What to Do During What Not to Do

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Exodus 20:8  ESV Sabbath – Followers of the God of Israel are Sabbath keepers.  This ritual is the most conspicuous symbol of association with YHWH in all of the Tanakh.  In fact, YHWH holds His people accountable for the sin of not keeping Sabbath.  It is of…

Community Things

One reader in the community owns a restaurant in the St. Louis area.  He would like to hire some people, especially those attached to this community who are looking for work.  As he said, “If I can help someone, why wouldn’t I do it?” So, if you are looking for work and you think this…

Turn-Around Specialist

but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.  Acts 26:20  ESV Performing deeds – It takes more than simply changing your mind.  That’s the Greek word…

Paycheck

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  Philippians 2:12 ESV Work – Anyone who knows a little about the study of motion and work is familiar with this Greek word.  It is ergon (noun) and ergazomai (verb).  We get ergonomics from this root.  In the Greek culture, it covered an extremely wide range…

Working Class Member

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,   Ephesians 2:19 NASB Fellow-citizens – This word is sumpolitai.  You can see the combination of sum and polites – literally “together with a citizen.”  It is also translated “fellow-workers.”  That is important because this…

Taking Care of Business

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; six days you shall labor and do all your work; and the seventh day is a sabbath to YHWH your God; you shall not do any work,  . . .  Exodus 20:8-10  J. Green translation Work – Work/worship/serve is the combination of meanings associated with the Hebrew…

Chasing Shadows

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order:  If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.  2 Thessalonians 3:10  NASB Will not work – There is a South African colloquialism describing men who would rather sit than work.  It’s called “chasing shadows.”  These men sit against the side…

Praise and Worship Music (1)

“The Rock!  His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”  Deuteronomy 32:4  NASB The Rock! – You’re standing on the banks of the Jordan.  You’ve been waiting for this day for forty years.  Your parents have died, along with all your…

Alien Righteousness

For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Parazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, to do His task, His unusual task, and to work His work, His extraordinary work.  Isaiah 28:21  NASB To work His work – “As for me and my house.”  Joshua’s often-quoted declaration makes his…

Passion Fruit

and there was not a man to till the ground  Genesis 2:5  (Hebrew World translation) To till – There is no difference between sacred and secular.  Better read that again since nearly everything about our culture is based on separating sacred and secular.  We have church and state, spiritual and carnal, righteous and wicked and…