What IS their problem?????????? I KNOW what my password is, they won't let me use it. They say my email address does not exist, but they send me mail to that address to change my password, but then they won't let me change it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It did not use to be so complicated.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Cherokee Tear
This is Dillion Asher's log cabin
it still stands in Redbird, Ky.
Aaron Brock, (Chief Red Bird)-1720-1811, Jesse Brock, 1749-1843 Suzanne (Brock) Blanton, 1786-1870 Sarah (Blanton) Fee 1825-1905, Lavinia (Fee) Brice 1850-1930, Delia (Brice) Asher 1873-1964, Velva (Asher) Johnson 1910-1981, Shaylah Johnson. 1955-Dillon Asher, 1777-1844 Richard Wilkerson Asher Sr., 1810-1840 Richard Wilkerson Asher Jr., 1846-1923 William Matt Asher, 1873-1948 Velva (Asher) Johnson, 1910-1981 Shaylah Johnson 1955-Sequoyah’s syllabary:Brock is spelled Quagi, qua pronounce Kwa means birdGi pronounce G is the color redQuagi is bird red, or as the English version, which is reversed, red bird.DNA has proven that our Aaron Brock is not the one descended from Rueben Brock of England, but was Red Bird a Chickamaugan, a Chief. He married Susan Carolina a full blood Cherokee from the Carolinas.Dillon Asher became friends with Chief Red Bird along the Holston River when his father William Asher, who was an American soldier, was serving there. Dillon was about 14 at the time. In 1799, he built his home along the Red Bird River, in the middle of Chickamauga hunting grounds. Dillon and Red Bird had a personal treaty of peace because of their friendship and Red Bird’s people honored it. Dillon maintained the first tollgate in Pineville, Kentucky. Beside my great +3-grandmother, he also married Henrietta Bolling, a Powhatan descendant of Pocahontas. I am sure their families have merged over the years, but in my case, it was my grandparents Delia Brice and William Matt Asher. My mother, Velva Asher was born at Redbird, in Bell County, Kentucky and moved to Knox County at age 10. I remember visiting Uncle Clinton Brice in Redbird as a child, and walking across a creek on a swinging bridge, perhaps it was the same creek my great (+4) grandfather Red Bird was…well, I will wait to explain that later.Red Bird’s village was Taluegue (a version of Telliqua in the east and Tahlequah in the west). The village, which ran along the Warrior’s Path up Goose Creek to Otter Creek and down Stinking Creek, was located near Fogertown in Clay County, Kentucky. The county lines of Clay, Bell, and Knox have changed since that time.During hunting season, Red Bird’s people would travel to the banks of Red Bird River, named for him, to hunt game, fish and gather plants for medicine and for eating.On May 23, 1791 a petition by the white people lead to a Board of War that allowed the destruction of Chickamauga villages by burning their homes and destroying their food supply, stealing their horses and burning their crops.The War Chiefs Bloody Fellow and Chuquilatague “Doublehead,” which was Red Bird’s uncle, signed the Treaty of Holston, which was a treaty of peace and friendship between the President and citizens of the U.S. and the Cherokee Nation, on July 2, 1791. However, most Cherokee did not like the Treaty and continued to fight for their homes as the white settlers continued to crossed the Cumberland Gap in droves. The Chickamauga who wanted peace and to stay in their homes adopted the white culture trying to survive. Others moved north to join the Shawnee or beyond the Mississippi and westward.Between 1803 and 1805 the Treaties of Tellico were signed, each relinquished more and more of the Chickamauga’s land because of the demand for salt, which was abundant in these lands. In January of 1806, Red Bird and Doublehead relinquishing all of the salt rich land north of the Tennessee River by signing yet another treaty. His own people feeling he had betrayed them killed Doublehead. The ridge of his murder still bears his name Doublehead Gap in Wayne County, KY. There are other version of his death and the reasons for it, but I prefer this one.In 1810 when the ‘War Hawks’ were elected to Congress, they canceled out all Chickamauga land claims in southern Kentucky, leaving the people orphans. Red Bird tried every possible way to keep the peace between his people and the U.S., but to no avail. Reverend Gideon Blackburn a Presbyterian pastor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, opened a school on Cherokee land near Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the late summer of 1810, Blackburn agreed to offer protection and a "white man's" education to all Cherokee women and children from the Cumberland River valley. Doublehead's daughter, Beloved Woman/War Woman "Cornblossom," sent her son Little Jake on horseback to spread the word that anyone seeking protection at the Blackburn school should meet in the great rock house behind Yahoo Falls when the moon was full and round. Once all the children were gathered, they were to wait for Cornblossom and travel to Rev. Blackburn’s Indian School at Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee.Over 100 women and children were under the Falls when the white men, Hiram Big Tooth Gregory and his Indian fighters came. War Woman Standing Fern, who was married to Cornblossom’s oldest son War Chief Peter Troxell, and others were standing guard outside the cave. They fought to save the children, fearing not their own death, but were outnumbered and killed. The rest of the children, pregnant women, and old men that were in the cave suffered unspeakable acts and brutally murdered. Only a few children escaped alive.When Cornblossom, the Beloved Woman, with her younger children, her son, War Chief Peter Troxell, Red Bird and their warriors arrived at Yahoo Falls, the massacre was almost over. Some of the Indian Fighters remained to make sure all were dead, “nits make lice,” they said, and that included unborn babies. Beloved Woman and the warriors charged on the murderers that remained and killed them. War Chief Peter Troxell died in battle. Beloved woman, Red Bird’s cousin, died a few days later from her wounds. In the fall of 1810 more than one hundred innocent Chickamauga men, women, and children were massacred at Yahoo Falls in Big South Fork in McCreary County, Kentucky, and were buried in a mass grave in the rock shelter behind the falls. Red Bird’s friend Jack wounded in the battle, and crippled for the remainder of his life.Ywahoo, or Ya-hu-la, was a trader who lived in a stone house behind the Falls. The spirit people took him away. His ponies wore bells around their necks, which tinkled as he rode and echoed through the mountains