Blog # 13
A Roman Centurion Soldier's Request
9/29/2019
On the go? Use the audio option at the bottom of the blog. Audio also includes different information.
First, my apologies for taking so long to make another post on this site. I do hope it afforded many the opportunity to catch up, research,
pray and ponder the content in previous posts. I have been busied with personal things and new career opportunities, both have been rewarding and a blessing.
A Roman Centurion Soldier’s Request
There is only one point to make when discussing the Roman Centurion
in the Biblical epistles of Matthew and Luke. Jesus, who knew everything
as recorded in many writings, knew the Centurion had a request. He
knew the Centurion had a male servant that was an intimate partner as a
custom and also a battlefield lover for testosterone release. Jesus did not
deny the healing or chastise the soldier for same sex relations by custom
and warfare. Jesus didn’t say “stop that same sex stuff and then I can heal
the servant”. He didn’t throw religion around carelessly nor shame him.
He found the Centurion soldier’s faith to be sufficient. No strings, no rules,
no stipulations, just faith. The soldier, on the other hand felt unworthy. Why?
Because people have a way of manipulating the human race with words and
they certainly like to use it to control people and most often use it in God's
name.
I want to start this post with writings from Mariah Cavanaugh from Saint Mary’s University regarding Ancient Greek’s historical practices, to include Centurion customs. Here is where I want to begin. Mariah writes
“Before you read further, take a moment to set aside your preconceived beliefs about relationships and sexuality. As you read, aim to view historical practices through a purely objective lens. Imagine you are in another time, where the same definitions of words and beliefs simply do not yet exist. Now that you have checked your biases, we will examine the controversial (by today’s standards) practice of pederasty by ancient Greeks. Pederasty was a social custom in which an adult male would court a young Greek boy to become his model, guide, and initiator, and would become responsible for the evolution of his chosen young counterpart.1 Pederasty has become so associated with the modern concept of pedophilia that it is hard to discuss it without venturing into the taboo.”
In the Bible, in the epistles of Matthew and Luke, we are told of a Roman Centurion that had a very sick servant boy and wanted Jesus to heal him. Matthew Chapter 8 states “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?" The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.”
Before writers began to change the original Greek words and lost the original meaning, the word used for the modern translation “my servant” was “pais” in the epistle of Matthew. In Luke, the original word was “doulos”. A general meaning of both words is described as ambiguously as some modern English words. Pias as used as a love and usually of the same sex. Doulous most generally represented a servant or a child. For the most part, many scholars and writers have an opinion. Here are a few that have poured over the original word, meaning, critical history era and context to conclude what was being portrayed before it was changed. The Centurion desperately wanted healing for his favored young male servant who was endearing to him. Who was that servant?
K. J. Dover wrote the book Greek Sexuality, that anyone was willing to take a deeper and objective look at this practice.
Robin Osborne, who wrote Greek History, states that in ancient Greek society “they worked to regulate their aphrodisiac and sensual pleasures, with their mind and body, but sexual activity was not treated as a matter of morality as it often is today.”
Professor James Davidson writes in his book The Greeks and Greek Love that the Greeks placed an emphasis on the courting process for young men not starting until they hit puberty, and that puberty itself arrived later in antiquity than it does in the modern Western world.
Marilyn Skinner, professor of gender and sexuality, argues that it most likely started at or around the age of fourteen for young men. Regardless, once they reached puberty, the courting process began.
Comparative literature professor Enid Bloch is a loud critic of the practice and argues that pederasty involved the unjust exploitation of a trusting or helpless victim by someone in a position of power.
Anthropologist and author Geoffrey Gorer judged this relationship model as socially viable for the time, and stated “it likely did not give rise to psychological discomfort or neuroses for most if not all the young males involved because it was a common practice of the time.
Historian Mark Golden—who wrote the book, Children and Childhood in Classical Athens—of aiding in the exploitation of children today when he defends pederasty that took place in ancient Greece.
Miranda Fricker elaborates on taboo subjects in history by theorizing: “The proper standards by which to judge people are the best standards that were available at the time.” Simply put, we cannot and should not blame people for failing to be moral pioneers. The act of pederasty was an integral part of society in ancient Greece and at that time they saw the practice as a pivotal moment in the maturing of young men.
This topic does not need to be lengthy with tons of supportive documentation. There are many references and online information
available to draw your own conclusion. To know for a fact, the Centurion called his male servant a pias and cared enough for
him, who economically and socially was beneath him, to ask Jesus to heal him, is enough. To know the Centurion and the servant participated
in the custom of bringing a young male from puberty into adulthood with intimate bonding, is enough. To know an officer would take his
‘beloved’ servant into battle to relieve the male testosterone tension while on the battlefield for months, is enough. To know Jesus never
asked one question about their intimacy, yet he knew, Jesus healed the servant based on the Centurion’s faith, is enough. In all reality, it
says a lot without saying much. please research this for yourself. Look at some of the references provided and other online
sites that dig deep into the Greco-Roman culture and warfare practices.
The practices were not always of a sexual nature. As with everything else, things change over time. It was "frowned upon" for males of the same age to be intimate, but on the other hand when the older male took a younger companion it was considered normal and acceptable. It was a dominant and submissive role that permitted the custom to be acceptable. Just as Israelite law was customary and acceptable for men to be the dominant sexual pursuer but it was an 'abomination' against the Israelite law for the roles to reverse and the woman be the dominant one. Look at our society today, women take on very dominant roles and some men are 'stay at home dads'. For One to take old biblical principle and apply it today to condemn any person and only see it as literal and in stone, chooses to do so without God's permission.
First, my apologies for taking so long to make another post on this site. I do hope it afforded many the opportunity to catch up, research,
pray and ponder the content in previous posts. I have been busied with personal things and new career opportunities, both have been rewarding and a blessing.
A Roman Centurion Soldier’s Request
There is only one point to make when discussing the Roman Centurion
in the Biblical epistles of Matthew and Luke. Jesus, who knew everything
as recorded in many writings, knew the Centurion had a request. He
knew the Centurion had a male servant that was an intimate partner as a
custom and also a battlefield lover for testosterone release. Jesus did not
deny the healing or chastise the soldier for same sex relations by custom
and warfare. Jesus didn’t say “stop that same sex stuff and then I can heal
the servant”. He didn’t throw religion around carelessly nor shame him.
He found the Centurion soldier’s faith to be sufficient. No strings, no rules,
no stipulations, just faith. The soldier, on the other hand felt unworthy. Why?
Because people have a way of manipulating the human race with words and
they certainly like to use it to control people and most often use it in God's
name.
I want to start this post with writings from Mariah Cavanaugh from Saint Mary’s University regarding Ancient Greek’s historical practices, to include Centurion customs. Here is where I want to begin. Mariah writes
“Before you read further, take a moment to set aside your preconceived beliefs about relationships and sexuality. As you read, aim to view historical practices through a purely objective lens. Imagine you are in another time, where the same definitions of words and beliefs simply do not yet exist. Now that you have checked your biases, we will examine the controversial (by today’s standards) practice of pederasty by ancient Greeks. Pederasty was a social custom in which an adult male would court a young Greek boy to become his model, guide, and initiator, and would become responsible for the evolution of his chosen young counterpart.1 Pederasty has become so associated with the modern concept of pedophilia that it is hard to discuss it without venturing into the taboo.”
In the Bible, in the epistles of Matthew and Luke, we are told of a Roman Centurion that had a very sick servant boy and wanted Jesus to heal him. Matthew Chapter 8 states “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?" The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.”
Before writers began to change the original Greek words and lost the original meaning, the word used for the modern translation “my servant” was “pais” in the epistle of Matthew. In Luke, the original word was “doulos”. A general meaning of both words is described as ambiguously as some modern English words. Pias as used as a love and usually of the same sex. Doulous most generally represented a servant or a child. For the most part, many scholars and writers have an opinion. Here are a few that have poured over the original word, meaning, critical history era and context to conclude what was being portrayed before it was changed. The Centurion desperately wanted healing for his favored young male servant who was endearing to him. Who was that servant?
K. J. Dover wrote the book Greek Sexuality, that anyone was willing to take a deeper and objective look at this practice.
Robin Osborne, who wrote Greek History, states that in ancient Greek society “they worked to regulate their aphrodisiac and sensual pleasures, with their mind and body, but sexual activity was not treated as a matter of morality as it often is today.”
Professor James Davidson writes in his book The Greeks and Greek Love that the Greeks placed an emphasis on the courting process for young men not starting until they hit puberty, and that puberty itself arrived later in antiquity than it does in the modern Western world.
Marilyn Skinner, professor of gender and sexuality, argues that it most likely started at or around the age of fourteen for young men. Regardless, once they reached puberty, the courting process began.
Comparative literature professor Enid Bloch is a loud critic of the practice and argues that pederasty involved the unjust exploitation of a trusting or helpless victim by someone in a position of power.
Anthropologist and author Geoffrey Gorer judged this relationship model as socially viable for the time, and stated “it likely did not give rise to psychological discomfort or neuroses for most if not all the young males involved because it was a common practice of the time.
Historian Mark Golden—who wrote the book, Children and Childhood in Classical Athens—of aiding in the exploitation of children today when he defends pederasty that took place in ancient Greece.
Miranda Fricker elaborates on taboo subjects in history by theorizing: “The proper standards by which to judge people are the best standards that were available at the time.” Simply put, we cannot and should not blame people for failing to be moral pioneers. The act of pederasty was an integral part of society in ancient Greece and at that time they saw the practice as a pivotal moment in the maturing of young men.
This topic does not need to be lengthy with tons of supportive documentation. There are many references and online information
available to draw your own conclusion. To know for a fact, the Centurion called his male servant a pias and cared enough for
him, who economically and socially was beneath him, to ask Jesus to heal him, is enough. To know the Centurion and the servant participated
in the custom of bringing a young male from puberty into adulthood with intimate bonding, is enough. To know an officer would take his
‘beloved’ servant into battle to relieve the male testosterone tension while on the battlefield for months, is enough. To know Jesus never
asked one question about their intimacy, yet he knew, Jesus healed the servant based on the Centurion’s faith, is enough. In all reality, it
says a lot without saying much. please research this for yourself. Look at some of the references provided and other online
sites that dig deep into the Greco-Roman culture and warfare practices.
The practices were not always of a sexual nature. As with everything else, things change over time. It was "frowned upon" for males of the same age to be intimate, but on the other hand when the older male took a younger companion it was considered normal and acceptable. It was a dominant and submissive role that permitted the custom to be acceptable. Just as Israelite law was customary and acceptable for men to be the dominant sexual pursuer but it was an 'abomination' against the Israelite law for the roles to reverse and the woman be the dominant one. Look at our society today, women take on very dominant roles and some men are 'stay at home dads'. For One to take old biblical principle and apply it today to condemn any person and only see it as literal and in stone, chooses to do so without God's permission.
Blog # 12
Pastor Jeff Cook "Without exception, the Living God has not sought to change their sexual orientation"
08/20/2019
On the go? Use the audio option at the bottom of the blog. Audio also includes different information.
I recommend listening to the Audio on My Thoughts for this Blog, it is 31 Minutes.
By Jeff Cook
In my experience, when men and women come to faith in Jesus it changes their lives. They become less violent, more generous, less envious, more self-aware. Their inner life begins to flourish in new and profound ways and their love of God elevates over time.
I have many gay friends who have come to faith in the past 15 years. Without exception their lives reshape, their hearts turn in surprising and beautiful ways. Some had as dramatic a conversion experience as my own, and I know what that feels like from inside. I know what it is like to take off dysfunctional glasses that had caused me such grief and unhealth, and I know what it is like to put on Christ — to put on the fresh yoke of Jesus — which gave me not only a new understanding of myself but of everything else.
Here’s what I have also seen. I have watched the Holy Spirit alive in my gay friends moving them over time. They have embraced the hard work of sanctification. They have gone through the gauntlet of dying parents and lack, and they have relied on the Spirit of God for comfort and power. They have lifted up prayers for themselves, for me and for enemies, and they have received the daily grace gifted by Jesus to those who walk with him.
Here’s a final thing I have seen. Without exception, the Living God has not sought to change their sexual orientation — not one time, in dozens of cases. The Spirit of God, so rich in their lives, so transformative, has remained silent about their sexuality. Why?
Is the Spirit silent about who their lover should be? No. Many have been convicted to break off relationships. Has the Spirit been silent about patterns of reckless sexuality? No. Some have been deeply convicted to trade up multiple partners for monogamy. But without exception, the Spirit of Christ has not invited them to alter their sexual orientation. This needs to be a huge sign to the rest of us.
We see our gay neighbors directed as we all are in their sexuality and the Spirit’s leading looks identical to our own: the Spirit points out the destructive nature of lust, the need to die to our self so our partner may thrive, and the demand to faithfully love a single person and no one else. Conviction is there, it is clear, but they uniformly say they are not hearing the message, “You need to become heterosexual.”
Moreover, we see the Spirit’s priorities across America. Nonprofits that once specialized in conversion therapy have failed. These “ministries” not only saw no fruit coming from their efforts; the most prestigious have publicly repented for the abuse, confusion and disappointment they offered.
We see our gay and lesbian neighbors — despite massive opposition from many Christians — not abandoning Jesus, but finding church homes that receive them and their children, so they may receive the bread and wine and the fellowship of Christ’s body. And we see them thriving in their faith.
So I ask: Why is the Holy Spirit’s presence “insufficient” for the church affirming our queer neighbors and affirming their marriages today?
The simple answer from many is, “There are three prohibitions in the New Testament.” But we all know these passages have been heavily debated by scholars in recent years. The words invoked in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy are almost never used in the cannon of Greek literature and are so very difficult to translate culturally, and Romans 1 does not picture healthy, same sex relationships. There’s a books worth of further commentary here, but it should be said, the passages that appear in some translations to forbid same sex partnerships are by no means clear.
However, the Holy Spirit’s tangible, immediate, enlivening presence now is quite clear, and just as the Spirit’s presence moved the early church to receive Gentiles without them obeying the Law of Torah, so too the Spirit’s presence and voice in the lives of our queer friends ought to be sufficient for us.
