A way to remember

You know how they always say to tie a string on your finger to help you remember something? This idea is actually very similar to something mentioned in the bible. God actually gave us a cool way to remember his commandments! What is it? To wear a set of tassels on your clothes.

God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them that from now on they are to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to mark each corner tassel with a blue thread. When you look at these tassels you'll remember and keep all the commandments of God, and not get distracted by everything you feel or see that seduces you into infidelities. The tassels will signal remembrance and observance of all my commandments, to live a holy life to God. I am your God who rescued you from the land of Egypt to be your personal God. Yes, I am God, your God." - Numbers 15:37-41, The Message

By the time the Israelites left Egypt, you can imagine they were pretty influenced by the laws and gods of the Egyptians. Even when God gave them commandments, they completely forgot them. So God gave them a gift; tzitzit. This word is Hebrew, and is a bit hard to pronounce (tzee-tzeet), so I call them fringes. Think about it, the Israelites forgot the commandments God gave them. Is that a whole lot different than what we all do? When's the last time you disrespected your parents, lied, or lusted? We still need to remember God's commandments, and this is a way to do just that. The initial idea may seem a bit weird, but they are actually pretty cool, and they can come in all different colors (the bible says that at least 1 string has to be blue, which represents the word of God). I found out about them nearly 3 years ago, and I have just started my own business selling them (see my website here).

Show your faith! Look at them, remember his commandments, and do his will!

Daniel

Book Review - The Gospel According to Disney

The Gospel According to Disney is a commentary on the animated films produced by Walt Disney, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Brother Bear (2003). Here is the description.

Title: The Gospel According to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
Author: Mark Pinsky
Category: Religion and Culture
Pages: 286

Mark does a remarkable job of laying out the facts about what intent Disney really has in the movies it produces. From the sorcery of Fantasia (1940) to the satanism of The Black Cauldron (1985) to the feminism of Beauty and the Beast (1991), Pinsky hits the nail on the head and presents a less-than-appealing look at the magical, self-centered message Disney tries not so hard to hide in its children's films.

My Book Rating: 4 Stars

Game Review - Redemption CCG

I have been playing this game for about 6 years now, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is very unique in that it is based upon the Bible. It is published by Cactus Game Design, Inc (see Website) and is currently the longest running trading card game except Magic: The Gathering. Here is the full game description.

Title: Redemption
Type: Collectable Card Game/Trading Card Game
For Ages: 7+
Since: 1995
Description: Redemption® is a collectible trading card game of biblical adventure. Players use Heroes to rescue Lost Souls, overcoming any Evil Characters that oppose them.

This game is divided by 12 types (Hero, Evil Character, Hero Enhancement, Evil Enhancement, Artifact, Fortress, Site, Curse, Covenant, Lost Soul, Good Dominant, Evil Dominant), 3 classes (Warrior, Weapon, Territory), 8 good brigades (White, Gold, Blue, Green, Purple, Teal, Red, Silver) and 7 evil brigades (Black, Grey, Pale Green, Gold, Crimson, Brown, Orange). Many deck archetypes are currently in use, being that strategy plays a very important role in this game. Spiritual cards include Son of God (here), Angel of the Lord (here), Blood of the Lamb (here), Redemption (here) and Grapes of Wrath (here); while historical figures also see play, such as Antiochus IV Epiphanes (here) and Emperor Nero (here). To learn more about Redemption, visit redemption.com.

My Game Rating: 4.5 Stars

Nephilim - Genesis 6:1-4

Many theories have been tossed around as to what exactly the Nephilim were. The word "Nephilim" comes from the hebrew "npl" (נָפַל) which means "to fall", leading some to speculate that they were offspring of fallen angels who took women as wives some time before Noah's flood (Genesis 6:1-4), while others disagree, saying that angels and humans are incompatible. Giants are later mentioned when the Israelites were taking over Canaan and spies were sent out to observe the land. They came back with reports of seeing the Anakim (literally meaning the Long Necked) who made the Israelite spies appear as "grasshoppers by comparison" (Numbers 13:33). And of course, there is Goliath, who, for some reason, is the stereotypical image we see when the term "biblical giant" is mentioned. Scripture records Goliath's height to be "six cubits and a span (1 Samuel 17:4)" which, when translated into modern measurement, equals about nine feet and nine inches. Unfortunately, this is the only instance in which the exact height of a giant is recorded, although the book of Deuteronomy mentions the dimensions of a massive bed that was on display in the royal city of Rabbah (Deuteronomy 3:11), belonging to the Rephaite giant King Og.

Four other giants are mentioned during Israel's dispute with Philistia. Some have claimed that this is why David gathered five stones before battling with Goliath. It is possible they were related to Goliath, especially when Ishbi-Benob, one of the giants, was so bent on killing the King that David himself had to be saved by one of his own men (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

Another giant is mentioned later having "Six-fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot" (2 Samuel 21:20-22). One of David's men, Jonathan (not to be confused with Prince Jonathan), killed him and thus ended the giant's legacy. There have been countless tall people since then, but none have reached the heights of the Nephilim.

Thanks for reading,
Daniel

Hello world!

Welcome to my personal blog. I am a teenager who enjoys playing the guitar, school and reading about God. I will also be posting some short stories I write, articles about the bible, and other random stuff.

Thanks for visiting,
Daniel