Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 8, 2020
“Every creature in the universe is programmed to pursue pleasure. The wolf seeks meat, the bear seeks warmth. That is an indisputable fact, and that's the way God wants it.
“Human were created for pleasure, too. But unlike other creatures, humans have the ability to tap into their spiritual
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 3, 2008
All men commanded to appear 3 times a year there, but the Rabbis found a way to reinterpret this; at the time of Jesus, a man was considered especially devout if he went once a year, and some went once in a lifetime or every 4 or 5 years! (see "Pilgrimage at the Time of Jesus" by Shmuel Safrai,
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Michael Walther on May 20, 2011
HOW MANY WILL BE SAVED?
There was a debate between two famous rabbis about this. One said that the number saved would be one third of the world. To support this he pointed to the ancient Flood in which Noah and his three sons and their families were saved. But of these three sons, Shem, the
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Lutheran
FOUR CHAPLAINS
It was the evening of Feb. 2, 1943, and the U.S. Army Transport Ship Dorchester was crowded to capacity. Hans J. Danielsen, the ship's captain, was concerned and cautious. He knew they were in dangerous waters; German U-boats were constantly prowling these vital sea lanes,
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Lutheran
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 15, 2008
"But Jewish tradition also sees Esav in another light. The famous Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, was known for the great care he took in fulfilling the Mitzvah of honoring one’s parents. Yet he stated: ’I served my father faithfully all my life, yet I did not even reach the smallest level
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Independent/Bible
NO FUTURE WITHOUT FORGIVENESS
Archbishop Desmond Tutu cited the crucifixion as his inspiration. Tutu, daily living in the shadow of apartheid, said that the newly empowered South African blacks readily forgave their white persecutors, because they followed "the Jewish rabbi who, when he was
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Catholic
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008
based on 3 ratings
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A SABBATH MIRACLE
A Roman Catholic priest, a Pentecostal pastor and a Jewish rabbi were talking one day about their belief in miracles.
The Roman Catholic said that he did believe in miracles and illustrated this by telling of a recent incident when he had flown to Durban. As the aircraft began
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 27, 2009
Although there were a variety of beliefs among the ancient Jews as to who was being spoken of in Isaiah 53, a Targum (paraphrase) and the Talmud evidences that many understood this to refer to the Messiah:
“Behold, My Servant the Messiah shall prosper" from the Targum ("Targum Jonathan") to Isaiah
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Contributed by John Stevenson on Dec 26, 2004
When we first came to Jesus, we might not have understood just how big He is. We came to see a winsome Galilean rabbi, but we found that He is so much more.
C.S. Lewis makes this point in his Chronicles of Narnia when Lucy returns to the magic land and sees Aslan, the Christ figure.
"Aslan," said
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Evangelical Free
based on 1 rating
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Jesus makes the statement “I am the bread of life.”
Disbelief sets in on the participants. Even though Jewish tradition and the Talmud had many teachings in Jewish schools on the phrases “eating and drinking” in a metaphorical sense.They criticize His choice of words, they get mad and angry and
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2002
based on 3 ratings
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A SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP
Even those people who espouse a belief in God still often resist and resent the notion of specifically commanded behaviors. People often want the benefits of having a God for personal requests or crisis interventions, and may use being a “believer” as a way to increase
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 5 ratings
| 3,809 views
How much power can people in agreement have?
The answer: the power of life and death.
During the brutal reign of Joseph Stalin, who murdered 30 million Russians and bought godless communism to Russia, Stalin, let it be known that he planned to murder the Jews of Russia.
When the believers in
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Contributed by Pat Cook on May 16, 2005
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Christian author Max Lucado tells a parable that was related to him by a rabbi whom he met on an airline flight. In the parable, a CEO has an office on the top floor of a Manhattan skyscraper. Most people have not seen him, but they have met his daughter, who works in the building for her father.
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Baptist
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 26, 2008
"Eighteen" — (shemoneh esreh) the central prayer in Jewish life and liturgy. It is also known as Amidah (Standing), because it is said standing; or simply Tefilah (Prayer), the prayer par excellence. The prayer originally consisted of eighteen benedictions, and thus the name "Eighteen." Its final
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000
based on 118 ratings
| 5,081 views
NOT THE ONLY LIGHT!
On July 06, 2000, Hugh Downs the guest host on the Larry King Live Show lead a round table discussion on the questions, "Who is Jesus? And why is there such a fascination with that question now?" Among his guests was Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Dean of Oxford L’chaim Society. During
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Baptist
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 28, 2011
"...the city of Nazareth was inhabited by families from the royal line of David from which the Messiah was to come. The name of the city comes from the Hebrew word for a branch or sprout, netzer...Isaiah 11:1 predicts the coming of the Messiah. 'A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse, from his
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 16, 2008
Ed Vasicek on the Parable of the Prodigal Son
If some Dr. Spock-like psychologist wrote this parable, he might say that the Prodigal left home because his father oppressed him, or that he was sheltered from life by his overly-protective mother and the poor financial prospects in a profit-driven
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Independent/Bible
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 18, 2011
SADDUCEES' TRIAL METHODS
"Critics deny the accuracy of the description John gives. They cite the Mishnah requiring that trials be held in the daytime, that several days are required to try a capital crime, and that the accused not be directly questioned, among other details. However, exceptions
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Independent/Bible