Day: April 7, 2017

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Grandma’s Good Soup (Parable)

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

There was a young man of about 17 years, preparing for his 18th birthday.  He was very excited about this birthday because he felt this was the birthday that would bring him into manhood and he would finally be an adult.  He planned a big party and invited lots of guests and expected lots of gifts and festivities.  The day of his birthday came and no one attended his birthday event.  He called his grandmother disappointed and sad because no one came and he was so excited just to be let down and disappointed.  His grandmother invited him over saying “sit with me while I make you a birthday dinner.” and so he went to his grandmother’s to have birthday dinner.  And she sat and talked with him while she gathered the ingredients to make her grandson a dinner. He spoke of how depressed sand and disappointed he was while she comforted him saying “Grandma knows all about depression and disappointment, I’m gonna tell you my stories and how life has ups and downs but grandma is still here and smiling and i’m gonna make you soup that’s gonna knock that feeling right off you grandchild.  You will wake up tomorrow better than ever.”  so they talked while his grandmother cooked, and he listened to his grandmother’s stories about her life and her friends and their lives, and he began to picture his grandmother at his age in the stories she told, and then pictured her as his parents age, and the way she spoke was almost like a movie. It was easy to picture her character and hang onto her words because she spoke with a funny accent.  She was raised in Panama the first 10 years of her life and sometimes mixed her native language with engish words.  Before he knew it a deliciously smelling soup was steaming in from of him with dumplings, rice, chicken and different herbs and spices.  The first taste was so good he had to take a break to take in the goodness of the flavor before he took another bite. While he waited it was as if he could feel the warmth of the soup traveling through his body until it reached his heart.  He began to eat more as he listened to his grandmother speak, and the more he ate the warmer he felt and it was like all his sadness and depression began to melt away as he ate and focused on his grandmother  and her stories of triumph over sadness and disappointment.  As sad as he had been when he walked through her door, he no longer felt that sadness and disappointment.  In fact he felt better than he ever had.  Almost equal to the day he graduated high school.  As simple as it was he knew that this would be a birthday and a gift he would always remember.  He told his grandmother so as he thanked her and then went home to sleep.

“just because someone doesn’t come to your party doesn’t mean they don’t love you, think about if they were there when it wasn’t a party or joyous occasion, was that person there when no one else was?”

That night when he slept, he slept comfortably and soundly, and dreamt dreams over his grandmother talking to him saying things like “life is full of ups and downs, and you will always be let down if you trust in others to provide the things you need for yourself.”  and “just because someone doesn’t come to your party doesn’t mean they don’t love you, think about if they were there when it wasn’t a party or joyous occasion, was that person there when no one else was? That is love grandson”.  The next morning he called his grandmother and said “grandma I don’t know what you put in that soup, but I feel good, I learned a lot and I thank you”.

People Watching a Movie

As the young man grew older and entered college and developed relationships life began to get tougher for the young man.  It was close to graduation time, the studies were harder and the relationship he was in began to dwindle because of the demand in studies, classes, and keeping afloat.  Against what he really wanted to do he felt he must end his relationship so that he could ensure his graduation.  Contrary to what he thought he found out ending his relationship was harder than he thought and found that’s all he could focus on his pain, and wondering if the other person was ok.  He called his grandmother to explain his dilemma and how bad he felt.  She once again invited him over saying “It sounds like you need some of gramma’s good soup.”  So he grabbed his books and headed to his grandmother’s.  He once again sat and listened to his grandmother’s accent as she told him stories of her previous relationships and endeavors.  How being a single mother between relationships and sometimes jobs she had to do what was best for her children and what was best for the situation.  As he listened to her and ate of her good soup his mind began to relax and he felt as if he knew what he needed to do with a new determination and clarity.  He thanked her once again for her wisdom and hospitality and headed home to study for a few hours and and the get some rest.  That night when he slept he dreamed dreams again of his grandmother speaking to him saying things like “life is about priorities and creating a balance between what is important.  People who are willing to make life work with you will compromise in order to help keep things in balance.  Think of scales.  If too much weight is put on one end then that end will begin to fall while the other rises.  The scales will not move if there is a perpetual balance.”  and “Your life is your bank account.  As you add to it, your balance grow.  If people begin to remove from your account then they are removing from your life.  Think if someone is adding to your life/account or debiting from your life/account and is what you are removing from the balance worth the cost it is taking from your account/life.”  The young man woke up the next morning and began to reevaluate his priorities making sure he put graduating first even if it meant he had to suffer a few things.  He called his grandmother to tell her his revelations and she said “that is a great thing grandson.  You will do well.”  The young man graduated less than a year later with high honors, thanking his grandmother as inspiration.

life is about priorities and creating a balance between what is important.  People who are willing to make life work with you will compromise in order to help keep things in balance.

