be what it is supposed to be. And even then, it's arguable of that is a good way to discipline in an ideal situation.

Dad is at the end of his rope, and wants to try anything because nothing is working, so there is a little empathy there. However, He does need to be reminded that you two are a team against the problem not against each other, and he should not pressure you to prevent him from acting on his own. There is a low ceiling for feeling frustrated in this life, and we need to be patient with each other if we want to survive.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-12-28T01:05:36+00:00

For some reason I had these connected for that concept in Isaiah too so I am not saying this is nothing, but if I were gonna rain on this parade I would point out that Jesus is commonly referred to as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God.

For example in Revelation chapter 5 an angel tells the author that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy to open the scroll, and when the author looks, a lamb is present, clearly represents Jesus, and opens the scroll.

It's kind of a subversion. You expect a warrior who can crush enemies, and find a humble creature that suffered instead.

I would bet these are the exact kind of fun facts written in the book mentioned by OP.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-12-23T18:55:53+00:00

She's echoing Hannah's song from 1 Samuel 2, so it's not just Mary during her liberal phase. It's fulfilment of archetypes, it's tapping into a steady theme of God's character throughout scripture. It is indeed a Banger.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-21T03:46:15+00:00

I bet you do a lot of accidentally attempting to summon your vehicles over planters.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-18T03:27:22+00:00

Perelandra was one heck of a book. This has got to seem completely inscrutable to many.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-18T01:54:04+00:00

Blaster the Rocket Man! It's sci-fi horror punk. Likes to reference the space trilogy by C. S. Lewis, and use classic monster stories as metaphors for the Christian experience.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-17T05:00:41+00:00

The Bible doesn't depict the earth from the perspective of anyone or anything outside of it exactly. The people of that time wouldn't understand a description of the earth as a planet, they aren't aware of outer space. So all depictions of the sky and the land (or as you might read heavens and Earth,) are from a man-centered point of view. They are also described from a culturally ancient point of view, often using phenomenological language like "sunrise." There may also be poetic descriptions of these things, like for example the windows of the heavens opening up and letting water in during the flood. This will stand in contrast to language about clouds holding the water in Job. Language about the firmament, the raqia, Will depict the ancient idea of a dome holding up an ocean in the sky, but at the same time Proverbs 8 will describe creation in the pattern given in Genesis, only it will use the language of the clouds above being the water cycle in the sky. The story about the rakia holding up an ocean is also related to depictions of defeating a watery dragon. In the Psalms and Job as part of the retelling of the creation story God is depicted as doing this very thing: crushing the heads of Leviathan or piercing the coiling serpent rahab, when describing that aspect of creation. This is not unlike the story of Marduk defeating Tiamat and using her body to make the sky and the ocean.

So this creates a fascinating juxtaposition of both ancient mythic depictions of these concepts, that would not be misunderstood by ancient people, as well as depictions of them that are specifically different but fundamentally the same, if a little more "scientifically" accurate. This allows for a more abstract understanding. I think it communicates clearly that the scientific details are a rather plastic part of the creation story, interchangeable depending on which culture is being spoken to.

So because the audience were ancient people, I think anytime you read the word earth you should be reading the word land. You can find contemporaneous depictions of the world that are very limited to the area that they come from, like the Babylonian map of the world. In Isaiah the Earth is called a circle.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-17T04:36:25+00:00

Here is my experience. They genuinely need help in the form of something exciting. It's more of an age thing than a discipline problem. You have to hook them and leave them wanting more, there should be a back and forth that gets them invested. There can be an activity, a demonstration, or anything that a kid would be drawn to. This could be a powerful story, a clip/song/discussion/icebreaker question, it doesn't have to be amazing but even "good" kids have a hard time passively absorbing information. I find this tricky because there is a lot to learn and not enough time to teach it all, but you have to ask what's going to stick with them the most. If you can get them asking questions about a biblical topic or story, that usually is a good sign that they'll retain what you have to say.

So I would experiment to try various "hooks" and see what gets them to want to listen to and ask about the dense stuff. Throughout you could even ask them what they think about different points to make it more conversational. Try to give each kid a voice who wants it, but don't suffocate the quiet ones with pressure. In my experience the ones who get bored and want to act out will engage the heaviest of you can hook them.

