Yoda Melon

16 06 2008

What do you do on a hot summer day with a hollow watermelon? Well, one might think to simply toss it in the dumpster and let the flies and the ants fight over it. However, there is is a good use for those hollow melons. It only requires a marker, a pumpkin carving kit, and a little imagination…

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What Bible Translation Should I Use?

2 04 2008

Anyone seeking a Bible will most likely be faced with one very common dilemma: finding the one translation out of the numerous English translations. Browsing for Bibles in any bookstore—whether online or in brick-and-mortar form—can be quite overwhelming. This blog post is not designed to endorse any particular translation; however, I will share my personal opinion when selecting a Bible.

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Theology Isn’t a Bad Word

20 02 2008

Think of the many religion-associated words you have heard in the past. Does theology make a place on your list? Chances are, it’s fairly high on the list. Often times, theology is associated with being a drawn out thesis of dogmatic doctrine and worthless religious logic (despite how that last one sounds like an oxymoron). Well, there’s a Peculiar Pilgrim that has taken the opportunity to uncover this common false view of theology and put it in the light where it belongs. Here’s an excerpt.

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Commentary on Philemon

16 02 2008

Commentary on Philemon
Scriptures from the Webster Bible
by William Masopust

Verses 1 & 2:
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy [our] brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow-laborer,  And to [our] beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house: Read the rest of this entry »





Online Bible Study

10 02 2008

Among the many conveniences (and inconveniences) if the Internet, one thing I find quite valuable is a good online Bible study website. It is especially beneficial when I’m out and about with my iPod Touch and I wish to either look up a scripture or search the Bible for key words. One thing I look for in a good Bible study website is simplicity. It is so nice to be able to find what I am looking for and not be bothered by unnecessary eye-candy. Eye-candy can look good; but it hogs bandwidth in a hurry. I also look for a website that has all of its resources available for free. I do get a little annoyed when Bible study websites bait you with content so that you will sign up for a membership. Some people may enjoy that sort of thing, but I don’t. I do not want to be required to log in, with yet another username and password to remember, just to do some Bible research. So, what Bible study website do I recommend?

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Commentary on Ephesians Chapter Two (2)

30 01 2008

Commentary on Ephesians Chapter Two
Scriptures from the Webster Bible
by William Masopust

Introduction
Charles Spurgeon said in his collection of lectures, known as “The Soul-Winner,” that “Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minister; indeed, it should be the main pursuit of every true believer.” Our primary goal is to preach the Gospel and magnify the name of Jesus throughout the world. It is imperative that we know the Gospel. A soul cannot be truly saved without first hearing the Gospel. It is that important.
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Book Pick: The Thrawn Trilogy

13 12 2007

This pick is not for just one book, but for three books. The three books are: Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, Star Wars: Dark Force Rising, and Star Wars: The Last Command. All three of the books are authored by Timothy Zahn (Wikipedia - Amazon.com). These three books are collectively known as The Three Book Cycle, Heir to the Empire Trilogy, or The Thrawn Trilogy. I will refer to them as The Thrawn Trilogy (or simply Trilogy) in this post.

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Retrospect, Faith, and Grace

4 12 2007

Over the past few weeks, I have been studying for and writing these three essays. They were originally to be three separate essays, but I decided to add a preface and epilogue and combine them all into one document. Later, I added my personal testimony of my coming to Christ. These essays are written for believers and unbelievers as a teaching of the Gospel.

Below is an excerpt from the essays. You may download the PDF document at the bottom of this post (you may also download it on the Spices page).

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“All of Grace” by Charles Spurgeon

29 11 2007

Reading the various posts on the Spice Mines of Kessel would give anyone a hint that I enjoy reading the works of Charles Spurgeon. As often as I can, I will read his Morning and Evening devotional. I also have the collection of lectures known as “The Soul-Winner” on my bookshelf. By recommendation from a good friend, A Peculiar Pilgrim, I made it a point to read a book by Charles Spurgeon called, All of Grace.

One problem I came across was finding a version that was formatted for reading comfortably. So, I decided to find a copy and format it for easy printing and comfortable reading. While I was formatting, I decided to include a table of contents and an index.

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Book Pick: Star Wars: Cloak of Deception

7 11 2007

Apparently, I have found a new hobby: collecting and reading Star Wars books. If you haven’t noticed, the Star Wars books on my bookshelf page has greatly increased since I created it. So, I figured I might throw in a Star Wars book every now and again for a pick.

This book pick is Star Wars: Cloak of Deception by James Luceno. This book can effectively be called the prequel to Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. When watching Episode I, there are a lot of things in the movie that potentially open up questions for the audience. A lot of who-what-and-why’s. In the event that any of the viewers have such questions, Cloak of Deception can potentially answer them.

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