Musing – How Important is Honesty?

Hebraic Musing – How Important is Honesty?

Rabbi Elimelech was asked by his students “Are you certain that you will be let into Heaven?”  Rabbi answered “Absolutely.”  So the students asked “How can you be so sure?”

Rabbi’s answer “When we die in this world and we go before the heavenly court, we are asked certain questions.
They will ask me if I studied Torah to the best of my ability. And I will answer honestly: No.
Then they will ask if I fully surrendered to God in prayer. Again, I will answer honestly: No.
Next, they will ask if I did all of the good deeds that I could do while I was alive. I will answer honestly once more: No.
Then they will say: An honest man! Come, come, you have a place here!”

Why was Balak given more respect in the Torah study Parashah than Balaam?  (Numbers 22 to 24)  Balaam was not honest.  Balak may have been trying to destroy the Israelites, but at least he was honest.

Point to Ponder

How important is HONESTY?

 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     June 25, 2013

Musing – Grace and Peace to you from ……

Hebraic Musing – Grace and Peace to you from ……

In thirteen of Paul’s epistles, he opens with “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.  NIV  He blesses his readers with this salutation in -- Rom.1:7; 1 Cor.1:3; 2 Cor.1:2; Gal.1:3; Eph.1:2; Philippians 1:2; Col.1:2; 1 Thes.1:1; 2 Thes.1:2; 1 Tim.1:2; 2 Tim.1:2; Titus 1:4; Philem. 3

Peter and John both use similar salutations.  Peter opens both 1^st & 2^nd Peter with  “Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”    John’s opens 2 John with – “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love”.

Do you know the difference between Grace and Mercy? 
            Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
            Grace is getting what you do not deserve.

And in Rev 1:4 John again greets us with “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come…”

My friend, Buddy Hanson, provides me with a fresh weekly comeback when folks ask “How is it going?”  Maybe we could use Paul’s line as a greeting, which just might open an interesting conversation?

Point to Ponder

What would happen if I met someone and greeted them with --
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”?

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     June 18, 2013

Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and  “Biblical Marriage”

And weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”  Yosef1@cox.net  or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – Do we ‘want’ too much?

Hebraic Musing – Do we ‘want’ too much?

Something interesting about the start of Psalm 23...The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  NKJV

My friend, Marci, shared this with me awhile ago:

My daughter and I had been to Chicago on a “Shop til you Drop” bus tour.  On the way home, a billboard had a picture of a lamb and said, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want".  'Not sure how many times I've seen something similar. In that moment on that tour bus, God taught me something. Sure, part of that verse is about God's provision.  We've probably all heard that taught and preached.  Part of that verse though is about my own self-discipline.  "I shall not want"  It is a choice to want; or to be content. 

Did you catch that?  God promises to care for our needs. I am glad He does not fulfill all my wants or I’d have more things than I can handle, and I’d have some things I probably should not have.

Do I pay enough attention to Paul’s lesson in Phil 4:11-12  …for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.   NIV

Point to Ponder (or to pray)

“Lord, help me to be content; and to not ‘want’ so much.”

How much peace do we lose because of our ‘wants’?

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     June 4, 2013

Musing – Do we rationalize disobedience?

Hebraic Musing – Do we rationalize disobedience?

Should we be looking for ways to rationalize that it’s OK to disobey God, or should we instead be looking for opportunities to Obey Him?[1]  In ‘red letters’ Jesus said --

·      "If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 NKJV

·      “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.”  John 15:10 NKJV

The answer is not as easy as it sounds while we are living in this world, and especially in these times. Why do we hear things like –

·      “God’s Word is true, but this particular promise or principal no longer applies; it was meant for either a past or future generation.”  

·      “Politics are dirty, and we should not take part in them.” 

·      “That’s a secular issue, it doesn’t concern us if it’s not sacred (spiritual) issue?”

·      “Everyone else is doing it”

·      “Surely He did not mean for ‘everlasting’ ordinances to apply in today’s world!”
    (How many times when He gave us His Word did He say ‘everlasting’?)[2]

·      “Well, we honor Sunday as our Sabbath. We have to because everyone else does it.”

Have you heard similar examples recently of denials or watering down of His Words to us?

Now, are up ready for a tough one?   How many times have you heard the church trying to be PC and loving by saying “God hates the sin but loves the sinner”? Is that a modern PC lie?  God says in Ps 5:5 “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.”  And 14 times in the first 50 Psalms we see God’s hatred toward sinners, his wrath toward liars…[3]   After John 3:16 comes John 3:36  “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  (I warned you it was a tough one!)

Points to Ponder

Where might we have rationalized our way out of obedience to God’s Word?

Shalom

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     May 28, 2013

Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and  “Biblical Marriage”

And weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”  Yosef1@cox.net  or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

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[1] Inspired by Buddy Hanson on May 13, 2013

[2] I have heard it said that the OT is no longer applicable based on Mt. 5:17 Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” However if we continue reading Matt 5:18 “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”  And our work on earth is not finished/accomplished yet.

[3] Radical   by David Platt, Chapter 2