The Cry in the Night

All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!" - Romans 8:14-15 HCSB

“Abba! Father!” is not the cry of one calling out a calm acknowledgment of a universal truth like a night watchman identifying the passing of the night’s hours. It is the call of a small child for its father from a darkened room, seeking the security of its parent’s arms.

It is easy to look at the darkness of this world and imagine all the bogey men awaiting us around every corner. Unfortunately, the reality of the matter is that not all bogey men are imaginary. There truly are monsters in this world, many wearing pleasantly bland faces. When our backs are turned, their eyes glint maliciously, but every time we turn back, they smile their wolfish smiles as we respond with uncertain smiles.

We are freed slaves, used to chains and dark damp smelly places. Though Christ has liberated us, we still walk with the shuffling limp of the recently shackled, our minds not quite used to the sensation of freedom. We cannot grasp the possibilities inherent in untethered spiritual movement; still easily startled by the coughing sound of the prowling lion.[1] We don’t yet fully understand that our Guide is a lion tamer.[2]

However, our God has given us the gift of the Comforter. A dove flutters about our lives, bringing quiet beauty where only pain and fear existed before. Our constant companion, the Spirit, walks us through each step of each bewildering day. Whenever we turn to the right or to the left, if we listen, we hear this command behind us: "This is the way. Walk in it."[3]

Though the dangers about us a real and the night is long, we have a God who sees all the way to the very center of the Earth and nothing can take us out of His mighty hand.[4] The enemy is entrenched in his spiritual fortresses and his minions patrol the skies, but our God is greater. The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is His name. He threw Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; the elite of his officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Yahweh’s right hand is glorious in power and with it He shattered the enemy. He overthrows His adversaries by His great majesty. He unleashes His burning wrath and consumes them like stubble.[5] He can enter the strong man’s house, tie him up and rob him at will.[6]

Though we cry out, it should not be a cry of alarm, but of trust. We see the devil’s empty threats, and laughingly point toward our adopted Parent El Ch’ul calling out in derision, “See? That’s my daddy!”


[1] 1 Peter 5:8
[2] Daniel 6:16-22; 1 Samuel 17:37; Isaiah 11:6; 65:25; 2 Timothy 4:17
[3] Isaiah 30:21
[4] John 10:29
[5] Exodus 15:3-7
[6] Mark 3:27

The Broken Prophets

Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. For I will proclaim the LORD's name. Declare the greatness of our God! The Rock--His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true. - Deuteronomy 32:1-4 HCSB

Until the arrival of John the Baptist, Moses was the greatest prophet that Israel had ever known.[1] Moses didn’t have visions, dreams or oracles. He spoke directly to the Son of God face to face. Yet he acknowledged that another was coming who would speak everything that the Lord commanded.[2]

Moses did not always obey Hashem completely. There was that one time when God told him to simply speak to a rock in order to get water from it, and in a fit of temper, Moses disobeyed, striking the rock and ruining God’s lesson.[3]

John the Baptist did not completely trust God. As his death approached in the guise of a beautiful young dancing girl, John doubted the Christ and sent someone to ask the Messiah, "Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"[4]

We could go on. Solomon, the wisest human ever, allowed beautiful women to lead him astray. David, the man after God’s own heart, fell into adultery with another beautiful woman and murdered to cover it up. Isaiah was honest enough that when he saw the Lord in His glorious temple he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips…”[5]

There is only one perfect Prophet – the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Moses was a faithful household servant, but Jesus is more worthy of glory because He is the Head of the household.[6]

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to disrespect the prophets. It’s just that if we say that the Scriptures are inerrant in their original, we are not saying that the prophets themselves were infallible. Far from it. They were human just like us.[7] The doctrine of Scriptural inerrancy is not about the human vessels, but about the Great King who used them. We can honestly admit to their human frailty while rejoicing in the message they brought to us.

The message that they brought should wonderful news to us. It should fall like a gentle rain; settling upon us like dew upon the grass and tender plants. Hashem is a great God. His work is perfect, even when we are not. He is so powerful that he can take broken vessels and use them to bring living waters of salvation to humanity.[8]

We may be sinners, but M’kadesh, the One Who makes holy[9], can touch our lips and sanctify our testimony. [10] And if Yahweh can use someone like Jonah the racist or Paul the mass murderer, then He can use us.[11]

[1] Deuteronomy 34:10 cp Luke 7:28
[2] Deuteronomy 18:15-19
[3] Numbers 20:8-12
[4] Matthew 11:13
[5] Isaiah 6:1-5
[6] Hebrews 3:1-3
[7] James 5:17
[8] Romans 8:28
[9] Exodus 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28
[10] Isaiah 6:6-8; Romans 8:1
[11] Joel 2:28-29; Ephesians 4:11

Golden Calf Worshippers

When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!" Then Aaron replied to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me." So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!" When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; then he made an announcement: "There will be a festival to the LORD tomorrow." - Exodus 32:1-5 HCSB

Most commentators seem to think that the people of Israel were returning to the worship of one of the Egyptian gods in this incidence. I would like to beg to differ. Notice that they were not questioning the departure of God, but of Moses. They were looking for some kind of visible figure head. If anything, Aaron should have been disappointed and angered in that no one seemed to consider him a potential candidate. Apparently, he was considered less worthy than a metal lump!

Aaron seemed to be implying that the people would still be following Yahweh through the use of this external focal point when he said, “This is your God, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Not only did he identify the deity as the one who had just rescued them, but the word he used for God was “Elohim”, the name always used for the one true God.

“Why is this distinction important?” you may ask. I think that it is important because it warns us of a much different and more dangerous, subtle form of idolatry. Most of us would instinctively shy from pagan idolatry. However, I am afraid that many “Christian” churches today get so focused on the external forms of their worship that they are no longer Ransomed.

