Paradigm Shifts
And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 NASB
Explaining – Years ago Paul Little wrote a small book called Know Why You Believe. Like many other evangelical books, its premise is an implicit rationalism, that is, if you gather the evidence from Scripture and life, you will come to the conclusion that Jesus is the divine Son of God. Therefore, you will be equipped to argue for this conclusion in the public arena. Your faith will be strengthened because you will have justification for your beliefs. It all sounds so convincing. We just gather the facts and the conclusions will become obvious. Like Josh McDowell’s book, the evidence demands a verdict and the verdict comes through rational arguments.
But what do we do with these men on the road to Emmaus? How do we explain that they already knew the Scriptures and yet they did not “see” what Yeshua revealed to them? Were they subject to some sort of spiritual blindness? Was God withholding revelation from them as some kind of punishment? That can hardly be true since they embraced what Yeshua told them once their eyes were opened. No, what we have here is a description of a paradigm shift. The “evidence” of Scripture was re-interpreted in a way that revealed the Messiah. The same texts that had been read in one particular way for years were now understood in a completely different way. The text didn’t change. The interpretive scheme, the paradigm, changed.
Paradigms are powerful. A paradigm is an a priori commitment to a particular point-of-view. Once the paradigm is in place, the “evidence” is viewed as support for the paradigm. But the evidence isn’t neutral. It is theory-laden. The paradigm tells me what counts as facts and what doesn’t. So, in essence, the paradigm is self-authenticating. I find what I am looking for. I read the evidence in terms of the paradigm. Unlike the typical naïve view of science, I do not go to the world in order to gather facts to see if the facts support my theory. I have a theory which tells me what things count as facts – so I see what the paradigm tells me is in the world.
When Yeshua explained the Scriptures from His point-of-view, He introduced these men to a new paradigm. The facts of Scripture suddenly meant something different. The same verses they had read for decades now took on a different meaning. The world changed because the paradigm changed, not because the “evidence” changed.
This view of paradigms has enormous implications for our understanding of the world. For example, the Jews today have exactly the same Scriptures that Yeshua explained on the road, but they don’t come to the same conclusions. Why not? The Scriptures haven’t changed. They don’t come to the same conclusions because they have a different paradigm – a different interpretative scheme. They read the same verses differently. Does that mean their interpretation is incorrect? No! It means that the meaning of the verses doesn’t come from the verses themselves. It comes from the paradigm.
Christianity is a paradigmatic religion. It makes certain assumptions about the nature of the world and these assumptions determine how Christians read Scripture. For example, many notable Christian scholars accept the idea that the church has replaced Israel. This theological idea is not the result of reading the text. Rather, this idea tells its proponents what the text says. The replacement belief informs the reader how to understand the text and no amount of evidence to the contrary will convince the replacement theologian that he must change his mind because, according to his paradigm, his reading of the text is “evidence” that he is correct.
The same situation occurs with the Law vs. Grace controversy. Gordon Fee writes, “Christ’s death and resurrection have brought an end to Torah observance . . . being led by the Spirit has replaced observance as God’s way of fulfilling Torah.”[1] This conclusion is not the direct result of reading the text. It is the result of a prior belief system anchored in an implicit anti-Semitism which began in the second century and was developed in the Church for over a thousand years. Today it is assumed to be common knowledge. But how did this happen? All those verses that Fee and others use to justify this conclusion can also be read within the context of first century Messianic Judaism. In fact, if we read Paul as a Jewish rabbi, the same words used by Fee become evidence against Fee’s claim.
These examples could be multiplied. The point is this: the “evidence” is determined by the paradigm, not the other way around. Think about what this means for your arguments about Torah observance or your discussion about Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah or any number of disagreements about what Scripture says. The crucial point is almost never what the text says. The crucial point is what paradigm is in place before I read the text.
Yeshua explained (literally – opened – dianoigo) the Scriptures – the Tanakh – to these Jewish men. He introduced them to a new paradigm. They accepted His paradigm and it changed what they believed. This raises an important question: What made them accept the new paradigm? Was it the text? Or was it the experience they had on that day on the road? Why do some people shift paradigms and others don’t? The Greek world says that we change our minds because of the evidence. But examination of the history of Western culture suggests that this isn’t true. Why do we change how we think? Could it be that paradigm shift is the result of confrontation and personal experience?
Topical Index: explain, paradigm, Luke 24:32, dionoigo, open
This is exactly what goes wrong reading Galatians. Most christians think they know what Paul is teaching about “the Law”, where in fact they simpley follow their preconceived notions. A brother wrote last week: “If you were just able to read it without a preconceived notion of how to read …”. What he meant was: “If you just except MY way of reading it, MY paradigm”. And next he started in all honosty to explain the text from a replacement-position (grace replaced law). It simply did not occur to him that he himself read it starting with presuppositions.
B.t.w.: none of us is able to get rid of all presupposition. That is not even necessary. As long as we are just aware that that is the case, there is always room for others ways of reading the text (not even counting the different layers of meaning most of Scripture carries). And as long as the Spirit is leading us, we will never condemn a brother with whom we disagree.
Shabbat shalom, everybody!
28th day of counting th Omer
“Could it be that paradigm shift is the result of confrontation and personal experience?”
