The Unremarkable

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 NASB Gave birth – Christendom celebrates the birth of the Savior. Churches will rejoice that Jesus was born. But all this festive display…

In Its Cultural Context

Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens! Psalm 148:4 NASB Above – Most of the people of Western world and those that have been influenced by the Western world as far away as China are preparing for Christmas. What almost none of these people are considering is the cultural context of…

Inarticulate Praise

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Psalm 148:3 NASB Sun and moon – Imagine you live in the ancient world of the Near East. What does the sun mean to you? First, the obvious. The sun designates direction. Oh, were you going to say time? The rising of the sun…

NEWS to use

There are a few things you might want to know now before the end of this year. 1.  If you plan to make a donation to At God’s Table by CHECK for a tax deduction in 2014, please send it now as technically it must be deposited into the At God’s Table account before December…

The Other Side of the Coin

to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, Psalm 149:7-8 NIV To bind – We discovered that naqam, the Hebrew word for “vengeance,” is an essential element in the holiness of God. We realized that this idea, even if it seems…

Hebrew Jihad

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, Psalm 149:6-7 NASB Execute Vengeance – David sounds like a contemporary imam. If they don’t follow YHVH, kill them all! What? Certainly David was a warrior king,…

Baptized

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 NASB Death – My friend John is dying. Elegantly. As cancer consumes his body, every pore leaks righteousness. God is spending him into eternity. We all die, of course, but most of us don’t die with godliness. Perhaps we die…