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     "Don't Give Up The Ship!" were the dying words uttered this day, June 1, 1813 by Captain James Lawrence, as he lay on the deck of the U.S. Frigate Chesapeake. The British had bombarded them as they sailed out of Boston during the War of 1812. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry was so taken by his courage that he named his flagship on Lake Eire "Lawrence" and put Captain Lawrence's dying words on his battle flag. It later became the slogan of the U.S. Navy. After a great victory on Lake Eire, Captain Perry stated: "The prayers of my wife are answered."

Federer, B. (2003). American minute. St. Louis, MO.: Amerisearch, Inc.

I say to mankind, Be not curious about God.
For I, who am curious about each,
am not curious about God -
I hear and behold God in every object,
yet understand God not in the least.
--- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass


Every happening, great and small,
is a parable whereby God speaks to us,
and the art of life is to get the message.
--- Malcolm Muggeridge



... from here, there and everywhere

9 Whoever is lazy in doing his work
is brother to the destroyer.

10 The name of ADONAI is a strong tower;
a righteous person runs to it and is raised high [above danger].
11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city,
like a high wall, in his own imagination.

Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible-OE
: An English version of the Tanakh (OT) and
B'rit Hadashah (NT) (1st ed.). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish
New Testament Publications.

The staggering question

     Son of man, can these bones live? --- Ezekiel 37:3.

     Can that sinner be turned into a saint? Can that twisted life be put right? There is only one answer: 'O Lord, Thou knowest, I don't.' Never trample in with religious common sense and say—'Oh, yes, with a little more Bible reading and devotion and prayer, I see how it can be done.'

     It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we mistake panic for inspiration. That is why there are so few fellow-workers with God and so many workers for Him. We would far rather work for God than believe in Him. Am I quite sure that God will do what I cannot do? I despair of men in the degree in which I have never realized that God has done anything for me. Is my experience such a wonderful realization of God's power and might that I can never despair of anyone I see? Have I had any spiritual work done in me at all? The degree of panic is the degree of the lack of personal spiritual experience.

     "Behold, O my people, I will open your graves." When God wants to show you what human nature is like apart from Himself, He has to show it you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He only does it when His Spirit is at work), you know there is no criminal who is half so bad in actuality as you know yourself to be in possibility. My 'grave' has been opened by God and "I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." God's Spirit continually reveals what human nature is like apart from His grace.

Chambers, O. (1993). My Utmost for His Highest

Not conscious
that you have been seeking
suddenly
you come upon it

the village in the Welsh hills
dust free
with no road out
but the one you came in by.

A bird chimes
from a green tree
the hour that is no hour
you know. The river dawdles
to hold a mirror for you
where you may see yourself
as you are, a traveller
with the moon's halo
above him, whom has arrived
after long journeying where he
began, catching this
one truth by surprise
that there is everything to look forward to.

Thomas, R. S. Selected Poems, 1946-68

D'RASH

     "If you want to feel better, you should.…" "You'd enjoy the program better if you would.…" Every one of us has been in a situation where others give us advice: "You should do this. You should feel that." Those who counsel us usually do so with every good intention. However, they are on the outside looking in. They may think that they know how we feel, or what happened to us, or who we want to be close with, but in the end, each of these is a very personal, subjective decision.

      "A man is believed about himself more than a hundred men" still applies today to medical care. When we enter a doctor's office for an examination, the physician will start by asking why we are there. If there is a specific complaint, the doctor will make note of it and will conduct the examination accordingly. A physician can tell us what causes our pain, what appears on the tests, and what treatments are available. Only the patient can tell the doctor what really hurts, when the ache started, and if the prescribed therapy is effective in relieving the symptoms. Medical practitioners are being trained more and more to consider the patient's mental state and emotional stability as well as the description of the illness and concerns about the healing process. Unfortunately, we periodically hear of a case where the patient's worries were ignored by a doctor, resulting in dire consequences.