Hmmm
Back in 1967, some my surfing buddies and I were sitting around one evening listening to Bob Dylan
Sing the Visions of Joanna, which was always one of my favorites, and after having a couple of drinks
One of the guys said he wanted to show us something
He brought a chair out into the living room with some clothes and a pair of boots
He also brought out a pot, a pair of horns from a bull, and some pillows
Then he created a man sitting in the chair, turned off the lights, and put on Jimi Hendrix
Then he turned a very low florescent light on the “man”
After a few minutes the man started to move a little, in time with the music
But as the music picked up the pace, the man started to inflate in size
And his movements became more aggressive and warlike
After a short while the little green man looked something like the Incredible Hulk
And he virtually filled up the entire living room of the small apartment
Doing a sort of “war dance” in time with the music
Until one of my friends got scared and turned on the lights
And there sat the pants and pot and pillow with buffalo horns
At the time I was struck by the fact that we all saw the same thing happen
The same hallucination
The guy who created the little show and then got scared
Was named Kenny Harp
Sorry, I’m not an American: who is Kenny Harp?
“who is Kenny Harp?”
Hi Kees,
Kenny was a working class kid, and we were all just out of High School, but he was a year younger
Kenny had a cousin named Kim Harp who lived in Ocean Beach and was an incredible surfer
Kim was more like the tight-rope walker or acrobat in Circus Circus than the rest of us “surfers”
Kim was also the one who taught Kenny how to create the illusion of the Incredible Hulk
Years later, when I read the Bible from end-to-end for the first time, one thing was very clear to me
The narrative itself; the characters, their actions, and their values are much more important to me
Than the visions and the miracles
Dear Father, Help us explain the Scriptures in such a way that many may come to know Your son, Yeshua.
At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke (Torah) upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt. 11:25-30
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. – Luke 11:9
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. – John 6:44
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. – John 10:3
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. John 14:25-28
When I stopped dating Jesus/Yeshua, and started to seek a deeper relationship…He pierced my ear on the doorpost of His house…and now I don’t want to ever leave Him.
shabbat shalom,
Chris
Chris, What do you mean when you wrote “When I stopped dating Jesus/Yeshua”?
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
At first, I sought Him for what I thought He could do for me (deliverance). Now I seek Him to know (yada) Him, the One who is Master and Creator of all things and to discover what pleases Him as my King. That was my paradigm shift.
Great post Skip. From what you have written I guess it’s safe to say we all have a paradigm through which we view the world and read Scripture. God has change my paradigm many times, most significantly the past 8-9 years when I began to see Yeshua as a Jewish rabbi who functioned within first century Judaism. And the Apostle Paul who was Torah observant to the end of his life. These two things have certainly changed the way I read Scripture.
I guess my question is how can we make sure our paradigm is in line with the way God sees things? If we all come to the Scriptures with our preconceived ideas how can we correct our views to read Scripture in context and be sure we are interpreting them properly?
On another subject, maybe I’m just dense but I really don’t understand responses to some of your posts that just list a number of Scripture references or verses from Christian songs and the people who post them don’t tell us what point they are trying to make. I’m not saying that to be mean, I just don’t think posts like that are very helpful. But, like I said, maybe it’s just me and I’m like the guys on the road to Emmaus who apparently (like me) were pretty clueless. 🙂
Hey Mel,
I hear what you are saying (I think). Maybe you should ask them? Maybe they could clarify for you. Isn’t that what we should do with the Scriptures and one another? And maybe it is a case of not getting it at that precise moment, but maybe later. I don’t get everyone all the time either. 🙂
And sometimes if it’s really long I don’t even bother to read them – my loss, I’m sure!
John
Yes, same here, I usually skip over the long ones. But, it is good for us to comment and write even if it is only for the writer to organize and write his or her thoughts. This, in and of itself can help lead to a paradigm shift.
Hi Robin!
Agreed; I also tend to think that if one cannot condense one’s response into fewer than 100 sentences 🙂 there’s a problem!
Hi John, how are you doing?
Mel,
A few quick comments on what you wrote.
You ask: “how can we correct our views to read Scripture in context and be sure we are interpreting them properly?” This is surely one of the great questions in life for those of us who are seekers after spiritual truth. I congratulate you for asking it as it seems to me that most “christians” are too busy with the cares and pressures and pleasures of life to even think about asking the question. Many think their denomination has it all figured out with their doctrinal statement of beliefs etc., They seem comfortable that that their priest or minister seems to be an expert and they defer to him on things theological. A bad mistake!
That is not the modeling we find in Yahshua Himself or in the primitive church. let’s look at a couple of quick examples that may help answer your great question too.
“After three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)
This happened when He was just 12 years old! For me, reading, listening to teachers and grilling them with questions is a prudent place to start our quest for truth. It’s what HE did!
We notice this type of pattern continue in Acts with a compliment being give to the Jews in Beroe’a for their studious diligence:
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) Is it any wonder that the next verse says: “Many of them therefore believed……”?
It is my personal experience that much truth comes through diligent study of the Word. Truth comes through revelation of the Holy Spirit. Truth comes through the Proverbs principle of “in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). Many find participating in regular group interactive Bible studies helpful.
Hi John, agreeing with your reply here. 🙂
Why does Scriptures say-Blessed are those who have ears to hear-, many Believers wish to be heard, quote heaps of Scripture verses, but could not receive what others are saying, give the impression they know all, and nothing to glean from others.
Children are so pure, they have heaps to ask and we are to be child-like as they are.
Often in Torah study groups, one person would have lots to say, missing out the theme/topic the group was discussing. so focused on his own line of thoughts.
Shalom!
Hi Mel, I totally agree with what you have written, and you are not the only one who are “clueless” as you put it, LOL, quite a few of us are as well.
There is always a time and place for such oldies which are beautiful when we first came to know ABBA, then we progress from “I” worship songs to “There is none like YOU/michamoKha”.
I never tire of “Amazing Grace” and “How great Thou Art” though, but need I to post the full songs here, I wonder?
Blessings.
Hi Mel, my reply to you is down below, not sure why it went to the wrong column. Blessings!