As a few years passed and the young man entered into a career and life, his grandmother began to take very ill. She told him she would probably not going to be on this earth much longer and it was almost her time to go.  “I’ve made some soup grandson, come sit with your grandmother one last time and talk with me.  I want to make sure my grandchild will be okay before I leave.”  So the young man headed to his grandmother’s house and sat with her.  The soup had already been prepared and he ate at her bedside saying “Grandmother you want to make sure I am ok, but you are the one who is sick, Im here to make sure you are okay and get better.”  she said to him “Grandson I am going to get better, just not here.  I’m tired of this place and my body is sick and I do not want to fight any more.  I have live more than a full life and fulfilled my purpose here.  Know that I love you and always will.  Remember my stories and they will help you on your path as well grandson.”  and he said to her “Grandmother you and your soup has helped me through so many difficult times and has helped me grow.  I don’t know how I will be able to grow without you.”   and she said to him “You may not know how you will yet but you will, because you have to.  And you know you have to do what you have to do.  I put some soup in the freezer for you, because i know this may be a difficult week for you.  If you fetch me a pen and paper i will write down my secret soup recipe.  I’m giving it to you and no one else, too much soup can get you in trouble.”  So the young man went to look for pen and paper so his grandmother could write down the recipe.  When he finally gathered the two he went back to his grandmother’s room to see she had fallen asleep with a sheet of paper on top of her blanket that read:

Soup

 

Pan, arroz(ah-rohz),

sopa (soh-pah)

pollo (poh-yoh),

Hierbas y mota (ee-air-bahs)(moh-tah),  

❤❤❤❤❤

 

Ingles

He took the note and kissed his grandmother and left so that she could rest.  He went home and slept and dreamed dreams of his grandmother and her speaking to him saying “sometimes in life you have to let go even when it is hard to do so.  Sometimes letting go means learning and fulfilling lifes lessons and destiny on your own.  Sometimes letting go means giving strength to someone else to do it on their own as well.  There comes a time when no one is there and everyone will have to look to themselves.  What will they do if they never had to do it on their own?” and “ I have journeyed with you from childhood until now, it’s time that I make this journey alone.  If you love me like I know you do grandson you will know that you have to let me go and make this journey.  My body is old, tired and weak here.  I have to see if I can find a new one.  Do you want me to keep this body here with you? Or would you like me to find a new one, and when you make this part of the journey I can lead you to yours just as I led you in the body that you have now? You are smart, and you love me, so I know you do not want this for me.  Remember my stories and my teachings.  And if you need me you always have Grandma’s soup.”

The next morning he found out that his grandmother had passed the night before.  Just as his grandmother had said, that week was a very long week for him ending with the funeral of his grandmother.  With all the emotions he experienced that week all he wanted to do at the end of it was talk to his grandmother but knew he couldn’t.  But he remembered she had put some soup in her freezer for him.  He got the soup and warmed it up.  The first bite was almost like sitting there with her.  He got the sheet that she wrote the recipe down on.  He read the words knowing the parenthesis mean pronunciation.  He began to pronounce the words in her accented tongue so he could figure the ingredients of the soup.  

 

Pan.. well of course you need a pan to cook it in

Arroz (Ah Rohs) Sounds like she’s saying a rose, maybe rosemary?

Sopa (Soh-Pah) Sounds like soap?

Pollo (Poh-Yoh) He knew every time she meant chicken she would say pollo

Sopa and chicken must mean clean the chicken.

Hierbas y mota  that looks like herbs and spices. Maybe tomato because she always had trouble with that word.  Be he didn’t remember tomatoes being in the soup

Ingles is a grocery store she would shop at so he knew she was telling him where to buy the ingredients.

After finishing the soup he went to lay in his grandmother’s bed and fell into a deep sleep.  He  dreamed of his grandmother saying “The service was so nice today, it was so good to see everyone and that you all let me go with grace.  I knew you would eat the soup and it would bring you to me. I must go now, I’ll see you again.  You have the recipe for the soup.  I love you.”

The next day as he helped his family clean out his grandmother’s place he began to get sad as he went through her things resurrecting memories and even recognizing mementos from some of the stories she had told him.  

