A Citizen in the Community

I thought about posting this as a comment, but then not everyone would see it.  Part of the purpose of going to a smaller and dedicated community is to take care of each other.  That’s how the world knows that we are His followers.  So, I am posting an e mail that I got today…

The Treasure Principle

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…

Having Your Cake

Recently our studies in Today’s Word have focused on the rabbinic techniques of halachah and haggadah. Paul uses these techniques in his letters.  We should not be surprised.  After all, Paul was trained as a Pharissaic rabbi.  What surprises most people is that halachah was always considered binding on the audience (since it was the…

The Way of the Rabbi (2)

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…

The Way of the Rabbi (1)

  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. …

Speaking Without Words

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…

Truth or Fiction

All flesh is grass, and all its grace as the flower of the field.   Isaiah 40:6 Grass – “The difference between truth and fiction is that fiction has to make sense.”  So said the ex-Communist colonel in the recent film, The International.  This is great script writing.  We do expect our novels to make sense. …

Rabbi Akiva on Fire

Eliyahu Kitov relates the teaching of the famous sage, rabbi Akiva.   Akiva’s insight bears directly on this duality resident in human beings and, in particular, with the ‘ezer kenegdo. “Some of our sages probe not only the words of the Torah, but each individual letter as well.  The foremost exponent of this method was Rabbi…

Prayer and Praise

for Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.  Matthew 6:13 Is – Life is a struggle, isn’t it?  Things don’t always go the way they should.  Tragedy and trials are a part of our daily existence.  In spite of prayers for bread, guidance and deliverance, bad things happen.  Maybe God…