Hi Skip, May I post this on my Facebook page? Of course, giving you proper credit. People that truly know me, would realize this as not MY writing.
Shabbat Shalom
“The Greek world says that we change our minds because of the evidence.”
I engage with atheists on the city streets almost weekly. The atheist’s Greek mind (aka the sinner’s mind) says there is no evidence that will cause him to change his mind about the existence of God. Why not? He claims he is open to the evidence.
The Hebrew world says that people “hold down” or “suppress” the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18ff). In other words, their unrighteousness or righteousness determines the way people interpret the evidence for God. And that problem is not confined to the Greeks.
Apparently, when their moral disposition is right, then, and only then, can people actually interpret the evidence aright. But how will a person’s moral disposition undergo change in order for him/her to correctly assess the evidence?
Skip,
“When Yeshua explained the Scriptures from His point-of-view, He introduced these men to a new paradigm. The facts of Scripture suddenly meant something different. The same verses they had read for decades now took on a different meaning. The world changed because the paradigm changed, not because the “evidence” changed.”
That is exactly what happened when Columbus sailed and discovered the “New World”. People thought because they were “taught” that the world was flat, and you suffered serious consequences if you came against that teaching. That caused a world-wide paradigm shift, but it took years for the whole world to “see”. It is the same with the Torah, not everyone will see, but a paradigm shift has already begun.
In Thomas Jefferson’s book Notes on the State of Virginia (1784), framed as answers to a series of questions (queries), Jefferson uses the “Query” regarding religion to attack the idea of state-sponsored official religions. In the chapter, Jefferson relates a series of official erroneous beliefs about nature forced upon people by authority. One of these is the episode of Galileo’s struggles with authority, which Jefferson erroneously frames in terms of the shape of the globe:[12]
Government is just as infallible too when it fixes systems in physics. Galileo was sent to the inquisition for affirming that the earth was a sphere: the government had declared it to be as flat as a trencher, and Galileo was obliged to abjure his error. This error however at length prevailed, the earth became a globe, and Descartes declared it was whirled round its axis by a vortex
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth
And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32
THE “paradigm shift” occurred because Christ was now resurrected from the dead! Never before had this happened in human history. Our Messiah tried His best to tell them (in advance) “I’ll be back!” (very loose translation here) but of course they didn’t understand what He was saying because once a person, (any person at all) died, according to thousands of years of history and millions and billions of lives, he (or she) was dead and gone. No longer with us. Over and out. – And the “circle of life” goes on. A man was born, he lived and he died. Long story short, but “End of story.”
With One Exception. (hello?)
Anybody home today? (knock. knock.)
What do the scriptures say? (oh that I could believe?) Noooo. If only I would believe. Goodness gracious Shirley Temple- what is my malfunction? Yes, Tatoo, what is it? Boss, the brain- the brain!
~ But now is Christ risen from the dead and has become the first-fruits of them that slept ~
(1 Corinthians 15.20)
Just how thick-headed? How mule-headed? How dense is dense? Can someone (anyone) please translate “OY!!” for me? (O, for the “aha” moment!)
Did He or did He not (tell me people, -please!!) Come up out of that tomb?
Budda? dead. Krishna? gone. Mohammed. history.
Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus (who is the) Christ?
Now living, and ever living to make intercession for us.
And was this “paradigm shift” expected? lol! NO! Not at all. Was it expected that the very God of Creation was to be born in a barn in Bethlehem? NO! Not at all!
Was it “expected” that God (Himself) would be crucified by the very ones He created? NO! Not at all!
Was it “expected” that in three days He would rise and the stone would be rolled away- revealing (come and see the place where the LORD lay!) an empty tomb? NO. Not at all!
“Paradigm shift” anyone? Yes. Please. I’ll take two.
What shall we say to these things? Hallelujah! What a Savior! (for starters..)
On the road to Emmaus, “WHO” was it that was speaking? A “mere” man? A nice guy? Just a prophet? Just a teacher? Sum-dum-guy? NOOOooooo.
Look in the Book. (please) The written word testifies to the Living Word.
Someone (more educated and cultured than I) please “explain” this to me:
~ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is the Word of God ~ (Revelation 19.13)
What, (he inquired) is tHis Name? ~ Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Yes. ~ son of man AND Son of God!
Paradigm shift? God became a man? ~ The Word became flesh and lived among us? ~ (and your answer is?)
I know not why God’s wondrous grace
to me He hath made known,
nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
redeemed me for His own.
But I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto Him against that day.
I know not how this saving faith
to me He did impart,
nor how believing in His word
wrought peace within my heart.
But I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto Him against that day.
I know not how the Spirit moves,
convincing men of sin,
revealing Jesus through His word,
creating faith in Him.
But I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto Him against that day.
I know not when my LORD may come,
at night or noonday fair,
nor if I walk the vale with Him,
or meet Him in the air.
But I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto Him against that day.
Paradigm shift?
In loving-kindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.
From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
Oh, praise His name, He lifted me!
He called me long before I heard,
Before my sinful heart was stirred,
But when I took Him at His word,
Forgiv’n, He lifted me.
His brow was pierced with many a thorn,
His hands by cruel nails were torn,
When from my guilt and grief, forlorn,
In love He lifted me.
Now on a higher plane I dwell,
And with my soul I know ’tis well;
Yet how or why, I cannot tell,
He should have lifted me.
Paradigm shift?
~ He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure ~
Paradigm shift?
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
Paradigm shift?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Paradigm shift?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
Paradigm shift?
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
Paradigm shift?
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Paradigm shift?
Even down to old age all my people shall prove
My Sovereign, Eternal, Unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
Paradigm shift?
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I will never -no never,-no never forsake.