When the biblical legitimacy of his own work was questioned, Jesus simply said, “Tell [them] what you have seen. Healings, resurrections and the good news preached to the poor.” Fruit matters. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Good trees cannot bear bad fruit.” And what we often see in healthy same-sex unions is profound fruit: grace, kindness, wisdom, goodness, joy, peace and life spilling into the lives of many. What we see is the fruit of the Spirit of the Living God. These facts are undisputed, and they are in my mind decisive.
Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound … So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Because those whom the Spirit chooses to indwell have been received as sons and daughters of the Righteous One — because we see the Holy Spirit blowing out all the chaff of their lives yet not touching their sexuality — we should likewise affirm our gay and lesbian kin as they are.
— Jeff Cook is a pastor in Greeley. This is his last of four columns on the Church and queer sexuality. You may search for the other three on the Greeley Tribune website. The use of “gay” in place of “LGBTQ” and “Queer” is intentional given the audience.
https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/jeff-cook-we-should-follow-the-holy-spirits-affirmation-of-gay-christians/
I recommend listening to the Audio on My Thoughts for this Blog, it is 31 Minutes.
By Jeff Cook
In my experience, when men and women come to faith in Jesus it changes their lives. They become less violent, more generous, less envious, more self-aware. Their inner life begins to flourish in new and profound ways and their love of God elevates over time.
I have many gay friends who have come to faith in the past 15 years. Without exception their lives reshape, their hearts turn in surprising and beautiful ways. Some had as dramatic a conversion experience as my own, and I know what that feels like from inside. I know what it is like to take off dysfunctional glasses that had caused me such grief and unhealth, and I know what it is like to put on Christ — to put on the fresh yoke of Jesus — which gave me not only a new understanding of myself but of everything else.
Here’s what I have also seen. I have watched the Holy Spirit alive in my gay friends moving them over time. They have embraced the hard work of sanctification. They have gone through the gauntlet of dying parents and lack, and they have relied on the Spirit of God for comfort and power. They have lifted up prayers for themselves, for me and for enemies, and they have received the daily grace gifted by Jesus to those who walk with him.
Here’s a final thing I have seen. Without exception, the Living God has not sought to change their sexual orientation — not one time, in dozens of cases. The Spirit of God, so rich in their lives, so transformative, has remained silent about their sexuality. Why?
Is the Spirit silent about who their lover should be? No. Many have been convicted to break off relationships. Has the Spirit been silent about patterns of reckless sexuality? No. Some have been deeply convicted to trade up multiple partners for monogamy. But without exception, the Spirit of Christ has not invited them to alter their sexual orientation. This needs to be a huge sign to the rest of us.
We see our gay neighbors directed as we all are in their sexuality and the Spirit’s leading looks identical to our own: the Spirit points out the destructive nature of lust, the need to die to our self so our partner may thrive, and the demand to faithfully love a single person and no one else. Conviction is there, it is clear, but they uniformly say they are not hearing the message, “You need to become heterosexual.”
Moreover, we see the Spirit’s priorities across America. Nonprofits that once specialized in conversion therapy have failed. These “ministries” not only saw no fruit coming from their efforts; the most prestigious have publicly repented for the abuse, confusion and disappointment they offered.
We see our gay and lesbian neighbors — despite massive opposition from many Christians — not abandoning Jesus, but finding church homes that receive them and their children, so they may receive the bread and wine and the fellowship of Christ’s body. And we see them thriving in their faith.
So I ask: Why is the Holy Spirit’s presence “insufficient” for the church affirming our queer neighbors and affirming their marriages today?
The simple answer from many is, “There are three prohibitions in the New Testament.” But we all know these passages have been heavily debated by scholars in recent years. The words invoked in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy are almost never used in the cannon of Greek literature and are so very difficult to translate culturally, and Romans 1 does not picture healthy, same sex relationships. There’s a books worth of further commentary here, but it should be said, the passages that appear in some translations to forbid same sex partnerships are by no means clear.
However, the Holy Spirit’s tangible, immediate, enlivening presence now is quite clear, and just as the Spirit’s presence moved the early church to receive Gentiles without them obeying the Law of Torah, so too the Spirit’s presence and voice in the lives of our queer friends ought to be sufficient for us.
When the biblical legitimacy of his own work was questioned, Jesus simply said, “Tell [them] what you have seen. Healings, resurrections and the good news preached to the poor.” Fruit matters. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Good trees cannot bear bad fruit.” And what we often see in healthy same-sex unions is profound fruit: grace, kindness, wisdom, goodness, joy, peace and life spilling into the lives of many. What we see is the fruit of the Spirit of the Living God. These facts are undisputed, and they are in my mind decisive.
Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound … So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Because those whom the Spirit chooses to indwell have been received as sons and daughters of the Righteous One — because we see the Holy Spirit blowing out all the chaff of their lives yet not touching their sexuality — we should likewise affirm our gay and lesbian kin as they are.
— Jeff Cook is a pastor in Greeley. This is his last of four columns on the Church and queer sexuality. You may search for the other three on the Greeley Tribune website. The use of “gay” in place of “LGBTQ” and “Queer” is intentional given the audience.
https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/jeff-cook-we-should-follow-the-holy-spirits-affirmation-of-gay-christians/
Blog # 12 My Thoughts on Jeff Cook Post
Blog # 11
Eunuch's of the Bible, "born of the mother's womb"
08/18/2019
I have been patiently waiting to make this post. As I have repetitively stated, I try to make the Blogs in an order that will build a foundation then one can build on that foundation with Bible knowledge. I believe that is pivotal in the success of relearning and sorting through one's beliefs to turn the corner on their journey.
From Cowpower Ministries ( https://www.cowpowerministries.com )
ORIGINS OF "HOMOSEXUAL"The word "homosexual" did not exist as a lone word in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, the languages in which the
Bible was originally written. However, gays are actually part of a group of people in the bible called eunuchs
(an umbrella term). The English word homosexual comes from “homo” (Greek), meaning “the same," and
“sexualis” (Latin), meaning “sex.“ Because the term homosexual is of modern origin, we must be careful
about reading our modern understanding of homosexuality into ancient Biblical texts. The 1946 Revised
Standard Version (RSV) New Testament was the first translation to use the word homosexual. The Oxford
English Dictionary first included the word in it’s 1892 Edition.
As I studied the Bible, there were a few words that I didn't have a clue as to what they meant; such as Eunuch, Nephilim, Adam's Rib removed etc. therefore I sought an answer. The word Eunuch has a general Biblical meaning of being a castrated male or unable to reproduce. Digging much deeper it has a broader and more inclusive meaning, especially when one reads what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 19. A religious sect called the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus with a question about divorce. Keep in mind, this was a religious leader asking a question based on religious rituals and interpretation from the law of Moses (not the law of God), as to which 'man' decided when divorce could be granted. So, the religious leader asks Jesus about divorce.
Matthew 19 English Standard Version (ESV)Teaching About Divorce19
Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[a]
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
When I read verse 12, I wanted to know what Jesus meant by born of the mother's womb, who have been so from birth. There is much debate concerning this passage but one cannot overlook one fact, the person born attracted to the same sex is included in the 'origination' and debate. Eunuch is not to describe just one characteristic, it has various inclusive components. The natural attraction of the same sex as a Eunuch is also overlooked in 2 Kings when Queen Jezebel's Eunuch's throw her over the balcony. Jezebel worshiped a god and goddess other than the God and she professed to be a goddess. The prophet Jehu was on his way to kill the Queen and she knew it. Jezebel was BEAUTIFUL and wanted to try and seduce Jehu with her looks and hopefully change his mind or even buy her some time to arrange his death. She put on her makeup, fixed her hair and put on her best clothes then stood in the window waiting on Jehu's arrival. As scripture reads, her Eunuch's threw her out of the window. Her attempt to seduce the male desire backfired with her own male eunuchs who had no attraction or seductive desire from her donning the garb and makeup.
Death of Jezebelby Jennifer L. KoosedIn 2Kgs 9:30-37, Jezebel meets her demise at the hands of Jehu, her own eunuchs, a team of horses, and a pack of dogs—it takes a lot to kill a queen. When she hears of Jehu’s arrival in Jezreel, she arranges her hair and paints her eyes, actions that are often seen as sexually suggestive. However, these acts are those of a proud and powerful queen. She arrays herself in full royal splendor and stands at the window to await the usurper. The idea that these acts are more about political power than sexual seduction is confirmed by her words to Jehu when he arrives at the gate. She throws out a taunt: “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” Her reference is to the earlier coup of Zimri, who killed King Elah and all of the other claimants to the throne (1Kgs 16:8-14). Her statement may also be a curse meant to thwart the success of Jehu’s insurrection, since Zimri ruled for only one week before he too became the victim of political violence (1Kgs 16:15-20). Jezebel’s last words are clearly meant not to entice but to deride Jehu; her last beautifying acts can be understood in the same way.
Jehu responds, “Who is on my side?” Responding to his call, Jezebel’s own eunuchs throw her out the window, her blood splattering as she hits the ground. Jehu’s now bespattered horses then trample her. The image of an adorned woman at a window suggests not only royal power but also goddesses (especially Hathor, Asherah, and Astarte), who are also depicted looking out windows. In this way, the death of Jezebel is not just the death of a Phoenician princess who became queen of Israel but also the symbolic death of the goddesses she worships and represents. It is not enough simply to kill her; she must be violently expelled from the political and religious community.
Jezebel’s body mangled and lifeless, Jehu goes inside for dinner. Almost as an afterthought, he commands her burial. But while he has been inside eating, the dogs outside are feasting as well—on Jezebel’s body. Dogs are powerful symbols in Canaanite religion, especially associated with the goddesses Anat and Astarte and the god Baal. There is a deep irony here. She who was devoted to these deities is devoured by them, all to the triumph of Israel. Only her palms, feet, and skull remain. A further reference to Anat may explain why only these fragments of her body are unconsumed. According to Canaanite mythology, Anat wore a necklace and belt of human skulls and hands. The religious rituals and images of ancient Near Eastern religions are inverted, perverted, and overturned in the death of Jezebel.
Consumed by animals, Jezebel becomes an animal; her dehumanization is complete. She is a foreign woman, a powerful queen, and a worshiper of deities other than Yahweh. She is ethnically and religiously different, transgresses proper gender roles, and is therefore a danger. The death and destruction of Jezebel eradicates the Other in order to protect and preserve the proper Israelitecommunity.
Jennifer L. Koosed, "Death of Jezebel", n.p. [cited 19 Aug 2019]. Online: http://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/death-of-jezebel
I say to you, the born Eunuch of the mother's womb, rest in the assurance that your birth right as a same sex attracted human being was of no surprise to God, you were formed in the mother's womb!
I have not created an Audio for this Blog, the contents here are mentioned in Blog # 12 Audio My Thoughts. It is 31 Minutes long and I believe it is worth listening to.
From Cowpower Ministries ( https://www.cowpowerministries.com )
ORIGINS OF "HOMOSEXUAL"The word "homosexual" did not exist as a lone word in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, the languages in which the
Bible was originally written. However, gays are actually part of a group of people in the bible called eunuchs
(an umbrella term). The English word homosexual comes from “homo” (Greek), meaning “the same," and
“sexualis” (Latin), meaning “sex.“ Because the term homosexual is of modern origin, we must be careful
about reading our modern understanding of homosexuality into ancient Biblical texts. The 1946 Revised
Standard Version (RSV) New Testament was the first translation to use the word homosexual. The Oxford
English Dictionary first included the word in it’s 1892 Edition.
As I studied the Bible, there were a few words that I didn't have a clue as to what they meant; such as Eunuch, Nephilim, Adam's Rib removed etc. therefore I sought an answer. The word Eunuch has a general Biblical meaning of being a castrated male or unable to reproduce. Digging much deeper it has a broader and more inclusive meaning, especially when one reads what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 19. A religious sect called the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus with a question about divorce. Keep in mind, this was a religious leader asking a question based on religious rituals and interpretation from the law of Moses (not the law of God), as to which 'man' decided when divorce could be granted. So, the religious leader asks Jesus about divorce.
Matthew 19 English Standard Version (ESV)Teaching About Divorce19
Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[a]
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
When I read verse 12, I wanted to know what Jesus meant by born of the mother's womb, who have been so from birth. There is much debate concerning this passage but one cannot overlook one fact, the person born attracted to the same sex is included in the 'origination' and debate. Eunuch is not to describe just one characteristic, it has various inclusive components. The natural attraction of the same sex as a Eunuch is also overlooked in 2 Kings when Queen Jezebel's Eunuch's throw her over the balcony. Jezebel worshiped a god and goddess other than the God and she professed to be a goddess. The prophet Jehu was on his way to kill the Queen and she knew it. Jezebel was BEAUTIFUL and wanted to try and seduce Jehu with her looks and hopefully change his mind or even buy her some time to arrange his death. She put on her makeup, fixed her hair and put on her best clothes then stood in the window waiting on Jehu's arrival. As scripture reads, her Eunuch's threw her out of the window. Her attempt to seduce the male desire backfired with her own male eunuchs who had no attraction or seductive desire from her donning the garb and makeup.
Death of Jezebelby Jennifer L. KoosedIn 2Kgs 9:30-37, Jezebel meets her demise at the hands of Jehu, her own eunuchs, a team of horses, and a pack of dogs—it takes a lot to kill a queen. When she hears of Jehu’s arrival in Jezreel, she arranges her hair and paints her eyes, actions that are often seen as sexually suggestive. However, these acts are those of a proud and powerful queen. She arrays herself in full royal splendor and stands at the window to await the usurper. The idea that these acts are more about political power than sexual seduction is confirmed by her words to Jehu when he arrives at the gate. She throws out a taunt: “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” Her reference is to the earlier coup of Zimri, who killed King Elah and all of the other claimants to the throne (1Kgs 16:8-14). Her statement may also be a curse meant to thwart the success of Jehu’s insurrection, since Zimri ruled for only one week before he too became the victim of political violence (1Kgs 16:15-20). Jezebel’s last words are clearly meant not to entice but to deride Jehu; her last beautifying acts can be understood in the same way.
Jehu responds, “Who is on my side?” Responding to his call, Jezebel’s own eunuchs throw her out the window, her blood splattering as she hits the ground. Jehu’s now bespattered horses then trample her. The image of an adorned woman at a window suggests not only royal power but also goddesses (especially Hathor, Asherah, and Astarte), who are also depicted looking out windows. In this way, the death of Jezebel is not just the death of a Phoenician princess who became queen of Israel but also the symbolic death of the goddesses she worships and represents. It is not enough simply to kill her; she must be violently expelled from the political and religious community.
