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You might have heard it said that we need to think hebraically or we need to have a hebrew mind rather than a having greek mind (western mind). But what does it really mean to think hebraically and why is it important? In this short research paper we will look at some of the fundamental differences in the mindset of the Hebrew people of biblical times as compared to today. We will examine the Hebrew mind based on the Hebrew Scriptures. How does the Hebrew mindset contrast to the Greek (Western) mindset that resulted in the bulk of Christian theology as we know it today? Read More here.

In the Apostle John’s first epistle, he begins writing giving an account in a similar manner as described in John chapter 1, the Word of God being the light of men.  The message begins with an eyewitness testimony about the life and ministry of Yeshua (Jesus).  The message John wants to get across relates to salvation and the purpose is to draw into fellowship with the Lord and with fellow believers.  The first 4 verses appear to be an introduction to the remaining 6 verses saying: 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life 1:2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.  1:4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. (NASB)  Here, the purpose of John’s letter is so that we may have fellowship with the Father, with Yeshua, and with other believers.  In this our joy may be made complete.   Read More here.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he is pleading with members of the body of Christ on
the importance of our bodies being the dwelling place of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit).
In the Textus Receptus, Paul says “parakalo oun unas” meaning “I exhort you.” The NASB
translates as “I urge you” saying in Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies
of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual service of worship. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect. (NASB) Here Paul is admonishing/warning the Romans to realize the
importance and motivation behind their obedience to God.  Essentially, by these two verses Paul is not only admonishing/warning the Romans, he is also warning us that our lives need to affirm God’s Word (the Bible).  Are you part of this world or are you wholey separate as God's word says you should be?  Read more here.

Mishley / Proverbs 9:1-4

9:1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; 9:2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; 9:3 She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city:  9:4 ‘Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!’ To him who lacks understanding she says, 9:5 ‘Come, eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed. (NASB)

          Reading these verses from Mishley / Proverbs 9, have you ever wondered why wisdom is referred in the feminine sense and what it means to drink mixed wine?  The Concise Oxfords Thesaurus says “wisdom” is synonymous with “intelligence, sense, common sense, shrewdness, astuteness, smartness, judiciousness, judgment, prudence, circumspection; logic, rationale, rationality, soundness, advisability.”  Wisdom is described as nurturing, causing growth spiritually, growth in this natural world, and enhances safety and stability in our lives.  The reason “wisdom” is written as feminine in our English bible is because it is written in the feminine sense in the Hebrew bible.  The description of “wisdom” in the bible is that of having qualities that are traditionally associated with women such as that of being nurturing and gentle.  In other occurrences of the word, wisdom is described as being precious (Mishley / Proverbs 2:1-10), having prettiness, something to be acquired that is very highly valued.  If we think of wisdom in terms of the family unit, wisdom is a feminine quality that completes a man as God had designed the husband and wife relationship, Eve was taken from Adam’s rib, where the two shall become one.  When “wisdom” is described in terms having feminine quality, we find a consistency in the way in which God has created things to be both physically and spiritually. 

          The concept of mixing wine can be understood as letting wine breath, allowing a wine’s exposure to the surrounding air.  By allowing wine to mix and mingle with air, the aroma and taste of the wine will open up, the flavor of the profile will soften and mellow out a bit and the overall flavor characteristics will improve.  Fresh wines benefit from this the most allowing for a much better and enjoyable taste.  A connection to God is made as Solomon describes wisdom having “built her house” and having “hewn out her seven pillars.”  The seven pillars are analogous to the menorah, the seven golden candle sticks and the house is the place that one draws near to the Lord.  In wisdom one seeks the counsel of God drawing near to Him in His holy place.  The eating and drinking of food and wine in 9:5 is synonymous with one internalizing wisdom and its teachings making it a part of who you are.  Remember how Yeshua said in John 6:54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day," He was describing that if one internalizes His teachings and places their faith in Him, He will raise him up on the last day.  The consumption of wisdom’s food and drink suggests that wisdom will nourish your soul and change you from the inside out, this is exactly what happens when we place our faith in God and His Messiah Yeshua.  In addition to this, if we think about it, wisdom’s food and drink shows a parallel with Yeshua’s word that we do not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father in Matthew 4:4.  Praise the Lord, can you see how consistent God’s word is?  Truly truly, 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.  9:11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.  (NASB)

I have heard it said that a Muslim submits himself to Allah out of love, but does a Muslim submit himself to Allah and to Islam because he loves Allah? According to the encyclopedia Britannica, in the religion of Islam, the tradition or collection of traditions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that include his sayings, acts, and approval or disapproval of things is contained in the Hadith. The Hadith is revered by Muslims as a major source of religious law and moral guidance. It consists of two parts: the oral law itself and the isnad, or chain of authorities who passed it down to posterity. The various collections of Hadith provide the major source for studying the development of Islam in its first few centuries. A careful comparison of the Quran (the sacred book of the Muslims which serves as the foundation for the Islamic religion) and the traditions (Hadith) with the bible indicates that a Muslim's submission is done so out of fear rather than love for Allah. The Muslim believer dare not leave Islam out of fear of punishment and death.