Backstage Preparations

 

 

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Who Has Studied to Show Themselves Approved Unto God

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

Who has studied to show themselves approved unto God as 2 Timothy 2:15 says? One Would say… “I read the Bible everyday, and attend Bible study, and listen to the pastor preach.” or another may say “As a leader I read and study the word and speak the words in the book, and can quote the scriptures of the book as well.”  Both of these will feel as if they are and have studied the words of God to show themselves approved.

History began the day there was a person or persons available to record and report things as they happened, or as they came to them. Historical accounts are what records history, what happened in that particular time, messages sent from the past to be read in the future.  We know the history of Moses because Moses and or those who were there at the time of Moses wrote and recorded that history for us to read about in the future, thousands of years later.  We know the history of the United States or our Respective countries because of the same things, throughout time people have written and recorded historical accounts and events that have occurred, been preserved and passed through to the future for us to know what was said and done in the past and got us to the point of where we are today. 

The Bible is a historical account of things that was said and done from Adam, to Noah, to Moses, to Abraham, to David, to Jesus and the disciples.  From Creation to Christ there were scribes and messengers who wrote the things that happened, things they saw and messages they received.  Historical accounts throughout the old testament from messengers such as Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Malachai, Habakuk, and Hosea included prophetic messages sent by God for their current times and situations, times to be fulfilled within their generations, and for times in future generations, many of the prophecies being fulfilled to the letter.  God spoke with Noah in enough detail to give him dimensions to build an ark.  He instructed Kings in matters of their kingdom and of war.  He even led men to women to birth children that were raised to father great kingdoms and powerful nations. In the new testament disciples such as Peter, Matthew, John, and Mark write historical accounts of the messenger Jesus, the things he said, the things he did, what happened to him, and the messages he received from God.  Unlike the old testament it does not include writings from the messenger himself, but of those reporting of the messenger.

So from Adam to Jesus we have books, chapters, and verses written by God’s people and his messengers, we have God speaking to his people by sending his prophets and them writing his words creating a historical account spanning from the beginning of Creation until about 34 A.D.  After that… nothing.  God apparently stopped speaking, prophets wrote no more and Everything ends with the book of Revelation.  Over 2000 years since the book of Revelation was written, (which is a book of prophecy waiting to be fulfilled))and God has said or done nothing? No Messages? No Prophets? No Books?  If we believe in God we know He still lives and exists even until today.  If we believe that He still lives and exists while we are alive today, then His messages and His story did not end over 2000 years ago with the killing of Christ and the writing of the book of Revelation and that we are living a part of His story unto this day.   So… where is he?  Where is His words, messages, miracles and prophets like in the bible? How come we don’t have historical accounts of the bible that account for history all the way up until today?

History is History, whether it is written in the Bible, a book, a tablet, or a pyramid wall it is still a historical account.

If Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the Kingdom of God; then what has happened to his voice? His words? His prophets? Where are those who have studied to show themselves approved unto God?

Does quoting familiar scriptures answer these questions?  One who has studied to show themselves approved will not just read the Bible daily and remember the scriptures, but will also read scriptures such as Jude 1:14 that says:

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

and will go to the book of Genesis, and Chronicles and see that there was an Enoch born in Adam’s family line, but other than his name being mentioned as being born, there is no other mention of Enoch, his words or prophecies by Enoch.  Yet Enoch is mentioned twice in the new testament as an old testament prophet.  Meaning in the time of Jesus and his disciples their Bible or historical  accounts included a book or account written by Enoch that included prophecy.  Where are the words of Enoch?   Those who have studied to show themselves approved will also know that The era in which Jesus lived was a time in which the great Roman Empire began to rise.  A time when not only were religious books and churches burned and eradicated, but so were the teachers, messengers, and prophets. For 1,500 years kingdoms fought in war against other kingdoms and engaged in religious wars and battles against the people within their kingdoms wanting to establish religion and servitude to their leaders or gods. Eventually in order to establish more uniform religion within their societies and kingdoms; books and scripts that were found to be acceptable per governmental and societal standards were put together and translated from one language to another, and then from that language to others with varied texts, words and scriptures edited or removed to help improve interpretation/understanding of the words forming approved and accepted forms of the bible.  The terms of these approved versions were accept them or die, causing many to forsake their sacred books, texts, laws and religion in order to keep their lives.  Literally.  The verbiage and books of approved / accepted versions of the bible have been broken down even further today in order to help improve understanding of the scriptures contained within, or to fit the standards of the religion that uses that specific translation of the bible.  Then each religion or church teaches it doctrine based off of their interpretation of law and the bible based off of the approved supplied documentation.  