along the Great Tellico Trail. Today that trail is US 27. A marker is placed there that reads;Yahoo Falls, McCreary County, KentuckyA Sacred PlaceMany Innocent Indian Womenand Children who Knew No WrongWere Massacred by Indian FightersOn August 10, 1810Let us Remember themWith a Cherokee TearIn Loving Memory of Red Bird do-tsu-waDedicated 12 Aug 2006 with an Inter-tribal CeremonyAfter the massacre, the Chickamauga lands were sold for 10 cents an acre and were purchased by the white settlers who masterminded the Yahoo Falls massacre. With salt at $25.00 a barrel, they soon became rich.Red Bird and his friend Jack settled on the west side of Red Bird River across from Jack’s Creek. They built a cabin there and lived in peace, hunting and fishing, selling their furs.There are many version of this next part of the story, some say that cowardly white men attacked them in their sleep, but the one I remember from childhood is this. While Red Bird was out hunting or trapping for furs, and Jack was fishing alone, two white men attacked and brutally murdered him. They threw his body into the creek, at a place known as Willie’s Hole. The white men, (history records the names as John Livingston and Edward Miller) then lay in wait for Red Bird to return. Upon his return, they killed him, and cut off his head and threw him into the creek. John Gilbert, who discovered the bodies, retrieved them and buried them in a nearby rockshelter.I am not sure if the creek I crossed on the swinging bridge as a child was the same creek my great (+4) grandfather Red Bird was thrown into with his friend or not, but I wish I had asked more questions as a child, and paid more attention.I was nine years old when my grandmother Delia Brice Asher, descendant of both Red Bird and Dillon Asher, passed away. I remember her well. She was 5 foot, 95 lbs of feisty. Her hair, when I knew her, was the color of snow in moonlight, and hung passed her waist. She would sit on the side of her bed in the mornings and comb it, then skillfully braid it and twist it into a bun on the back of her head. She would secure it with a few hairpins that would not dare move until she was ready to remove them. Her black eyes were still sharp, and so was her tongue. When I go to Pow Wow now at McIntosh Reserve, I enjoy mingling with the people, watching the dancers and hearing the singers and the drums. But I often get away by myself; walk the trail back into the woods and with no other human in sight I drift away on the scent of hard wood smoke.I can still hear the singers and the drums. I hear the tinkling bells, like the ones around the necks of Ywahoo’s ponies, and in my mind, I am transported to a gentler time. I see an Indian village, perhaps Taluegue, enveloped in the slow rising mist of fog and smoke. I see children playing without fear or dread. The great Thunderbolt War Chiefs like Red Bird and Doublehead and War Women, like Cornblossom and Standing Fern, the young hunters as they celebrate at the feast of the Hunter’s Moon. A familiar, yet indescribable feeling comes over me, energy surges through me. My throat aches to release a sound, but I refrain. Instead I whisper:Cornblossom, your children remain. We have survived! That is all we ever wanted, to protect the children. Conforming to the white man’s ways were not enough, we had to mingle and change our look. But we survived. Your children are here, and they remember…the blood remembers when
BIBLE STUDY 5
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Introduction - Lesson 5
Observe & Consider
At heart, we are storytellers. Most of us have been in situations where a story is told, and then someone else responds by telling a related story of their own, which evokes a similar response from yet another person. And on it goes. We are all drawn to the power of a great story, and even more, we desire to identify with and enter into a story greater than our own.
In fact, some sociologists say that the essential quest of humankind can be understood as a search for "metanarrative" or "metanarra."1 This term refers to a grand story or archetypal account or ideology in which other stories find their meanings. Regardless of culture or rank or station or occupation, man quite naturally searches for some story in which all other stories find their meaning . . . a story in which we ourselves find our meaning.
Throughout time people have derived meaning and purpose from stories handed down to them through culture or religion. But in the late 19th century a worldview called modernism2 emerged, claiming that those kinds of traditional "metanarra" are no longer relevant to our modern world. Modernism sought to replace the "old" religious values and stories with the arguments of reason or the findings of science. These, the modernists said, would define for us the meaning and purpose of our lives, thus creating the new "metanarra."
Modernism, however, has failed to deliver a grand story from science or reason, and we now live in a world that is often called "post-modern,"3 a world which denies the existence of any grand story at all!
Still, even in our post-modern world, people are drawn to stories that give meaning to life. Having bought the post-modern lie that there is no grand story, many people settle, instead, for lesser stories. These lesser, personalized stories bear titles like, "The World According to Me," or "What I Need to Live Happily Ever After." They center on an individual's family or career, and how these areas of life should be lived out. In our world, there are as many smaller stories as there are different kinds of people. This endless fragmentation contributes to what we call "relativism,"4 the idea that truth is simply whatever is true for you.
Many people view the Bible simply as 66 separate books containing wise writings and good stories (loosely connected at best), which may or may not reveal something about God and His involvement in the affairs of man. But the Bible is so much more. It is in fact The Grand Story by which every other story is defined. It is not only the story in which humankind finds its meaning and purpose; it is the story in which you and I can find our meaning and purpose.
Ask & Reflect
Think about your story - the story you envision for yourself.
Who is the main character? What happens? What is the point of the story?
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a story that we inhabit. It is why we get up every day and do what we do. Perhaps you envision a long story that plays out through the rest of your life. Perhaps you can only envision a story for this day.
What is the story you envision for yourself in order to be fulfilled in life? Is your story part of a greater story?
