בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ What verse is this? If you read Hebrew, you will instantly know that this is Bereshit 1:1 without the diacritical (vowel and cantillation) markings. All that you see above are the consonants. Can you read it? Well, of course you can, if you already know how it is…
The Medici family was once the most powerful, wealthiest family on earth. They were responsible for virtually all the incredible art now showcased in modern Florence. The Pitti Palace was one of their residences. We were fortunate to tour it—room after room of famous art pieces and incredible decorations. Here are a couple of examples…
And it shall be that the one who is selected with the things designated for destruction shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has violated the covenant of the Lord, and because he has committed a disgraceful thingin Israel. Joshua 7:15 NASB Disgraceful thing – This is a very strange story. …
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; Genesis 4:3-4 NASB Offering – Why does God accept Abel’s…
But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB The greatest – How many times have you read this verse? How often have you been told that love is the answer? How frequently has Christian theology proclaimed that God’s fundamental characteristic is love? All of these questions…
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Matthew 1:1 NASB David – Before the world adopted Arabic numerals, many ancient languages used the written alphabet as a counting system. The first letter of the alphabet would also be the number 1; the second 2, etc. Of course, you needed…
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. Deuteronomy 28:1 NIV Carefully follow – Just how rigid are God’s commandments? How carefully must we follow each and every one? Is there wiggle room or are they absolute…
The journey so far: I left Parma on 9 April to travel to Yokohama, Japan, and lecture on a cruise ship for a month. On that journey I went to: Shimizu Osaka Kochi Ishigaki Keelung Kaohsiung Hong Kong Nha Trang Ho Chi Minh City Singapore Port Klang Penang Phuket Sabang Colombo Cochin Mangalore Mormugao Goa…
Now the hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” Ezekiel 3:22 NASB He said – According to some researchers, the phrase “God said” or its equivalent is used 1900 times in the Bible. When you think about it,…
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 Scripture – “But that’s how you read it, not how I read it.” Ever heard that complaint? Engage in virtually any controversial theological argument and somewhere along the way you’re bound to encounter the “this is what it…