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You Are Being Sodomized by the Sodomites and it isn’t the Gays

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

Many have been taught that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed solely because of homosexuality—that these cities were filled with men engaged in same-sex relations, prompting God to burn them down. This belief is reinforced by the English word “sodomy,” which is defined as sexual acts involving anal or oral intercourse. The term originates from medieval Latin sodomia, referencing Genesis 19:5, where the men of Sodom demand to “know” Lot’s guests. This passage has been commonly interpreted as an indication of homosexual rape.

But is this truly the full story? Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible and other historical texts actually say about Sodom and Gomorrah.

What Does Scripture Say?

In Genesis 18:20-21, God declares that Sodom and Gomorrah’s sins are “very grievous,” prompting Him to investigate further.

Genesis 18:20-21
“And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.”

In Genesis 19, the men of Sodom surround Lot’s home and demand that he bring out his guests so that they may “know” them. This phrase has often been interpreted as a request for sexual relations.

Genesis 19:4-5
“But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

Lot refuses and even offers his daughters instead, further reinforcing the idea that the men’s intent was violent and immoral.

What Does “Know” Really Mean?

The original Hebrew word for “know” in Genesis 19:5 has often been translated as “to have sexual relations.” However, an alternative reading suggests that the more accurate translation is “to bed“—a reference not to sex, but to an act of torture.

This idea is supported by the Book of Jasher (The book of the Upright), an ancient text referenced in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. This book provides additional details on the practices of Sodom and Gomorrah, revealing that “bedding” was a form of sadistic punishment rather than a sexual act.

Jasher 19:3 And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.
4 And as he lay down, three men would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure him by the length of the bed, and if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him.
5 And if he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the man had reached the gates of death.
6 And if he continued to cry out to them, they would answer him, saying, Thus shall it be done to a man that cometh into our land.
7 And when men heard all these things that the people of the cities of Sodom did, they refrained from coming there.

What Was “Bedding” in Sodom and Gomorrah?

The Book of Jasher describes the horrific custom of “bedding” strangers who entered the city:

  1. Special beds were placed in the streets. If a traveler entered Sodom, the people would seize him and force him onto one of these beds.
  2. If the man was shorter than the bed, they would stretch him until his body fit its length.
  3. If he was taller than the bed, they would cut him down to size.
  4. If he cried out, they would ignore his pleas for mercy and declare that this was simply the custom of the land.

This was not an act of sexual desire but one of cruelty, humiliation, and brutality.

Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; 9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn;

Understanding Lot’s Offer and the Corruption of Sodom

In Genesis 19:7-9, Lot attempts to reason with the violent mob outside his home, urging them not to commit wickedness. He then offers his virgin daughters instead, but the crowd refuses and insists on seizing the strangers (the angels).

Many have interpreted this passage to mean that Lot was trying to appease a group of raging homosexuals who wanted to sexually violate the angels. According to this view, the mob rejected his daughters because they were only interested in same-sex relations.

However, the Book of Jasher provides additional context that challenges this interpretation.

The Sin of Sodom: More Than Just Sexual Immorality

According to Jasher 18:13-15, the people of Sodom engaged in public sexual violence and ritualistic abuse during their city-wide festivals. This passage describes how men took their neighbors’ wives and daughters, violating them in plain sight, while their husbands and fathers remained silent. This reveals a deeply corrupt and lawless society where rape and brutality were normalized, not just among men but against women as well.

Thus, when Lot offered his daughters, he was not simply presenting an alternative to an act of homosexuality. Instead, he was making a desperate attempt to protect his guests from a sadistic form of torture that the Sodomites regularly inflicted on strangers.

“And He Will Needs Be a Judge” – The Corrupt Legal System of Sodom

The mob’s response in Genesis 19:9 reveals their hostility toward Lot for attempting to judge their actions:

“And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them.”

The Book of Jasher 19:1-2 expands on this, describing how Sodom had a deeply unjust judicial system run by four corrupt judges. The names of these judges were later translated by Abraham’s servant Eliezer, revealing the nature of their rule:

  • Serak (The Abundant One) → Shakra (The Lustful One)
  • Sharkad (The Free One) → Shakura (The Doubly Lustful One)
  • Zebnac (The Giving One) → Kezobim (The Lost Wanderer, The Confused One)
  • Menon (The Consoling One) → Matzlodin (The One Who Does Not Seek Justice)

These names expose the city’s culture of excess, lust, lawlessness, and injustice. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah did not just engage in immorality—they created a legal system that protected and encouraged wickedness while punishing the righteous.