We need to be aware of the danger of the cult of personality. No human should be the focal point of a church. No single spiritual gift should become so important that everyone’s salvation is judged by whether they have it or not (i.e. speaking in tongues).

We need to be cautious that the FORM of worship does not take precedence over the One worshipped. Whether our congregation is highly liturgical, or free-wheeling and post-modern is irrelevant. Are we still worshipping Christ and obeying His teachings? There is only one standard, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.[1] Anything else is just so much cow dung.[2]

[1] Ephesians 4:4-6
[2] Philippians 3:8 – Paul considered it all just “skubalon” (Strong’s #4657) i.e. dung or crap; for its use cp Isaiah 36:12; 1 Kings 14:10; 2 Kings 18:27

Four In God’s Garden

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. - Hebrews 4:16 HCSB

An ancient Talmudic parable[1] tells of three sages who sought Rabbi Akiva’s help in their determination to enter the third heaven[2] and approach the Garden of God. Rabbi Akiva warned them of the terrible beauties of that place and how those wonders would prey upon their mortal minds. “When you approach the marble walls surrounding the Holy One, blessed be He, they may look like a wall of water about to engulf you. Do not fear. We may only approach the Holy One in faith and truth.” So they prayed, fasted and meditated.

Finally, they proceeded. As the first man approached those glowing walls, they did in fact look like looming walls of water about to engulf him. He panicked and just as he was about to cry out, he died. However, in spite of his small faith, Hashem decided to reward his desire to know the Lord and took his spirit on into heaven.

The second man, upon seeing those same terrible walls, also panicked but his fear was so great and his faith so small that he lost his mind.

The third man saw the same walls, but his mind was incapable of accepting that something of such beauty, grandeur and majesty could exist. His will refused to submit to a Person so great as to be able to create such wonders. His heart hardened and he became an apostate.

Only Rabbi Akiva, who rested his soul upon the mercy of the Almighty One and approached with truth on his lips and faith in his heart was able to approach the throne room and leave again safely.

This parable warns us of three dangers in seeking d’vekut, which is a deep passionate and intimate relationship with God. Our lack of faith can kill any ability we may have to be useful. We will yet enter heaven, but “so as by fire.”[3] Our lack of faith can allow us to see God’s work but fail to acknowledge it for what it is. If that happens, we become fools and our confusion may lead us astray[4] either rendering us useless or apostate. The third danger is that we may, like Pharaoh, refuse to submit to Bashamayim’s[5] sovereignty and in our apostasy take the broad road to perdition.[6]

Only those who take God at face value, those who both fear[7] and trust Him[8] may take the bold approach. Those who truly love Him and prove it through obedience[9] will find a listening ear and a compassionate judge. Those who waver will get nothing at all.[10] May we, like little children, remain in Him so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.[11]



[1] Chagigah 14B
[2] 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
[3] 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
[4] Romans 1:21-24
[5] God of Heaven and Earth (Deuteronomy 4:39)
[6] Matthew 7:13-14
[7] Deuteronomy 4:10; 6:2, 13; Acts 9:31
[8] Numbers 14:11; Psalm 4:5
[9] John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 2:3-6
[10] James 1:6-7
[11] 1 John 23:28-29

The Little Golf Cart

or “How to Obtain Joy and Peace”

Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. – Psalm 119:165 HCSB

There once was a little golf cart who sought joy and peace in the excitement of adventure. “Perhaps if I taste of life’s thrills I will be fulfilled and satisfied.” So he tried to race in the Baja. Of course, being a golf cart, all he was beat up, dirty and received a loss on his record.

Then he decided, “I’ll try parachuting. Surely that will be so exciting that I will be happy!” He drove to a nearby military airport and convinced the crew of a cargo plane to help him parachute. They would fly him high in the sky, strap a parachute to his canopy and push him off the back. He never stopped to wonder why they kept snorting, giving each other significant looks and occasionally letting out laughing brays. He just ascribed it to the tremendous joy they must have from parachuting.

Of course, when he was pushed off the back, he weighed more than the parachute could hold and shortly after leaving the plane a line snapped. The chute candlesticked just enough to create some drag, but his descent rate was terrible! At the last minute, the other lines snapped, dropping him to the ground with a terrible crunch ending his admittedly exciting but short and completely futile life.

All the while, bouncing around in his glove compartment was a manual written by the golf cart manufacturer, cram-packed with useful information on the proper role and lifestyle of golf carts. It basically gave point-by-point instructions on how a golf cart could attain joy and peace.

When we were created by Yahweh Boreh[1], He did not leave us without resources. His prophets and apostles wrote down a manual that tells us our purpose. He has great plans for us, plans for good and not calamity.[2] He wants us to have an abundant life.[3] When we not only understand that idea but submit to it, we will be on the way to peace and joy.

When behave stupidly like Adam and Eve who thought that true fulfillment lay outside of Hashem’s plans, we get the same results: banishment from God’s blessed presence, misery and curses. It’s not that the Lord God narcissistically pouts when we don’t do what He wants and smacks us about the head.

Think of His will as a cone of light cast by a street lamp. As we move closer to the center of that cone, we get more and more direct illumination. We don’t stumble because we see clearly. The further from that center that we move, the progressively darker[4] it gets until we are in “outer darkness where there is weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.”[5]

God’s will is perfect for us. Happy is the person who grasps that critical fact and lives accordingly.