Jezebel’s body mangled and lifeless, Jehu goes inside for dinner. Almost as an afterthought, he commands her burial. But while he has been inside eating, the dogs outside are feasting as well—on Jezebel’s body. Dogs are powerful symbols in Canaanite religion, especially associated with the goddesses Anat and Astarte and the god Baal. There is a deep irony here. She who was devoted to these deities is devoured by them, all to the triumph of Israel. Only her palms, feet, and skull remain. A further reference to Anat may explain why only these fragments of her body are unconsumed. According to Canaanite mythology, Anat wore a necklace and belt of human skulls and hands. The religious rituals and images of ancient Near Eastern religions are inverted, perverted, and overturned in the death of Jezebel.
Consumed by animals, Jezebel becomes an animal; her dehumanization is complete. She is a foreign woman, a powerful queen, and a worshiper of deities other than Yahweh. She is ethnically and religiously different, transgresses proper gender roles, and is therefore a danger. The death and destruction of Jezebel eradicates the Other in order to protect and preserve the proper Israelitecommunity.
Jennifer L. Koosed, "Death of Jezebel", n.p. [cited 19 Aug 2019]. Online: http://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/death-of-jezebel
I say to you, the born Eunuch of the mother's womb, rest in the assurance that your birth right as a same sex attracted human being was of no surprise to God, you were formed in the mother's womb!
I have not created an Audio for this Blog, the contents here are mentioned in Blog # 12 Audio My Thoughts. It is 31 Minutes long and I believe it is worth listening to.
Blog # 10
Gay Clobber Passages (This will test your belief system)
07/18/2019
On the go? Use the audio option at the bottom of the blog. Audio also includes different information.
As promised, we will discuss the clobber passages used against the LGBT community. Originally I intended to separate the passages but have revised that plan because the next 3 passages intertwine because of Israelite tradition. I will also share several links for you to view, they go deeper into the history of the Israelite's customary beliefs and to be honest, there isn't any reason to 'reinvent the wheel'. I prefer you hear it straight from the experts. I am going to provide the framework and the bones and let the experts do what they do best. To those that have not read Blog # 8, Sodom and Gomorrah, I recommend you either read or listen to the audio first, otherwise you will be a little behind when I refer back to the Genesis Sodom and Gomorrah event.
Leviticus is primarily a book concerning Israel rituals, worship and a list of prohibited acts/behaviors and their punishment. A list of laws that pertains to their customs and beliefs. We must start back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. One thing I want you to keep in mind is this, not even Adam and Eve caught God off guard when they made decisions for themselves that opposed God's plan. God's beautiful gift of Freewill. If the creator wanted to purge an imperfection, then grant Freewill. Adam nor Eve had a role model or learned from someone else's mistakes. They were given free reign, given some rules without much of an explanation and left to their own vices. Some people want to blame Eve and some people blame the Devil, whatever your belief is, it is about to be stretched. When God created Adam, he made Adam "in our likeness" meaning sufficient within himself and a pure spirit residing within the flesh called a body. God wasn't talking to himself, there were other's observing the creation of a being and earth. One must realize, God was not alone, not seated above other created beings as a superior deity but rather among his creation. Not even God was or is alone. The first two books of the Bible, God was intermingling with his creation. Let's stretch your belief a bit, the word 'rib' has been translated to that particular word, it wasn't 'rib' at origination. It was a word that meant compartment, meaning when God removed something, it wasn't a literal rib! Adam had been living alone except for the presence of the animals and other creation. God saw that Adam was alone and the creation did not fulfill the 'Human Flesh' as a body containing a pure spirit, he needed companionship, not sex, but companionship. Adam was created in God's likeness, just as God is both masculine and feminine, so was Adam, only Adam was a pure spirit with flesh. You can see God's masculinity and femininity throughout Genesis and Exodus. One minute he is strong enough to part the Sea (and it wasn't the Red Sea as misinterpreted to be, it was the Sea of Reeds, I will explain later) and the next minute he is creating garments for the high priests to wear and so elaborate with the colors and fabric. So God, being God could have formed another clump of dirt and breathed into the nostrils, just as he did with Adam, right? Hasn't that crossed your mind before? Of course, but you weren't 'supposed to question it" because blind faith has been status quo. The reason he didn't form another clump of earth and breath life into it was because it would have been both masculine and feminine just as Adam and unable to procreate. Adam and Steve is what it would have been. God reached in to remove the femininity out of Adam to divide the sufficient spirit because the flesh was alone. The mind is human and not pure spirit, though it has the capability to connect spirit to spirit and co create (see Blogs 2 and 3 and listen to the experts of Neuroscience and Cerebrospinal Fluid). God's original intention for Adam to be sufficient within himself was altered from it's original blueprint, and that did not catch God by surprise.
It never was about sex or procreation from the beginning, it was about relationship and companionship. God's original plan was to create a being self sufficient with both qualities. Seeing Adam alone and sad, God knew to separate the sufficiency and bring him a companion and the ability to procreate. God did say go forth and procreate but he never said "just make sure they are all straight offspring." Besides, when one has children there is absolutely zero control over whether they will have straight or gay children. But the parents are appalled as if the child had a choice. As if they chose right hand or left hand dominance, their color of hair or eyes or their natural orientation. God never intended for man to be alone from that moment and he NEVER commanded it be 'one man for one woman', otherwise an entire culture would have gotten it wrong with their multiple wives. Did God command his men to marry multiple women or did man decide to make that a customary tradition and stand by it but condemn women if they attempted to have multiple husbands? God's words have been reduced to a set of controlling antics to justify an agenda promoted many years ago and still in effect today. Does one not think that if God was truly unsatisfied with his creation after the first gay person was born, he could have left Adam and Eve to their vices without the ability to procreate and then just started over? Absolutely he could have, remember the flood? So what makes one think he created us just to punish one way of loving in a relationship? God knew and yet he formed you in the mother's womb!
As man began to populate the Earth, there had to be some rules because brothers were killing one another out of jealousy and division began to happen. Has one ever stopped to think about the fact that God allowed us, the pure spirit to come into this world to experience and purge sin from our spirit? If the angels rebelled against God in the other dimensions, then why not allow other restless spirits to enter into the flesh, experience and purge sin? Haven't you ever said or even heard the expression "I wish I would have known back then what I know now". All because experience changes things and if one makes bad choices or chooses a lifestyle or celibacy, it is just that, an experience the pure spirit wanted. How is that any different than the Nephilim? What is that you ask? The angels were 'watchers over people". Angels can take on flesh form, just like in Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels found the human women to be beautiful and they conspired to be in a relationship and have sexual intimacy with them (Book of Genesis). It is mentioned once then moved past until mentioned in the lost book of Enoch which delves a little deeper. Another section of the Bible touches on it again when the spies were sent to the promise land to prepare for war but they felt as small as a grasshopper compared to what appeared to be giants to them, which was the offspring of angels and human women. I do not have all the answers and do not pose to have, but that in itself says to me that was not the original plan either, does that mean the unaware offspring was doomed to hell as well, of course not. How can one dispute how we are born. How does one overlook all of these Bible principles and history just to continue to shame and condemn one orientation? It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever encountered and not because I am gay. It is just absurd!
Now that I have given you some facts to chew on, let's get to Leviticus (18 and 20). Over 20 times in the Bible the historical event in Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned and never does it refer to gay or homosexuals in any of the writings except for Leviticus. Why here and no where else? This book is about the Israelite people and their beliefs. Their interpreted beliefs based on the inspired word of God and the human will to do their best to 'perform', 'abide' and 'abstain' from things in order to establish order and preserve whatever interpretation of the law they took on as truth. God already knew there would be those attracted to the same gender and that was natural for them. He knew some would be attracted to other races and others would stick with marrying their cousins to preserve the lineage. Do we marry our cousins today? Is there a law to prevent it? Moral wise, we do not marry our cousins because of progress and changed beliefs and yes, there are laws against incest. Does that mean the lineage of man is doomed based on what one believes now since the first century? Absurd, right? Then why are people still condemning a natural homosexual person? Leviticus law was to maintain order and people to refrain from behavior (not orientation) that would cause their fall or demise, or even chaos. 613 rules to instruct man on how the Israelite's should behave, believe and take on as a customary tradition. The experts will dig deeper concerning the 613 rules, the prohibition and punishment for basic Bible principle. I know it says "if man shall lie with man...." but the literal way of reading it is ignorant. One must dive into the culture, beliefs, customs and then apply what they were saying and why; it was not about the orientation of same gender relationships. There were eunuch's back then and Jesus even spoke of eunuchs and the gay person born of the mother's womb when he was questioned about divorce. In Matthew (Chapter 19), he knew people would not be able to wrap their mind around it and said there will be some who will not understand what he was about to say and for those who have ears then let them hear. I am listening Lord! He said "For some are eunuch born from the mother's womb, some are made eunuch made by man and some eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom (that does not mean heaven, it means the group of believers on earth). Meaning born gay, made eunuch for slavery and ritual or choose to be eunuch and abstain as religious leaders. How about in Isaiah (Chapter 56) when it says "For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my covenant. Even unto them will I give my house and within my walls a place, and a name better than of sons and of daughters, I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.' Again, God nor Jesus were caught off guard with a person being something other than heterosexual. People to this day still cannot wrap their minds around it and they proclaim to know the truth, well, no they don't because here it is and there are many ways to extract the truth from these passages.
Romans (Chapter 1) and I Corinthians (Chapter 6) are similar in the fact they are Post Adam and Eve and not only were the Israelite's having to abide by heavy rules due to customary beliefs, now all the people Post Jesus Christ are supposed to abide by them too. Though Jesus plainly told them about the heavy laws that are like a yoke around their necks because of trying to "earn their way" into God's good graces by living up to the law that makes them slaves to the law. Christ told them that he was there to fulfill the law that made slaves out of his creation and kept them in bondage. God did not create man to feel shameful and be held in bondage by a bunch of laws put in place to modify behavior, because people were becoming self righteous rather than being a beautiful pure spirit experiencing new things and perfecting. The sin of the book of Romans is the rejection of God by his people. Non Jewish people had many beliefs concerning who God was and how they could communicate with God to the point they made idols and did some pretty bizarre things and called it rituals and customs for their heritage. One of those bizarre customs was the castration of a male prostitute placed in their temple for people to have sexual relations with because their belief was it would produce plentiful and bountiful crops. The Israelite people did not want their decedents taking on those beliefs or customary traditions because it was considered 'Pagan' to them. In Romans, the writer is grouping it all together and calling it homosexual (only after the bible had been around over 400-500 years and in 1946 the word was changed to homosexual and is not the original word). It was about lustful sexual behavior and not an orientation at all that was being discussed. People turning from their natural ways one to another is lust. Also during that time the custom was for men to be sexually motivated and dominate but women were to suppress it. Men could marry many women but a woman could only marry one man unless he died, then she still didn't have a choice because she was passed down to the next brother. Does that sound like freewill to you? The freewill God has given us as a gift. Are those women doomed for hell if she chose not to have sexual relations with a man she didn't love? Absurd, right? Then why must gay people have to bed down with the opposite gender to not be doomed, same situation just reversed. One has more tolerance for one than the other and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with God or his original plan or even the back up plan when Eve arrived on the scene as the femininity removed from Adam. So, the custom was for man to be sexually motivated but not a woman. If the roles reversed, the man was called effeminate and the woman a whore or adulteress. If the man had low testosterone and didn't want relations the customs shamed him for something he could not change. Just like today, shaming gay people for something they cannot truly change. Not God shaming us, people shaming us. All of this boils down to behavior and not a natural orientation that did not surprise God.
1 Timothy is a repeat of Paul's writings and beliefs from Romans. The Israel law became too heavy for their own people to abide by and they were pushing it onto the non Jewish believers to the point a debate had broken out just like in Corinthians. It had already been debated and decided by the Council of Jerusalem stating the Old Law (Old Testament) would not be binding to the non Jewish Christian believers. Even after Jesus had already told them repeatedly that circumcision of the foreskin on the penis as customary belief was not even close to the true faith or purpose of the law of God, rather it was the circumcision of the heart. And as I explain to you all in the first few blogs the heart houses your spirit and innate knowing that you are a spirit above being a body. The mind can create chemicals that harm the body and bind the character of a person unless you think about what you are thinking about and let the nonsense go. What people say to you can truly break your spirit, unless you make your mind up to not allow it. Jesus knows that if one truly lives from their pure spirit, as best as one can, and circumcise their heart by peeling back the flesh and exposing the spirit then you truly began to purge prejudice, hate, self righteousness, lack of harmony, unforgiveness and the list goes on! The bottom line for these misinterpreted passages is the fact that Christ was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament 600 plus laws just as (Hebrews Chapter 8) says, the Old Covenant is obsolete in what Christ has fulfilled.
Jude (Chapter 7) Once again is talking about Israel law and beliefs when speaking of sexual immoral perversion that was changed in 1946 to target a natural same gender orientation, the homosexual person. Its original content was sodomy as a behavior and not as a consensual partner, straight or gay. I am going to leave it to the experts to delve deeper into the subject, as I stated there isn't any reason to reinvent the wheel.
In closing, let us look at the Israel law that religious people are trying to condemn the LGBT community with but ignore other parts within the very same paragraph, in spite of the fact it is OBSOLETE. In the same condemnation passages the Israel law forbids sexual relations with a woman while she is menstruating. As sexually driven as men are, to this day how many heterosexual couples ignore this but condemn us? Forbidden to plant two different types of seeds in one field? We all know the answer to that. Forbidden to wear a garment with mixed materials? We are all in a heap of trouble. Forbidden to eat certain meats, but yet from that same mouth will condemn a gay person. So which part of it do they want to keep and what part do they want to hold someone accountable with? The answer should be none of it because it was finished at the cross. And they want to use the word "abomination", but skip over where it says that any of the above mentioned forbidden behaviors were an abomination; an abomination against the Israel law.