The Wicked Laws and Customs of Sodom and Gomorrah

The Book of Jasher expands on the deep corruption and brutality that defined Sodom and Gomorrah. Their society was not just immoral but deliberately cruel and unjust, targeting the weak, the poor, and even their own people who showed compassion.

A Corrupt Judicial System

One story from Jasher 19:12-21 illustrates the complete perversion of justice in Sodom:

  • Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, witnessed a man of Sodom attack a stranger, steal his clothes, and leave him naked.
  • When Eliezer intervened to help, the attacker struck Eliezer on the forehead with a stone, causing him to bleed.
  • Shockingly, the attacker demanded payment, claiming that the act of drawing blood was a service, and this was “the custom of the land.”
  • When Eliezer refused, the man took him before Shakra, the judge of Sodom, who ruled in favor of the attacker, ordering Eliezer to pay for his own injury.

This reveals that Sodom’s legal system was not about justice, but about justifying evil.

Systematic Oppression of Strangers and the Poor

The Book of Jasher explains the meaning behind Genesis 18:20, where God declares that the “cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great”—this was the suffering of the innocent at the hands of a wicked people.

1. Robbing Travelers (Jasher 18:16-17)

  • When a traveler came to Sodom, the entire city would gang up on him, stealing his goods little by little.
  • If he protested, each thief would say, “I only took a little,” until he had nothing left.
  • Once the traveler was left penniless, they would chase him out of the city.

2. Starving the Poor to Death (Jasher 19:8-10)

  • If a poor man entered the city, the people would give him gold and silver, but they would refuse to give him food, ensuring he would starve.
  • When he eventually died, they would take back their money and strip his body of clothing.
  • This cruel practice was repeated every time a poor person entered their land.

The Righteousness of Paltith and Her Martyrdom

One of the most tragic stories involves Paltith, Lot’s daughter.

  • A poor man came to Sodom seeking food, but the city’s cruel law forbade anyone from helping him.
  • Paltith secretly fed him by hiding bread in her water pitcher when she went to fetch water.
  • The people became suspicious when the man survived for many days without food and set a trap.
  • They caught Paltith in the act of giving him bread and brought her before the judges.
  • Her punishment? The people of Sodom burned her alive in the street.

A similar fate befell a young woman in Admah, another city in the region:

  • She offered bread and water to a weary traveler who had nowhere to stay.
  • The people accused her of violating their laws against hospitality.
  • Her punishment was horrific—she was covered in honey and left to be stung to death by bees.
  • Her cries of agony reached the heavens.

The Justification for Sodom’s Destruction

These accounts explain why God declared in Genesis 18:20-21 that Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin was “very grievous.” Their evil was not just about sexual immorality—it was an entire culture built on:

  1. Systematic oppression of the poor and vulnerable
  2. Corrupt courts that rewarded wickedness
  3. Torture and public executions of those who showed compassion
  4. A complete rejection of justice, mercy, and righteousness

God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah was not just an act of divine wrath—it was divine justice against a people who had made cruelty their law.

The Wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and God’s Judgment

The Book of Jasher gives deeper insight into the extreme wickedness that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins went beyond immorality—they were a people who delighted in cruelty, especially toward the poor and those passing through their cities.

A City of Cruelty and Injustice

  • The people of Sodom were not just inhospitable; they were intentionally brutal.
  • They tortured and starved the poor and needy, refusing to give them even a morsel of bread until they died.
  • If anyone dared to help a starving person, they too would be tortured and put to death.
  • Once their victims died, the people would rob them of all their possessions, even fighting over their belongings until the strongest person claimed them.
  • This was not an isolated practice—it was their law. Anyone who entered their land was subject to their violence, and they would say:
    “Thus shall it be done to any man that enters our land.”
  • They were like a lawless gang of violent mobsters, committing rape, robbery, pillaging, plundering, and murder without remorse.

Why God’s Judgment Was Inevitable

The Bible records in Genesis 19:13 that God’s angels declared:
“For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.”

The Book of Jasher explains why their sins were so great:

  • Jasher 19:44 – Sodom had plenty of food and peace within their land, yet they refused to help the poor and needy.
  • Jasher 19:45 – Their sins became so great that God sent His angels to destroy the city.

Even the Prophet Ezekiel reveals why Sodom was destroyed:

  • Ezekiel 16:49-50 – Their sins were pride, laziness, excess, and cruelty to the poor.
  • Despite having everything they needed, they chose to oppress and mistreat others.
  • Their haughtiness and abominations led God to wipe them out.