How would you describe the greater story? How much control do you have over the outcome of your story?
Determine & Do
Suppose two people viewed a beautiful sculpture in an art museum, and they each studied the sculpture from a different angle. If they were to describe what they saw, their accounts would naturally be different, even though they were looking at the same sculpture.
Over the past few days, we have looked at the Bible from many different angles. We've seen it as a book unlike any other in terms of its composition and public impact. We've seen it as a book that can, without a doubt, be trusted as our reference point in life. And we've considered the Bible as The Grand Story in which you and I can find our meaning and purpose.
There is yet one more angle from which to view the Bible.
The Bible book of 2 Timothy says that the entire Bible is "inspired by God" (2 Tim. 3:16). The word "inspired" is translated from the Greek word "theopneustos"5 in the earliest manuscripts. This word literally means "God-breathed." According to this verse, the Bible is not just a book about God; it is the very word of God. It claims to be God Himself speaking . . . to you and me.
In light of this claim and all that we have considered about the Bible so far, ask yourself, "What if God were to appear and speak to me tonight? Why would He even take the time to do that? How would I respond? What would I be inspired to do or be?"
God is speaking to you, through the Bible. How will you respond?
Introduction - Lesson 5
Observe & Consider
At heart, we are storytellers. Most of us have been in situations where a story is told, and then someone else responds by telling a related story of their own, which evokes a similar response from yet another person. And on it goes. We are all drawn to the power of a great story, and even more, we desire to identify with and enter into a story greater than our own.
In fact, some sociologists say that the essential quest of humankind can be understood as a search for "metanarrative" or "metanarra."1 This term refers to a grand story or archetypal account or ideology in which other stories find their meanings. Regardless of culture or rank or station or occupation, man quite naturally searches for some story in which all other stories find their meaning . . . a story in which we ourselves find our meaning.
Throughout time people have derived meaning and purpose from stories handed down to them through culture or religion. But in the late 19th century a worldview called modernism2 emerged, claiming that those kinds of traditional "metanarra" are no longer relevant to our modern world. Modernism sought to replace the "old" religious values and stories with the arguments of reason or the findings of science. These, the modernists said, would define for us the meaning and purpose of our lives, thus creating the new "metanarra."
Modernism, however, has failed to deliver a grand story from science or reason, and we now live in a world that is often called "post-modern,"3 a world which denies the existence of any grand story at all!
Still, even in our post-modern world, people are drawn to stories that give meaning to life. Having bought the post-modern lie that there is no grand story, many people settle, instead, for lesser stories. These lesser, personalized stories bear titles like, "The World According to Me," or "What I Need to Live Happily Ever After." They center on an individual's family or career, and how these areas of life should be lived out. In our world, there are as many smaller stories as there are different kinds of people. This endless fragmentation contributes to what we call "relativism,"4 the idea that truth is simply whatever is true for you.
Many people view the Bible simply as 66 separate books containing wise writings and good stories (loosely connected at best), which may or may not reveal something about God and His involvement in the affairs of man. But the Bible is so much more. It is in fact The Grand Story by which every other story is defined. It is not only the story in which humankind finds its meaning and purpose; it is the story in which you and I can find our meaning and purpose.
Ask & Reflect
Think about your story - the story you envision for yourself.
Who is the main character? What happens? What is the point of the story?
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a story that we inhabit. It is why we get up every day and do what we do. Perhaps you envision a long story that plays out through the rest of your life. Perhaps you can only envision a story for this day.
What is the story you envision for yourself in order to be fulfilled in life? Is your story part of a greater story?
How would you describe the greater story? How much control do you have over the outcome of your story?
Determine & Do
Suppose two people viewed a beautiful sculpture in an art museum, and they each studied the sculpture from a different angle. If they were to describe what they saw, their accounts would naturally be different, even though they were looking at the same sculpture.
Over the past few days, we have looked at the Bible from many different angles. We've seen it as a book unlike any other in terms of its composition and public impact. We've seen it as a book that can, without a doubt, be trusted as our reference point in life. And we've considered the Bible as The Grand Story in which you and I can find our meaning and purpose.
There is yet one more angle from which to view the Bible.
The Bible book of 2 Timothy says that the entire Bible is "inspired by God" (2 Tim. 3:16). The word "inspired" is translated from the Greek word "theopneustos"5 in the earliest manuscripts. This word literally means "God-breathed." According to this verse, the Bible is not just a book about God; it is the very word of God. It claims to be God Himself speaking . . . to you and me.
In light of this claim and all that we have considered about the Bible so far, ask yourself, "What if God were to appear and speak to me tonight? Why would He even take the time to do that? How would I respond? What would I be inspired to do or be?"
God is speaking to you, through the Bible. How will you respond?
BIBLE STUDY 4
The Uniqueness of the Bible - Part 2
Introduction - Lesson 4
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 3, we considered the Bible's diversity and harmony and its textual reliability - two attributes that make it unique among all the books in the world. Today we will consider two more things that truly separate the Bible from any other book and give it credibility as the most reliable reference point that one could have in the journey of life.
The Bible is unique in its historical accuracy.
Historical accuracy is yet another factor to consider in determining the reliability of an ancient text. In other words, "Do archaeological findings substantiate what is recorded in the text?" In the case of the Bible, the answer is clear.
"...it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries." - Dr. Nelson Glueck (Rivers in the Desert, p. 31)
"...archaeology has confirmed countless passages which have been rejected by critics as unhistorical or contradictory to known facts ... Yet archaeological discoveries have shown that these critical charges ... are wrong and that the Bible is trustworthy in the very statements which have been set aside as untrustworthy ... We do not know of any cases where the Bible has been proved wrong." - Dr. Joseph P. Free (Archaeology and Bible History, pp. 1,2,134)
The Bible is unique in its prophetic record.