Thank you Lesa for referring Matthew Vines. His work is honorable and well researched. This is a great place for any struggling believer to begin. There are several points he does not discuss that I have found to be of utmost importance are Adam and Eve concerning the rib, Eunuch's born of the mothers womb from the book of Matthew nor the Centurion whose slave (this is going to be an interesting read for you all) was ill and Jesus healed just by speaking it into existence
Cow Power Ministries, Misused Verses Tab: https://www.cowpowerministries.com/
(Colbie has an awesome site with TONS of archived sermons. She goes more in depth and she is funny, on the 6 Clobber Passages. She has audio recordings and posts. On her page at the top, you can choose the MISUSED VERSES tab to read, and they are detailed and worth your time. Or you can select the SERMONS tab, then select Audio Sermons and select the first 4 Sermons from her site by selecting July and August 2013).
Human Rights Link: https://www.hrc.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality
Leviticus is primarily a book concerning Israel rituals, worship and a list of prohibited acts/behaviors and their punishment. A list of laws that pertains to their customs and beliefs. We must start back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. One thing I want you to keep in mind is this, not even Adam and Eve caught God off guard when they made decisions for themselves that opposed God's plan. God's beautiful gift of Freewill. If the creator wanted to purge an imperfection, then grant Freewill. Adam nor Eve had a role model or learned from someone else's mistakes. They were given free reign, given some rules without much of an explanation and left to their own vices. Some people want to blame Eve and some people blame the Devil, whatever your belief is, it is about to be stretched. When God created Adam, he made Adam "in our likeness" meaning sufficient within himself and a pure spirit residing within the flesh called a body. God wasn't talking to himself, there were other's observing the creation of a being and earth. One must realize, God was not alone, not seated above other created beings as a superior deity but rather among his creation. Not even God was or is alone. The first two books of the Bible, God was intermingling with his creation. Let's stretch your belief a bit, the word 'rib' has been translated to that particular word, it wasn't 'rib' at origination. It was a word that meant compartment, meaning when God removed something, it wasn't a literal rib! Adam had been living alone except for the presence of the animals and other creation. God saw that Adam was alone and the creation did not fulfill the 'Human Flesh' as a body containing a pure spirit, he needed companionship, not sex, but companionship. Adam was created in God's likeness, just as God is both masculine and feminine, so was Adam, only Adam was a pure spirit with flesh. You can see God's masculinity and femininity throughout Genesis and Exodus. One minute he is strong enough to part the Sea (and it wasn't the Red Sea as misinterpreted to be, it was the Sea of Reeds, I will explain later) and the next minute he is creating garments for the high priests to wear and so elaborate with the colors and fabric. So God, being God could have formed another clump of dirt and breathed into the nostrils, just as he did with Adam, right? Hasn't that crossed your mind before? Of course, but you weren't 'supposed to question it" because blind faith has been status quo. The reason he didn't form another clump of earth and breath life into it was because it would have been both masculine and feminine just as Adam and unable to procreate. Adam and Steve is what it would have been. God reached in to remove the femininity out of Adam to divide the sufficient spirit because the flesh was alone. The mind is human and not pure spirit, though it has the capability to connect spirit to spirit and co create (see Blogs 2 and 3 and listen to the experts of Neuroscience and Cerebrospinal Fluid). God's original intention for Adam to be sufficient within himself was altered from it's original blueprint, and that did not catch God by surprise.
It never was about sex or procreation from the beginning, it was about relationship and companionship. God's original plan was to create a being self sufficient with both qualities. Seeing Adam alone and sad, God knew to separate the sufficiency and bring him a companion and the ability to procreate. God did say go forth and procreate but he never said "just make sure they are all straight offspring." Besides, when one has children there is absolutely zero control over whether they will have straight or gay children. But the parents are appalled as if the child had a choice. As if they chose right hand or left hand dominance, their color of hair or eyes or their natural orientation. God never intended for man to be alone from that moment and he NEVER commanded it be 'one man for one woman', otherwise an entire culture would have gotten it wrong with their multiple wives. Did God command his men to marry multiple women or did man decide to make that a customary tradition and stand by it but condemn women if they attempted to have multiple husbands? God's words have been reduced to a set of controlling antics to justify an agenda promoted many years ago and still in effect today. Does one not think that if God was truly unsatisfied with his creation after the first gay person was born, he could have left Adam and Eve to their vices without the ability to procreate and then just started over? Absolutely he could have, remember the flood? So what makes one think he created us just to punish one way of loving in a relationship? God knew and yet he formed you in the mother's womb!
As man began to populate the Earth, there had to be some rules because brothers were killing one another out of jealousy and division began to happen. Has one ever stopped to think about the fact that God allowed us, the pure spirit to come into this world to experience and purge sin from our spirit? If the angels rebelled against God in the other dimensions, then why not allow other restless spirits to enter into the flesh, experience and purge sin? Haven't you ever said or even heard the expression "I wish I would have known back then what I know now". All because experience changes things and if one makes bad choices or chooses a lifestyle or celibacy, it is just that, an experience the pure spirit wanted. How is that any different than the Nephilim? What is that you ask? The angels were 'watchers over people". Angels can take on flesh form, just like in Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels found the human women to be beautiful and they conspired to be in a relationship and have sexual intimacy with them (Book of Genesis). It is mentioned once then moved past until mentioned in the lost book of Enoch which delves a little deeper. Another section of the Bible touches on it again when the spies were sent to the promise land to prepare for war but they felt as small as a grasshopper compared to what appeared to be giants to them, which was the offspring of angels and human women. I do not have all the answers and do not pose to have, but that in itself says to me that was not the original plan either, does that mean the unaware offspring was doomed to hell as well, of course not. How can one dispute how we are born. How does one overlook all of these Bible principles and history just to continue to shame and condemn one orientation? It is the most ridiculous thing I have ever encountered and not because I am gay. It is just absurd!
Now that I have given you some facts to chew on, let's get to Leviticus (18 and 20). Over 20 times in the Bible the historical event in Sodom and Gomorrah is mentioned and never does it refer to gay or homosexuals in any of the writings except for Leviticus. Why here and no where else? This book is about the Israelite people and their beliefs. Their interpreted beliefs based on the inspired word of God and the human will to do their best to 'perform', 'abide' and 'abstain' from things in order to establish order and preserve whatever interpretation of the law they took on as truth. God already knew there would be those attracted to the same gender and that was natural for them. He knew some would be attracted to other races and others would stick with marrying their cousins to preserve the lineage. Do we marry our cousins today? Is there a law to prevent it? Moral wise, we do not marry our cousins because of progress and changed beliefs and yes, there are laws against incest. Does that mean the lineage of man is doomed based on what one believes now since the first century? Absurd, right? Then why are people still condemning a natural homosexual person? Leviticus law was to maintain order and people to refrain from behavior (not orientation) that would cause their fall or demise, or even chaos. 613 rules to instruct man on how the Israelite's should behave, believe and take on as a customary tradition. The experts will dig deeper concerning the 613 rules, the prohibition and punishment for basic Bible principle. I know it says "if man shall lie with man...." but the literal way of reading it is ignorant. One must dive into the culture, beliefs, customs and then apply what they were saying and why; it was not about the orientation of same gender relationships. There were eunuch's back then and Jesus even spoke of eunuchs and the gay person born of the mother's womb when he was questioned about divorce. In Matthew (Chapter 19), he knew people would not be able to wrap their mind around it and said there will be some who will not understand what he was about to say and for those who have ears then let them hear. I am listening Lord! He said "For some are eunuch born from the mother's womb, some are made eunuch made by man and some eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom (that does not mean heaven, it means the group of believers on earth). Meaning born gay, made eunuch for slavery and ritual or choose to be eunuch and abstain as religious leaders. How about in Isaiah (Chapter 56) when it says "For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my covenant. Even unto them will I give my house and within my walls a place, and a name better than of sons and of daughters, I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.' Again, God nor Jesus were caught off guard with a person being something other than heterosexual. People to this day still cannot wrap their minds around it and they proclaim to know the truth, well, no they don't because here it is and there are many ways to extract the truth from these passages.
Romans (Chapter 1) and I Corinthians (Chapter 6) are similar in the fact they are Post Adam and Eve and not only were the Israelite's having to abide by heavy rules due to customary beliefs, now all the people Post Jesus Christ are supposed to abide by them too. Though Jesus plainly told them about the heavy laws that are like a yoke around their necks because of trying to "earn their way" into God's good graces by living up to the law that makes them slaves to the law. Christ told them that he was there to fulfill the law that made slaves out of his creation and kept them in bondage. God did not create man to feel shameful and be held in bondage by a bunch of laws put in place to modify behavior, because people were becoming self righteous rather than being a beautiful pure spirit experiencing new things and perfecting. The sin of the book of Romans is the rejection of God by his people. Non Jewish people had many beliefs concerning who God was and how they could communicate with God to the point they made idols and did some pretty bizarre things and called it rituals and customs for their heritage. One of those bizarre customs was the castration of a male prostitute placed in their temple for people to have sexual relations with because their belief was it would produce plentiful and bountiful crops. The Israelite people did not want their decedents taking on those beliefs or customary traditions because it was considered 'Pagan' to them. In Romans, the writer is grouping it all together and calling it homosexual (only after the bible had been around over 400-500 years and in 1946 the word was changed to homosexual and is not the original word). It was about lustful sexual behavior and not an orientation at all that was being discussed. People turning from their natural ways one to another is lust. Also during that time the custom was for men to be sexually motivated and dominate but women were to suppress it. Men could marry many women but a woman could only marry one man unless he died, then she still didn't have a choice because she was passed down to the next brother. Does that sound like freewill to you? The freewill God has given us as a gift. Are those women doomed for hell if she chose not to have sexual relations with a man she didn't love? Absurd, right? Then why must gay people have to bed down with the opposite gender to not be doomed, same situation just reversed. One has more tolerance for one than the other and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with God or his original plan or even the back up plan when Eve arrived on the scene as the femininity removed from Adam. So, the custom was for man to be sexually motivated but not a woman. If the roles reversed, the man was called effeminate and the woman a whore or adulteress. If the man had low testosterone and didn't want relations the customs shamed him for something he could not change. Just like today, shaming gay people for something they cannot truly change. Not God shaming us, people shaming us. All of this boils down to behavior and not a natural orientation that did not surprise God.
1 Timothy is a repeat of Paul's writings and beliefs from Romans. The Israel law became too heavy for their own people to abide by and they were pushing it onto the non Jewish believers to the point a debate had broken out just like in Corinthians. It had already been debated and decided by the Council of Jerusalem stating the Old Law (Old Testament) would not be binding to the non Jewish Christian believers. Even after Jesus had already told them repeatedly that circumcision of the foreskin on the penis as customary belief was not even close to the true faith or purpose of the law of God, rather it was the circumcision of the heart. And as I explain to you all in the first few blogs the heart houses your spirit and innate knowing that you are a spirit above being a body. The mind can create chemicals that harm the body and bind the character of a person unless you think about what you are thinking about and let the nonsense go. What people say to you can truly break your spirit, unless you make your mind up to not allow it. Jesus knows that if one truly lives from their pure spirit, as best as one can, and circumcise their heart by peeling back the flesh and exposing the spirit then you truly began to purge prejudice, hate, self righteousness, lack of harmony, unforgiveness and the list goes on! The bottom line for these misinterpreted passages is the fact that Christ was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament 600 plus laws just as (Hebrews Chapter 8) says, the Old Covenant is obsolete in what Christ has fulfilled.
Jude (Chapter 7) Once again is talking about Israel law and beliefs when speaking of sexual immoral perversion that was changed in 1946 to target a natural same gender orientation, the homosexual person. Its original content was sodomy as a behavior and not as a consensual partner, straight or gay. I am going to leave it to the experts to delve deeper into the subject, as I stated there isn't any reason to reinvent the wheel.
In closing, let us look at the Israel law that religious people are trying to condemn the LGBT community with but ignore other parts within the very same paragraph, in spite of the fact it is OBSOLETE. In the same condemnation passages the Israel law forbids sexual relations with a woman while she is menstruating. As sexually driven as men are, to this day how many heterosexual couples ignore this but condemn us? Forbidden to plant two different types of seeds in one field? We all know the answer to that. Forbidden to wear a garment with mixed materials? We are all in a heap of trouble. Forbidden to eat certain meats, but yet from that same mouth will condemn a gay person. So which part of it do they want to keep and what part do they want to hold someone accountable with? The answer should be none of it because it was finished at the cross. And they want to use the word "abomination", but skip over where it says that any of the above mentioned forbidden behaviors were an abomination; an abomination against the Israel law.
Thank you Lesa for referring Matthew Vines. His work is honorable and well researched. This is a great place for any struggling believer to begin. There are several points he does not discuss that I have found to be of utmost importance are Adam and Eve concerning the rib, Eunuch's born of the mothers womb from the book of Matthew nor the Centurion whose slave (this is going to be an interesting read for you all) was ill and Jesus healed just by speaking it into existence
Cow Power Ministries, Misused Verses Tab: https://www.cowpowerministries.com/
(Colbie has an awesome site with TONS of archived sermons. She goes more in depth and she is funny, on the 6 Clobber Passages. She has audio recordings and posts. On her page at the top, you can choose the MISUSED VERSES tab to read, and they are detailed and worth your time. Or you can select the SERMONS tab, then select Audio Sermons and select the first 4 Sermons from her site by selecting July and August 2013).
Human Rights Link: https://www.hrc.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-homosexuality
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Blog # 10, Post Summary |
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Blog # 9
A Personal Journey, My Cancer Scare.
07/16/2019
On the go? Use the audio option at the bottom of the blog. Audio also includes different information.
As I have evolved in my thinking and beliefs over the past 18 plus years, I still find myself in complete and utter amazement when it comes to God and our personal relationship. That is the one thing I really want you all to grasp, in spite of all things, God desires a relationship with you on such a personal level that it constantly changes and stretches your human capacity to comprehend it because it is infinite (Endless). I chuckle when a straight person says to me "I can see that God has blessed you and the relationship you have with God is real, and I love you in spite of what I believe about your lifestyle." What they are really saying is they have believed for so long that God doesn't bless a gay person and God doesn't answer prayers for gay people on a relationship level BECAUSE a gay lifestyle PREVENTS us from being blessed like them, because they are living by the Bible and straight. As well intended as they mean it, I am dumbfounded at their Religious view, and they do not even see it in themselves. Which bring me full circle to a very personal topic I want and need to share with you. Do I truly believe what I am teaching or claim to believe. The answer is 100 %, absolutely. In spite of a recent cancer scare, I believe what I am teaching. I will share my recent medical situation and journey over the past few months.
