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Man Copies Torah Without a Single Mistake (Using a Feather Pen and a Sheepskin Parchment)

Bible reliableAs the Washington Post article stated, “Forget auto-correct.” It wasn’t available to Richard Epstein, the man who copied the Torah over an eight year period. According to Jewish tradition even one error would make the entire text unfit for use in Jewish worship.

Epstein said of his accomplishment:

“I feel like basically the Torah wrote me, more than I wrote the Torah–that it really shaped me. When you write, you go much slower than you think, and especially when you’re writing the Torah. It’s wet and it’s gooey.”

Epstein followed the Jewish tradition of speaking each word out loud, and then speaking each letter in that word out loud before writing it. Read More

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 Posted on May 24, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, News, Seeker

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The Meaning of Life

Meaning of LifeLeo Tolstoy was famous, influential, and well off when he wrote this.

The question–that which at the age of fifty brought me to the edge of the abyss–was the simplest of questions… “What will come of what I am doing today or shall do tomorrow? What will come of my whole life?”

Differently expressed, the question is: “Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything?” It can also be expressed thus: “Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?”

My deeds whatever they may be will be forgotten sooner or later, and I myself will be no more, why then do anything? I therefore could not attach a rational meaning to a single act of my entire life. The only thing that amazed me was how I had failed to realize this from the very beginning. How could anyone fail to see this? That’s what is amazing.

It’s possible to live, as long as life intoxicates us. But once we’re sober…

What are you living for?

References:

Leo Tolstoy, A Confession

Kevin Kim

Timothy Keller

 3 Comments

 Posted on May 21, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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The Bible: It’s Out of Date and Irrelevant–Isn’t It?

Bible outdated It’s just so old, right? It’s something that was written for a culture that hasn’t been around for 2,000 years. It’s gone through so many translations, there’s no way the Bible we have today could be anywhere close to what the original was.

It’s trendy right now to hold that opinion of the Bible. But is it true? Jesus’ acts and his words, passed down through a long process of oral tradition can’t possibly be accurate, could they? Read More

 4 Comments

 Posted on May 17, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Is Jesus real, Seeker

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If You’re Avoiding God Intentionally, Don’t Read This

How can I find GodSo your faith feels dry. You have no desire to read the bible. And when you do, you read a paragraph and forget what you’ve read, so you read it again–and forget it again. The words on the page just feel lifeless. You find no inspiration in them.

You have no desire to go to church. The effort to get up, get ready, drive to church, and sit for an hour listening to mundane platitudes with a group of people you don’t even know, it just feels pointless.

God doesn’t feel personal, He doesn’t even feel present.

Where is God anyway?

You ask yourself, “Why can’t I find Him?”

Do you want to know why? Do you really want to find Him? Or are you avoiding Him intentionally.

If you’re avoiding Him intentionally then stop reading now. Read More

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 Posted on May 15, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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Bad Christian Examples (and what that has to do with Blazers’ point guard Damian Lillard)

I’ve been watching the NBA playoffs lately. Mostly Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard knocked down an amazing three point shot at the buzzer at the end of the sixth game, to win the series against the Houston Rockets. It was epic. I’ve heard that Lillard has, heroes. Heroes who inspire him. Tony Parker, Jason Kidd, and Brandon Roy just to name a few. And obviously, studying these successful NBA guards produced results in Damian Lillard. It’s a big part of what makes him great today.

Occasionally I’ll come across an article about the worst draft busts in NBA history, or the worst NBA players ever to set foot on the court. You know I never hear anything about any up and coming young NBA players studying those guys. I don’t hear about Damian Lillard studying bad examples of NBA point guards. He’s focused on the Parkers, Kidds, and Roys of the league. It’s part of what makes him a successful basketball player.

So here’s my question: Read More

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 Posted on May 10, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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Sleeping In

Why go to churchI was way too tired to go to church. Every molecule craved sleep. We were in Portland for a birthday party the day before and didn’t get home until late. Early the next morning, Sunday morning, Jesus’ words came to mind, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

“I’m so grateful for those words,” I said to myself. And I decided to sleep in.

And I know that would have been fine in the eyes of the Father, to sleep in on Sunday morning. But suddenly I found myself awake somehow. It was one of those mornings when I somehow just couldn’t continue to sleep. So I jumped in the car and headed to church. And when I was there, I heard these words:

“Be gracious to people. Be as kind as you possibly can.”

He was teaching on the woman caught in adultery. A teaching I’ve heard a hundred times. I didn’t realize it at that moment, but Read More

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 Posted on May 3, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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Fame vs. Greatness

I was on Russell Okung’s Twitter site today (Okung plays left tackle for the Seattle Seahawks) and came across this from Tera Carissa Hodges.

