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Book Review – The Return Of The Kosher Pig by Rabbi Itzhak Shapira

The Return Of The Kosher PigYou’ve heard the phrase, “Never judge a book by its cover.” But that is exactly what we do. We see a cover that we find intriguing, and we pick it up. In this case, it wasn’t so much the cover as it was the title, The Return Of The Kosher Pig.

While I’m not sure what I expected to find, this book surprised me. What I discovered was a Jew, a rabbi, who has diligently searched the Hebrew Scriptures, the additional commentaries by centuries of Jewish scholars,and even the New Testament, and concluded that he found the Messiah. And he is Yeshua (Jesus).

First of all, allow me to briefly explain the title. The pig represents everything that is unclean to a Jew. It is unkosher. It is threatening to the Jewish mindset. In the eyes of orthodox Judaism, those who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah, both Christians and Messianic Jews, represent the ultimate uncleanness. The fact that God would take the form of a man is found to be ridiculous and scandalous. Since Jesus claimed that very identity, Judaism has labeled him as the unkosher pig, deviating from the truth of the Scriptures.

I have to admit, following all of this was very difficult for me. And I’d only made it as far as the introduction! It became very clear to me, very quickly, that Jewish though and Western thought are radically different. Western thought tends to be linear in fashion, straight and precise, based on a Greek and Latin foundation. Jewish thought, however tends more to be circular, or organic, in nature, and Hebrew reasoning is as different from Western thought as day and night. That’s a foreign way of thinking for me, and I had to take this very slow in order to understand many of the concepts that are presented in The Return Of The Kosher Pig. And I’m sure I missed much more than I captured, simply because this is so unfamiliar to me.

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Coffee Break – 05.19.2014

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A Coffee Scale To End All Coffee Scales – This was initially a Kickstarter campaign, and I’m disappointed I missed it. At $130, it’s kind of pricey now, but with the software package and mobile device support, that doesn’t actually sound that bad…

New York In Hyperlapse – Timelapse photography has become pretty mainstream. But hyperlapse is somewhat newer. This is a technique where where the camera moves between each shot, creating a stunning display. And with some of the effects used, the city looks like a toy-scape in several of the scenes.

Strange And Cool Toilets – Yes. Toilets. I’ve never had the opportunity to use a toilet like any of these. But some of them are downright fascinating. The glass bottom bathroom might be my favorite.

The 2nd Most Important Book Every Christian Should Have – First of all, let me say this is not what I expected. At all. Second, having just completed a new membership directory at our church, this is a very valuable tool that can be used in many creative ways. A few are listed here.

Is China Becoming The World’s Most Christian Nation? – With the way the church is growing in Asia, and declining in much of the Western world, this article gives some great food for thought.

Take A Trip To The Junkyard – Trying to teach the pitfalls of materialism to your kids? This is a great idea. I might just try this with my own one day soon.

A Christian is not a person who has made a new start in life, but a person who has received a new life to start with. – John Blanchard

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Memorize Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:3-5

With the beginning of the third chapter, Paul lists a series of descriptive terms, giving Timothy a vivid picture of what ungodly people will look like in the last days. Last week, we saw the first eight of these terms. In this week’s passage, we will look at the rest of the list. You can see the latter half of the list in 2 Timothy 3:3-5:

2 Timothy 3:3-5

Last week, Paul began to describe what characterizes evil people living in the last days. Most of the items on this list seem highly accurate of the times we are living in. Of such people, Paul instructs Timothy to have nothing to do with them. This command is a repetition of 2 Timothy 2:16, to avoid the godlessness of such people and their activities. Paul continues his list, describing these people as being:

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Classic Bible: My Favorite Passages From Daniel

This is part of the Classic Bible: Favorite Stories & Passages series. Read more from the series!

As a kid growing up in church, the events that unfold throughout the book of Daniel are some of the most familiar lessons that I was taught. Along with Jonah, this short book of prophecy contains some of the coolest displays of God’s power in the Old Testament.

Lions

The book of Daniel takes place in Babylon, while the Israelites were held in captivity. Daniel and the other prominent people in this book were taken from their homeland and brought to serve in the king’s court in a land foreign to them.

The author of this book is most likely Daniel himself, writing sometime around 530 BC. That he is the actual author is alluded to by Christ himself in Matthew 24:15.

With so much going on in Daniel’s life, the lives of his friends, his countrymen, and his nation, this is the perfect setting to see God’s faithfulness at work. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite passages from the book of Daniel:

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What Life Is All About

I love to read the Bible using what I call the Nugget Approach. I read a significant amount of the Bible on a daily basis, and gain a lot from it, but I also read allowing a few verses of Scripture to really speak to my life.

Cross Silhouette

This morning, as I was reading through Galatians 2, this passage really jumped out at me.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Even though I’ve read this passage dozens of times, it really jumped out at me this morning, especially from a leadership perspective.

I find myself continually trying to do things in my own strength. I seek to plan my sermon schedule on my own. I dream and plan direction and vision for our church on my own. I share counsel and advise with those around me from my own experience. I read, study, pray and write my own thoughts and ideas.

But according to this passage, it’s not about me at all. In fact, I no longer have a say in the matter. I no longer live, and Christ is alive in me, for me. And this is all for the sake of the Gospel.

As I strive to journey through this life, I see three things.

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Coffee Break – 05.12.2014

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What Does Coffee Say About Your Personality? – There are a ton of these things out there, and it seem like more and more are appearing all the time. This one is one of the better ones though. I drink my coffee black, and for the most part, this describes me pretty well. But there are aspects of my personality in a couple of the other types as well.

How Did The Ancient Egyptians Build The Pyramids? – More accurately, this addresses how the Egyptians moved the stones across the sand in order to build these massive structures. The physics involved are incredibly simple, and it helps explain a major obstacle to how these ancient people did such amazing things.

How Paperbacks Transformed The Way Americans Read – I found this very fascinating, from a historical perspective, and very enlightening, from a current-day perspective. With the increased usage of devices like the Kindle, the future is wide open for the way we read to change, and change again.

6 Lessons In Good Listening – Most of us have a difficult time with listening. It’s not something that comes easy for most people, myself included. If this is a struggle for you as well, here are six things you should know about being a good listener.

How To Identify False Teachers – I am currently working my way through a deep study of 1 and 2 Timothy, trying to memorize much of it. One of the biggest themes in those letters is Timothy’s need to address false teachers. Today, two thousand years later, the need to recognize false teachers is just as critical.

Is Scooby Doo Demonic? – Growing up, I lived on a steady diet of Scooby Doo, The Flinstones, and The Jetsons. Scooby was one of my favorite characters, and I have seen each episode multiple times. This article made me stop and think a bit. I like much of what he says here, but wonder if he’s reading more into this than is there. Either way, it’s interesting.

Whatever and whenever God blesses, Satan curses. What God creates, Satan counterfeits. – Sam Storms