Paradigm shift? (Matthew 7:24-27)
Paradigm shift?
The (long-promised) Messiah has come, is now present (with us), and is coming again.
Paradigm shift?
~ Blessed be the Name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore ~ Psalm 113.2
Paradigm shift? (Matthew 7:24-27)
Hi Carl,
Dat’s all you need to know 🙂
Hmmm
Matt 7:22 On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’
Matt 7:23 Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’
Matt 7:24 “So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock.
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away;
it was there by faith I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day.
2. Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
(Refrain)
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature’s sin.
(Refrain)
4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.
(Refrain)
5. But drops of tears can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
’tis all that I can do.
(Refrain)
__________
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Refrain
__________
There’s a star in the east on Christmas morn
Rise up shepherd and follow
It’ll lead to the place where the savior born
Rise up shepherd and follow
Leave your ewes and leave your lambs
Rise up shepherd and follow
Leave your sheep and leave your rams
Rise up shepherd and follow
Rise up shepherd and follow
Follow the star of Bethlehem
Rise up shepherd and follow
If you take good heed to the savior’s words
Rise up shepherd and follow
You’ll forget your flocks,
You’ll forget your herds
Rise up shepherd and follow
Leave your ewes and leave your lambs
Rise up shepherd and follow
Leave your sheep and leave your rams
Rise up shepherd and follow
Rise up shepherd and follow
Follow the star of Bethlehem
____________
He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.
Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives
today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
Thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.
__________
Hallelujah Jesus is alive
Death has lost its victory
And the grave has been denied
Jesus lives forever
He’s alive He’s alive
He’s the Alpha and Omega
The first and last is He
The curse of sin is broken
And we have perfect liberty
The Lamb of God is risen
He’s alive He’s alive
Hallelujah Jesus is alive
____________
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict’ry,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
_____________
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away;
it was there by faith I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day.
2. Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
(Refrain)
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature’s sin.
(Refrain)
4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.
(Refrain)
5. But drops of tears can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
’tis all that I can do.
(Refrain)
______________
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine.
Michael C, I perceive that thou are wroth.
Nevertheless — this cracked me up — I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.
Not @ you or @ your songs, but your sense of humor is priceless!
Hope its okay to say.
All good songs, too.
No anger here, Dorothy. None.
Why “try” to ~communicate~ (me thinks to myself), when a song will do.
People seem to “say” at every “turn of a phrase” ~those are words to a country song~ “I think!”
So, “to turn a phrase,” (listen up everyone), “take note.”
Theology and philosophy via song lyrics:
1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)
3. Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
(Refrain)
__________
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.
________
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
____________
I HEARD AN OLD,
OLD STORY
HOW A SAVIOUR CAME
FROM GLORY
HOW HE GAVE HIS LIFE
ON CALVARY
TO SAVE SOMEONE LIKE ME
I HEARD ABOUT
HIS GROANING,
OF HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD’S
ATONING
THEN I REPENTED
OF MY SIN
AND WON THE VICTORY
OH, VICTORY IN JESUS,
MY SAVIOUR FOREVER
HE SOUGHT ME
AND HE BOUGHT ME
WITH HIS REDEEMING BLOOD
HE LOVED ME
ERE I KNEW HIM
AND ALL MY LOVE
IS DUE HIM
HE PLUNGED ME TO VICTORY
BENEATH THE
CLEANSING BLOOD
I HEARD ABOUT HIS
HEALING,
OF HIS CLEANSING POW’R
REVEALING
HOW HE MADE THE LAME
TO WALK AGAIN
AND CAUSED THE
BLIND TO SEE
AND THEN I CRIED
“DEAR JESUS,
COME AND HEAL
MY BROKEN SPIRIT”
AND SOMEHOW JESUS
CAME AND BROUGHT
TO ME THE VICTORY
OH, VICTORY IN JESUS,
MY SAVIOUR FOREVER
____________
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
___________
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
__________
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
____________
(and my “favorite”) ~singing it in my head to “myself”~
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
The totality of my philosophical and theological understanding perfected in song.
8 songs, the “number of perfection.”
Amein.
I grew up with most of these songs!
I knew all but three!
O Lord, bless, Michael C. 🙂
Presenting: Songs to Rhymes Just In Time
You present some songs,
I will present some rhymes.
Mine will not be three miles long,
And it will not take up too much of your time.
This poem is eight lines long
The number of perfection.
I will leave it up to you,
To respond upon reflection.
I agree, Dorothy, somehow these came across as hilarious to me! LOL
Laughter is good medicine!
🙂 🙂 🙂 Yes, it is, Ester. That is my conviction. Thanks for letting me know someone else was smiling when I was.
I was so taken with Judi B’s sweet ‘smiley face reply’ to me the the other day, that I wish to copy her!
If its okay I will reply to your other comment within this one as well, so I can stay brief.
I really DO THANK you for taking the time to offer me the Hebrew Scriptural worship songs.
I know them, love them, and have on CD many Messianic Praise songs!
I have loved the Hebrew music since before I knew what it was called, or why it was sung!
Playing in my home right now is: Yismaeni Elonia sung by Christene J.
As to the suggestion (of your good intention I’m aware) that Carl and I write privately, a few problems pop up with that. My very first thought is, we don’t have anything to say that cannot be public for the whole world. And we ARE responding to the message Skip writes, even if not all understand that. It is true nonetheless.
Even a coin has an opposite side — and the flip side is still valuable, even if those beholding the coin prefer one over the other. Personal preference does not diminish the value. (sorry if I belabor — I’m working on it)
Another is, my husband would have to be called to read each email if we did start swapping, as I’m sure that applies for Carl’s wife — not implying problem with content — only with pulling each of them away from their own pursuits. (this not to be mean, merely a fact, my husband has no interest in this blog and he would soon be like: “leave me alone”, but said sweetly. lol)
The biggest and best reason I have saved for last.