In March of this year I had my first colonoscopy, they really aren't that bad. No one likes drinking that sludge and running to the bathroom all night but the rest of the procedure was quick and painless. Or at least that was my experience. They found 3 polyps and were able to remove two of them. The third was a sessile (no stem, flat and attached to the tissue) polyp and it was 3 cm (1 and 1/2 inches) in the upper part of my rectum near the colon. Yeah...I am a pain in the a**, lol. They biopsied the two and some tissue from the third one. All came back benign (non cancerous). I went to the consultation for general surgery to have the larger one removed. A date was set for May 17th. In the meanwhile, I already had the momentum going to get this site up and going because my true hearts desire is to teach the reader about our mind, body, spirit, relationship with God and debunk the misinterpreted passages. By May 1st, I was in full swing and the site was up. When May 17th came around, I had already prepared my mind and emotions for the benign results from the previous biopsy and kept my thoughts and emotions positive and prayerful for a simple procedure. Between the dates of the finding of the polyps, biopsy results, consultation and now the general surgery to remove the larger one, I prayed, I asked, I believed and I didn't give any negative energy or power to any other outcome. But during this time, the hospital (I will refrain from disclosing) dropped the ball multiple times to the point I was following up to get results from the biopsy, following up on a date for the consultation and had to literally fight for the May 17th spot in general surgery because they forgot to schedule me.
My purpose for explaining all that is to tell you that our environment is not always conducive to keeping a positive emotion and energy level to coincide with an earnest prayer and expectation for a positive outcome. It is of utmost importance that we remember that regardless to how crappy the environment is, we can momentarily process the nonsense and rationalize a plan, but then allow it to pass and redirect your thoughts and emotions because keeping your mind, emotions and prayer in one accord is essential. Trust me, it is NOT easy but the more you work at it the more you 'become it' and are not just 'doing it". During this process I came unglued on a few people and had to report the incidents to the hospital Admin to ensure it didn't happen to someone else, they sincerely need our feedback. During all of this time, I made sure my posts were made every 7 - 10 days so that I was getting the content out to the readers. May 17th finally came and I has some hiccups that day as well, my driver didn't take me to the appointment, therefore I couldn't have anesthesia during the procedure because I had to drive myself. I was a bit frustrated about the last minute backing out from the driver, but I had to reframe my thinking and decide how I was going to allow it to affect me. Let me add here, a book I read about 7 years ago, called "Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie instructed me well on one point "No one can make me feel anyway, they can contribute to an emotional response but it is up to me to feel it"! That is the healthiest (some would say selfish, but it is not) boundary I have ever created for myself.
May 17th Surgery was a hoot. The doctor is a tall handsome ex hockey player from Canada and his job that day was to teach a young Resident how to remove a polyp. No anesthesia, my sense of humor, the Resident letting the polyp float away and the retrieval with a 'net' was a day to remember! Several weeks passed and I hadn't heard anything back from the hospital nor had I received a letter on the pathology of the polyp. Friday, May 31st, I was packing up my vehicle for the 3 hour drive home from work when I got "the phone call". When the APRN from general surgery asked "Has anyone contacted you about the biopsy", she didn't have to say another word, it was obvious what was coming next. There was a long pause and she said "I am sorry to be the one to have this conversation but the biopsy shows the polyp to be cancer and it is the kind we get very concerned over, we need an MRI as quickly as possible to see what it has or has not affected and from there we can make a plan, do you have any questions for me." WHAT!!!!!!! What about the benign pathology from the tissue removed from it in April? Why hasn't anyone called me before now! When can I get the MRI done. My mind had all these questions swirling around in it, I took a deep breath and said "I guess not, so let's schedule the MRI". After we hung up, I stood there in shock for a few minutes. I walked into the office and spoke to two ladies that I had worked alongside for the past few months, they were old school older African American prayer warrior ladies and I told them about the phone call, which they knew I was waiting on the results. I said "I will not be telling but a few praying people about this because I do not want any negative energy around this, nor do I want any pity or gossip. I just want some praying people with the expectation of the best outcome." I vowed that day to only talk with 6 or 7 people and call the disease by it's medical name for the sake of repeating the diagnosis and said I would not acknowledge it by that name again when I refer to myself as having it."
The drive home was sobering and surreal. I talked with God about it and I remember saying "So God is this where I put my money where my mouth is and live out what I say I believe? Looks like I have been stretched in my faith and grown in leaps and bounds when it comes to an unpredictable environment not cooperating with positive vibes Lord. So here is what I am about to do, call on some prayer warriors, do my part in the decision making for any treatments if necessary and I am going to watch you do a mighty work! I kept it quiet, I prayed, I believed, I worked on my blogs for this site and I scheduled the MRI. My mother passed from this world in 2014 and I miss her terribly. The day they scheduled the MRI was on her birthday, June 12th. Also on that date, a fellow police officer and friend that I trained over 15 years ago, was murdered on June 12th. That date already had great significance for me and now it would bare yet another important event. June 12th was no fun day, the test was long and intrusive. I called each day that week to see what my results were, only to not receive a return phone call. I didn't allow my mind to run amok, or worry, though I was frustrated with the process again, I knew the environment wasn't allowing me to keep positive so I had to do my part by conditioning my mind to stay neutral and prayerful. By Friday, I still hadn't gotten a returned call so as I drove the 3 hours home from work, I drove to the hospital. I went to medical release and signed for a copy of the pathology on the polyps, since I still hadn't received one. I also signed for a copy of the MRI and I marched my flip flops up to general surgery and had a conversation with the young man that didn't seem too passionate about my problem or relaying a message. Once I sat down with the APRN and she explained the results of both, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, which probably kept me out of jail that day, just saying.
The Canadian doctor sat with me a short time later and explained the cancer only affected the tissue and not the muscle, it was a Type T 1 and he said if there was such a thing, it was the best one to have. They sent me for blood work to get a benchmark on any precursor elevations to indicate any possible issues in the future, they scheduled another future colonoscopy and the MRI showed no masses or indications of any cancer in the pelvic area! To my prayers warriors, thank you!
I choose to share this now because I have wrapped my mind around it and a month has passed and I have spoken with some of my family first, they needed to hear it from me. I can say that early detection has been pivotal in the prognosis and being my own advocate by not allowing the system to stall when I needed answers. I know that not every case, such as this, is this fortunate. What I can say is how we handle it, process it and what we do with what is in front us is important to our growth as a spirit and as a human. If the outcome would have been different, I would not have blamed God or felt it as a punishment because that is foolish thinking. Some busy bodies would have jumped on the Religious band wagon and said "that blasphemy on her site caused that to happen" and I would not have wavered in my love for God or our relationship because I already know that we humans are going to be sick and have disease. God doesn't cause it, there are many factors and I just so happened to be affected. I ask you as a believer or a lover of God, allow yourself to truly process how powerful your mind is, how the mind creates the chemicals that affect the body, know that your environment does not have to bring you down even when you are in the middle of the storm and namely, there are people who will keep you prayed up if you ask. Keep me in your prayers, and I will pray for those of you who are reading, listening, learning, growing and finding your walk of faith with the creator who loves you, just as you are.
In March of this year I had my first colonoscopy, they really aren't that bad. No one likes drinking that sludge and running to the bathroom all night but the rest of the procedure was quick and painless. Or at least that was my experience. They found 3 polyps and were able to remove two of them. The third was a sessile (no stem, flat and attached to the tissue) polyp and it was 3 cm (1 and 1/2 inches) in the upper part of my rectum near the colon. Yeah...I am a pain in the a**, lol. They biopsied the two and some tissue from the third one. All came back benign (non cancerous). I went to the consultation for general surgery to have the larger one removed. A date was set for May 17th. In the meanwhile, I already had the momentum going to get this site up and going because my true hearts desire is to teach the reader about our mind, body, spirit, relationship with God and debunk the misinterpreted passages. By May 1st, I was in full swing and the site was up. When May 17th came around, I had already prepared my mind and emotions for the benign results from the previous biopsy and kept my thoughts and emotions positive and prayerful for a simple procedure. Between the dates of the finding of the polyps, biopsy results, consultation and now the general surgery to remove the larger one, I prayed, I asked, I believed and I didn't give any negative energy or power to any other outcome. But during this time, the hospital (I will refrain from disclosing) dropped the ball multiple times to the point I was following up to get results from the biopsy, following up on a date for the consultation and had to literally fight for the May 17th spot in general surgery because they forgot to schedule me.
My purpose for explaining all that is to tell you that our environment is not always conducive to keeping a positive emotion and energy level to coincide with an earnest prayer and expectation for a positive outcome. It is of utmost importance that we remember that regardless to how crappy the environment is, we can momentarily process the nonsense and rationalize a plan, but then allow it to pass and redirect your thoughts and emotions because keeping your mind, emotions and prayer in one accord is essential. Trust me, it is NOT easy but the more you work at it the more you 'become it' and are not just 'doing it". During this process I came unglued on a few people and had to report the incidents to the hospital Admin to ensure it didn't happen to someone else, they sincerely need our feedback. During all of this time, I made sure my posts were made every 7 - 10 days so that I was getting the content out to the readers. May 17th finally came and I has some hiccups that day as well, my driver didn't take me to the appointment, therefore I couldn't have anesthesia during the procedure because I had to drive myself. I was a bit frustrated about the last minute backing out from the driver, but I had to reframe my thinking and decide how I was going to allow it to affect me. Let me add here, a book I read about 7 years ago, called "Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie instructed me well on one point "No one can make me feel anyway, they can contribute to an emotional response but it is up to me to feel it"! That is the healthiest (some would say selfish, but it is not) boundary I have ever created for myself.
May 17th Surgery was a hoot. The doctor is a tall handsome ex hockey player from Canada and his job that day was to teach a young Resident how to remove a polyp. No anesthesia, my sense of humor, the Resident letting the polyp float away and the retrieval with a 'net' was a day to remember! Several weeks passed and I hadn't heard anything back from the hospital nor had I received a letter on the pathology of the polyp. Friday, May 31st, I was packing up my vehicle for the 3 hour drive home from work when I got "the phone call". When the APRN from general surgery asked "Has anyone contacted you about the biopsy", she didn't have to say another word, it was obvious what was coming next. There was a long pause and she said "I am sorry to be the one to have this conversation but the biopsy shows the polyp to be cancer and it is the kind we get very concerned over, we need an MRI as quickly as possible to see what it has or has not affected and from there we can make a plan, do you have any questions for me." WHAT!!!!!!! What about the benign pathology from the tissue removed from it in April? Why hasn't anyone called me before now! When can I get the MRI done. My mind had all these questions swirling around in it, I took a deep breath and said "I guess not, so let's schedule the MRI". After we hung up, I stood there in shock for a few minutes. I walked into the office and spoke to two ladies that I had worked alongside for the past few months, they were old school older African American prayer warrior ladies and I told them about the phone call, which they knew I was waiting on the results. I said "I will not be telling but a few praying people about this because I do not want any negative energy around this, nor do I want any pity or gossip. I just want some praying people with the expectation of the best outcome." I vowed that day to only talk with 6 or 7 people and call the disease by it's medical name for the sake of repeating the diagnosis and said I would not acknowledge it by that name again when I refer to myself as having it."
The drive home was sobering and surreal. I talked with God about it and I remember saying "So God is this where I put my money where my mouth is and live out what I say I believe? Looks like I have been stretched in my faith and grown in leaps and bounds when it comes to an unpredictable environment not cooperating with positive vibes Lord. So here is what I am about to do, call on some prayer warriors, do my part in the decision making for any treatments if necessary and I am going to watch you do a mighty work! I kept it quiet, I prayed, I believed, I worked on my blogs for this site and I scheduled the MRI. My mother passed from this world in 2014 and I miss her terribly. The day they scheduled the MRI was on her birthday, June 12th. Also on that date, a fellow police officer and friend that I trained over 15 years ago, was murdered on June 12th. That date already had great significance for me and now it would bare yet another important event. June 12th was no fun day, the test was long and intrusive. I called each day that week to see what my results were, only to not receive a return phone call. I didn't allow my mind to run amok, or worry, though I was frustrated with the process again, I knew the environment wasn't allowing me to keep positive so I had to do my part by conditioning my mind to stay neutral and prayerful. By Friday, I still hadn't gotten a returned call so as I drove the 3 hours home from work, I drove to the hospital. I went to medical release and signed for a copy of the pathology on the polyps, since I still hadn't received one. I also signed for a copy of the MRI and I marched my flip flops up to general surgery and had a conversation with the young man that didn't seem too passionate about my problem or relaying a message. Once I sat down with the APRN and she explained the results of both, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, which probably kept me out of jail that day, just saying.
The Canadian doctor sat with me a short time later and explained the cancer only affected the tissue and not the muscle, it was a Type T 1 and he said if there was such a thing, it was the best one to have. They sent me for blood work to get a benchmark on any precursor elevations to indicate any possible issues in the future, they scheduled another future colonoscopy and the MRI showed no masses or indications of any cancer in the pelvic area! To my prayers warriors, thank you!
I choose to share this now because I have wrapped my mind around it and a month has passed and I have spoken with some of my family first, they needed to hear it from me. I can say that early detection has been pivotal in the prognosis and being my own advocate by not allowing the system to stall when I needed answers. I know that not every case, such as this, is this fortunate. What I can say is how we handle it, process it and what we do with what is in front us is important to our growth as a spirit and as a human. If the outcome would have been different, I would not have blamed God or felt it as a punishment because that is foolish thinking. Some busy bodies would have jumped on the Religious band wagon and said "that blasphemy on her site caused that to happen" and I would not have wavered in my love for God or our relationship because I already know that we humans are going to be sick and have disease. God doesn't cause it, there are many factors and I just so happened to be affected. I ask you as a believer or a lover of God, allow yourself to truly process how powerful your mind is, how the mind creates the chemicals that affect the body, know that your environment does not have to bring you down even when you are in the middle of the storm and namely, there are people who will keep you prayed up if you ask. Keep me in your prayers, and I will pray for those of you who are reading, listening, learning, growing and finding your walk of faith with the creator who loves you, just as you are.