[1] God our Creator; Isaiah 40:28
[2] Jeremiah 29:11
[3] John 10:10
[4] Romans 1:21, 26, 28
[5] Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30

Birth Pangs

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough--because there was no room for them at the inn. - Luke 2:6-7 HCSB

Ages ago, the Trinity created the world.[1] The process was not without its unique agony, involving the shedding of certain of the Son’s divine traits.[2]

Our ancestors quickly fell from grace and part of the resulting curse entailed birth pangs. Hashem said, “I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish.”[3] However, there was yet hope because He promised that a coming child would crush the head of the Tempter, ending his reign of fear and ignorance.

Thousands of years later, one particular young woman writhed in the throes of childbirth, straw sticking to her sweaty arms as she grimaced and pushed a bloody mass out of her body. Soon a cry was heard that sent shivers down the ephemeral spines of demonic forces everywhere. The Messiah had been born.

The promise was not yet fulfilled however. Thirty three years later, that Messiah took His turn in the crucible of pain. His tortured body was nailed to a cross and as that cross was raised it slid into its positioning hole, dislocating the Christ’s joints in the process.[4] After hours of excruciating pain, He cried out “It is finished!” and a new kind of child was born.

Now all who receive Him are given the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who are born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.[5]




[1] Genesis 1:1, 26; Proverbs 8:30-31; John 1:3-5
[2] Philippians 2:6-7; Mark 13:32
[3] Genesis 3:16
[4] Psalm 22:13-18
[5] John 1:12-13 HCSB

Mary’s Obedience

“For nothing will be impossible with God." "I am the Lord's slave," said Mary. "May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel left her. - Luke 1:37-38 HCSB

“Nothing is impossible with God.” What a wonderful truth. All true believers can attest to that fact, not only from their study of the Scriptures, but out of personal experience. Every believer has had God’s eternal light shine into the darkness of their lives, bringing order and structure where the soul had previously been unformed and void.[1] Every believer has felt that life-giving light[2] flow into the darkened corners of their minds and felt the liberating belief that can only come with Truth.[3]

“Nothing is impossible with God” we hear trumpeted from charlatans the world over. Wolves disguised as sheep, they use God’s hope in a bait and switch scheme. Promising deliverance they give only another form of bondage – emotional shackles that weigh the poor soul down. They promise healing, wealth, emotional maturity, influence and friends but when they fail to deliver on their promises they blame the poor victim.

They are con men delivering motivational speeches. “Name it and claim it!” they cry. Juvenile clichés spew from their mouths like a never-ending torrent of sewage. They urge us to feel good about ourselves, to have the right view of ourselves and there is an element of truth to their spiel. Created a little lower than angels,[4] we have in fact the opportunity to become children of God,[5] co-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.[6] Unbelievable potential lies at hand to the one who will humble himself under the mighty hand of God.[7]

Therein lays the difference. Mary did not have a meeting of the televangelist kind. She was faced with the angel Gabriel who brought what must have been the greatest news any mother could ever receive. “You will bear a child and He will be the Messiah. He will be sinless and save the world.” What could be any better? However, notice her response. “I am the Lord’s slave. May it be done to me…”

She recognized that this blessing – this wonderful thing – was not about her. She was a vessel. She was a tool being used to bring about God’s will. That fundamental difference made her uniquely qualified to be the vessel bearing the Son of God. Her humility is what made her “favored.”[8]

We must emulate Mary’s obedience. We too should consider ourselves to be the Lord’s slaves. Whatever comes, whether happy or calamitous, comes from the hand of the One who loves us more than we can ever know.[9] If we are willing to realize that the universe does not center on us, is not about us, was not created for us,[10] we too can bear Christ within ourselves, and thereby be used to bring salvation into the world. It is only once we have predetermined to obey regardless that our true potential unleashed.



[1] Genesis 1:2-3
[2] John 1:4-5
[3] John 8:32 cp Luke 20:34-36
[4] Psalm 8:4-5; cp Hebrews 2:7; Luke 20:34-36
[5] John 1:12-13
[6] Romans 8:17
[7] 1 Peter 5:6
[8] Luke 1:28
[9] Isaiah 45:7
[10] Colossians 1:16

Proud to be an Eta

"If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.” - John 15:18-20 HCSB

Back in the days of feudal Japan, a caste system developed that had the emperor and his courtiers at the very top and a group of people referred to as “etas” at the very bottom. “Eta” literally meant “full of filth.” To be an eta meant that you were a societal outcast. One shogun valued etas at one seventh of a human being.

They were genetically identical to the rest of the Japanese. They were not foreigners. They were not of a different color or physiognomy. Why were they so despised? The fateful difference was what they did – the jobs they performed.

Both Shinto and Zen Buddhism teach that objects can carry ethical quality. They can become so identified with evil or good that they become intrinsically evil or good. Since the etas worked with dead bodies, or in leatherworks or other ritualistically unclean jobs, they were believed to lose societal value. Of course, this was absurd, because all the other castes depended on the etas’ work. The Samurai also dealt with the dead, since they killed people constantly, and they touched leather all the time since their armor and parts of their swords were leather. Yet they were considered high caste! It was completely arbitrary.

However, the bigotry continues to this very day. Though concerted efforts have been made to remove this silliness from Japanese mentality, it is still difficult for the descendants of the eta (called burakumin today) to find jobs or to marry outside of their social level.

Christ came and did something wonderful and vital for human society and was killed for His efforts. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like one people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn't value Him. Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.[1]

When we lovingly imitate our Master, we not only do His works, but we try to surpass Him.[2] We shoulder some of the world’s pain and suffering. We break the chains of wickedness, untie yokes, set the oppressed free, feed the hungry, show hospitality to the poor and homeless and clothe the naked – all while not neglecting our own families.[3]

If that means that we are looked down upon by the powerful and the elite, so be it. Let’s gladly claim the title of eta.