God told Abraham I will make your name GREAT, while in Matthew 4, satan didn’t offer Jesus greatness, he offered Him fame.

You know, I just never thought about it that way, but it’s true. What a difference there is between fame and greatness. And it just struck me. It struck me as one of the most on target statements I’ve heard in a long time. It’s on target for a culture that craves fame.

Jesus didn’t seek fame. Many times after a miracle he gave strict instructions to the person healed, not to tell anyone. He lost many followers when he gave his teaching on eating his body, the bread of life, and drinking his blood. (Mark 7:36, Matthew 8:4, John Chapter 6)

Jesus’ focus was on loving his Father and loving people. And Jesus’ priority was pleasing his Father, without regard for the opinions of people, and without regard for fame.

And he was truly great. The greatest we’ll ever see.

A dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:24-27

 2 Comments

 Posted on May 1, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too

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Extreme Forgiveness

forgive

Tunnel 13

A thirty-something friend of mine, Harold Cunningham, recently asked me about a problem he had. He shared this in confidence but after he told me what he did, I found it to be so radical, I asked his permission to write about it. Read More

 3 Comments

 Posted on April 26, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too, Marriage

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Which Thief Are You?

Easter thief on the cross

Crosses Path, Lourdes, France

In our last post we looked at why Jesus had to die. We looked at a great truth: how he had to die because of what you already know about yourself. How you already know the hurt your anger causes, and how it rears its ugly head too easily and too often. You already know you look at things God wouldn’t have you look at, say things God wouldn’t have you say, do things God wouldn’t have you do.

You know, and so does God.

But God’s love is so powerful, if you just humble yourself and talk to Him, and confess those sins you committed against Him–He will forgive you. Look at Jesus, hanging on the cross, in the very process of dying, yet what did he say to the thief hanging next to him?

The thief said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, Read More

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 Posted on April 19, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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What You Already Know About Good Friday

Easter why did Jesus have to die? Good Friday

Why did Jesus have to die?

Why did Jesus have to die? Why did he die on Good Friday? The truth is, you already know. If you let your conscience loose long enough, you already know your anger hurts people you care about. You already recognize you put images in front of your eyes that God, out of love, would have you avoid. You already know how slow you’ve been to step up and contribute to your family, the way you know God would have you to.

You already know you lack humility before God.

You already know.

And so does God.

Why?

God is perfect. And God’s justice is perfect. And God’s love is perfect. So what is He to do then? How can God reconcile His perfect justice with His perfect love? Here we have a seemingly impossible dilemma because one thing is certain: you sin against God, and so do I, and so does every living human being on the planet. Even a glance at Matthew chapter five confirms it. (Matthew 5:21-48) Yet when you look at the life of God in flesh and blood, when you look at the life of Jesus Christ, it’s impossible not to see how He loves us, in spite of our sin.

So what is God to do then, with His perfect justice and His perfect love? God Read More

 5 Comments

 Posted on April 17, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker

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Love Like Jesus–Don’t Give ‘Til It Hurts (and what that has to do with your inner circle)

give till it hurts

Inner Circle

Loving and Giving Until It Hurts

Carol is a single mother with a heart as big as the moon. She loves strays of all kinds: stray dogs, stray cats, stray iguanas (today she informed me there’s a local herpetological society that will contribute toward your care of a stray iguana). She also loves stray people. But early in life she thought she could help a stray person who was struggling. She was sure that with enough love she could bring out the good person she knew lived inside him. She loved him, and loved, him, and loved him. But no matter how much love she gave, she couldn’t compete with his addiction. He spent his money (and hers) on his habit. He neglected her. He neglected his job. He neglected his kids. Finally he left. Not to be deterred, she found another stray. Surely with enough love she would turn this person around. But the pattern repeated until he finally left too. Now and again she would surround herself with several stray people at a time, each one was in a dark place, and that too sent her life into a destructive spin.

So she asked me today, How does this work? We’re supposed to love people like Jesus loved people, but how do we do that without our good efforts deteriorating into something self destructive? Read More

 4 Comments

 Posted on April 12, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too

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Go Measure the Heavens

Why is Christianity so restrictive

Bow Shock Around LL Orionis (spans trillions of kilometers) – Hubble Telescope Image

 

Go measure the heavens, go weigh the mountains on a scale, go take the ocean’s water and number each drop, go count the sand on the sea’s wide shore, and when you have accomplished this, you still won’t know how much God loves you. (Spurgeon)

 

[You might also like Why is Christianity So Restrictive]

References:

C.H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, 2006, Hendrickson Publishers, p. 399

 6 Comments

 Posted on April 10, 2014 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too

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