Reminiscing is not what we are doing with the lyrics. They deliver a message. (just ask Michael C) Lol.
Long or short posts from an individual have nothing to do with adding to or taking away from Skip’s message. Or keeping someone from dwelling on it.
Skip’s messages have their own tread.
You may tend not to believe this, but I have filed away some favorites from his files.
Sometimes I agree entirely with Skip, and have said so.
But I am against treating him so shallow that he must at all times be boosted up by “yes” men and women.
I do not believe he is fragile of personality or convictions.
But Skip is not infallible — no human teacher is. He can be your favorite. It is dangerous to put any human teacher too high.
The strongest trees grow on the mountains where fierce winds blow continually, the wood is used for the most exquisite art work.
Well expressed, Michael C! Point noted! Thank you.
Brian, that was brilliant! Point noted as well!
Blessings!
Jesus reproved the Lawyer Experts for opposing the Gospel, and doing all they could to obstruct the progress of it flowering in men’s hearts.
The lawyers did not do their duty and faithfully expounded to the people those scriptures of the OT which pointed at the Messiah.
Had they done so, they would have embraced Him and His doctrine: but, instead the lawyers perverted those texts, and by their corrupt interpretation, took away the key of knowledge.
In Matthew, this is called shutting up the kingdom of heaven against men, Mt. 23:13.
They themselves did not embrace the Gospel of Christ, — by their knowledge they knew the time was fulfilled, and the kingdom of God was at hand; they saw the prophecies accomplished in that kingdom which our Lord Jesus was about to set up, and yet would not enter into it. They did all they could to hinder and discourage others from doing so, — threatening to toss them out of the synagogue, and other rants.
We are told how spitefully and maliciously the scribes and Pharisees contrived to draw Jesus into a snare in Luke 11.
They could not bear the reproofs He spoke against them — but were unable to find reason for any criminal accusation. Because He was soft spoken, they tried to stir Him up into a temper, and be able to catch Him off guard. They began to urge Him vehemently, to be fierce, and to provoke Him to speak of many things, proposed dangerous questions to Him, –laying wait for something which might serve the design they had of making Him a bother to the people, or government, or both.
They sought occasion against Him, — like David’s enemies that did every day wrest His words, Ps. 56:5.
You who pretend you do not know what some mean by posting scriptures and songs:
The beautiful text is HIS inspired Scriptures, HIS Holy Words, and hymns of praise to HIM whom we adore.
Purpose to write on blog: To highlight Jesus, and His complete work, to praise His ways and reject bondage — to shine a light and direct (any who will) to HIM with no veil between.
Dorothy,
Regarding your words:
“Sometimes I agree entirely with Skip, and have said so.
But I am against treating him so shallow that he must at all times be boosted up by “yes” men and women.
I do not believe he is fragile of personality or convictions.
But Skip is not infallible — no human teacher is. He can be your favorite. It is dangerous to put any human teacher too high.”
Interesting. In life, I have witnessed first hand more “yes” men and women in the evangelical Baptist churches I’ve been in in the last two decades than I’ve noticed in these blogs in the few short years I’ve read them. Had there been the tiniest and least disagreements contrary to the positions laid down in the church by-laws serious actions and words emanated down through the chains of command. As to Skip’s infallibility, well, I chuckle. I’m confident his take on that is far, far from claiming the last word on anything. In fact, it has been within Skip’s domain of instruction that the questioning of claims is established as a bulwark for the veracity of the studies he offers. Questioning his own statements is part of that discipline. This simple fact lends to why his offerings are so succinct. He has honed skills of tearing out the peripheral and shallow words with little or no meaning, focused on the value and content regarding the meat of a truth and left as an offering a nugget(s) capable of enlisting careful thought and deep evaluation for long times to come. Finding someone capable of exercising these skills molded around the infallible truths of YHWH incite me to regard him higher as I, as a fellow learner, don’t really comprehend what the point of “too high” is yet. I’m sure I will understand that better and more completely in the world to come.
“It is dangerous to put any human teacher too high.”
If a student is to put himself/herself under a teacher’s tutelage, at what point in learning does the student rise to supplant the level of wisdom of that teacher? It would seem it would be a point at which the student would see himself as advanced over that teachers level. What is “too” high. Your statement, it seems, contains within itself a judgement constricting any and all teachers to be only minimally adequate to instruct you. How do you know what is “too high?” Does submission require final judgement ahead of time from an unenlightened position? Does a student or as it is in the real world sense, fellow travel companion, commit to a teacher in order to be filled with enough data to then become the judge over that teacher and, thus, then become the teacher? Within your “dangerous” statement hides the self assumption that you are elevated above the teacher in question evaluating that listening too much to this source is an unstable action. You have become the teacher above the teacher.
But, thank you for permission to place Skip as a favorite. I can assume a more relaxed position now as Skip is in my “much more favored” list assuredly. By the time I “catch up” with Skip, I wonder how far he will have moved on having peeked behind the doors of so many places I am not even aware of yet? My task is daunting as I’ve gleaned Skip is not one to sit around doing nothing. I want a teacher that rides high in the sky. It keeps me looking up, wanting to go higher myself. And I certainly know Skip is not the end goal, merely one to copy and mimic as he has proven trust-worthy, not infallible. He is a companion walking along beside me, having walked more paths than I. The Apostle Paul wasn’t infallible either, but he entreated Timothy to do just what he did, as he did just what Yeshua did. Trust worthy. To follow and to learn from.