     Jewish law takes note of the personal perspective and how outsiders may not know what is best for us. "A man is believed about himself more than a hundred men" about whether to be permitted to eat on Yom Kippur. While the Torah prohibits eating on Yom Kippur and the Talmud elaborates on these rules, a sick person is allowed to eat on the advice of a physician. What if the doctor says that the illness is not that severe and the sick person can fast despite the illness, while that sick person insists on eating? Jewish law then returns the decision to the sick person, on the theory that "a man is believed about himself more than a hundred men." An outsider can comment on general medical implications of fasting, but they cannot tell us how difficult it is for us to fast. A third party can give a general comment about fasting on those who are ill but cannot fully comprehend the affects of fasting on us.

     Especially when we're feeling down on ourselves, we are often willing to accept advice from others, even if it's not in our best interest. Others can know a lot about us, but ultimately we—each and every one of us individually—know our own selves best. This is not to say that we should reject all guidance from others. Rather, we have to sift through the advice and suggestions of others, to test if it is applicable to us, and to be strong enough to believe in ourselves even if a hundred others believe otherwise.

     Rest Stop / The Israelites then marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho. (Numbers 22:1)

     Words of Torah are compared to water … as it says: "Ho, all who are thirsty, come for water" [Isaiah 55:1].… And just as with water, a person who does not know how to swim will in the end drown, so too with Torah—a person who does not know how to swim in it and to learn from it will in the end drown. (Song of Songs Rabbah 1, 3)

     When I started to study Talmud at the age of 10 or 11, I had to go to a teacher who was extremely poor and who lived in a one-room apartment with his two older daughters. When I came in he asked me, "Why do you have two hands?" I had never asked myself the question, and so it was a matter of "Why shouldn't I have two hands?" I said, "What is the answer?" He said, "With one hand you point into the text, and the other hand you put on the commentary. Once you do that you will never get lost. You know what the text means."

     Well, of course, I considered this childish. I was already studying at the gymnasium. But later I really understood why we have two hands. With one hand we point to our tradition, the text, which accompanies us through the centuries; with the other hand, we have to look for the meaning. What does this text mean to us today? One hand is not enough. We need the other hand in order to explore what the text means. (Nahum N. Glatzer, "What I Have Learned," Jewish Heritage summer/fall 1993)

     Seder Teharot / Introduction to Seder Teharot

     The sixth and final Order of the Mishnah is Teharot, or "Clean Things." It details the very complex laws of ritual purity which were in effect during the period that the Temple stood. Of the twelve tractates in the Mishnah, only one contains Gemara. This tractate is Niddah, which discusses the rules of "family purity," that is, a woman's menstrual cycle and how it impacts on her ability to have intimate relations with her husband. Traditionally observant Jews continue to follow these laws to this day.

     Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for the fear of Heaven.

     Text / Rabbi Yoḥanan said: "It is forbidden for a man 'to use his bed' [to have sex] during the daytime." What is the verse [that proves this]? As it says: "Perish the day on which I was born, and the night it was announced, 'A male has been conceived" [Job 3:3]. Night was thus set aside for conception, but daytime was not set aside for conception. Resh Lakish said: "It [scriptural proof] comes from here: 'He who is heedless of his ways will die' " [Proverbs 19:16]. How does Resh Lakish interpret the verse cited by Rabbi Yoḥanan? He needs it in the same way that Rabbi Ḥanina bar Papa explained: "The angel in charge of conception is named 'Lailah' [night]. He takes a drop [of sperm] and places it before the Holy One, blessed be He, and says to Him: 'Master of the World! This drop: What will become of it? Strong or weak? Wise or stupid? Rich or poor?' But 'wicked or righteous' is not said, following Rabbi Ḥanina, for Rabbi Ḥanina said: 'Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for the fear of Heaven, as it says: "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your God" ' [Deuteronomy 10:12]."

     Context / He who has regard for his life pays regard to commandments; he who is heedless of his ways will die. (Proverbs 19:16)

     Context / And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, keeping the Lord's commandments and laws, which I enjoin upon you today, for your good. (Deuteronomy 10:12–13)

     Context / Interestingly, these two quotations have four key roots or words in common, though in English translation they are rendered somewhat differently:

shomer/lishmor—pays regard/keeping
nafsho/nafshekha—his life/your soul
mitzvah/mitzvot—commandment/commandments
derakhov/derakhov—his ways/his paths

     Context / Thus one verse comes to strengthen the themes of the other. We imagine that Resh Lakish, or the editors of the Gemara, were aware of these affinities when putting these texts together.