A Personal Journey, My Cancer Scare
Blog # 8
Sodom and Gomorrah Misinterpretation
07/02/2019
On the go? Use the audio option at the bottom of the blog. Audi also includes different information.
The historical story of Sodom and Gomorrah from the first book of the bible, Genesis, chapter 19 has been grossly misinterpreted and carelessly generalized. Lot was the nephew of Abraham and he was from the city Ur. He and Abraham migrated to the land of Canaan and eventually he was commissioned as a prophet and sent to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah. He lived in a tent outside the cities because he was a traveler. Once the people of the cities became familiar with Lot, as they got to 'know' him, he moved into the cities as an alien/foreign resident. The customary tradition allowed a traveler to settle in a land as an alien resident or a foreign resident. Lot was in an area where the people became haughty, proud, self righteous, lustful, inhospitable and a tad dangerous. They refused to help the widows that begged outside their cities, they refused to feed the hungry or to be hospitable to those in need.
One day, three angels appeared to Abraham and said they were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the cities because of their sin, here is where people generalize "their sin" as homosexuality because of one isolated incident with a mob of men who wanted to 'know' who the travelers were that Lot took into his home as guests. As the angels bargained with Abraham over the destruction, an agreement was reached that if the cities had a certain number of hospitable people in it (because all were alleged to be inhospitable and self righteous) they would not be destroyed. As luck would have it (a big wink for coincidence) Lot was sitting at the gateway when they arrived. The gateway was reserved for judges and people in honorable positions, so it is assumed by the text that Lot was in an honorable position. Lot welcomed the travelers and offered his home for the night, he did not know they were angels. After some haggling, the angels agreed and went to Lot's home as a guest traveler. After dinner, it was customary that everyone would retreat for the evening, but that was interrupted by a mob of men who gathered at Lot's door. When he went out to speak with them, it was men of all ages who were obviously unsettled concerning the identity of the foreigners Lot took into his home. One comment remarked against Lot was that he was a foreigner himself in their land. As it was made clear to Lot, these men were going to pepper the men with tons of questions and accusations and probably humiliated and harmed. Lot exercised his lawful customary right as a host that the men were under his protection as long as they were guests in his home. The citizens became more agitated and demanded Lot turn them over to be questioned and determined if they were legit or possibly a spy of some sort from another city. Here is where the translations changed the Hebrew word "yada" which means "to know", and in other verses it also means to "know intimately". Now, think about it, the citizens were straight men who were genuinely concerned that a foreign resident just may be hosting men from other cities who have ill intention and may return and wipe out their existence and take their property and land. If that meant to ask questions and then punish, so be it. What type of punishment you may ask? It was customary for male captives to be "placed in the position as a woman" and be sodomized publicly then beheaded to demean the rival cities, spy or warrior. To carelessly generalize this one particular passage as gay men coming over to be intimate with strangers is preposterous! Or assume these were straight men who just wanted to rape someone, so they traveled in a pack, left their wives and families (assuming were ok with it) just to rape some strangers, unbelievable! Why Lot offered up two virgin daughters, I cannot say for sure but one would speculate that since women were mere property in that Century and Lot knew he had a responsibility to quell the anxious mob. Maybe it was an offering for rectifying what Lot felt was an oversight on his behalf and his lawful responsibility to the guests. But one thing for certain, it wasn't a gay party!
When travelers came through a city, it was customary for a host to offer the traveler into their home, wash their feet, allow them to wash up, provide clothing and sandals, shelter, food and perishables to travel with. Jesus was speaking to his disciples when he commissioned them and sent them into the lands to teach, he said to not worry about packing a bag to travel because when they entered into a city there would be someone there to give them food and shelter. If they were not shown hospitality by someone in that city, Jesus said to shake the dust off their sandals because it would be better on Sodom and Gomorrah at judgement than for that city. In any of what has been explained, in the context does is make sense that Jesus said if the city tries to rape you with a mob of homosexual men, then shake the dust off your sandals? Of course it doesn't. Now, you know the truth about Sodom and Gomorrah, please do not ever let someone tell you differently.
As a lover of God, we have a responsibility to learn the truth and not be held hostage by condemnation. Research what you question. If it does not feel right, question it and research it. Don't settle for the first answer, dig and truly research. Be blessed, and remember that God loves you and desires a relationship. Not a ritual or a sacrifice, but a relationship. What exactly am I saying? Think about what you are thinking about. Have control (as best you can) over your emotions, responses and life. Be mindful to put your best foot forward, even in adversity. And when you stumble, because you definitely will, regroup and make a conscious decision to perfect that response. Throughout the day (oh lets say ...while driving, in the shower, on the toilet, before climbing out of the bed, etc) take a moment to just speak to God (in your head, otherwise you may get a strange look, but if you do just pretend you are on bluetooth, lol) as if you were speaking to a beloved friend. You will be amazed at how often you are talking with God throughout the day.
One day, three angels appeared to Abraham and said they were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy the cities because of their sin, here is where people generalize "their sin" as homosexuality because of one isolated incident with a mob of men who wanted to 'know' who the travelers were that Lot took into his home as guests. As the angels bargained with Abraham over the destruction, an agreement was reached that if the cities had a certain number of hospitable people in it (because all were alleged to be inhospitable and self righteous) they would not be destroyed. As luck would have it (a big wink for coincidence) Lot was sitting at the gateway when they arrived. The gateway was reserved for judges and people in honorable positions, so it is assumed by the text that Lot was in an honorable position. Lot welcomed the travelers and offered his home for the night, he did not know they were angels. After some haggling, the angels agreed and went to Lot's home as a guest traveler. After dinner, it was customary that everyone would retreat for the evening, but that was interrupted by a mob of men who gathered at Lot's door. When he went out to speak with them, it was men of all ages who were obviously unsettled concerning the identity of the foreigners Lot took into his home. One comment remarked against Lot was that he was a foreigner himself in their land. As it was made clear to Lot, these men were going to pepper the men with tons of questions and accusations and probably humiliated and harmed. Lot exercised his lawful customary right as a host that the men were under his protection as long as they were guests in his home. The citizens became more agitated and demanded Lot turn them over to be questioned and determined if they were legit or possibly a spy of some sort from another city. Here is where the translations changed the Hebrew word "yada" which means "to know", and in other verses it also means to "know intimately". Now, think about it, the citizens were straight men who were genuinely concerned that a foreign resident just may be hosting men from other cities who have ill intention and may return and wipe out their existence and take their property and land. If that meant to ask questions and then punish, so be it. What type of punishment you may ask? It was customary for male captives to be "placed in the position as a woman" and be sodomized publicly then beheaded to demean the rival cities, spy or warrior. To carelessly generalize this one particular passage as gay men coming over to be intimate with strangers is preposterous! Or assume these were straight men who just wanted to rape someone, so they traveled in a pack, left their wives and families (assuming were ok with it) just to rape some strangers, unbelievable! Why Lot offered up two virgin daughters, I cannot say for sure but one would speculate that since women were mere property in that Century and Lot knew he had a responsibility to quell the anxious mob. Maybe it was an offering for rectifying what Lot felt was an oversight on his behalf and his lawful responsibility to the guests. But one thing for certain, it wasn't a gay party!
When travelers came through a city, it was customary for a host to offer the traveler into their home, wash their feet, allow them to wash up, provide clothing and sandals, shelter, food and perishables to travel with. Jesus was speaking to his disciples when he commissioned them and sent them into the lands to teach, he said to not worry about packing a bag to travel because when they entered into a city there would be someone there to give them food and shelter. If they were not shown hospitality by someone in that city, Jesus said to shake the dust off their sandals because it would be better on Sodom and Gomorrah at judgement than for that city. In any of what has been explained, in the context does is make sense that Jesus said if the city tries to rape you with a mob of homosexual men, then shake the dust off your sandals? Of course it doesn't. Now, you know the truth about Sodom and Gomorrah, please do not ever let someone tell you differently.
As a lover of God, we have a responsibility to learn the truth and not be held hostage by condemnation. Research what you question. If it does not feel right, question it and research it. Don't settle for the first answer, dig and truly research. Be blessed, and remember that God loves you and desires a relationship. Not a ritual or a sacrifice, but a relationship. What exactly am I saying? Think about what you are thinking about. Have control (as best you can) over your emotions, responses and life. Be mindful to put your best foot forward, even in adversity. And when you stumble, because you definitely will, regroup and make a conscious decision to perfect that response. Throughout the day (oh lets say ...while driving, in the shower, on the toilet, before climbing out of the bed, etc) take a moment to just speak to God (in your head, otherwise you may get a strange look, but if you do just pretend you are on bluetooth, lol) as if you were speaking to a beloved friend. You will be amazed at how often you are talking with God throughout the day.
My Thoughts: Sodom and Gomorrah
Blog # 7
A Love Letter to God
06/23/2019
A love letter to God is a new Tab found on the Home Page. A short note to God from me with the question of Religion and my identity as a gay person. Followed up with a powerful song from Lauren Daigle about losing Religion in order to find a meaningful relationship with God. Undeniably due to Religion not being able to love you because of self righteous doctrine that does not free you, but leaves you feeling not loved and broken. Another video added is one that went viral when it first hit YouTube several years ago. The video is Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus by Jefferson Bethke, it too is powerful. Thank you for reminding me of the video Sis. I created a Tab for it because I did not want the viewer to hunt for the two video's in the midst of all blogs. Also, I have added a 15 minute audio of reflection.
Blog # 6
Misleading the flock
06/16/2019
On the go? Use the Video and audio option. Dr. Joe Dispenza and My Thoughts are at the bottom of the blog.
John the Baptist was a prophet who spoke of God, baptized multitudes and spoke of the coming of the Messiah (promised deliverer for mankind of sin). He baptized Jesus and knew without a doubt who he was and his role for atonement (making amends for a wrong one has done) for all mankind. However, he was placed in prison and eventually beheaded, you can read more about this in the book of Matthew. While sitting in prison for over a year, he sent messengers to go to Jesus and ask if he was the Messiah or should they expect someone else. Jesus told them to return to John and tell him all that Jesus was doing and that would answer his question. One would wonder if John was truly doubting what he knew to be true and a fact. But to know that John already knew the truth in his heart, his knowledge and his revelation by God; then you have to ask yourself what was really going on.
Some believe that John's core, the pure energy of God was becoming confined and dimmed by his environment and situation. Kind of like placing a flashlight in a box and closing the lid. Neuroscience see's it this way. Because of the torture and the solitary confinement John was enduring, it may have played a role on his psyche and just maybe his faith began to waiver in spite of what he knew to be the truth. Maybe he was wondering if the thousands of people he lead to Christ by paving the way, maybe it was in vain and he mislead people. Who truly knows, but what you can take away from this is that life can definitely shake your faith. Your environment, your situation, your beliefs based on what you have learned and tradition, humanity in general can shake your faith. Even though your soul knows better, periodically circumstances can make your mind waiver.
God already understands this about humanity. The Bible teaches us a lot about faith and building your foundation because life will give you a shaking. It also teaches the reader to reflect inward and rely upon a more powerful unshakable source that can give you understanding and peace beyond all understanding. Connecting to the 'inner self' and source to gird up the loins of your mind and stand firm in your innate knowing that you are a spirit above and beyond being flesh and bone. It isn't easy, but it is possible and it takes time, it is a process of 'becoming' and relying upon more than our ability to rationalize. And science shows that rationalization is what separates the conscious and subconscious mind. Moving past what we have learned and what can be rationalized to a state of pure consciousness where you feel connected and you 'know' that you 'know', is a place you can find rest and a place for your inner being to supersede the human mind. This is where I find my rest, assurance and understanding, I believe God knew me before I entered the womb, as scripture says. It did not catch God by surprise that around 4 % of the entire human population is gay.
Back to John, he knew without a doubt who Jesus was but his environment and his dimmed and contained energy began to take a toll on his human mind. Religion has the same effect on the LGBT community with its propaganda and judgement. God and the human heart does not have that kind of judgement, but religion does. Just as John sent messengers out to ask Jesus a question in hopes of renewing his mind that would help to renew his faith, you have a question too, hoping to renew your mind and faith. Just as John struggled in the prison cell with his faith wavering, the messengers came back and explained to him everything they saw that Jesus was doing for the common people, for the needy, for the one's seeking, John's mind began to gird up and remind (re-mind) him exactly who Jesus was and that God was still working through him and other's to complete the work. On the word remind, I appreciate that it means to recall something the mind already knew!
I am here to re-mind you of who you are in God's mind. This isn't a watered down version of God's truth, it is the very truth of God and his 'created' beings. There isn't any misleading the flock with this truth.
Now science says this (in a recap of the first 2 blogs and a little extra information) there is an intelligent being that is a creator and has a will separate from the human being. The intelligent being is pure energy, therefore being everywhere, in everything, all of the time. Just as discussed in the book of Genesis. When our human mind, thoughts, feelings, emotions and body is out of balance then we are wide open to allow in things that will imprison us and even hold us hostage in our own mind. Science says when that happens we are mismanaging our energy and it is important to be a constant observer as to what we are thinking about and speaking. The Bible says in Proverbs 18 that death and life are in the power of the tongue. The books of Matthew, Mark, Isaiah and Peter (and others) speak of our guarding the heart, mind and tongue from reckless thinking and words.
Science says that we are unconsciously responding to our environment based on what we have learned, the chemicals produced by the body giving that experience an emotion and we store that as some sort of benchmark and way of determining perception. In the book of Isaiah (Chapter 55) it says "So shall my words be, that goes out of my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purposed." Just as other well known quotes remind us that speaking to that mountain to fall into the sea and not doubt that it will come to pass.
Science says that we have to be greater than our environment, we know that is really difficult but sincerely working on monitoring your thoughts and changing your beliefs are of utmost importance for your progress. Just as the bible says in Romans to not copy the behavior and customs of this world, let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. and in the book of Proverbs, as one thinks within himself, so he is.