Before considering the Bible's prophetic record, it is important to understand what distinguishes the prophets of the Bible from other so-called prophets. According to the book of Deuteronomy in the Bible, the test of a true prophet of God was 100% accuracy. If one who called himself a prophet did not pass this test, the penalty was death.1 Now that is motivation to represent God accurately!
It is amazing to discover that there are more than 1,800 prophecies in the Bible.2 Many of these prophecies were fulfilled in the lifetime of the prophet who gave them. Still more have been fulfilled since the writing of the Bible. Many prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. To this day, no Biblical prophecy has ever have been proven false!
In the Old Testament of the Bible more than 300 prophecies exist which were specifically fulfilled by Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament.3 In his book Science Speaks, mathematician Peter Stoner calculated the mathematical probability of one person fulfilling only 8 these 300-plus prophesies. The result was 1 in 10 to the 17th power, or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.4
Stoner illustrates this number by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say "This is it." What chance would he have of getting the right one? The same chance the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."5
When Stoner calculated the probability that any one man might fulfill 48 prophesies, the result was 1 in 10157. That's 10 with 156 zeros after it! Just imagine the improbability of one man fulfilling the 300-plus prophesies that were fulfilled in Jesus. There wouldn't be enough pages in this study guide to contain all the zeros in the probability factor. In reality, without divine involvement, it would be an impossibility for one man to fulfill all of these prophecies on the basis of chance.
Ask & Reflect
The statement was made previously that when one truly considers the nature of the Bible, it takes more faith to believe that it was simply written and compiled by humans than it does to believe that it is the work of God.
Do you agree with this statement? If not, why? If not, how do you explain the fulfilled prophecies of the Bible?
In Lesson 1 we dealt with the question of life's purpose. In Lesson 2 we dealt with our need for a reference point to find our way in the journey of life. In Lessons 3 and 4, we've considered several reasons why the Bible is a trustworthy reference point for life unlike any other.
If your reference point for life is something other than the Bible, how does it compare with the Bible?
Determine & Do
Recall from Lesson 2 the statement that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. What you choose to trust in as your reference point in life is critical.
Psalm 119:105 says that God's Word is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." If you still have unanswered questions about whether or not you can trust the Bible as your reference point in life (the lamp to light your path and guide your way), then decide today to do whatever is necessary to resolve the questions you are dealing with. Make a list of your questions, and then seek the counsel of a pastor or Bible teacher to explore them further.
Introduction - Lesson 4
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 3, we considered the Bible's diversity and harmony and its textual reliability - two attributes that make it unique among all the books in the world. Today we will consider two more things that truly separate the Bible from any other book and give it credibility as the most reliable reference point that one could have in the journey of life.
The Bible is unique in its historical accuracy.
Historical accuracy is yet another factor to consider in determining the reliability of an ancient text. In other words, "Do archaeological findings substantiate what is recorded in the text?" In the case of the Bible, the answer is clear.
"...it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries." - Dr. Nelson Glueck (Rivers in the Desert, p. 31)
"...archaeology has confirmed countless passages which have been rejected by critics as unhistorical or contradictory to known facts ... Yet archaeological discoveries have shown that these critical charges ... are wrong and that the Bible is trustworthy in the very statements which have been set aside as untrustworthy ... We do not know of any cases where the Bible has been proved wrong." - Dr. Joseph P. Free (Archaeology and Bible History, pp. 1,2,134)
The Bible is unique in its prophetic record.
Before considering the Bible's prophetic record, it is important to understand what distinguishes the prophets of the Bible from other so-called prophets. According to the book of Deuteronomy in the Bible, the test of a true prophet of God was 100% accuracy. If one who called himself a prophet did not pass this test, the penalty was death.1 Now that is motivation to represent God accurately!
It is amazing to discover that there are more than 1,800 prophecies in the Bible.2 Many of these prophecies were fulfilled in the lifetime of the prophet who gave them. Still more have been fulfilled since the writing of the Bible. Many prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. To this day, no Biblical prophecy has ever have been proven false!
In the Old Testament of the Bible more than 300 prophecies exist which were specifically fulfilled by Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament.3 In his book Science Speaks, mathematician Peter Stoner calculated the mathematical probability of one person fulfilling only 8 these 300-plus prophesies. The result was 1 in 10 to the 17th power, or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.4
Stoner illustrates this number by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say "This is it." What chance would he have of getting the right one? The same chance the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."5
When Stoner calculated the probability that any one man might fulfill 48 prophesies, the result was 1 in 10157. That's 10 with 156 zeros after it! Just imagine the improbability of one man fulfilling the 300-plus prophesies that were fulfilled in Jesus. There wouldn't be enough pages in this study guide to contain all the zeros in the probability factor. In reality, without divine involvement, it would be an impossibility for one man to fulfill all of these prophecies on the basis of chance.
Ask & Reflect
The statement was made previously that when one truly considers the nature of the Bible, it takes more faith to believe that it was simply written and compiled by humans than it does to believe that it is the work of God.
Do you agree with this statement? If not, why? If not, how do you explain the fulfilled prophecies of the Bible?
In Lesson 1 we dealt with the question of life's purpose. In Lesson 2 we dealt with our need for a reference point to find our way in the journey of life. In Lessons 3 and 4, we've considered several reasons why the Bible is a trustworthy reference point for life unlike any other.
If your reference point for life is something other than the Bible, how does it compare with the Bible?
Determine & Do
Recall from Lesson 2 the statement that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. What you choose to trust in as your reference point in life is critical.
Psalm 119:105 says that God's Word is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." If you still have unanswered questions about whether or not you can trust the Bible as your reference point in life (the lamp to light your path and guide your way), then decide today to do whatever is necessary to resolve the questions you are dealing with. Make a list of your questions, and then seek the counsel of a pastor or Bible teacher to explore them further.