God’s Justice and the Perversion of His Law

God is a God of wisdom, justice, and righteousness. He does not only distinguish right from wrong but also just from unjust, fair from unfair. Everything He does has a purpose and reason.

However, there are those who twist God’s laws to fit their own agenda—condemning people based on a part of the law rather than the whole truth.

  • When people spread a distorted version of God’s judgment, they corrupt the understanding of the people.
  • This perversion of God’s law leads to a society that is wicked, unjust, and immoral, just like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodom was destroyed because of unchecked evil, and its fate serves as a warning to any nation that rejects justice, mercy, and righteousness in favor of oppression and corruption.

The Spirit of Sodom: Oppression, Injustice, and Cruelty

Sodom and Gomorrah were not just cities of immorality—they were places of systematic oppression, cruelty, and injustice, where the strong preyed on the weak without mercy. Their legacy lives on wherever injustice flourishes.

  • If you use your power to exploit the poor and needy while they suffer and perish, you are acting in the spirit of Sodom.
  • If you are trapped in a system designed to keep you poor, sick, and powerless while others profit from your suffering, you are experiencing the same oppression as the victims of Sodom.
  • If the justice system is built to work against the vulnerable, enforcing unfair and biased laws that strip them of their dignity, wealth, and even their lives while benefiting the rich and powerful—you are witnessing the modern-day spirit of Sodom in action.
  • If you are drowning in debt, struggling under a system that keeps you weak while others grow stronger off your hardship, you are being exploited just as the oppressed were in Sodom.
  • If you live in a place where those in power declare, “We do not want you in our land,” and they subject your people to cruel and inhumane treatment—starvation, torture, public executions, lynchings, and other forms of brutal punishment—you are living in a modern-day Sodom.

Sodom was not just a city—it was a system, a mindset, and a way of life that glorified oppression and fed on injustice. Wherever greed, cruelty, and exploitation thrive at the expense of the poor and powerless, the spirit of Sodom is alive—and history shows that God does not leave such evil unpunished.

Listen To The Full Book Of Jasher Here
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Happy Ishtar (Easter) Everyone!

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

Remember in the bible when God created Adam and he said “Adam I have made the whole earth, and have hidden eggs all over the four corners of the Earth.  Thou must find them.  Follow the Bunny and the Rabbits and they will lead you.  If you find not all the eggs I will forsake thee and they children.”  he then commanded the children of Israel.  Go out into the earth and find the eggs that your forefathers could not find lest I smite ye all from the earth, whosoever finds the most eggs is whom I approve.”  and then he commanded the 12 disciples ” Go ye therefore into the world preaching the gospel of the eggs and the bunny, and because my children and prophets are killed on crosses we are going to use that as a sign to celebrate the weapon used to kill my children.”

You don’t remember those stories? Well neither do I.  What I do remember is this Judges 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.  1 Samuel 12:10 And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

I also remember Jeremiah 27:22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.  Here’s a little tidbit about the gods they served in Babylon. One of them being Ishtar:

Ishtar is the Mesopotamian East Semitic (Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian) goddess of fertility, love, war, sex, and power.[1] She is the counterpart to the earlier attested Sumerian Inanna, and the cognate for the later attested Northwest Semitic Aramean goddess Astarte.

Well what does that have to do with anything?  Well the eggs represent fertility.  Fertilize the egg you get life.  Rabbits and Bunnies represent sex and their strong ability to repopulate and reproduce quickly.  Ishtar is the cognate or same as the Aramaic goddess Astarte which is the same as Ashtaroth. When you celebrate the god of eggs and bunnies you are giving celebration to the god of sex and fertility.  Ashtaroth as she was called in Aramea, Ishtar as she was called in Babylon, and Easter today.

Were not the children of Israel greatly punished for serving and turning to these gods and not serving the God of earth who is greater than these Gods?  Were they not put into captivity over and over because they chose to serve strange Gods including Ashtaroth and Ishtar and serve them even more when they were taken into the countries in which they were captive?  Didn’t he give the children of Israel a time to turn from those gods and back to Him before he destroyed those cities as wicked?

 

 

Having a fun activity for the kids to do with the purpose of fun is one thing; but doing  things that give celebration to other gods is what Israel was, and has been punished for.  Mark 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.  2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.  2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Study to show thyself approved.  Happy Ishtar !!

 

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Culture Family Life

Who art thou O’ Son of Man?