     The notion that sex was to take place at night—in the dark—may derive from the Jewish value of tzni'ut or modesty. While it may seem a rather puritanical idea to most of us, we need to remember that in pre-modern times, and certainly in antiquity, privacy was very rare. Many houses consisted simply of a cooking/eating area, and a living/sleeping area. Restricting sex to the night time was often the only way to make certain other people weren't able to watch a couple during intimacy.

     Rabbi Yoḥanan and Resh Lakish both attempted to back up this teaching with the authority of a biblical verse. Rabbi Yoḥanan looks to the Book of Job, and places great emphasis on the fact that the verse connects conception to the night. A modern reader, of course, would probably see this connection merely as the author's poetic expression. To the Rabbis of the Talmud, however, every nuance of the text is there for a specific purpose, and the connection is read literally.

     Resh Lakish agrees with Rabbi Yoḥanan's teaching, but disagrees with his choice of verses to prove it. Instead of Job, he looks to the Book of Proverbs. The key word he focuses on in the verses he chooses is "ways." Perhaps he connected this word (derekh, in Hebrew) with the same word, also found in Proverbs, that speaks of the intimate relationship between a man and a woman: "Three things are beyond me; four I cannot fathom: How an eagle makes its way over the sky; how a snake makes its way over a rock; how a ship makes its way through the high seas; how a man has his way with a maiden. Such is the way of an adulteress: She eats, wipes her mouth, and says, 'I have done no wrong' " (Proverbs 30:18–20, emphasis added). Being "heedless of his (or His, that is, God's) ways" (i.e., having sex during the daytime) can lead to death according to the verse and is thus proof that such behavior is to be avoided.

     The Gemara then asks: If Resh Lakish uses Proverbs 19:16 to prove that sex is forbidden during the day, what does he say that Job 3:3 (Rabbi Yoḥanan's verse) comes to teach? The answer is that it tells us an angel named Lailah is present just prior to conception to question God about the future of the child to be born from the act of sexual union. This bit of folklore derives from reading the word Lailah not as a common noun (meaning night: "… the night it was announced: 'A male has been conceived' ") but as a proper noun ("Lailah announced: 'A male has been conceived' ").

     Finally, the close reading of verses concludes with Rabbi Ḥanina interpreting Deuteronomy 10:12 to mean: Since only one thing was asked of Israel (that they revere God), the implication is that that alone is out of God's hands; everything else (whether a person is rich or poor, weak or strong, wise or stupid) is decided by God.

Katz, M., & Schwartz, G. (1998). Swimming in the Sea of Talmud: Lessons for Everyday LIving . Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.

     When you pray, say: "Father." --- Luke 11:2

     The prayer Jesus taught his disciples begins with a new name for God. The model prayer;: A series of expositions on "The Lord's Prayer", "When you pray, say: 'Father.' "

     In the Old Testament God is very seldom spoken of as Father, and when the name is used, it is always with reference to the nation of Israel and not to individuals. From Genesis to Malachi you will not find a single instance of an individual speaking of God as Father. Moses did not dare to use this name [or] David [or] Isaiah. It was left to Jesus Christ to tell us God's best and truest name. It was left to him to say, "When you pray, say: 'Father.' "

     The secret hidden from the prophet and psalmist and seer is here declared to the world in this name Father. One of the chief ends for which Christ came to earth was to tell us this new name and so to bring sunshine into our souls and hope into our lives. In Bethlehem, in Nazareth, in Galilee, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus was spelling out for us this new name, revealing to us that God is more than wisdom, more than power, more than justice—that God, above and beyond everything else, is love. So the very opening phrase of this "pearl of prayers" brings us the best news ever whispered into human ears. It tells us that love is at the heart of all things. It tells us that God is our Father and we are his children.

     Is God Father to everybody? Yes, to everybody. He is Father to the humblest, the poorest, the most degraded. All belong to God's family, and on all some trace of the family likeness is to be seen. And though people sin, the Father still loves. That is what Jesus would teach us in the parable of the prodigal son. God is Father not only to the obedient son, but he is Father also to the son who has strayed. The Father's heart yearns for that wayward child, and when that son returns with penitent heart, it is the word "Father" that leaps to the prodigal's lips, and it is with the word "son" that the father welcomes him home again.