BIBLE STUDY 3
The Uniqueness of the Bible - Part 1
Introduction - Lesson 3
Observe & Consider
The Bible is the most quoted, most translated, most published book in human history,1 completely unique in its creation, content, and accuracy. And while the uniqueness of the Bible does not irrefutably prove that it is the revelation of God, when one truly considers the nature of this book, it takes more faith to believe that it was simply written and compiled by humans than to believe that it is a work of God. Let's think about this.
The Bible is unique in its diversity and harmony.
Written over a span of 40 generations and about 1600 years, by more than 40 authors from varying walks of life, on three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe) and in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), the Bible is unlike any other book in the world. It includes history, poetry, prophecy, law, parables and preaching, and covers a broad range of subject matter (including hundreds of controversial topics) from the nature of God to the origin of man.2
Considering this diversity, one might expect at least some conflict or inconsistency in the content and themes presented in the Bible, and yet . . .
the Bible centers around one complete epic story featuring one extraordinary character.
the Bible addresses numerous topics and themes throughout the text with incredible harmony and resolution. (For instance, the paradise lost of the first book of the Bible becomes the paradise regained of the last book of the Bible. The access to the Tree of Life, which was closed in the first book of the Bible, is opened forevermore in the last book of the Bible.)
Like the instruments in a symphony, each writer of the Bible is quite different from the others. When you hear an orchestra playing with flawless harmony, you naturally assume that it is being directed by an accomplished conductor. Why should we think any differently in regard to the Bible, which is far more complex in content and scope than any symphonic score?
The Bible is unique in its textual reliability.
Because original manuscripts rarely (if ever) exist for the world's most important ancient literary works, the question must be asked of any ancient book, "Do the earliest copies in existence accurately convey the content of the original document?" Scholars consider several factors when determining what is known as textual reliability. These include:
The method by which copies were made
The time between the earliest known copy and the original manuscript
The number of early copies in existence
The comparative consistency of the earliest copies
Measured by these standards, there is no other book in the world that even comes close to the textual reliability of the New Testament of the Bible.3 Note in the chart below4 that those who made the earliest copies of the New Testament were either contemporaries of, or only a few generations removed from, the original writers. Notice also the number of copies that were made within that period of time. The difference between the New Testament of the Bible and other ancient works is astounding.
AUTHOR
When Written
Earliest Copy
Time Span
No. of Copies
Caesar (Gallic Wars)
100-44 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
10
Plato (Tetralogies)
427-347 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
7
Tacitus (Annals)
100 A.D.
1100 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
20
Pliny the Younger (History)
61-113 A.D.
850 A.D.
750 yrs.
7
Thucydides (History)
460-400B.C.
900 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
8
Suetonius (De Vita Caesarum)
75-160 A.D.
950 A.D.
800 yrs.
8
Herodotus (History)
480-425 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,390 yrs.
8
Sophocles
496-406 B.C.
1000 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
193
Catullus
54 B.C.
1550 A.D.
1,600 yrs.
3
Euripides
480-406 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,500 yrs.
9
Demosthenes
383-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
200
Aristotle
384-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
49
Aristophanes
450-385 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
10
Homer (Iliad)
900 B.C.
400 B.C.
500 yrs.
643
New Testament
40-100 A.D.
125 A.D.
25 yrs.
over 24,000
(5,300 ancient Greek, 10,000 Latin Vulgate, over 9,300 other)
Unlike the New Testament, there is no abundance of early copies of the Old Testament of the Bible. So, when one considers the textual reliability of the Old Testament, it is important to understand the method by which these ancient manuscripts were copied.
The copying process5 itself was reserved for a special group of people in Jewish culture known as scribes. Scribes were professional penmen who copied manuscripts using a strict systematic process to achieve the highest accuracy possible. For example:
The scribes were not allowed to copy sentence-for-sentence or even word-for-word. They copied letter-for-letter.
A scribe had to copy the original page so that the exact number of words on the page remained unchanged. If an original page had 296 words, then the page being copied must contain the same 296 words.
Each line on a new page had to be the exact length as the line on the old page. If the first line on the original page had nine words, the first line on the copy page had to have nine words.
After each page was copied and checked by another, still a third person would check to verify that the middle letter on the copied page was the same as the middle letter on the original.
If a single mistake was made, the copy was destroyed.
These steps insured that copies of Old Testament manuscripts accurately conveyed the content of their originals. As is the case with the New Testament, no other ancient manuscript in the world surpasses the textual reliability of the Old Testament.
Ask & Reflect
Does the information you have studied today change the way you view the Bible?
If so, how? If not, why not?
What would it take for you to look at the Bible in a different way, or perhaps to see something you've not yet seen? (This question is for those who are already familiar with the Bible as well as those who are not.)
Decide & Do
Today's lesson was a little longer than most of the lessons in this study. If you didn't feel that you were able to digest all of the information here, set aside some time to come back to it.
Introduction - Lesson 3
Observe & Consider
The Bible is the most quoted, most translated, most published book in human history,1 completely unique in its creation, content, and accuracy. And while the uniqueness of the Bible does not irrefutably prove that it is the revelation of God, when one truly considers the nature of this book, it takes more faith to believe that it was simply written and compiled by humans than to believe that it is a work of God. Let's think about this.
The Bible is unique in its diversity and harmony.