It’s been said that if a beloved Rabbi sinned, there was no need to correct him because by the end of the day he would have surely repented as he was well aware of his error long before anyone else took note of it and burned with compassion to correct his ways via repentance. I’d say Skip has those tendencies as well. I am well content with positioning Skip very high on the mentor scale. It is an awesome responsibility that I think Skip is well minded of.
My teacher is Christ. I will never be advanced beyond Him.
I still stand by my statement about human teachers.
As well you know, I was not giving you “permission” for Skip to be your favorite.
You are seeking how you may throw unfavorable light on my words. I know. God sees, too.
I am all for freedom to make you own decisions and speak your mind.
For you and everyone, including myself, naturally.
You can’t bully me. Might as well save yourself much typing.
Dorthy,
Yeshua is the teacher of us all, surely.
I’m not out to bully or throw unfavorable light on your words. You disagree with some on here. Can’t I disagree with you without it being bullying? “God sees, too,” seems a bit on the bullying side though. God is on your side, but not mine?
If you are for freedom for me to speak my mind, how do I get to “bullying” when I simply disagree? I’m confused. So, I should just not respond to you? This is a puzzling response. How do we move on if we don’t address such?
Another question. Give me guidance. How do I approach potential teachers? When I look for a teacher, I look to learn. Do I throw out all those who don’t line up with my understanding? If so, what good is a teacher good for? If I have no need for other teachers, at a high level, by the way, and I only need Yeshua, then aren’t I an island unto myself. It seems largely contrary to the community that is essential in the whole scope of Yeshua’s Kingdom. Don’t I need you as much as you need me as we are brother and sister of the same family. Is it just me and Yeshua or just you and Yeshua? Me and Yeshua have come to this conclusion, and it’s final? Me and Yeshua are the final say? Or, you and Yeshua are the final say? Is that what you mean? If so, I don’t understand that.
If it’s just you and Yeshua, then isn’t it so that you have no need of learning from anyone else at all? How can that be? Again, if all human teachers, by definition, are suspect, how do we approach or place or allow teachers in our lives? Aren’t these valid questions? I agree not all teachers are reliable or full of veracity. I learn how to discern that using the plumb line of Torah. Moses was considered THE teacher of all teachers. Is he suspect? If so, where do I stand in judgement of his teachings?
And, by the way, disagreement on our part is essential, I think, as we are all in need of learning. The proverbial, ‘iron sharpens iron’ truth is applicable here.
You have stood by your human teacher statement but you haven’t really given it any searching response. I think this is a critical subject and intensely important to us all. I have yet to validate that YHWH teaches us all by magical osmosis originating from our initial and continued choice to faith in him. He made the world good, but it seems it was incomplete. Many things were left for us to complete in companionship with him. Yeshua doesn’t come down himself and walk with me teaching me everything I need to do. He has directed people in my life to come along side to show me how and which way to turn. That is, if I’m willing in my freedom to choose to do so by learning from them, teachers of all sorts. No human has it all figured out. We all fail somewhere, somehow, that is a given. But that, in my view, doesn’t cast a dark shadow on all teachers. It still boils down to discerning trust. No teacher will prove totally correct, the premise being we are all learners. Some are just way further along than others that we would do well to emulate. When they fall, we do our part to help and encourage them to get back to the Torah path. When they do, and worthy teachers do, we continue walking together.
Or . . . I should have just saved myself this much typing.
Which is it?
Just for the sake of clarity, and please correct me if I’m wrong
We change our minds because of textual evidence, which enlightens us when we see it clearly
Christianity is a different paradigm than Judaism
Some gentiles believe Jesus was a Christian, but there is no textual evidence to support that claim
That I know of
According to Matthew, Jesus was the Messiah ben David, which was not a new religion
Some gentiles believe Jesus was a Christian, but there is no textual evidence to support that claim
That I know of.
According to Matthew, Jesus was the Messiah ben David, which was not a new religion.
Michael, “some gentiles believe Jesus was a Christian?” No, there would be no textual evidence to support that claim because Jesus was (and IS!) the Christ! He is the Messiah ben David, yet David’s “greater” Son as He was (and IS!) the son of man AND Son of God! (but wait! lol!- there’s more!) For not only was He (is He) the Son of God, but He also is God the Son!
Please, please- I’m not here to confuse, but to clarify! Jesus (Yeshua HaMaschiach) is the Christ! The Chosen One. The Sent One. And….. Savior of (such a big-little word) ALL mankind, Jews AND Gentiles. Males AND Females. “Whosoever will” includes “whosoever will!”
I am reminded of the Biblical parable (was it a “true” story?- ha! – it was for me!) of the prodigal Father and His two sons. How about we (all) drop what we are doing and what we are currently thinking and focus our attention on the heartbeat of the Father. (oh wouldn’t it be nice?). What was (is) or would be the Father’s “good pleasure” in this wonderful parable? It is (no doubt in this man’s finite mind) reconciliation. He wants “BOTH” of his sons to reconcile to Him and to each other that each and all may partake of the feast He has provided. There is room for everyone! Yes, Jew AND Gentile may feast together, but we must all come to God the Father through the One Door of access and that One Door is the ONE who said “I AM the Door”- our LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ. His words? “No man” comes unto the Father but by Me. “Jesus said unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14.6)
I’m just simple enough to believe that when Jesus, (the only One who is incapable of a lie) said “no man,” I actually do believe He was trying His best to say “no man.” Not Jew. Not Gentile. Not nobody. He is the (only) Way. Narrow? Yes. Very. Not “a” way, “the” Way.
Okay. Now I’m ready to have the Book thrown at me, but please.. can it be the good Book? God’s Book? Yes, I know- the Bible is not a club- it is a sword, but where else to we have to turn?