     Yes, God is the Father of all. But all are not his children. People become his children only through Jesus Christ. Christ came into the world to show us the Father, to seek lost children and bring them back home again. Those who receive him into their hearts receive the Spirit of adoption. They speak the name Father with a new accent. It becomes to them invested with a richer and fuller meaning.
--- J. D. Jones

Wallis, D. (2001). Take Heart: Daily Devotions with the Church's Great Preachers (27). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

     Many channelers and trance mediums cite this passage as evidence that communication with the dead is possible. Even if such an argument could be made, biblical law strictly forbids contacting spiritualist mediums (see Lv 19:31; 20:27; Dt 18:10–12; Is 8:19). Despite these injunctions, King Saul asked the medium of Endor to conjure up the spirit of Samuel, the dead prophet. Whether she actually succeeded or not is debatable. Saul's actions were costly: "Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the LORD's word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse" (1 Ch 10:13–14).

     28:6 Why didn't the Lord answer Saul's plea for help? The Bible teaches that people who consistently reject God's leadership in their lives, and refuse to follow the guidance He has already provided, should not expect Him to deliver them from trouble resulting from their poor choices (Jb 27:9; 35:12; Pr 1:23–28; Is 1:15; Jr 11:11; 14:12; Ezk 8:18; Mc 3:4; Zch 7:13; Jms 4:3). Saul had consistently disobeyed God (1 Sm 13:13–14; 15:11–23), even going so far as to kill the Lord's priests (22:17–19). He had created vast problems for himself and his nation. The Lord was not going to promise the king supernatural deliverance from those problems, even though Saul earnestly sought His help. Instead, God would use the Philistines as the instrument of judgment against Saul.

     28:6 This passage says that Saul inquired of the Lord, while 1 Ch 10:14 says he did not. The contradiction is apparent only in English translations. In this verse Saul "asked" (Hb dāraš; "inquired of") the Lord to provide guidance, but the Lord did not answer him. In 1 Ch 10:13–14 Saul "asked" (Hb dāraš; "consulted") a medium for guidance but did not "seek" (Hb darash; "inquire of") the Lord. The point is that Saul died because he committed a capital offense in consulting a medium (see Lv 20:27) rather than seeking to obey God.

     28:8–22 Did the medium of Endor really conjure up the dead prophet Samuel? Though scholars disagree on this question, the Bible suggests that she did. The law of Moses sternly forbids consultation of mediums (Lv 20:27; Dt 18:10–12) but never says that communicating with dead people is impossible. Saul was seemingly able to speak with a figure that not only accurately repeated key themes from Samuel's previous private conversations with Saul, but also correctly predicted the deaths of Saul and his sons. This suggests that the king was indeed speaking with Samuel.

     What Is the Occult? by Leonard G. Goss

     The English word "occult" comes from the Latin "occultus," which means things that are hidden, esoteric, concealed, or mysterious. For occult practitioners, the occult represents interference with physical nature by using hidden knowledge (gnosis), such as non-conventional practices including reciting formulas, making gestures, mixing incompatible elements, performing healing spells, or performing secret ceremonies attempting to alter physical nature. What is the hidden knowledge? According to occultists, it is the force at the base of the universe, and it is obtained only through secret communication with that force. Is this hidden force God? Or the devil? Or the soul of the universe? That depends a good deal on what particular source their gnosis has tapped into, but one thing the force is not: It is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

     For those dabbling in the occult, such activities are considered harmless and fascinating—a real source of spiritual knowledge. For Christians, however, the wide range of practices making up the occult is destructive and spirit-threatening. Christians view as deeply evil things like alchemy, astrology, casting runes, crystals and crystal balls, divination, dowsing, ESP, fortune-telling, horoscopes, the I Ching, levitation, Ouija boards, paganism, palm reading, the paranormal, pendulum divination, psychic phenomena, reading Tarot Cards, ritual abuse, satanism, seances, secret societies, sorcery, spiritualism, talking to dead spirits, Wicca (so-called White Witchcraft) and Witchcraft (Black Magic). The extent of occult involvement is universal. Spiritual warfare is all around us, and if Satan cannot keep us from knowing Christ he will try containing us by drawing us into deception. The Enemy is a deceiver, liar, tempter, and devourer of human souls.