[1] Isaiah 53:3-4
[2] John 14:12
[3] Isaiah 58:6-7

Wanting What We Have

Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil. - Proverbs 15:16 HCSB

There once was a tzaddik who continuously praised the Lord for His great providence. “Blessed art thou, Yawheh Yireh, the Lord Who sees and provides for all my needs.”[1] It seemed that his prayers were always answered. People would come from miles around to receive one of his blessings, or to ask this blessed elder to pray for them.[2] However, he never was heard to pray for himself.[3] “I have no need for anything,” he would claim, “everything that I need the Lord has provided.”[4]

Someone questioned him, “How can you say that Adonai has met all your needs? Look at you! You live in a shack, your clothes are old, outdated and threadbare and you eat more simply than a mouse! Surely you have many needs?”

The tzaddik replied, “If I don’t have it, it must be because Hashem has not judged it suitable for my needs. I have schooled myself to not constantly want things I don’t have. Instead I develop a taste in myself for the things that I do have. In this way, I have learned the secret of contentment!”

Paul would have gotten along fine with this godly man. Paul said, “I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”[5]

Some of the greatest damage TV can inflict on my kids does not stem from the wanton sex, gratuitous violence, and raging atheism that are so prevalent. Though these also need to be carefully weeded out of my children’s entertainment diet, I am far more concerned about the commercials. Every five minutes, they are told, “Buy in order to be happy. Buy in order to be sexually attractive. Buy in order to be socially acceptable. You deserve this. You want this. This will fulfill you.” Commercials continuously program us to be discontent. Because of this, our family records the shows that we want to watch and then skips all the commercials.

In opposition to this non-stop materialistic philosophy, the Bible teaches that “godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”[6]

Just as the way to get the most out of a fine meal is not to gulp but to savor, so the way to get the most out of life is to value all the pleasures that are already within our grasp and then gratefully accept any new ones that God sends our way.




[1] Genesis 22:14
[2] James 5:13-16
[3] James 4:2-3
[4] Psalm 23:1
[5] Philippians 4:11-13
[6] 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Preservation

But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:4 HCSB

Imagine that I built a beautiful deck for my wife. I carefully chose the most select quality lumber and painstakingly ensured that every cut was exactly on the line; each cut to within a sixteenth of an inch. Oh – only one problem. I forgot to put any sealer on our deck.

You would rightly cry out, “Fool! Don’t you know what will happen to all your work if you don’t preserve it somehow?” I would be a fool if I did such a thing. Yet somehow many people think that Hashem is just that foolish. They think that He would divinely inspire people to write His words down, giving humanity special insight into His character, will and ways, only to forget, or be unable[1] to preserve His Word. I ask you, what would be the point of inspiration if it weren’t preserved?

How can I live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God” if I can’t be sure I’m getting the right words? How can I teach, rebuke, correct and train both myself and others, if the Scripture’s inspiration is not preserved for our use?[2]

Notice too several things about Jesus’ view of the Scriptures. He believed they were inspired (comes from the mouth of God); that there were no surplus words (every word); that they were authoritative (man must live by them). Beyond that, He believed that the Scriptures that had already been written by that time were complete and securely preserved because He said “it is written” (present perfect). He believed that His Father’s preservation of the inspired Word was an ongoing endeavor and that what He was reading was the holy word of God. Therefore, by this one passage we can know that at least the Old Covenant is complete, entire, preserved, inspired and authoritative.

Jesus assured us that not only would it be impossible for the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter from the law to pass before its accomplishment,[3] but that the same standard applied to His teaching.[4] “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever."[5]

The question of the Bible’s preservation is the same old question the devil has always used to sow doubt into the minds of the faithful. “Did God really say…?”[6] And it inevitably leads to the same conclusion; “No, you will not die…”[7] Through the ages those who have questioned the Bible’s preservation have inevitably ended up placing themselves as authorities above it.

We must remember that not everyone who claims to be a believer or a wise Bible scholar actually is![8] We must decide whether we join Paul in his declaration, “God must be true, but everyone is a liar, as it is written: That you may be justified in Your words…”[9]



[1] Romans 4:21
[2] 2 Timothy 3:16-17
[3] Matthew 5:18
[4] Matthew 12:34
[5] Isaiah 40:8 cp 1 Peter 1:23-25
[6] Genesis 3:1
[7] Genesis 1:4
[8] Matthew 7:21
[9] Romans 3:4

Ten Soldiers

first posted in May, 2006

“I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.” Philippians 1:4-5

You may not be gifted as a missionary. You may never have to face the danger of martyrdom. It’s not everyone’s task to face the devil in his lair and send him packing through the power of the Holy Spirit. You may spend the entirety of your life safely within the confines of the state or county in which you were born. But you can take part in the great battle.

Pray for those who are so gifted and tasked. You cannot imagine how comforting it is to missionaries, evangelists, pastors, or prisoners of conscience to know that there are prayer warriors calling their name before the throne of God. It is enough psychologically to know that people remember you.

One of the key elements in breaking a prisoner of war is to get them to think they are all alone and forgotten. If they find out that their friends and family are moving heaven and earth to free them, you’ll never break them. But prayer is so much more than psychological comfort. There is real power granted whether or not the recipient is aware of the prayers.

A group of missionaries were serving in the jungles of South America. They were attempting to reach a tribe that was known for killing strangers. One night, the tribesmen surrounded the missionaries. The missionaries couldn’t see them in the darkness, but could hear them moving in the jungle underbrush. All night long, those men and women prayed, asking God for deliverance. Finally, in the predawn hours, the tribesmen left without firing a shot.