Science says that by living in the past, rather than in the present that we become predictable because we become stagnant and even addicted to the emotions and the chemical reaction that keeps our bodies in a state that is not in harmony or balance. The bible says in the book of Isaiah for us to forget the former things and do not dwell on the past because God is doing a new thing. And I often talk about that fact because we are not locked into the first century or the things in the bible that were discussed or not discussed. God has the last say about all of his/her creation and he is moving progress right along with his finger. In the book of Romans it tells us to be transformed by the renewing (re-new) of your mind. These are very important principles and are repeated many times throughout the bible. When you renew your mind, you are no longer pulling memory from the record of the past because you are open to creating a vision of your future without being held back by those predictable outdated beliefs.
Science says for you to not wait on things to change before you 'feel the change' to live as the change has already occurred as you move into a new mindset. To pray and meditate because it moves your mind into a state of consciousness of what they call the Quantum Field where all things are possible. The bible has something to say about that too, the book of Matthew says whatever you as for in prayer, believe that you have already received it and it will be yours. Science says that changing matter (which is tangible things compressed together by God and time) takes time because we are trying to 'do it' but connected to the intelligent source speeds up things because it doesn't play by the rule of time.
I say to the reader or listener, to build your foundation on the scientific facts of the mind and body that correlates with the living word of God is where you should began. Moving your mind from what you have considered the benchmark of belief based on human interpretation of who God is and how you have to 'perform' in order to be a child of God, will open up your heart and understanding that will change you from the inside out. Your heart will not be able to contain what it feels because the science explains the physical change but God explains the internal spiritual change. Science says that we have energy centers throughout our body that allows the energy to move through and permeate. It states that once your mind is changed about self destructive thinking as you monitor what you are thinking that your heart goes through a physical chemical change. Over 13,000 chemical changes are stored in our bodies and wherever you place your thoughts, the energy is sure to follow, good or bad. The brain has no way of knowing if what you are thinking is real or if what you are seeing and perceiving is real because of the process, the chemicals produced and the affect it has on the body. To regenerate (re- generate) the body, one must lead with a different consciousness. As your beliefs change and create different emotions your heart literally begins to feel full. When a human feels love, it produces Oxycontin which signals another chemical reaction for Nitrous Oxide, which signals another chemical reaction that fills the heart with oxygen and blood and you feel this emotion that can only be described as pure love beyond comprehension. The bible talks about this kind of love, which God has for creation and how the Holy Spirit will also fill you with this love and peace beyond all understanding. Dr. Joe Dispenza (video Unlock the Unlimited Power of Your Mind with Ed Mylett and video Power of Belief with his social media site Better Mind, Better Life) says it is the science of knowing the creator of all of this is paying attention to all of the universe and each of us individually. And we already know that when someone we love is paying attention to us that it feels good and promotes the feeling of being full in your heart. When we live from that place of monitoring ourselves, connected with the higher power and open to change your mind and feelings that is when you take your power back and live on purpose.
In closing, I will give you a thought to ponder. King David wrote the entire book of beautiful songs called Psalms in our bible. He loved God and chased after God's heart. Though he was wise and very connected and favored by God and blessed, he was human. His free will to choose love, intimacy, sexual intimacy and all the wonderful experiences of this world, he certainly fed the flesh! He already had 6 wives when he saw Bathsheba and lusted for her. He brought her into his home, became sexually intimate with her, in spite of the fact she was married. Keep in mind, women were property and men could have as many wives as they choose but a woman could only have one husband. A husband could put her to death for being with another man. Pretty double standard, inhumane and oppressive to women, which people say God condoned because they were heterosexual, give me a break! David violates the law of marriage by bedding her down, impregnating her and realizes he has to rectify this. He calls for her husband to be sent to the front line of battle because he knows the chances of survival are minimal. The husband would not go home and sleep with his wife before heading out to battle, he slept on David's doorstep. Of course, he goes into battle and does not return. Once deceased, David was able to take Bathsheba as his 7th wife.
When all of this concludes, let's say that I am standing behind King David and all of his wives at the 'pearly gates' and St. Peter is chatting it up with David. I am starstruck because it is King David, right! There David stands with all 7 wives and the multitude of children, with their wives and children and so on. I hear St. Peter say "Wow David you were a busy man. 7 wives, husband, father, warrior, King, wise, talented....oh, you murdered Uriah, Bathsheba's husband to hide your affair and her pregnancy, you naughty boy. And I see that you and Jonathan had a questionable relationship that was kept out of the good book (1 Samuel, Chapter 18), but you did have a master servant which we all know assisted all of you warriors with relieving the testosterone during wartime while out for months during battle, but that was customary things and it doesn't count as 'unnatural', so let's just erase that from the books. Well, it looks like you all are all set and ready to come on in so let me get this gate open, but make sure that lesbian couple behind you doesn't sneak in. God really doesn't like gay people and he messed up with some genes when creating them so they are kind of like a 'mishap', but don't worry he realized his mistake and made sure Jesus didn't talk about it. Even though Jesus did come close to spilling the beans when he was asked about divorce and he mentioned that not everyone would understand what he was about to say but there would be some of these type of mishaps born of the mothers womb (Matthew Chapter 19), some would be made that way for religious reasons, you know the monks and nuns and those kinds of non procreating people abstaining from the gift of sexual intimacy for a better relations with God ...oh and the third kind was those poor guys castrated for pagan prostitution, punishment as captives of war or those who worked around the beautiful ladies of the higher social status. God was pretty ticked off at him for mentioning the womb thing. But never mind the small talk over mishaps, you come on in and get settled in.
My Thoughts: Misleading the Flock
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Recommend listening to the first 30 minutes. Though all of it is worth listening to.
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Blog # 5
YouTube Page
06/12/2019
I have added a new Tab to this site labeled, YouTube. The video blogs on YouTube will be similar to blogs I post on this site. I decided to use this avenue, as well, to reach the gay, bisexual and transgender audience (yet, All Inclusive) that may being using that social media approach for information and answers. I will post this week's blog in a few days.
Blog # 4
God (I Am) , Water and Cerebrospinal Fluid
06/03/2019
On the go? Use the Video and audio option. Dr. Zappaterra and My Thoughts are at the bottom of the blog.
Science has come along way on what the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) does for the human body and what they are comparing it to is interesting. Dr. Mauro Zappaterra has shared several video conferences explaining a little more in depth, but the video I have chosen hits the high points and the comparisons are interesting. As I have said to the reader before and I will reiterate it here again, I earnestly believe if one has a basic understanding of how beautifully designed the human body is through science, you will find answers to most of your questions about God and even your identity, that have been based on blind faith. Blind faith is much easier to understand when one can draw from tangible facts that coincides with an innate 'knowing'.
In this short Video Dr. Zappaterra explains his happenstance with CSF and his passion to teach what he has learned. He explains that as an embryo (initially in mice during research) he noticed large spaces that appeared empty with just a dot of a substance in the midst. It was discovered that the amniotic fluids filled these large spaces and surrounded the embryo, which eventually converts to CSF as it develops. Discovering that CSF doesn't only bathe the central nervous system and the skull and brain, it does much more. The ventricles in the brain carry CSF and crosses through each part of the lobes. Extending from the Pituitary gland in the front and the Pineal gland in the back. As we spoke in Blog # 2, concerning the thoughts, feelings and emotions, both of these glands are important in the chemical responses to our thoughts as it has a profound impact on the body. The CSF carries the hormones, molecules, nutrients and much more, through the fluids from the sacrum in the pelvic to the ventricles in the brain.
He states that our body creates 150 ml of CSF and it recreates the fluid several times throughout a 24 hour period. It carries energy in the fluid that contains vibration and other neurogenic signaling. At one point, it was thought the CSF was one molecule away from sea water, which has since been reconsidered. Which brings me to the biblical point in all of this.
Throughout the bible, God is referred to as "the living water" and shown as an energy source too large to hold a form for any length of time. Many scriptures of 'thirsting, come drink' or 'those who thirst will thirst no more'. Parting of the red sea with Moses, watering down the wood to be burned by God through prayer from the prophet Elijah to prove there is only one God (this is a good read 1 Kings Chapter 18), God as a cloud, water baptism, water turned into wine, Moses seeing the 'glory' of God as he passed by, and other similar passages. My point here, God is pure energy as an omnipotent and omnipresent supreme being. Water, air, fire and energy are always moving and never standing still.
A little over 70 % of our earth is water. Earth, as a word jumble is Heart. Remember, the heart does not create judgement, that comes from learned beliefs. Over 90% of the water on earth is Ocean. The saline and salt (which the bible refers to salt often) serves many purposes. The saltiest water is the Dead Sea, near Jerusalem. The sea is so buoyant that one literally floats! Water is used to create electricity. Our heart and Brain contain more water than our skin, lungs, kidneys or bones. Our lifeline of blood plasma contains water. Sea creatures breath life in water, similar is the amniotic fluids for an embryo and CSF for our brain. We all know that without water, our bodies would perish. Science and the bible coincide on the importance of water and energy, both being created by something much larger than a human.
Dr. Zappaterra states science shows that CSF carrying the energy and bathing the brain, neurons, stem cells and other human anatomy is compared to being the "I Am" of the body, the very essence of constantly creating and constantly in movement. We all should know the reference to God being "I Am" in the bible. Without CSF immersing the brain and transmitting signals and transporting necessary life giving components, our bodies and life would be much different.
Is it coincidence, the science and epistles using terminology that coincide? Not at all. My point in sharing tidbits of science, neurology and bible principle is to show the reader that God created each of us unique and to experience life abundantly. Humans have muddied up the 'waters' and made so many issues unclear to those who want to learn or have a relationship with God. Science makes it clear that our mind has to be monitored so that we aren't letting it run amok creating chemicals that cause disease and keeps one standing still in ignorance or fear. Science makes it clear that something much larger and intelligent with a will separate from ours has created such an intricate body and planetary system. So you have to ask yourself the genuine question, did God create me this way just to condemn me? A heterosexual person's natural attraction is no different than a homosexual person's natural attraction, no difference! Does God sincerely condone one orientation over another? The answer is an infinite no! Over the next few Blogs, I will give you a thought to ponder as I close.
Here is your thought to ponder. If marriage is of no importance in the life after earth, what makes you believe God has a condemnation over a particular one? Before you recite the passages you have been condemned with (misinterpreted and we will get into them shortly) one must realize intimacy is a gift for humans. It is the same intimate relationship God wants with you. Intimacy teaches and bonds us. And next week, I cannot wait to give you a thought to ponder on King David and Bathsheba! This topic was important enough to be included by Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus answered the question.
Matthew 22:25-30 New International Version (NIV)25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”
29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
Science has come along way on what the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) does for the human body and what they are comparing it to is interesting. Dr. Mauro Zappaterra has shared several video conferences explaining a little more in depth, but the video I have chosen hits the high points and the comparisons are interesting. As I have said to the reader before and I will reiterate it here again, I earnestly believe if one has a basic understanding of how beautifully designed the human body is through science, you will find answers to most of your questions about God and even your identity, that have been based on blind faith. Blind faith is much easier to understand when one can draw from tangible facts that coincides with an innate 'knowing'.
In this short Video Dr. Zappaterra explains his happenstance with CSF and his passion to teach what he has learned. He explains that as an embryo (initially in mice during research) he noticed large spaces that appeared empty with just a dot of a substance in the midst. It was discovered that the amniotic fluids filled these large spaces and surrounded the embryo, which eventually converts to CSF as it develops. Discovering that CSF doesn't only bathe the central nervous system and the skull and brain, it does much more. The ventricles in the brain carry CSF and crosses through each part of the lobes. Extending from the Pituitary gland in the front and the Pineal gland in the back. As we spoke in Blog # 2, concerning the thoughts, feelings and emotions, both of these glands are important in the chemical responses to our thoughts as it has a profound impact on the body. The CSF carries the hormones, molecules, nutrients and much more, through the fluids from the sacrum in the pelvic to the ventricles in the brain.
He states that our body creates 150 ml of CSF and it recreates the fluid several times throughout a 24 hour period. It carries energy in the fluid that contains vibration and other neurogenic signaling. At one point, it was thought the CSF was one molecule away from sea water, which has since been reconsidered. Which brings me to the biblical point in all of this.
Throughout the bible, God is referred to as "the living water" and shown as an energy source too large to hold a form for any length of time. Many scriptures of 'thirsting, come drink' or 'those who thirst will thirst no more'. Parting of the red sea with Moses, watering down the wood to be burned by God through prayer from the prophet Elijah to prove there is only one God (this is a good read 1 Kings Chapter 18), God as a cloud, water baptism, water turned into wine, Moses seeing the 'glory' of God as he passed by, and other similar passages. My point here, God is pure energy as an omnipotent and omnipresent supreme being. Water, air, fire and energy are always moving and never standing still.
A little over 70 % of our earth is water. Earth, as a word jumble is Heart. Remember, the heart does not create judgement, that comes from learned beliefs. Over 90% of the water on earth is Ocean. The saline and salt (which the bible refers to salt often) serves many purposes. The saltiest water is the Dead Sea, near Jerusalem. The sea is so buoyant that one literally floats! Water is used to create electricity. Our heart and Brain contain more water than our skin, lungs, kidneys or bones. Our lifeline of blood plasma contains water. Sea creatures breath life in water, similar is the amniotic fluids for an embryo and CSF for our brain. We all know that without water, our bodies would perish. Science and the bible coincide on the importance of water and energy, both being created by something much larger than a human.
Dr. Zappaterra states science shows that CSF carrying the energy and bathing the brain, neurons, stem cells and other human anatomy is compared to being the "I Am" of the body, the very essence of constantly creating and constantly in movement. We all should know the reference to God being "I Am" in the bible. Without CSF immersing the brain and transmitting signals and transporting necessary life giving components, our bodies and life would be much different.
Is it coincidence, the science and epistles using terminology that coincide? Not at all. My point in sharing tidbits of science, neurology and bible principle is to show the reader that God created each of us unique and to experience life abundantly. Humans have muddied up the 'waters' and made so many issues unclear to those who want to learn or have a relationship with God. Science makes it clear that our mind has to be monitored so that we aren't letting it run amok creating chemicals that cause disease and keeps one standing still in ignorance or fear. Science makes it clear that something much larger and intelligent with a will separate from ours has created such an intricate body and planetary system. So you have to ask yourself the genuine question, did God create me this way just to condemn me? A heterosexual person's natural attraction is no different than a homosexual person's natural attraction, no difference! Does God sincerely condone one orientation over another? The answer is an infinite no! Over the next few Blogs, I will give you a thought to ponder as I close.