Written over a span of 40 generations and about 1600 years, by more than 40 authors from varying walks of life, on three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe) and in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), the Bible is unlike any other book in the world. It includes history, poetry, prophecy, law, parables and preaching, and covers a broad range of subject matter (including hundreds of controversial topics) from the nature of God to the origin of man.2
Considering this diversity, one might expect at least some conflict or inconsistency in the content and themes presented in the Bible, and yet . . .
the Bible centers around one complete epic story featuring one extraordinary character.
the Bible addresses numerous topics and themes throughout the text with incredible harmony and resolution. (For instance, the paradise lost of the first book of the Bible becomes the paradise regained of the last book of the Bible. The access to the Tree of Life, which was closed in the first book of the Bible, is opened forevermore in the last book of the Bible.)
Like the instruments in a symphony, each writer of the Bible is quite different from the others. When you hear an orchestra playing with flawless harmony, you naturally assume that it is being directed by an accomplished conductor. Why should we think any differently in regard to the Bible, which is far more complex in content and scope than any symphonic score?
The Bible is unique in its textual reliability.
Because original manuscripts rarely (if ever) exist for the world's most important ancient literary works, the question must be asked of any ancient book, "Do the earliest copies in existence accurately convey the content of the original document?" Scholars consider several factors when determining what is known as textual reliability. These include:
The method by which copies were made
The time between the earliest known copy and the original manuscript
The number of early copies in existence
The comparative consistency of the earliest copies
Measured by these standards, there is no other book in the world that even comes close to the textual reliability of the New Testament of the Bible.3 Note in the chart below4 that those who made the earliest copies of the New Testament were either contemporaries of, or only a few generations removed from, the original writers. Notice also the number of copies that were made within that period of time. The difference between the New Testament of the Bible and other ancient works is astounding.
AUTHOR
When Written
Earliest Copy
Time Span
No. of Copies
Caesar (Gallic Wars)
100-44 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
10
Plato (Tetralogies)
427-347 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
7
Tacitus (Annals)
100 A.D.
1100 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
20
Pliny the Younger (History)
61-113 A.D.
850 A.D.
750 yrs.
7
Thucydides (History)
460-400B.C.
900 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
8
Suetonius (De Vita Caesarum)
75-160 A.D.
950 A.D.
800 yrs.
8
Herodotus (History)
480-425 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,390 yrs.
8
Sophocles
496-406 B.C.
1000 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
193
Catullus
54 B.C.
1550 A.D.
1,600 yrs.
3
Euripides
480-406 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,500 yrs.
9
Demosthenes
383-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
200
Aristotle
384-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
49
Aristophanes
450-385 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
10
Homer (Iliad)
900 B.C.
400 B.C.
500 yrs.
643
New Testament
40-100 A.D.
125 A.D.
25 yrs.
over 24,000
(5,300 ancient Greek, 10,000 Latin Vulgate, over 9,300 other)
Unlike the New Testament, there is no abundance of early copies of the Old Testament of the Bible. So, when one considers the textual reliability of the Old Testament, it is important to understand the method by which these ancient manuscripts were copied.
The copying process5 itself was reserved for a special group of people in Jewish culture known as scribes. Scribes were professional penmen who copied manuscripts using a strict systematic process to achieve the highest accuracy possible. For example:
The scribes were not allowed to copy sentence-for-sentence or even word-for-word. They copied letter-for-letter.
A scribe had to copy the original page so that the exact number of words on the page remained unchanged. If an original page had 296 words, then the page being copied must contain the same 296 words.
Each line on a new page had to be the exact length as the line on the old page. If the first line on the original page had nine words, the first line on the copy page had to have nine words.
After each page was copied and checked by another, still a third person would check to verify that the middle letter on the copied page was the same as the middle letter on the original.
If a single mistake was made, the copy was destroyed.
These steps insured that copies of Old Testament manuscripts accurately conveyed the content of their originals. As is the case with the New Testament, no other ancient manuscript in the world surpasses the textual reliability of the Old Testament.
Ask & Reflect
Does the information you have studied today change the way you view the Bible?
If so, how? If not, why not?
What would it take for you to look at the Bible in a different way, or perhaps to see something you've not yet seen? (This question is for those who are already familiar with the Bible as well as those who are not.)
Decide & Do
Today's lesson was a little longer than most of the lessons in this study. If you didn't feel that you were able to digest all of the information here, set aside some time to come back to it.
BIBLE STUDY 2
The Need for a Reference Point
Introduction - Lesson 2
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 1 we considered the question of life's meaning and purpose. We also recalled this line from The HOPE: "For those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice." (The HOPE, Introduction). And finally, we concluded with the question, "Am I listening?"
Perhaps you are listening for answers to questions about life and meaning. The problem is there are so many competing voices. Beyond the major world religions (i.e. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity), there are hundreds of religions and world views. All of these advocate a particular approach to life. In many cases, each of them claims to be the way to find God. However, none of them fully agree (and most radically disagree) on the nature of God and how He may be found. With so many conflicting teachings, how can a person know which way is the right way? It would help to have a reference point.
Every traveler needs help to find his way through a strange land. Some might rely on a trusted guide - one who has successfully completed the journey and is able to help others do the same. Some might use a map or instructions from one who knows the way. Others have depended upon a landmark or a star as a fixed reference point by which they can know their position and measure their progress.
Like a traveler in a strange land, we also need help to find our way in this journey called life. We need a source of help that has been tested by others and proven to be trustworthy. We need a reference point - something constant and true by which we can set our course. Without such a reference point, we will be like a man in a small boat, in a dense fog, on an infinite sea - lost, drifting...and without direction.
Ask & Reflect
Imagine that you are blind-folded and standing on the goal line of a soccer field. Now imagine that someone points you toward the opposite end of the field and instructs you to walk in a straight line until you reach the far goal. A person in this situation will almost always veer off to one side of the field or the other before he ever reaches the midfield.
This happens because everyone has a dominant leg with which he takes longer strides, causing him to veer in that direction.1 In other words, we are all physically "biased" toward our dominant side. (This is also why people who are lost in the wilderness usually end up walking in circles.)
