They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed, but each with his own gift, according to the blessing that the LORD your God has bestowed upon you. Deuteronomy 16:16-17 According To – “What does God expect concerning the tithe?” This seems to be a perennial question once we determine to be more obedient to God’s…
and proclaimed, “YHWH, YHWH God, compassionate, gracious, long-suffering and great in goodness Exodus 34:6 Long-Suffering – Every word matters. That’s the approach taken by the rabbis, and it’s the same approach that we must take if we want to truly mine the Scriptures. That’s why it just isn’t adequate to stick with an English translation. …
and proclaimed, “YHWH, YHWH God, compassionate, gracious, long-suffering and great in goodness Exodus 34:6 YHWH, YHWH – Do you remember doubled giving (nathan used twice – March 12)? Did you know that Isaiah uses shalom shalom to speak of “perfect” peace? In Hebrew, doubling the word calls attention to the superlative form. So, what happens…
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances Ezra 7:10 To Seek – “Does this salad dressing have bacon in it?” “Yes,” he replied. “Then I’ll have to skip it, please.” The other men at the table looked up. …
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22-23 Fruit – If you’ve been a Christian for any reasonable time, you’ve heard this verse. We usually put the emphasis on the personal character qualities listed here. We strive to be loving, joyful, peaceful and patient. That’s…
You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because YHWH your God will bless you for this thing, in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 Surely Give – God is very practical. He knows that we are…
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:2 Nothing – How’s your portfolio doing? Of course, for most of us that’s a pointless question. We don’t have a “portfolio.” We don’t have treasures stored up here on earth. We live paycheck to paycheck. In these times, there are a few more…
Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:8 It Says – Yesterday we learned that it was common practice among rabbis to employ both halachah and haggadah, the first for explanation of the way of life and the second for…
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, Ephesians 4:1 Walk – Paul was a Rabbi. He thought like a Rabbi. He taught like a Rabbi. He wrote like a Rabbi. He lived his life like a Rabbi. …
The heavens declare the glory of God Psalm 19:2 (Hebrew text) Declare – One of the faithful members of our worldwide community sent me this intriguing quote: “The Mystery of Dark Matter Something strange is afoot in modern cosmology. Scientists insist that 96% of the universe’s mass is actually invisible, detectable only through its gravitational…
