Walking with Jesus

One of the tools I enjoy using both in my classes and in my own devotional times is The Bible Project . They have a Bible Reading App you can download for free. This video is a sample of one of the theme videos, but they also have videos introducing each book of the Bible, with a particular focus on understanding the overall structure and purpose of that book.

An old Jewish proverb says, "Reading the Bible in translation is like kissing your bride through a veil." Thus, one of my goals right now is to be able to encounter God through His Word without the veil. I take my Hebrew Comprehensive Exam in less than and weak, and I'm hard at work translating and studying. In fact, even this blog post represents the sort of commentary I am expected to be able to make, so thanks for the opportunity to practice. The passages I am working on are selected by the grammar I am using. So, I find it curious that I should be learning what I am through them. In one particularly famous story from Genesis 29, Jacob works for his uncle Laban for 7 years in order to marry Rachel, the younger of Laban's two daughters, whom he loves. Laban tricks him after those seven years and he ends up married to Leah. However, there is a little word in this story that indicates that Jacob (though very patient ) is perhaps not very wise in his choice to b...

Christian America, are you paying attention? The question isn't " if? " but " when? " Jesus says in no uncertain terms that we will suffer as he did. Consider these verses as a starting point. Do we really think persecution means being 'unfriended' or having nasty Tweets written about us? That isn't what it looked like for Jesus. [Image from Schindler's List] 77 years ago today , 65,000 Jews were shipped to the Chelmno Killing Center from the Lodz Ghetto near Warsaw where they had been imprisoned for almost 2 years. Men, women, and children suffered and died terribly because of who their parents had been. Christians, Whose you daddy? Are you willing to suffer for Him? He was willing to suffer for you!

I've been working on this PhD in Old Testament from Gateway Seminary for years now. I've poured hundreds of hours, thousands of dollars, and over 6 years into answering this divine call. Through it all, Olivia has patiently supported and encouraged me. Go her!!!  One of the biggest challenges I've faced has been learning the Hebrew language. I had a good 12 years between my Master's work and these PhD studies, and I wasn't very good a Hebrew the first time around. So, as someone who has really struggled and passionately desired to get this language, I wanted to let you know what I've found that actually works. Of course, classroom experience is usually best, but that isn't a valid option for most people. [Warning, effectively learning biblical Hebrew is an investment that takes time and practice, especially if your goal is to be able to pick up your Hebrew Bible and actually read it.] So, here are my recommendations for study on your own: ...