Information

For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? Ecclesiastes 6:11 NASB   Futility – We are the most informed generation of human beings to ever walk the planet. We know quite a bit about quite a bit. But we know almost nothing about what really matters. Believing…

True Religion (1)

“but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24 NASB Boast – Go ahead! Brag a little! Let the works of your hands and the thoughts…

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…

No More Sun God

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Psalm 150:1 NASB Praise – One of the consistent themes of pagan worship is the worship of the sun. In fact, the Christian idea of Sunday worship is actually derived from this pagan practice, not, as most preachers suggest, from the…

Heaven to Earth

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Psalm 48:1 (English Bible) NASB To be praised – You’re probably quite familiar with this Hebrew word. It is found in the expression “Hallelujah!” Literally, this expression means, “Praise for Yah.” The verb is halal, used more than…

Universal Language

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.  Psalm 57:9  ESV Peoples/ nations – What’s the difference?  People or nation?  Why make this distinction, especially when we realize in Hebrew it is only the difference between Ayin and Aleph (Ayin-Mem = people, Aleph-Mem…

Phonetic Confusion

He that conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.  Proverbs 28:13  NASB Confesses –  “Yada, yada, yada,” is a common Hebrew phrase that has made its way into English.  We are familiar with its idiomatic meaning – “and more like that” or something similar.  You know…

THE EQUATION OF WORSHIP

Sometimes the teacher is more in need than the pupils.  For quite awhile, I have been disturbed by the experience of worship.  My wife and I have gone to many different church buildings (I deliberately use this expression to make the distinction between the church as an assembly of God believers and the place where…