What does the word of God have to say concerning (the) Christ? Wow! -Where to begin and where to end?
“For not only was He (is He) the Son of God, but He also is God the Son!”
Hi Carl,
I’m afraid that I must put on my Dr Spock (not the pediatrician) cap and say
Unfortunately your statement above is illogical and therefore untrue
God could logically take the form of the Son in a part/whole relationship IMO
But the Son could not be [equal to] God or we would have two Gods
Rather than One
In the Book, we have two different characters
BTW Jesus is not the only “Son of God” as we can see very clearly in the Heavenly Court
The Book of Job
Job 6: It happened one day that the sons of God came to serve Yahweh, and among them came the Adversary [Hebrew: Satan].
Job 7: Yahweh asked the Adversary, “Where are you coming from?” The Adversary answered Yahweh, “From roaming through the earth, wandering here and there.” Yahweh
Job 8: Yahweh asked the Adversary, “Did you notice my servant Job, that there’s no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil?”
Job 9: The Adversary answered Yahweh, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God?
Hi Michael,
While I personally found “Who Ate Lunch with Abraham” to be very helpful in gaining a better understanding of Yeshua’s active role in the Old Testament, it sounds like it’s not the book for you. But, I appreciate the energy and time you took to respond.
Hi Michael,
I just finished a book that I think you might appreciate.
The title is “Who ate Lunch with Abraham” by Asher Intrater.
It delves into the appearances of God in the form of Man in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Check it out and see what you think.
“Hi Michael, I just finished a book that I think you might appreciate.
The title is “Who ate Lunch with Abraham” by Asher Intrater.”
Hi Judy,
Thanks! The book sounds interesting and I’d really like to look into it 🙂
But in the Book Description, Publication Date: October 21, 2011, It asks the following question:
“Can you see God?”
Then implies the following answer:
“There is a figure who appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of the Lord, sometimes as GodHimself, and sometimes as the “Son of Man.” The appearance of this figure demands a re-evaluation of classic Judeo-Christian world views.”
The statement above seems a lot like the Catholic Trinity to me, with a focus on the Holy Ghost, God the Father, and His only Son our Lord Jesus Christ
I’m no longer a practicing Catholic, but what I didn’t learn from Skip about Judeo-Christian theology, I learned from the Catholic nuns by the 7th grade
So while I’m no expert on this subject, it would not seem likely to me that anything in “Who ate Lunch with Abraham” would “demand a re-evaluation of classic Judeo-Christian world views.”
In any case, it is an interesting topic and off the “top my head,” I’d like to share some of my thought regarding this book to see what you think
I’m thinking that the “He figure” who “appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures,” according to the selection, above must be a “man,” like Ezekiel, whom God calls “Son of Man”
The “He figure” must also apply to Jesus, who refers to himself as the “Son of Man”
Of course both Ezekiel and Jesus are “prophets,” and behave in such a way that God considers them “models” for Mankind
But was either Ezekiel or Jesus an “Angel of the Lord?” Not as far as I know
And they were obviously not “GodHimself”
In my view, God can manifest himself in any form He wants
But in my view, God can only be seen in this world “through a glass darkly’
What we see, in my view, are “signs” of God, not GodHimself
So the GodHimself mentioned above never appears to us as a person, place, or thing
And GodHimself never ate lunch with Abraham IMO
According to Judaism 101
“We are forbidden to represent G-d in a physical form. That is considered idolatry. The sin of the Golden Calf incident was not that the people chose another deity, but that they tried to represent G-d in a physical form.”
On the other hand, IMO, the “sign of the cross” is the key to the Kingdom (The Matrix)
Morpheus: You take the blue pill and the story ends
You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. (a red pill is shown in his right hand)
You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. (Long pause; Neo begins to reach for the red pill)
Remember — all I am offering is the truth, nothing more
What made those men on the road to Emaus was that “their hearts were burning.” That sounds like an emotional response to an experience.
I personally believe we are so “greek” in our thinking we have a hard time even comprehending that in hebraic thought there is no separation of mind, body and soul. One has an external manifestation, action, due to an internal belief. As human beings, we cannot separate our intelect from our emotions, no matter how much Aristotle and Plato tell us that the intellect is higher than the “heart.”
Many of us step away from Christian “religion” because it feels hollow, and it does not prove any different than other spiritual paths. Why? not intellect, because it´s not that we reject that Jesus is God´s son, but because it´s unfulfilling. How do we come to life? when we connect to the source, and have an experience that teaches us that the Word is real. That does not happen in Sunday school.
Many have the text down pat, but fail in the love, the mercy, the patience, the forgiveness. I have met many a bitter Christian, an many a peaceful and grateful Buddhist. And vice versa.
It´s the Truth and the experience together. Without each other, they are both empty. How we get that, well, I´ll ask Skip for that analysis next.
Bessy, “been there- done that!” Yes, if I have learned one thing from this wonderful website is the concept of the Hebrew “dashes” instead of the compartmentalized Greek commas. In layman’s language- the toe bone IS connected to the shin bone! We are (all) body-soul-spirit! A tri-une being! (perhaps made in the image or likeness of our Tri-Une Elohim?) We do see all three “parts” of Him in the scriptures but far be it from any man to agree with anything other than ~ the LORD our God is ONE!” One LORD. One Faith. One Baptism. Personally.. (just me folks!) I believe God’s favorite number (if He has one) is one!
While sin may separate (and it does), what is God trying to accomplish at all times? Reconciliation and unity! And all fathers (everywhere) agree- “how good and how pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters!) dwell together in unity! That wonderful unity is found *in Christ.* Do you believe/know Jesus (the) Christ is LORD? Then we may walk this road of life together in wonderfully glorious unity.
