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Painful Consequences
“I, YHWH, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Yirmeyahu 17:10 (ISR) According To – The Hebrew here is not difficult, at least not on the surface. It is simply the letter bet attached to the nouns for “ways” and…
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Evidence
“For which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say ‘Rise, and walk?’” Matthew 9:5 To Say – Which is easier: to forgive or to heal? As loyal followers, we might claim that forgiving is harder. After all, ultimately only God can forgive. Miraculous healings might be difficult, but they pale in…
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Letting Go
“Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 Are Forgiven – Are the gospel stories so familiar that you no longer pay attention to the small details? It is unfortunately true for many Christians. We learned the stories in Sunday school. We have the images locked away in our minds. As a result,…
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Spiritual Assault
O YHWH, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7 Overcome – Jeremiah employs extraordinary imagery in his description of God’s claim on his life. This is the man who pleaded with God not to choose…
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Government For The People
They have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of wickedness; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; they do not defend the rights of the poor. Jeremiah 5:27-28 Do Not Defend – Is Jeremiah speaking about us? Have we grown fat and sleek at…
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Worship The King
He has declared to you, O man, what is good. Micah 6:8 Declared – Context, context, context. Far too often we lift a verse from its culture and history when we apply it to extraneous theological topics. In this case, while it is certainly true that God does determine what is good, Micah is not…
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The End Of Days
For out of Zion shall go forth Torah and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3 Go Forth – What images come to mind when someone asks you about the end of days? Do you see the great judgment seat of the Lord? Do you see the beast and the woman from Revelation? Or…
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God’s Social Justice
YHWH enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people’ “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the face of the poor?” Isaiah 3:14-15 Grinding – “So the common man has been humbled…
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Hands And Feet
“But they become disobedient and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to You, and they committed great blasphemies.” Nehemiah 9:26 Blasphemies – The Hebrew words ne’atsot gedolot tell us that blasphemy is not limited to verbal expressions. In…