     Why the interest in the occult? First, many churches have "watered down" the gospel of Christ, rejecting the church's central teaching of Christ's divinity and other essential truths. When this happens, a spiritual vacuum invites people to go to the occult to be satisfied, swinging the door to occultist practices wide open. Second, there is a certain mystery about the occult which appeals to our curiosity. Many, thinking the occult is harmless, go deeper and deeper until they can't get out without any bad effects. Third, we all want ultimate answers to life's basic questions, and the occult offers a sort of "reality" by providing these answers. Actually, occultist practices are a counterfeit of God's power, and as such they do reveal some amazing things—but these things are not the ultimate truth. Fourth, an increase in demonic activity is to be expected as a sign of the end times (see Mk 13:22; 1 Tm 4:1).

     Often, there is deliberate faking in the lucrative field of the occult. There is money to be made. There is also inaccurate reporting. When some people find a theory fascinating, they often care less about the facts. In addition, there is self manipulation. When it suits their wishes, some believe anything they want. There is, however, true demonic deception. The Bible teaches that there is a deceptive, dangerous spirit world which distorts reality and ruins human lives. Despite outright fraud, all Christians need to know that the occult or paranormal is real. The Bible is clear it is real, as Saul discovered upon meeting the medium of Endor (1 Sm 28), and we must not dismiss it. If God is real, his chief adversary is also real.

     First John 3:8 says, "The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works." Involvement in the occult is involvement in the devil's works, and as it can lead to very serious outcomes spiritually and psychologically, we must remember that the Bible denounces all occultic practices (see Dt 18:9–14; Ac 13:6–12). The road to the occult is broad and always destructive. The way of Christ is narrow but always leads to eternal life.

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Understand Why You Believe

     1 Samuel 31:3–5 The Bible provides three complementary accounts of Saul's receiving mortal wounds leading to his death. According to verse 3, Saul was severely wounded by a Philistine arrow. Then, to avoid being sadistically executed by the vengeance-seeking Philistines (17:51; 18:27), Saul fell on his own sword (v. 4), receiving a second grave wound that in time would have killed him (2 Sm 1:9). His armor-bearer, seeing that the king was now dead, then fell upon his sword and perished, as well (1 Sm 31:5). Later, an Amalekite—probably on the battlefield to steal personal possessions from the corpses—tried to take credit for dealing Saul's final death blow (2 Sam 1:6–10); whether or not he was telling the truth, it was a foolish move on his part. Though this sequence of events as the Bible relates it is complicated, it is certainly plausible.

     The biblical narrative records examples of several individuals who took their own lives. In each case the circumstances of the suicide were inglorious and regrettable. Samson, tortured and humiliated by the Philistines, took his own life with theirs after a ruinous career of disregard for the Lord (Jdg 16:30). Ahithophel committed suicide after being publicly humiliated by having his advice rejected, and in order to avoid being executed for treason (2 Sm 17:23). Zimri, after murdering an Israelite king, ended his life to avoid being killed by his pursuers (1 Kg 16:18). Judas committed suicide after his betrayal of Jesus (Mt 27:5). Saul's attempted suicide was carried out to avoid the humiliation and torture the approaching Philistines would certainly have inflicted on him. There are no biblical examples of honorable suicide. An examination of the Bible's accounts of these lives and deaths suggest two primary scriptural observations about suicide: first, it is an option that some deeply troubled people will choose when facing desperate circumstances; and second, it is a pathetic and tragic end to a human life.

     When the Egyptian magicians told Moses that he was bringing straw to Afarayim, they were basically telling him: "There's already too many people here who do what you want to do. There's no more room for you. You won't succeed. Find something else to occupy your time. Here you will just be another small fish in a big pond. Go away!!" But Moses refused to take "No!" for an answer. He was not afraid of the competition, not afraid of being put to the test. He believed in himself and in what he was able to accomplish. His response to "You're bringing straw to Afarayim" (which is similar to the expression "You're carrying coals to Newcastle") was "You bring vegetables to where the vegetables are." Yes, in the produce market, there will be scores of other merchants all selling the same product. Yet, it is the market where people go to when they want to buy their vegetables. We prove ourselves by showing that what we have to offer is just as good as or better than what the next person is selling.

Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J., & Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Understand Why You Believe