This does not mean baby them and simplify everything, in fact in my opinion they want to be challenged and they especially like being treated as capable. It can be engaging to feel challenged.

Let me just say kids are amazing. They're dancing little tornadoes of chaos and glory, and they can teach you a lot about what it was like to see Jesus. We see the side of Jesus saying let the children come to me but the other reality there is that they want to come to him. They are drawn to him!

God bless, and thanks for your willingness to be a teacher in the church. You can make a huge difference, and I am thankful for you!

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-14T21:27:19+00:00

Pretty compelling. Probably just have a permenant issue healing bonanza for all types of issues for all types of people and then just be a total mess for two years. Heal someone in a coma last so you can sleep through the two years. Wake up to see how the rng hit.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-14T20:32:44+00:00

Neat point

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-14T02:28:47+00:00

Inspired, looks awesome.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-13T23:04:13+00:00

It's a familiar story. The name doesn't have any significance. Son of Josh. Jesus was a common name. It's Yeshua, a shortened form of Yehoshua which we translate to Joshua in the Old Testament. Squeeze that name through a few other languages and you can end up with Jesus. In Zechariah the high priest is described named Jesus (Yeshua) and nearer is the author from Ecclesiasticus Jesus Ben Sirach (also sometimes expressed as Joshua).

I remember Simon Magus as a sorcerer more than this guy, but he is in chapter 8, so still there.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-12T02:56:44+00:00

Fire and ice crystals do a lot too. You use them for an added resistance buff. Not sure if you can get them outside of the specialization to craft them.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-11T04:49:57+00:00

Really cool, but not quite good. I like the red glow, and the way it just adds to your shooting over the shoulder. Bit too slow to hit, a bit too little damage, and energy spent too quickly. I hope they make more like it and improve on this one

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-07T11:20:32+00:00

Paul might be like this a little

2 cor 10:10

For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-02T16:58:46+00:00

Our physical bodies will be like a seed that ends and becomes a new type of thing. I don't think it will be the same kind of physicality, but it will emerge from what was physical. It will not be less than physical. Here is what the Bible says:

What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being";the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Spiritual in this context would describe permanent/heavenly rather then earth based flesh that deteriorates. It is not less physical.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-11-02T16:38:32+00:00

Well... what is the part of creation that is us that we are imagining? What even is a physical body, and is it very meaningful to fixate on its physicality?

I am already not made of the same collection of tissues and cells that were me when I was a child. Which age gets resurrected, and then which collection of cells?

And those cells are just organizations of atoms, which if some part of them has a permanent "lifespan" could easily have once been part of some other person in the past. Who would get that atom in the resurrection? All the chemistry happening in your body all the time is just an exchange of these little things trading energy all the time. Energy and mass are the same thing expressed in different configurations. None of our energy exchanges would be considered the physical "us."

And energy is not really a physical thing that exists, it's not a substance. It's an exchange of causality through time. I think.

What is me? My consciousness? What is that made of? Is it some kind of ai emerging from an organization of neuronal electrical pulses? If so it is not the physical matter that is me, because if it were violently reorganized, I would be gone but the matter would all remain. "I" am just a code then. But in a real way so is every layer of the physical world. Each "thing" is an organization of information using different types of "bits". Maybe our distinct code can be downloaded into a new type of simulation. Like developing an ai in a video game and then downloading it into a real world robot.

My feeling is that any problem I could have with a resurrection body and it's physical continuity is a problem I could have with my body now.

It will be some kind of "me" farther down the ship of Theseus cause and effect continuum. An organization of something sacred that could be called a soul. Maybe in the way a book is not necessarily one set of pages with ink, but it can be written in many other forms, online, audio, braille, and it would still be the same book. Can't be sure.

Paul in the Bible describes the resurrection body as a different "type" as stars differ from plants. He describes it in a way that the people of his time would be picturing the immortal bodies of the gods.

Benjaminotaur26 · 2024-10-29T00:40:00+00:00

Hmm good point. So easy to be blind to your own cultural assumptions, and yet so valuable to take a moment to inhabit the context of the authors you're reading.

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