Round Pegs, Square Holes

“Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”  Jonah 3:9  NASB Who knows? – Nineveh is a problem.  Not because it was an evil city that needed to be eradicated.  Not because Jonah resisted announcing God’s intention.  No, Nineveh is a problem because of…

I’m Not Appreciated

but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.  Luke 10:42  NASB The good part – (an excerpt from Jesus Said to Her) Martha will forever be remembered as the one who missed the point.   Mary chose to hear the teaching of Yeshua.  Martha chose to…

Good Enough Most of the Time

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4 ESV Perfect – Perhaps the most insidious mistranslation of a Torah concept is the idea of perfection.  Theology is filled with this thoroughly Greek idea.  So is rabbinic Judaism.  Thanks to the disease of Hellenism, the Parmenidean…

The Philosopher’s God

For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.  Malachi 3:6  NASB Do not change – This is going to be long, but I promise it will be worth it. Christianity is essentially schizophrenic.  I don’t mean that “Christians” are in need of psychotropic drugs, although sometimes I suspect their public spokespersons…

A God of Compassion

and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them. Exodus 1:14  NASB Bitter – The biblical world is a world intoxicated with God.  Our usual subject-object dichotomy evaporates.  We are no longer the neutral observers cataloging and…

On the Way

 “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’”   Leviticus 19:2  NASB You shall be holy – How we have abused this verse!  It is cited in Matthew (5:48 in the Greek version, not exactly what it says in Hebrew). …

Perfect Passion

I hate them with the utmost hatred;  They have become my enemies.  Psalm 139:22  NASB Utmost– So you hate what God hates?  If you’re with David on this, then you hate those people who malign God’s reputation.  You want nothing to do with them.  You avoid them at all costs.  In fact, you hate them perfectly. …

Being Perfect

Let the lying lips be mute, which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.  Psalm 31:18 NASB Arrogant– Some years ago (quite some years ago) I received a card from a dear friend.  On the outside it read: “I used to be conceited, but I got over that.”  On the inside: “Now I’m perfect.”  🙂 Arrogance is…

Invisible Redemption

Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.  And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord God, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?” The Lord changed His mind about…

The Anti-Isaac God

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NASB Timidity – “If I am to tell you who I really am, I must tell you about my feelings, whether I will act upon them or not.”[1] If this is true for human beings, don’t you…