Purim is just around the corner and is a great start to our ministry’s “season”. It is a historical fact that God interacted in the affairs of the Jewish people almost 2,500 years ago. The retelling and celebration of this event has continued since that time, approx. 4th-5th Century BC.
Purim is also a welcoming, open, almost ‘evangelistic’ holiday of celebration of the destruction of the Jewish people’s enemies, the vindication of Mordecai, the bravery of Ester, and much more.
The stress for success is something present in our everyday life: working towards performance goals, getting the best deals, even achieving a new high score on your favorite video game, we continually strive for something more than what we are.
There’s always a mountain to climb, just make sure it’s the right one BEFORE you get to the top.
That’s OK to a point but when that becomes the end goal, we lose sight of WHY we’re trying to be better. What hole are we trying to fill by achieving that ‘something’ be it a title, a number, or a thing? Continue reading God’s Definition of Success
Teaching and preaching often use analogies. The Mishnah and New Testament use them extensively to help communicate a concept. One of my pastors has said, “no analogy is completely analogous”, meaning that some examples are more limited than others in applying a concept or principle.
In today’s world of the internet and false news, it’s easy to have an example which makes a great sound bite but is completely incorrect.
The New Testament warns of such things in Colossians 2:8 (NKJV)
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” and specifically prefaces this passage in verse 4 with avoiding being deceived with “fine-sounding arguments”.
One such examples of incorrect analogies you may have hears is the shepherd breaking the legs of the sheep (and carrying it).
In short, both of these examples are completely incorrect and false, at least according to nature.
To break an animals legs, even in the world of modern medicine, is a serious and traumatic event. The first example mentioned is from a book in 1955, “What Jesus Said” by Robert Boyd Munger. Continue reading Mythical Analogies