The basic principle of this illustration can also be applied to matters of the soul. When it comes to how we view the world around us, we are all biased in one way or another by our unique emotional, mental, and spiritual dispositions. Many people walk through life unaware of the degree to which their bias influences their course.
To further complicate things, imagine that as you walk blind-folded on that soccer field, voices all along the sidelines are beckoning you to come this way or that way. The many religions and worldviews of our day are like those voices on the sidelines beckoning you to follow. Your attempt to walk the length of the field would not only be influenced by your personal bias, but by the biased influence of those around you as well.
But what if someone lifted your blind-fold and you could see clearly the goal at the other end of the field? That goal would serve as a reference point by which you could set your course. You could walk in a straight line and not be misled by the voices all around you. Many have set the course of their life toward a goal without ever reaching it; or after reaching it, have discovered that it was not what they thought. Like the traveler in a strange land, in the journey of life we need a reference point that has been tested and proven trustworthy by many others, one that will not disappoint.
In your life, do you have a trustworthy reference point for your soul? One by which you can set the course of your life, and correct your direction if necessary?
If so, what is that reference point?
What are the main influences (voices) that have shaped your views about God, i.e. voices from childhood, family, teachers or educators, friends, role models or heroes?
Decide & Do
In the Bible we find a verse in the book of Proverbs that says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Take an inventory this week of the voices in life that have beckoned you their way. Were they reliable, trustworthy, and safe to follow? If not, why did you follow? Take time to process where your views about God have been shaped and by whom.
Today's lesson on our need for a reference point was not just an abstract exercise. It is very true that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. Take care in choosing the way you will go. Your choice will have significant, eternal consequences.
There is another verse that says that God's Word (the Bible) is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The remaining lessons for this week will offer reasons to make the Bible your reference point as you journey through life. Decide not to rush through these sections. Set aside the time you need to consider carefully what you will read. You'll be glad you did.
Introduction - Lesson 2
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 1 we considered the question of life's meaning and purpose. We also recalled this line from The HOPE: "For those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice." (The HOPE, Introduction). And finally, we concluded with the question, "Am I listening?"
Perhaps you are listening for answers to questions about life and meaning. The problem is there are so many competing voices. Beyond the major world religions (i.e. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity), there are hundreds of religions and world views. All of these advocate a particular approach to life. In many cases, each of them claims to be the way to find God. However, none of them fully agree (and most radically disagree) on the nature of God and how He may be found. With so many conflicting teachings, how can a person know which way is the right way? It would help to have a reference point.
Every traveler needs help to find his way through a strange land. Some might rely on a trusted guide - one who has successfully completed the journey and is able to help others do the same. Some might use a map or instructions from one who knows the way. Others have depended upon a landmark or a star as a fixed reference point by which they can know their position and measure their progress.
Like a traveler in a strange land, we also need help to find our way in this journey called life. We need a source of help that has been tested by others and proven to be trustworthy. We need a reference point - something constant and true by which we can set our course. Without such a reference point, we will be like a man in a small boat, in a dense fog, on an infinite sea - lost, drifting...and without direction.
Ask & Reflect
Imagine that you are blind-folded and standing on the goal line of a soccer field. Now imagine that someone points you toward the opposite end of the field and instructs you to walk in a straight line until you reach the far goal. A person in this situation will almost always veer off to one side of the field or the other before he ever reaches the midfield.
This happens because everyone has a dominant leg with which he takes longer strides, causing him to veer in that direction.1 In other words, we are all physically "biased" toward our dominant side. (This is also why people who are lost in the wilderness usually end up walking in circles.)
The basic principle of this illustration can also be applied to matters of the soul. When it comes to how we view the world around us, we are all biased in one way or another by our unique emotional, mental, and spiritual dispositions. Many people walk through life unaware of the degree to which their bias influences their course.
To further complicate things, imagine that as you walk blind-folded on that soccer field, voices all along the sidelines are beckoning you to come this way or that way. The many religions and worldviews of our day are like those voices on the sidelines beckoning you to follow. Your attempt to walk the length of the field would not only be influenced by your personal bias, but by the biased influence of those around you as well.
But what if someone lifted your blind-fold and you could see clearly the goal at the other end of the field? That goal would serve as a reference point by which you could set your course. You could walk in a straight line and not be misled by the voices all around you. Many have set the course of their life toward a goal without ever reaching it; or after reaching it, have discovered that it was not what they thought. Like the traveler in a strange land, in the journey of life we need a reference point that has been tested and proven trustworthy by many others, one that will not disappoint.
In your life, do you have a trustworthy reference point for your soul? One by which you can set the course of your life, and correct your direction if necessary?
If so, what is that reference point?
What are the main influences (voices) that have shaped your views about God, i.e. voices from childhood, family, teachers or educators, friends, role models or heroes?
Decide & Do
In the Bible we find a verse in the book of Proverbs that says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Take an inventory this week of the voices in life that have beckoned you their way. Were they reliable, trustworthy, and safe to follow? If not, why did you follow? Take time to process where your views about God have been shaped and by whom.
Today's lesson on our need for a reference point was not just an abstract exercise. It is very true that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. Take care in choosing the way you will go. Your choice will have significant, eternal consequences.
There is another verse that says that God's Word (the Bible) is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The remaining lessons for this week will offer reasons to make the Bible your reference point as you journey through life. Decide not to rush through these sections. Set aside the time you need to consider carefully what you will read. You'll be glad you did.
BIBLE STUDY
The Universal Question
Introduction - Lesson 1
The HOPE video begins with these words...