On the other hand, the true Bible believer is loyal to Jesus Christ purely out of love. The scriptures say in 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him (Yeshua), because he first loved us. God's love is made perfect in Yeshua His Son and the wonderful gift of salvation He provides. To read more click here, or for slides click Slides Reference materials here

Rabbinic Judaism teaches that the Messiah has not come. Some sects of Judaism even have their own messiah. Regardless of Judaism's questions on who the Messiah is we know for certain because the Bible prophetically revealed Yeshua as the Messiah prior to His coming here on earth. Prophecy in the Bible often consisted of a warning that God's wrath would destroy the people if they disobeyed God or did not repent. Such warning prophecies are found in the Jewish scriptures (Elijah,Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.) and in the Ketuvei Shelachim (the Apostolic Writings). Prophecies sometimes included promises of blessing for obeying God or repenting. Prophecies also can foretell the coming of a divine figure, such as Yeshua the Messiah, or appear in apocalyptic literature, such as Daniel or Revelation. I have spoken to a few from orthodox Judaism that have claimed the only proof that can bring Yeshua to be the messiah is in Isaiah chapter 53. They are quite mistaken because Isaiah 53 is only one of many prophecies about Yeshua. In fact, there are 37 prophecies Yeshua fulfilled by coming and laying down his life for ours upon the cross. Read More

Whether or not it is ok for Christ's believers to be involved in Yoga is a topic that many believers disagree about. The purpose for this study is to analyze the origins of Yoga and to examine what the scriptures reveal about the subject. In order to understand the spiritual implications of practicing Yoga and the biblical reasons for staying away from Yoga, we first need to understand where Yoga originates from. Those who are believers that support the practice of Yoga for health and fitness say that they do not participate in the religious aspects of Yoga (i.e. the mental exercises), but is it really possible to separate the religious nature of Yoga from its physical practice, as claimed? I propose that when a believer participates in the Yoga exercises one is placing one's self into spiritual bondage. This type of bondage may not be apparent at first but the spiritual impact is certain and stems from direct and deliberate disobedience to God's Word. To practice Yoga and to deny the spiritual impact that Yoga has on ones life is to be dishonest with one's self as well as to God. Read More

This week's reading from the Triennial Cycle (Bereshit / Genesis 1:1-2:3) gives the account of the creation week when God made the heavens and the earth. Did you know that the entire Bible (all of scripture) rests upon these first few verses? In fact, even the death and miraculous resurrection of Yeshua is impacted by these scriptures. Without considering the importance of God creating all things from nothing as the scriptures say in (Bereshit / Genesis 1:2 "v'haaretz haytah tohu u'vohu" ... "the earth was formless and void," it is difficult to understand the finished work of Yeshua who laid down his life for ours as a substitutionary atonement. In fact, even the concept of atonement by the offering of blood becomes confusing without understanding theses scripture verses appropriately in the context of the Bible. The reason relates to the question of whether death and dying occurred before man chose to be disobedient (sin) in (Bereshit / Genesis chapter 3). Was there death and dying prior to man's sin in (Bereshit / Genesis 3? Read more

"...if any man who is called a brother ..." 1 Corinthians 5:11 the apostle Paul is talking about a brother in the faith and not referring to befriending unbelievers for the purpose of witnessing/living ones life for Christ amongst the lost (the unsaved). Whether a believer should or should go to a club/bar is related to ones outward faith towards others especially unbelievers. The bar/club environment is not the environment/venue for ministering/witnessing to unbelievers on the topic of faith and salvation through Yeshua (Jesus the Messiah). Some people justify going to bars/clubs by saying how Yeshua ate with the sinners and publicans. The difference here is Yeshua did not participate (take part, engage, join) in the sinful lifestyles of the people whom he had dinner with in their homes, Yeshua taught hallachah (the way) concerning the rabbinic teaching in his day and taught the scriptures. A couple questions we should ask about the bar/club environment are (i) what takes place physically in a bar/club and (ii) what takes place verbally in a bar/club. Answering question (i) what takes place is alcoholism and lascivious dancing that is based upon a sexual appetite, sexual longing, desire, passion, sexuality, lechery, and lecherousness. These are the sorts of things that go though the imaginations of men when they see women dancing provocatively and the women who dance in such ways are doing so for the express purpose of rising up these desires within men. To read more see Part 1 and Part 2