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

Matthew 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Now many preach that this is Jesus confirming that everything Peter has said was true and was revealed to him by God.”  But lets look at exactly what Jesus says both before and after this piece:

Romans 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”

He then says in response to Peter  17… “for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”  20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. When Jesus first poses the question he asks “who do people say that I the son of man am?”  He refers to himself as the son of man. Proverbs 8:4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. Ezekiel 2:2 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. Ecclesiastes 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.  When speaking to certain prophets in the old testament of the Bible God would call them Son of man, and give the sons of men different charges, things to say and things to do.  

People Watching a Movie

After that it says  20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

 

Flirst is a collage artist who assembles disparate pieces to explore how he can change the harmony of the whole. For my poster, a homage to The Revenant, I assembled pieces to create a vast, sinister, and lonely landscape. The poster features a figure with very few people on his side; this represents the film’s main character, Hugh Glass, who was brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead in the winter wilderness.

I wanted to portray the same witty chaotic vibe in my poster

In his Barcelona series, Mario Corea Aiello forms a grungy collage of newspaper and magazine cutouts and heavy paint strokes. I felt this style would parallel the vicious storm that left Mark Watney for dead on Mars in The Martian. For the color scheme, I deferred to Eric White’s cover art from the original novel by Andy Weir to capture the characteristics of an otherworldly storm.

My inspiration for this poster is one part Roy Lichtenstein and one part Stefan Sagmeister. Spotlight is about journalists uncovering a massive scandal in one of Boston’s oldest institutions, and I found that the perfectly contradictory homophone pray/prey encapsulates the shock and horror felt by the community when this scandal was made public.

To illustrate this, I pixelated an image of a priest, then tore off his head and replaced it with an image of a wolf. I looked to Warhol’s subversive dictator portraits to shape this poster of Immortan Joe.Warhol had a remarkable ability to distract from the meaning of his art. On the surface his work simply looks cool!

This shallow analysis misses the irony behind his cultural representations. Mad Max: Fury Road has the same effect: The stylized nature of the film gets more attention than the meaning behind it.

I chose to feature Immortan Joe because he is a terrible person, but his iconic look makes him instantly recognizable. When I first read the plot summary for Room, I envisioned lonely, sterile characters, who had been institutionalized by their secluded environment.

Of course, when I saw the movie that perception quickly changed; the characters are full of life, love, and joy, and the audience instantly empathizes with them on a raw, human level. KAWS statues play on a similar deceit. Initially they have a sterile, robotic feel, but when you view them in their human-scale sizes and see their playful aesthetic, you experience an unexpected sense of connection.

Welcome to the Oscars, Or as some people like to call it, the white people’s choice awards

The Big Short takes a comedic approach to a dark subject, and I wanted to portray the same witty, chaotic vibe in my poster. Keith Haring was my inspiration because his high-contrast, brightly colored political work, which touches on grim subjects like rape, death, and war, hinges on the same contrast as the film. The poster is based on the film’s alligator-in-an-abandoned-pool scene; the alligator represents the main characters in the movie, who took advantage of the 2008 housing bubble and left the world in desperation when it burst.

Backstage Preparations

I chose to focus on the muddy gray areas and loopholes within Bridge of Spies. The Cold War was fueled by each side’s increasingly dire hypotheticals, causing mass paranoia among citizens and governments alike.

A large part of the film’s narrative focuses on the extent of protection under the law, especially for a Soviet spy. I reimagined Lady Justice, mixing her blindfold with the American and Soviet flags to represent how both countries were tied to their individuals principles of justice even while locked in an unending battle for the upper hand. Set in the eponymous 1950s borough, Brooklyn features then-contemporary imagery that now exemplifies the commodification of Brooklyn as a global brand.

Just as the Pop Art movement utilized mass advertising and irony to re-contextualize commercial art, I drew from today’s vintage, artisanal design trends, which are inspired by that era and setting. In that vein, I applied the animated footage and vector elements to illustrate how the contrasting settings of Brooklyn and Ireland re-contextualized the protagonist’s identity through a fluctuating sense of home.

The 88th annual Academy Awards are underway, and viewers are anxiously awaiting the ceremony to find out if their favorite flicks and actors win, which categories will see big upsets, and which speeches and performances will stand out.

Not to mention how host Chris Rock will approach the Oscars So White controversy, and who he will target during the opening monologue. Did Leo finally take home a golden statue? The buzz began during the red carpet events prior to the official event. Jennifer Jason Leigh, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Hateful Eight, seemed slightly out of it during her interview with Ryan Seacrest on E!’s special. But arguably the biggest surprise was Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant).

If hosts were nominated, I wouldn’t be here; instead, you’d have Neil Patrick Harris.