Throughout time people have considered the world in which we live; the complexity and beauty of nature, the mystery of life and death, the depth of human joy and pain . . . and they have wondered, 'How did it all come to be?' Is this world the result of chance . . . or design? Is there something, or someone, behind it all? And if there is such a being, then what is He like? Does He have a purpose for this world? Does He have a purpose for me in this world? Does He have a purpose for me beyond this world?
-The HOPE, Introduction
Observe & Consider
These questions from the beginning of The HOPE are not new. People have long pondered the meaning and purpose of their lives, and they have questioned the presence of a divine creator. For many, questions about purpose and the existence of God are inseparable. Even the prominent 20th century atheist Bertrand Russell once said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."1
Why would an avowed atheist make such a statement? Because purpose implies intent, and intent implies design. And if there is a design to this world, then there must be a designer. Perhaps then, there are questions even more basic than that of life's purpose.
Is there a Designer . . . and is this Designer knowable?
Please understand that it is not the intent of The HOPE to prove God...but rather to reveal Him. As the narrator says at the outset of the video, "for those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice."
What about you? Are you listening? Maybe you've already made up your mind that God does not exist, or maybe you believe there is a God, but you're unsure about what He is like. For the purpose of our study, perhaps you should ask yourself before you go further, "Am I really listening? Is it possible that there is something about God I've not yet heard or understood?"
In the Bible we find a verse that tells us God has long been speaking, but that man has not always listened to Him or received His message.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:20-21).
God is not silent. Since time began He has spoken through his creation. And for just as long, rather than simply receiving this revelation and honoring God, people have determined for themselves what they think He is like. As we see from the Romans 1 verse, the results of such speculation are futile. If we were to read further in Romans 1, we would see that such speculation is ultimately disastrous.
For the course of our study, will you consider God (or determine to discover more about Him) as He would reveal Himself? Will you listen, instead of holding on to your own ideas or speculations about God? If you will, this study guide could become quite an adventure in faith.
Ask & Reflect
Some people hear only what they want (or need) to hear...and some do not want to hear anything at all. Consider a few of the things that might keep someone from listening, and really hearing from God:
Pride - the need to be in control
Lifestyle - behavior we intuitively know is unacceptable to God, but do not want to change
Woundedness - painful experiences from our past that keep us from trusting others
What else might keep a person from listening to, and really hearing, the truth of God?
How would you answer the question, "What is the purpose of life?" Or more specifically, "What is the purpose of your life?"
Decide & Do
Another Bible verse in the book of Jeremiah reads: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Regardless of where you are in your journey with God, this verse is for you. You may be asking questions about the existence of God, or you may already consider yourself a believer, but you want to know God more intimately. He promises to be found when we search wholeheartedly for Him.
As you begin this study, be prepared to let God show you who He is, and to discover new things about God and yourself. Determine that you will "search for Him with your whole heart," and write a purpose statement to that effect:
As I begin this study of The HOPE, I will...
Introduction - Lesson 1
The HOPE video begins with these words...
Throughout time people have considered the world in which we live; the complexity and beauty of nature, the mystery of life and death, the depth of human joy and pain . . . and they have wondered, 'How did it all come to be?' Is this world the result of chance . . . or design? Is there something, or someone, behind it all? And if there is such a being, then what is He like? Does He have a purpose for this world? Does He have a purpose for me in this world? Does He have a purpose for me beyond this world?
-The HOPE, Introduction
Observe & Consider
These questions from the beginning of The HOPE are not new. People have long pondered the meaning and purpose of their lives, and they have questioned the presence of a divine creator. For many, questions about purpose and the existence of God are inseparable. Even the prominent 20th century atheist Bertrand Russell once said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."1
Why would an avowed atheist make such a statement? Because purpose implies intent, and intent implies design. And if there is a design to this world, then there must be a designer. Perhaps then, there are questions even more basic than that of life's purpose.
Is there a Designer . . . and is this Designer knowable?
Please understand that it is not the intent of The HOPE to prove God...but rather to reveal Him. As the narrator says at the outset of the video, "for those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice."
What about you? Are you listening? Maybe you've already made up your mind that God does not exist, or maybe you believe there is a God, but you're unsure about what He is like. For the purpose of our study, perhaps you should ask yourself before you go further, "Am I really listening? Is it possible that there is something about God I've not yet heard or understood?"
In the Bible we find a verse that tells us God has long been speaking, but that man has not always listened to Him or received His message.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:20-21).
God is not silent. Since time began He has spoken through his creation. And for just as long, rather than simply receiving this revelation and honoring God, people have determined for themselves what they think He is like. As we see from the Romans 1 verse, the results of such speculation are futile. If we were to read further in Romans 1, we would see that such speculation is ultimately disastrous.
For the course of our study, will you consider God (or determine to discover more about Him) as He would reveal Himself? Will you listen, instead of holding on to your own ideas or speculations about God? If you will, this study guide could become quite an adventure in faith.
Ask & Reflect
Some people hear only what they want (or need) to hear...and some do not want to hear anything at all. Consider a few of the things that might keep someone from listening, and really hearing from God:
Pride - the need to be in control
Lifestyle - behavior we intuitively know is unacceptable to God, but do not want to change
Woundedness - painful experiences from our past that keep us from trusting others
What else might keep a person from listening to, and really hearing, the truth of God?
How would you answer the question, "What is the purpose of life?" Or more specifically, "What is the purpose of your life?"
Decide & Do
Another Bible verse in the book of Jeremiah reads: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Regardless of where you are in your journey with God, this verse is for you. You may be asking questions about the existence of God, or you may already consider yourself a believer, but you want to know God more intimately. He promises to be found when we search wholeheartedly for Him.
As you begin this study, be prepared to let God show you who He is, and to discover new things about God and yourself. Determine that you will "search for Him with your whole heart," and write a purpose statement to that effect:
As I begin this study of The HOPE, I will...
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