What is (or should be) the difference between a Buddhist and a Christian? Are we supposed to endure life or enjoy it? ~ I AM come that you may endure life and all of its misery. Is that what He said? Nope.
I AM come that you (and you and you and you) might have life and have it (how?). More abundantly.
Here is an article from a few years back that I have kept as a treasure and now will share it with those who have not yet read it. -What is “abundant life?” (thank you brother Skip!)
https://skipmoen.com/tag/john-1010/
Thanks Carl for the referral back…What a lovely read. As a fairly new subscriber I dream of somehow finding the time to go over all of skip’s older studies.
I encourage all newbies to take a few minutes and follow your suggestion and give these older “abundance ” posts a read.
Thanks Carl, I remember that post.
So in an attempt to keep with Skip´s point, when do we experience this paradigm shift? When we learn to communicate, as the old post states?
Do we shift paradigms when we have an experience that livens the texts which we have held as truth?
Paradigm shift is the result of personal experience-seek and you shall find, those who thirst and hunger for ABBA YHWH, that there’s more than the written Word, WILL be filled.
This has to come from a willing heart to receive ALL He has to offer us, to be disciplined, trimmed, in order to mature us from trust to trust, to a higher level of walking with Him in all understanding of Who He is, what He is doing in our lives, in the world around us, in wisdom and revelation, from the Hebraic perspective, with willingness to leave the old Babylonian mindset of traditions and foreign names, to a paradigm shift of a renewed fresh, exciting mindset through the Hebrew language and starting from Genesis the first book of the Bible, and not from the middle section ignoring the rest of the Tanakh and its laws and commanments, nothing less.
Just as in any relationship, we move on from courtship, to a committed covenant intimate relationship.
And as we seek His pleasure, He will guide us, to fulfill the role He has for each of us, to a higher set-apart calling of sacrifice and service, ministering to Him.
Its a beautiful growing up progress.
We need to let go of old mindsets and be willing to receive changes.
Skip, you are doing a great job, renewing our minds through the TW series. May we grasp the paradigm shifts you’re leading us. Amein! Thank you and blessing you.
Thanks Ester, what you say makes sense to me. It’s a life-long process that requires discipline and commitment, not a moment when everything changes.
Hi Bessy, please go read Acts 22 again.
When God comes on the scene, everything does change in a moment!
my personal testimony:
(Because there is only ONE God), this same Jesus who confronted Saul beamed His light across the universe and had an intentional collision with me one day, and when we collided, only HE remained. I was killed in the collision, (thanks be to God!) the old me did not survive, I am new, now I live in Him.
Yes, the sanctification process of being conformed to the image of Christ goes on.
Shalom Bessy! Life is a classroom, we learn from day to day, as in the natural, so in the spiritual. 🙂
We have much to learn and unlearn, from Greek Babylonian mindset to beautiful Hebraic mindset which is cyclical, and that is paradigm shift.
You are special, as I can ‘see’ you have that special understanding. 🙂
Many places calling themselves Messianic as in Torah observant, still carry their old church mindsets of not teaching from the Tanakh, having no good grasp of the Hebrew language, but stuck in the Brit Chadasha, not being able to fully explain Paul’s epistles to the scattered Tribes.
Paul’s Epistles clearly reveal folks being convicted and coming into the Light, but needs further learning to have that paradigm shift in their lives to let go of pagan, idolatry ways.
Paradigm shift is a wonderful, renewal journey that we are on.
Thank you for allowing me to say that much LOL.
Blessings to you and yours,
Ester
Hi Dorothy,
Saul spent 3 years understanding what had happened on the road, and of course he is the ultimate example of a sudden change in course since he had a physical encounter with the Risen Messiah. But he was not pagan, Saul was a Jew and a Scripture scholar who could apply his living experience to Torah immediately. It still took him 3 years, though. Saul does not read like an immediate conversion phenomenon from my perspective – plus, he had nothing to convert from, he was following Torah as he understood it, he was never a pagan.
I know of a few people who have had instant conversion experiences from not having anything to do with God to complete surrender (my mother is one of them), Abraham seems to be another perfect example, but can we truly say that’s the norm? All Jews that believed in Yeshua knew Scripture. Even the apostles had a hard time understanding what Yeshua was teaching.
For those of us blessed to have been born in a place where the Hebraic culture is not illegal or unknown, we must struggle to understand Torah, and wait in faith for the moment of the experience. You seem to be one of the lucky ones, just like Mom.
Abraham, Moses, Noah and David had this in common: they were all “decidedly different!” Did Abraham know God in an “up close and personal way?” Did He know Him the exact same way as Moses, or David or Noah (or Peter or James or John?). There is tremendous unity in diversity.
My wife has six siblings. Same set of parental units, brought up living together inside of one house and yet each of the seven is a “different” as can be knows how to be. We don’t have to look very far in the wonderful world of God’s creation to witness: Unity in diversity. Harmony is not “sameness”.
Even the scriptures testify ~ other sheep have I which are not of this fold ~
So who may call upon the Name of the LORD? Jesus (who is the) Christ taught us to pray (and to say) “our Father.” Isn’t it awe-inspiring to know the God we may all call “Father” is the very same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
But I can see a “sticking point.” No problem with “creator God” but what about this Jesus? What shall we do with Him? The answer given two thousand years ago was “away with Him- Let Him be crucified”
Could we , (would we) testify as to who is Jesus who is called Christ? Is He Who He said He was? And is He worthy of our worship? He received the worship of men- is He a blasphemer?
Did God humble Himself to become a Man? Is THE MESSIAH God in human flesh? Is He THE ONE or should we look for another?