Many months later the missionaries made successful contact and a church was begun in that tribe. They asked the natives why they hadn’t attacked that night many months earlier. The natives replied “Because of the ten soldiers.”

“What ten soldiers?” the missionaries asked.

“There were ten soldiers with rifles,” the natives insisted.

Later that same year, while on furlough, one of the missionaries was relating that story to a supporting church. After the service, an older gentleman approached him. “What was the date of that incident?” he asked.

When informed of the date, the man took out a journal, checked the date and told the missionary “On that day, our prayer group was praying for you when we were impressed that you were in serious need. We prayed earnestly for you for hours. That night there were ten of us in attendance.”

You may not be a great missionary. You may never know the adventures of the front lines. But your prayers are just as needful as their service. Don’t let them down. Meditation: Pray for missionaries, evangelists, pastors, or prisoners of conscience.

Euodia’s Contention

So then, in this way, my dearly loved brothers, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:1-5 HCSB

Euodia and Syntyche were leaders of the Philippian church. They still attended the worship services and faithfully performed their ministry duties. However, the two women sat on opposite sides of the room and tried to not even see each other. When forced into conversation, they were icily polite. The tension between them could be cut with a knife and it was beginning to cause strain in this fragile young church.

Women in Macedonia were treated much more equally than almost anywhere else. They worked, kept their earnings, could buy and sell property and their opinions were valued; so Paul did not speak condescendingly to these two strong women. Besides, he considered them his reward in ministry[1] using the Greek “stephanos.” This was not the crown given to a king[2] but a crown of achievement given to an athlete. He urged them rather than simply commanding them to have an “attitude adjustment.”

Notice what basis of agreement he recommended. He urged them to agree “in the Lord.” The man who had had a serious debate with Barnabas over John Mark and split over it,[3] was no hypocrite. He was not about to tell them to overlook their consciences or doctrinal differences. Yet spiritual unity was vital to the continued health of the Philippian church.

He told them to “phroneo” which means to exercise their minds, to think. What were they to think about? First, they needed to remember that their primary loyalty should not be to their own views but to their Lord. Second, that they should recall their first passionate love of spreading the Gospel and consider how they could reignite those flames. Third, they had to keep in mind that they were both in the book of life. They were no longer strangers – they were family. Fourth, they needed to obey Hashem’s longstanding command to do everything joyfully. Fifth, graciousness should be the natural reaction of one who has been forgiven of a huge debt of sin.[4] Lastly, the proximity of our Lord’s return should always be kept in mind.[5] Woe to the servant who disregards that truth and as a result abuses his fellow servants![6]

Keeping these eternal elements in mind should help us maintain the proper perspective on earthly, temporal divisions. We must not allow ourselves to stiffen up and dig our heels in over issues that, in the grand scheme of things, are not that critical. Christ’s church is simply too important.

[1] 1 Thessalonians 2:19
[2] which was “diadema”
[3] Acts 15:39
[4] Matthew 18:23-35
[5] Matthew 24:42-44; 25:13; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36
[6] Matthew 24:45-51; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

The Origins of the Old Covenant

History of the Bible

Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, either by our message or by our letter. - 2 Thessalonians 2:15 HCSB

To discuss the history of the English Bible is to discuss languages. You must realize that only 1,000 years ago, English didn’t even exist. But the Bible is so much older than that. In fact, while some parts of the Bible are estimated to be over 3,500 years old, the most recent addition to it is 2,000 years old. That’s the modern part! So, in order to develop a proper understanding of where the Bible comes from we must go back – way back.

The first recorded instance of God’s Word being put into writing was when the Lord Himself wrote it down in the form of the Ten Commandments. This may have occurred between 1,400 and 1,500 years ago. So the earliest scripture was originally written on either stone tablets, or on leather. The leather was usually sheep, but sometimes came from deer or cattle. Of course, pig hide was never used since it was declared unclean.

The Old Testament’s 39 books were written over a period of time spanning from around 1500 to 400 BC by many different authors. The language used was either Hebrew or Aramaic, both of which, like English, were “picture languages” meaning that the words were very graphic and formed images in your mind when you heard them.

William Tyndale, the first man to ever print the Scriptures in English and a man so fluent in eight different languages that he could pass for a native, declared that Hebrew was ten times easier to translate into English than any other language!

According to Jewish tradition, around 450 BC, Ezra collected and arranged some of the Old Testament books. These writings were collected and transcribed onto scrolls which could be over 150 feet long when stretched out. Since a single sheep can only provide about two to three feet of hide, it obviously took an entire flock of sheep to make a single Torah scroll.

To make things even worse, the Jewish scribes were unbelievable perfectionists. If they made the smallest mistake, say let two letters touch or put an accent mark in the wrong place, they would not only destroy the entire hide they were currently working on but the one preceding it as well because it had touched a panel on which there had been a mistake. A bit over the top, I understand, and bordering on superstition for sure. However, that fastidiousness resulted in our receiving the Scriptures from their hands after thousands of years of time with almost no errors at all.

We need to thank God for their faithfulness to accuracy in preserving His Word. We also need to dedicate ourselves to develop the same taste for accuracy, that same passion for recounting EXACTLY the Lord’s commands that they had.

All That and a Bag of Chips

Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you also. – Philippians 3:12-15 HCSB

There is a deeply twisted and dark tendency in each of us that the Jews refer to as the “yetzer hara”, or the “negative impulse.” The really strange thing about this negative impulse is that it consistently comes out as highly positive and motivational.