Here is your thought to ponder. If marriage is of no importance in the life after earth, what makes you believe God has a condemnation over a particular one? Before you recite the passages you have been condemned with (misinterpreted and we will get into them shortly) one must realize intimacy is a gift for humans. It is the same intimate relationship God wants with you. Intimacy teaches and bonds us. And next week, I cannot wait to give you a thought to ponder on King David and Bathsheba! This topic was important enough to be included by Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus answered the question.
Matthew 22:25-30 New International Version (NIV)25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”
29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
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My Thoughts: Cerebrospinal Fluid |
Blog # 3
Texts from Friends
05/26/2019
My Thoughts: Texts
Last night, I sent site invitations out to many of my friends. I was disheartened by a lot of the responses as to the fact of not knowing where they stood with God because of their orientation. One friend has recently been baptized and she claims she is still struggling with the guilt. She should be able to lavish in this profound outward experience of faith, and yet religion has taken that away from her. That sincerely saddens me. Today, one of my closest friends returned a text and she too, has so much guilt because of how religion has beaten her and others down and blames God for bad things happening to good people. We used to go to church together as teenagers and she loves God, but has old conditional beliefs that cause her to waiver. As a friend and blogger, I can provide the support and information, but you have to do your part. You have to want to know, you have to work on your thoughts. You have to read and research. Chipping up your old foundation is not for the faint of heart, it takes work and that is exactly why I have started this site with the the science and bible correlation.
Even the heterosexual believer has a difficult time accepting God's grace and salvation, it seems to easy as if there is something we 'need to do'. Add the condemnation to the homosexual believer from religion and see how that magnifies. It is not something we 'do' or 'do not' do, it is what we become and that builds confidence in 'knowing'. It is liberating but most people run from the relationship out of guilt, and that is where religion has to take responsibility for causing you to stand still in doubt.
Blog #2
God and Science Coincide: The Mind, Thoughts, Emotions and Body
05/22/2019
On the go? Use the Video and audio option. Dr. Joe Dispenza, Parts 1 and 2 on My Thoughts are at the bottom of the blog.
I am so excited for this part of the journey for you as the reader and listener. Dr. Joe Dispenza has a lot of statistical facts about the physiology of the body and I will not dare try to recite it back to you, I prefer you hear it from him. I am going to upload the Mind Over Matter video where he not only explains the complexity of the body in terms you can comprehend, but he digs deep into how God, as our creator sustains the rejuvenation of every cell and beyond without us having to do anything, it is God's gift to us. I believe if you take the time to hear him talk about how God cared enough about the human body to create it and give it to us as a gift, created earth and gave it to us as a gift and lastly he (God is both feminine and masculine, therefore, I will refer to God here as he) has given us life and the ability to coexist in a relationship with him and one another; then you should never again question your identity. God is not that shallow or a dictator. And if God was that judgmental, then he would violate his own Golden Rule, dated back to Adam and Eve in the garden.....our free will to choose. Please, take the time to at least listen to the first 30 minutes of Dr. Dispenza's video on our human body, mind and emotions. It is filled with information from start to finish, delving into the science of how we perceive things differently than what is in front of us and how it correlates to God and the bible. It is eye opening information.
I made two short video's on my thoughts from his video and make reference back to the 18 year journey I have been on and my writings, God's Lost Sheep. If you listen to my video, without hearing the first half (at least, I recommend you listen to it entirely) of Dr. Dispenza, you may not be able to truly appreciate the science of the body and how God is behind it all, which makes it absurd to proclaim a gay person is not a child of God or that religion 'can pray the gay away'.
I am so excited for this part of the journey for you as the reader and listener. Dr. Joe Dispenza has a lot of statistical facts about the physiology of the body and I will not dare try to recite it back to you, I prefer you hear it from him. I am going to upload the Mind Over Matter video where he not only explains the complexity of the body in terms you can comprehend, but he digs deep into how God, as our creator sustains the rejuvenation of every cell and beyond without us having to do anything, it is God's gift to us. I believe if you take the time to hear him talk about how God cared enough about the human body to create it and give it to us as a gift, created earth and gave it to us as a gift and lastly he (God is both feminine and masculine, therefore, I will refer to God here as he) has given us life and the ability to coexist in a relationship with him and one another; then you should never again question your identity. God is not that shallow or a dictator. And if God was that judgmental, then he would violate his own Golden Rule, dated back to Adam and Eve in the garden.....our free will to choose. Please, take the time to at least listen to the first 30 minutes of Dr. Dispenza's video on our human body, mind and emotions. It is filled with information from start to finish, delving into the science of how we perceive things differently than what is in front of us and how it correlates to God and the bible. It is eye opening information.
I made two short video's on my thoughts from his video and make reference back to the 18 year journey I have been on and my writings, God's Lost Sheep. If you listen to my video, without hearing the first half (at least, I recommend you listen to it entirely) of Dr. Dispenza, you may not be able to truly appreciate the science of the body and how God is behind it all, which makes it absurd to proclaim a gay person is not a child of God or that religion 'can pray the gay away'.
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Part 1, My Thoughts: God and Science |
Part 2, My Thoughts: God and Science
BLOG # 1
Introduction
05/19/2019
On the go? Use the audio option. My Thoughts are at the bottom of the blog.
What you will read or listen to on this site will be a combination of physiology (the biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts), neuroscience (science which deals with the function of the brain) and bible quotes. The targeted audience is gay, bisexual and transgender communities, however, it is all inclusive for others that are open to challenge their belief system and learn. I am not here to debate or debunk the bible or views of religious propaganda (information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize political cause or point of view). Inclusively, I want to reach people that have been beaten down, oppressed (unjust treatment or controlled), ousted (driven out or expelled) or ostracized (exclusion from a society or group) by religion that needs a fresh perspective (point of view). I want the reader to see the correlation (a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things) between God and science. To take the available information and draw a conclusion for themselves. Hopefully to help chip away their learned judgmental foundation and rebuild on a more solid one . My intention is to keep it simplified and elementary so that everyone can learn. I simplify it for comprehension regarding age and mental capacity, for God only knows who will be directed to this site. My goal is to present information from a panoramic (wide) view to those that have only looked through the knothole in the fence of life. I am not promoting nor condoning any lifestyle, I am merely providing information that promotes thinking and inclusiveness to a generation that has relied upon someone else's interpretation on the subjects of identity and orientation.
Some topics of correlation that will be discussed are the human body, neuroscience of thought along with feelings and emotions, mind over matter, blind faith verses a relationship, misleading information against an orientation, mercy, grace, intellect and spirit, manifest and ill will, being the light in the world, fairy tale verses God, God's real will, is God the living water, what percentage of earth and our bodies are made up of water, putting human characteristics on God, putting God in a box, is God energy, energy and your aura (distinctive atmospheric energy surrounding a person), time is what holds energy together to form matter, God and numbers, am I suppose to question God, God is both masculine and feminine, the science on the heart which has no judgement, the word heart used over 1000 times in the bible, Adams rib for Eve, becoming a new person starting with the mind, 'becoming' rather than just a thing we 'do', prayer and meditation, how to bind and loose in prayer, intercessory prayer (praying on the behalf of others), what is the kingdom of heaven, ancient beliefs and the bible, critical history era and biblical words, interpreting the language of epistles to accommodate modern comprehension, marriage and the bible, interracial marriage in the bible, the centurion of the new testament, eunuch's (impotent person, to not procreate), master servants, pagan prostitution (practices for other gods), battles of ancient times and sodomizing the enemy, Sodom and Gomorrah, women as property of the old testament, love verses being property, multiple wives of bible prophets, is sexual intimacy a gift, irony of word jumble, and lastly we will discuss the "clobber passages" of the bible that are used to condemn a gay person.
The purpose of not discussing the clobber passages first is simple, there will be those coming to the site for a quick answer. I do not believe one can get a quick answer and expect to stand on that answer alone with the depth one will need to sustain and rebuild their foundation. One needs to know who they are as a spiritual being entering into a human body before debating their sexuality and doubting that heaven is theirs to gain. To read, listen, learn and process information about God and life, then challenge your personal belief system will take time. Starting with and understanding God, you as a spirit, our earth, the human body and mind is imperative (important, crucial) as you begin to take this journey.
I will add an audio option along with the blog that coincides (match, equate), therefore, one can read or listen. I intend to keep each blog and audio brief, 30 minutes max. I want the reader to have time to read or listen without consuming their free time. To the listener, use the Bluetooth option in your vehicle as you travel. Place your phone on a speaker box or turn up the volume on the computer as you busy yourself around the house or workplace. I will create blogs a few days a part, so that the reader or listener can digest the previous material. To me, it is important that you know the creator loves you and desires to be in a relationship with you. Not just a superficial (just beneath the layer) relationship based on blind faith and burning questions but from trusting that God loves you and wants you to ask the tough questions.
I also have some writings that are being published into book format, it will available in the near future. Some of those writings will be placed on this site under the My Book tab. It will take approximately 2 hours to read the writings. I have copy rights on the writings. I want to make them available to you, I believe they will challenge your belief system as well and give the reader some fundamental (forming a necessary base or core) topics to ponder.
I will use quotes and recording excerpts (snip-its) from neuroscience expert Dr. Joe Dispenza. I believe adding excerpts directly from Dr. Dispenza will give the best source of information accurately. As with most things I read or listen to, I take away from it what I believe then I ponder and research what I wasn't able to wrap my mind around. I ask that you do the same. I will also refer to other writers and professionals work, being Lee Strobel, Melody Beattie, Joyce Meyer, Gregg Braden, William Paul Young, Eugene Peterson and Dr. Phil.
I do not know what brought you to this site but my hope is that you learn something that will provide you with the confidence to open your heart, challenge your beliefs and stretch you spiritually.
What you will read or listen to on this site will be a combination of physiology (the biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts), neuroscience (science which deals with the function of the brain) and bible quotes. The targeted audience is gay, bisexual and transgender communities, however, it is all inclusive for others that are open to challenge their belief system and learn. I am not here to debate or debunk the bible or views of religious propaganda (information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize political cause or point of view). Inclusively, I want to reach people that have been beaten down, oppressed (unjust treatment or controlled), ousted (driven out or expelled) or ostracized (exclusion from a society or group) by religion that needs a fresh perspective (point of view). I want the reader to see the correlation (a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things) between God and science. To take the available information and draw a conclusion for themselves. Hopefully to help chip away their learned judgmental foundation and rebuild on a more solid one . My intention is to keep it simplified and elementary so that everyone can learn. I simplify it for comprehension regarding age and mental capacity, for God only knows who will be directed to this site. My goal is to present information from a panoramic (wide) view to those that have only looked through the knothole in the fence of life. I am not promoting nor condoning any lifestyle, I am merely providing information that promotes thinking and inclusiveness to a generation that has relied upon someone else's interpretation on the subjects of identity and orientation.
Some topics of correlation that will be discussed are the human body, neuroscience of thought along with feelings and emotions, mind over matter, blind faith verses a relationship, misleading information against an orientation, mercy, grace, intellect and spirit, manifest and ill will, being the light in the world, fairy tale verses God, God's real will, is God the living water, what percentage of earth and our bodies are made up of water, putting human characteristics on God, putting God in a box, is God energy, energy and your aura (distinctive atmospheric energy surrounding a person), time is what holds energy together to form matter, God and numbers, am I suppose to question God, God is both masculine and feminine, the science on the heart which has no judgement, the word heart used over 1000 times in the bible, Adams rib for Eve, becoming a new person starting with the mind, 'becoming' rather than just a thing we 'do', prayer and meditation, how to bind and loose in prayer, intercessory prayer (praying on the behalf of others), what is the kingdom of heaven, ancient beliefs and the bible, critical history era and biblical words, interpreting the language of epistles to accommodate modern comprehension, marriage and the bible, interracial marriage in the bible, the centurion of the new testament, eunuch's (impotent person, to not procreate), master servants, pagan prostitution (practices for other gods), battles of ancient times and sodomizing the enemy, Sodom and Gomorrah, women as property of the old testament, love verses being property, multiple wives of bible prophets, is sexual intimacy a gift, irony of word jumble, and lastly we will discuss the "clobber passages" of the bible that are used to condemn a gay person.
The purpose of not discussing the clobber passages first is simple, there will be those coming to the site for a quick answer. I do not believe one can get a quick answer and expect to stand on that answer alone with the depth one will need to sustain and rebuild their foundation. One needs to know who they are as a spiritual being entering into a human body before debating their sexuality and doubting that heaven is theirs to gain. To read, listen, learn and process information about God and life, then challenge your personal belief system will take time. Starting with and understanding God, you as a spirit, our earth, the human body and mind is imperative (important, crucial) as you begin to take this journey.
I will add an audio option along with the blog that coincides (match, equate), therefore, one can read or listen. I intend to keep each blog and audio brief, 30 minutes max. I want the reader to have time to read or listen without consuming their free time. To the listener, use the Bluetooth option in your vehicle as you travel. Place your phone on a speaker box or turn up the volume on the computer as you busy yourself around the house or workplace. I will create blogs a few days a part, so that the reader or listener can digest the previous material. To me, it is important that you know the creator loves you and desires to be in a relationship with you. Not just a superficial (just beneath the layer) relationship based on blind faith and burning questions but from trusting that God loves you and wants you to ask the tough questions.
I also have some writings that are being published into book format, it will available in the near future. Some of those writings will be placed on this site under the My Book tab. It will take approximately 2 hours to read the writings. I have copy rights on the writings. I want to make them available to you, I believe they will challenge your belief system as well and give the reader some fundamental (forming a necessary base or core) topics to ponder.
I will use quotes and recording excerpts (snip-its) from neuroscience expert Dr. Joe Dispenza. I believe adding excerpts directly from Dr. Dispenza will give the best source of information accurately. As with most things I read or listen to, I take away from it what I believe then I ponder and research what I wasn't able to wrap my mind around. I ask that you do the same. I will also refer to other writers and professionals work, being Lee Strobel, Melody Beattie, Joyce Meyer, Gregg Braden, William Paul Young, Eugene Peterson and Dr. Phil.
I do not know what brought you to this site but my hope is that you learn something that will provide you with the confidence to open your heart, challenge your beliefs and stretch you spiritually.