Rock, who addressed the issues with ease and expected humor, added that he did seriously consider quitting after so many people spoke out and pressured him to do so. But the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart, he said, as the crowd erupted in laughter (including Hart himself, who was in the audience).

Arguably, the best part of Rock’s monologue was his blatant dig at Jada Pinkett-Smith and her vocal boycott of the Oscars. Isn’t she on a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties, he said.

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Featured

Will a Man Rob God?

By atlcustoms — 8 years ago

 

The infamous scripture/passage spoken and read when it comes to the church and it’s members when it comes to paying tithes and offering.

Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 

Who wants to be cursed with a curse? Right? Many pastors and preachers say or preach that many people  who are in poverty or have financial issues or setbacks  Of course it would be great to receive a blessing that there won’t be room enough to receive.

One thing I have learned about God is when he speaks HE SPEAKS.  He speaks in complete sentences and when he gives revelation he gives FULL revelation in complete understanding, wisdom and knowledge. I’m not saying He rambles, but he does not say three words unless only three words are necessary, he does not speak a couple versus in one part of a chapter in part of a book that contains other books and chapters.  He will go on and on until the point is made and understood.  Trust me I know.

What does this have to do with robing God and tithes and offering?

Ecclesiastes 5:13 “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.14 But those riches perish by evil travail: “

Well what many pastors fail to realize, teach or tell is that the beginning of this passage isn’t this verse, nor is it the first verse in this chapter but begins in the chapter before that specifically says

Malachi 2:1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

People Watching a Movie

Malachi 2:4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

Here is a little background on Levi and the covenant God made with him.

Numbers 8:19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.8 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their’s, every meat offering of their’s, and every sin offering of their’s, and every trespass offering of their’s which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.15 Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord.18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe.27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lord‘S heave offering to Aaron the priest.29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

Of course, when I saw the movie that perception quickly changed; the characters are full of life, love, and joy, and the audience instantly empathizes with them on a raw, human level. KAWS statues play on a similar deceit. Initially they have a sterile, robotic feel, but when you view them in their human-scale sizes and see their playful aesthetic, you experience an unexpected sense of connection.

Welcome to the Oscars, Or as some people like to call it, the white people’s choice awards

The Big Short takes a comedic approach to a dark subject, and I wanted to portray the same witty, chaotic vibe in my poster. Keith Haring was my inspiration because his high-contrast, brightly colored political work, which touches on grim subjects like rape, death, and war, hinges on the same contrast as the film. The poster is based on the film’s alligator-in-an-abandoned-pool scene; the alligator represents the main characters in the movie, who took advantage of the 2008 housing bubble and left the world in desperation when it burst.

Backstage Preparations

I chose to focus on the muddy gray areas and loopholes within Bridge of Spies. The Cold War was fueled by each side’s increasingly dire hypotheticals, causing mass paranoia among citizens and governments alike.

A large part of the film’s narrative focuses on the extent of protection under the law, especially for a Soviet spy. I reimagined Lady Justice, mixing her blindfold with the American and Soviet flags to represent how both countries were tied to their individuals principles of justice even while locked in an unending battle for the upper hand. Set in the eponymous 1950s borough, Brooklyn features then-contemporary imagery that now exemplifies the commodification of Brooklyn as a global brand.

Just as the Pop Art movement utilized mass advertising and irony to re-contextualize commercial art, I drew from today’s vintage, artisanal design trends, which are inspired by that era and setting. In that vein, I applied the animated footage and vector elements to illustrate how the contrasting settings of Brooklyn and Ireland re-contextualized the protagonist’s identity through a fluctuating sense of home.

The 88th annual Academy Awards are underway, and viewers are anxiously awaiting the ceremony to find out if their favorite flicks and actors win, which categories will see big upsets, and which speeches and performances will stand out.

Not to mention how host Chris Rock will approach the Oscars So White controversy, and who he will target during the opening monologue. Did Leo finally take home a golden statue? The buzz began during the red carpet events prior to the official event. Jennifer Jason Leigh, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Hateful Eight, seemed slightly out of it during her interview with Ryan Seacrest on E!’s special. But arguably the biggest surprise was Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant).

If hosts were nominated, I wouldn’t be here; instead, you’d have Neil Patrick Harris.

Rock, who addressed the issues with ease and expected humor, added that he did seriously consider quitting after so many people spoke out and pressured him to do so. But the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart, he said, as the crowd erupted in laughter (including Hart himself, who was in the audience).

Arguably, the best part of Rock’s monologue was his blatant dig at Jada Pinkett-Smith and her vocal boycott of the Oscars. Isn’t she on a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties, he said.

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