“You are glorious! You are unlimited!” we are told. They might as well trumpet, “You are all that and a bag of chips!” Our sick and deceitful hearts[1] respond with a quickened beat. Our darkened minds, longing for the title “wise”,[2] betray the fact that we are yet trapped in our prideful sins[3] and are in fact fools.[4] We don’t realize that Satan is once again luring us with that stale, age-old bait - “you can be like God!”[5]

Like all the best lies, this one is based on a grain of truth. The Scriptures do in fact teach that we have unlimited potential. “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”[6] However, notice that the sense of worth or potential lies not within the human but within the One who is within us. If we conquer, it is only because the One who is in us is greater than anyone in the world.[7]

Where the world calls us to be strong and self-sufficient, the apostle Paul taught that we should not merely admit that we are weak but actually revel in the fact that Christ’s power resides in us and perfects us.[8] He recognized that, but for the grace of God, he would be nothing more than lion food.[9] He readily admitted that he needed to be rescued. At the end of his life, at the pinnacle of his spiritual maturity he still admitted, “I’ve not yet achieved my goal. I’m still lacking. I’m still trying to be Christ-like.”[10]

I understand many people struggle with self-esteem. I know how hard it is to strive and fail. But feeding into human pride through appealing but essentially humanistic thought processes will not help. It is like pouring gas onto an open flame. We will never conquer our yetzer hara by appealing to pride.

Pride is the ultimate sin. The desire for self-advancement and glory, the love of money, power and accomplishment is the very root of evil. Pride caused the devil to fall.[11] Pride caused Adam and Eve to fall.[12] Pride made Moses stumble.[13] Pride and the longing to have others think well of them caused Ananias and Saphira to die.[14] The same thing got the apostle Peter a public rebuke by Paul.[15] God resists the proud but He draws near to the humble.[16]

When we have a true encounter with God the result will not be a swelling of our chests. Like the prophet we will say “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”[17]

[1] Jeremiah 17:9
[2] Matthew 23:8
[3] Acts 8:22-23
[4] Romans 1:21-22
[5] Genesis 3:5
[6] Philippians 4:13
[7] 1 John 4:4
[8] 2 Corinthians 12:9
[9] 2 Timothy 4:17
[10] Philippians 3:12-15
[11] Ezekiel 28:17
[12] Genesis 3:5
[13] Numbers 20:10-12
[14] Acts 4:36-5:11
[15] Galatians 2:11-14
[16] James 4:6-10
[17] Isaiah 6:5

The Massacre of the Innocents

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more. - Matthew 2:16-18 HCSB

So many innocent children killed for the sake of political expediency! We shake our heads in wonder, not only at the blackness present in the heart of a man who could order such and atrocity, but at the ferocity of soldiers who would carry it out.

Ever since that dark night, the birth of the Christ has been particularly associated with giving gifts to children. It’s almost as if the world has unconsciously decided to assuage its collective guilt over this one unthinkable act.

However, like most attempts to simply pay off guilt, the solution is nearly as bad as the original problem. We shower our kids with piles of gifts, replacing a native and innocent fascination with simple toys and empty boxes with hard-eyed narcissistic materialism. We dig ourselves deeper and deeper into debt each year trying to maintain the appearance of what the world has dictated to be the proper way to celebrate the birth of Christ.

How ironic that the Messiah, who shed all His rights to divinity, came to our world as a servant,[2] was born in a barn[3] and lived His entire life without so much as a house or a personal bed,[4] is celebrated in an orgiastic display of conspicuous consumption!

I’m not advocating that we don’t celebrate or exchange gifts. After all, the giving of gifts is a natural and expected event at the birth of a king. Didn’t the wise men bring gifts?[5] What I am trying to encourage is the development of a careful attitude in regards to presents. We need to be certain that our gifts are actually developing a Christ-like attitude in our children. We need to be certain that we are not building future shopping zombies who think their sole purpose in life is to acquire “stuff.”

How much better it would be to give our children the gift of character, to teach them right from wrong and to develop their ability to choose wisely. How superior is the gift of humility! How wonderful to help them earn money and teach them to give gifts to each other, rather than to simply allow them to passively wait for “Santa” or Mom and Dad to provide everything for them.

Herod killed the innocent children of Bethlehem for the sake of political expediency. Let’s not, for the sake of personal convenience, massacre the innocence of our children.


[2] Philippians 2:6-8
[3] Luke 2:7
[4] Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58
[5] Matthew 2:11

Hot Rod Efficiency

The Law of God

Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them. - Psalms 115:3-8 HCSB

Two men in my church build cars for a living that are not like your father’s Neon. Their cars are sleek, powerful and wonderfully classy. Their shop, called Pure Hot Rods,[1] is small, tight and cram-packed with tools. Like their cars, there is nothing spare, nothing extra in it. Everything has a point; everything is essential.

When Yahweh Boreh[2] created the universe, He built into it everything it needed for the creation of life. Consider the gravitational force constant, G. If G were even slightly tweaked, complex life could not exist.

Then there are the finely tuned parameters of the strong nuclear force constant, weak nuclear force constant, electromagnetic force constant, and ratio of electron to proton mass. If any one of these parameters were even slightly smaller or slightly larger, chemistry as we know it would be impossible. Even something as basic as molecules would probably not even exist.

Carbon, which is essential for life, is made in stars during the fusion of three helium atoms. It is only due to an extraordinary "coincidence" in the resonant energies of helium, beryllium and carbon that stars make lots of carbon. Change that resonant energy by just 0.0001% and carbon would be impossible to make. No carbon – no life.

These natural laws that Hashem installed all are incredibly important for the existence of life. Like Pure Hot Rod’s cars, the universe is built with a specific purpose in mind and everything required for the accomplishment of that purpose is built in.

Just as Hashem made these natural laws part of the woof and weave of the fabric of space-time, He also built certain moral laws into our lives.[3] Every culture looks down on cowardice. Every race agrees that society must be built on certain essential familial loyalties. Every tribe agrees that random killing for pleasure is wrong.

However, the Lord God went beyond natural law and moral law. He gave us biblical law[4] so that we would clearly know His requirements.[5] The advent of the Christ did not mitigate that Law.[6] It is all required; all necessary. The Law is our Guardian, guiding us, defining sin and holiness for us until the Perfect Example could come and lead us into its fulfillment.[7]

What do these laws demonstrate if not the principle of Hashem’s sovereignty? We are not our own. We exist in heteronomy: under another’s law - specifically, a theonomy, the law of God. Like the natural law of gravity, we can ignore God’s moral and biblical laws, but only to our personal harm.


[1] Purehotrods.com
[2] Boreh – Creator (Isaiah 40:28)
[3] Romans 1:18-19
[4] Exodus 20:1-17
[5] Romans 7:7-25
[6] Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 7:7
[7] Galatians 3:23-29

The Candle of Remorse

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and younger sisters. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. I will establish My covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD, so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. - Ezekiel 16:61-63 HCSB

There once was a man who had inadvertently committed a sin. He was mortified by his mistake and approached a righteous elder about the issue. “How will I ever make atonement for such a terrible sin?” the man sobbed.

The tzaddik (righteous one) knew that the man tended to be superstitious so he ordered him to simply bring a candle to God’s house and light it. Another believer who overheard the conversation strongly disapproved and decided to watch what would happen so that he could reprove the elder.

The sinner brought his candle but before he could light it, a dog ran in, snatched it out of his hand and ran off with it! The poor man was terrified. He cried out, “God has rejected my sacrifice! I remain guilty of my sin!”

The judgmental believer smiled in satisfaction at the sinner’s discomfiture but the tzaddik knew what was going on and had a plan. He calmed the man down. “These things happen! Just because a dog ate your candle doesn’t necessarily mean Hashem rejects you. Bring another candle tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

The next day the man tried to light his candle, but a wind arose and blew it out. The poor man only had the one match and couldn’t light it again and so his attempts to atone for his sin were yet again stymied.

Finally, the tzaddik explained things to both the sinner and his critic. “You’re right. God has rejected your sacrifice, but not for the reason you both think. The Creator of Light who lives in the Heavenlies and who will one day light up New Jerusalem with His glory has no need for your candle. Your true, godly remorse[1] is worth more to Him than a million candles.”[2]

Shame and remorse have a proper and valuable place in Ransomed theology. Hashem reproved the nation of Israel for their sin, but in His mercy He made atonement for them. His goal was that they would, when they recalled their former sin, feel shame and in their disgrace humbly shut their mouths.

Too many of us are either like the sinner, thinking that we have to somehow earn our way back into God’s graces or like the critic who forgot that he too was a sinner in need of mercy. When we sin, let us light the candle of remorse and wait for Hashem to raise our heads.[3] Then let us be merciful when others also sin.

[1] 2 Corinthians 7:10; Matthew 26:75
[2] Psalm 32:5; 51:17; Hosea 6:6; Mark 12:33; Romans 12:2
[3] 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 5:5-6

What Did Jesus Read?

The History of the Bible

He said to them, "How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didn't the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. - Luke 24:25-27 HCSB

About 500-400 BC, papyrus, a kind of paper that was made from the Papyrus plant, started becoming popular. The outer rind was cut off and the sticky inner pith was cut into strips that were laid side by side with another layer on top perpendicular to the first layer. These two layers were hammered together and then pressed as they dried, forming a type of paper that could be written on.

Interestingly, the plant had both edible and inedible uses. When used for eating, it was commonly referred to as “papuros”. However, when it was used for writing it was called Βύβλος which is pronounced “bublos”. This is where the word “bible” originates.

By about 500 BC, all original Hebrew manuscripts which make up the 39 Books of the Old Testament were completed. Somewhere around 250-100 BC, during the time period referred to by Bible scholars as the inter-testamental period, or the “400-year silence”, a group of Jewish scholars in Alexandria Egypt made a Greek translation of this Hebrew Bible (that Christians refer to as the Old Testament). It was called the “Septuagint”. “Septuagint” means seventy. It got this name because traditionally there were 70 scholars who did this work. It is sometimes abbreviated LXX which is the Roman numeral for seventy.

This group arranged the Old Testament books topically: historical, poetic, law, prophetic, etc. It was during this work that that the Jewish historical works that became known as the “Apocrypha” were added to the original Septuagint. Apocrypha means “hidden”. These books were included in the Hebrew Bible until around AD 90, when a council of Jewish rabbis removed them.

So by around a century before Christ, the Old Testament existed in the format and structure we are familiar with. When the Christ referred to “the Scriptures”, this was what He was referring to. When He stood in the synagogue and read from a scroll, He read “"These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled."[1]

He made reference to the Law of Moses (which we refer to as the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Bible), the prophets and the Psalms, showing that Jesus Himself was using the format organized by the 70 scholars. So Jesus Himself read out of and approved the use of the Septuagint. However, neither the Christ nor the Apostles ever quoted from the Apocrypha which was removed from the Hebrew Bible during the lifetimes of the Apostles.


[1] Luke 24:44

Halakha – The Right Way to Go

"Does any of you who has a complaint against someone dare go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels--not to speak of things pertaining to this life? So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge? I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one person among you who will be able to arbitrate between his brothers? Instead, brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!" - 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 HCSB

Thousands of years ago, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, suggested that Moses delegate some of his authority to lower courts so that the people would be able to get timely justice. This suggestion was adopted and formalized by God’s explicit command to "establish judges and officers in your gates."

The office and role of these "judges and officers", or as they were later identified "elders and deacons," is categorically established as New Testament church doctrine and practice.

One of the more important roles of an elder is that of Dayan or judge. Many times, God’s people (who are unfortunately not yet perfect) are unsure as to the correct behavior in a given circumstance. They often come and ask shayla (religious questions) of a posek (an elder assigned to answer such questions).

Elders anxious to correctly teach the word of truth meet together and discuss the Scriptures’ application to real-world issues in what is known as a Beit Din, which is a type of congregational court. Though it is uncommon to find such a structure among Christians, it should be common among the Ransomed for we see it clearly in today’s passage.

The elders, therefore, acting as Dayanim or judges, are responsible for the development of Halakha. Halakha is the collective corpus of biblical law that governs the behavior of the Ransomed Ones. Halakha comes from the Hebrew word halach which means "to walk" or "to go". It is probably better understood as "the right way to go."

Halakha is generally broken down into
- Devar Mishnah (clear settled law),
- Shikul HaDaat (matters not settled and left to the understanding of the individual) and
- Minhag (customs or community practices that are not directly commanded by God but that have been found to be useful to tzaddikim)

Halakha is developed from both explicit biblical instructions and implicit case history. A wise elder will prefer having both explicit instruction and case history illustrating the point in hand before rendering a decision.

Adherence to Halakha is not the means to but the result of salvation. After all, the Master said our love would be demonstrated by obedient lives.

Four Questions

...no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid--that is, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one's work. If anyone's work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. – 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 HCSB

The sages like to use a fable to teach an important principle – that of accountability. They say that when you get to heaven you will be asked four important questions:

The first is “Did you live a life marked by integrity?” In other words, were your actions characterized by service or self-seeking interest? Did your actions agree with your words? Were you honest in your business dealings and scrupulous in your speech? A soul that has in fact been healed will be marked by careful obedience to the Lord God, doing what is right in His eyes, paying attention to His commands and keeping all His statutes.[1]

The second question is supposedly “Did you set aside time to study God’s Word?” It is impossible to live a life of a Ransomed One if you don’t know what righteousness is. The only way to know God’s requirements concerning salvation and right living are to study His love letter.[2]

According to the fable, the third question will be “Did you try to procreate?” They are not talking about having babies, though God surely does love children! They are talking about our attempts to lead others into a relationship with God. Being heavenly-minded and desirous of influencing others to love God is a hallmark of a Ransomed One. So we will be asked “Did you try to procreate? Did you try to replicate your love of God in the hearts of those with whom you came in contact? Did you infect others with reverence?” Like Paul[3], have you had spiritual children?

The last question will be “Did you hope for the world’s redemption?” Did you make God’s passion your own? Did you so identify with God that your will and His intertwined and became indivisible? God is not willing that any soul should die.[4] He longs to have everyone of His prodigals returned home, every sheep within the fold. Didn’t He command us, “Tell them: ‘As I live’ -the declaration of the Lord God- ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent! Repent of your evil ways! Why will you die?”[5]

Four questions regarding integrity, study, evangelism and witness. I believe the Sages may be onto something for the Lord Himself focused on these very issues.[6] Four questions – how will you answer?

[1] Exodus 15:26
[2] 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-17
[3] 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:2
[4] 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9
[5] Ezekiel 33:11 HCSB
[6] Matthew 6:33

The Pastor and the Mason

"Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other people--greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.' "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, 'God, turn Your wrath from me--a sinner!' I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 18:10-14 HCSB

[1]Two men, a pastor and a mason, were believers. The pastor, being hired by a congregation, had plenty of time to study the Scriptures and pray. He would delve deeply into the Word, trying to resolve critical issues that could only be determined by studying in Greek or Hebrew. Obviously, he didn’t miss any services.

In the same church was a mason. Because he had to work twelve hard hours a day, he frequently missed services. He rarely came to Wednesday night Bible studies or the Sunday evening service. He often arrived late to the Sunday morning service, looking harried and exhausted. There were even times when he occasionally nodded off during the sermon, as he struggled with his exhaustion and the warmth of the building. However, the mason loved the Lord. He deeply regretted not having more time to study His Word, and was mortified each time he fell asleep in church. He longed to know God and to be a better servant, but what was a man to do? He had to support his family!

When the pastor saw the mason nodding off in church, or noticed his absence on Wednesday night, he shook his head saying condemningly, “Some people simply aren’t as dedicated as they should be.”

Both men passed away and found themselves standing before Yawheh Shaphat – the Lord our Judge.[2] When asked what he had done as a steward of Hashem’s resources,[3] the pastor proudly stated, “I prayed long and hard, studied the Scriptures for hours, and never missed a service.”

However, Hashem’s response was, “Yet you have missed the point. You are proud of your religiosity and have looked down upon my faithful servant the mason.”

When the mason’s turn came, he bowed his head regretfully and mourned, “I have been a very poor servant. I have found little time to study your Scriptures, have missed many services and sometimes even fell asleep during them. I’m very sorry.”

Yet Hashem’s response was, “Your groans speak of your longing for your Creator.[4] Well done, my faithful servant.”

Hashem knows our limitations and expects us to care for our families.[5] What He longs for is not religiosity but passionate love.[6] Do what you can.[7]

[1] The Pharisee and the Publican by an unknown French Master
[2] Hebrews 9:27
[3] Matthew 25:19-21
[4] Romans 8:23-26
[5] 1 Timothy 5:8; Romans 12:13; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Galatians 6:6, 10; Ephesians 4:28; James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17
[6] Amos 5:21-24; Isaiah 1:11-18; Mark 12:30-31 cp Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18
[7] Luke 21:3-4; Matthew 14:17 cp Mark 6:38 and Luke 9:13 every little bit counts