Many great thinkers have influenced multitudes in their era and beyond, though none compare with Jesus of Nazareth. That is a strong claim, but it can easily be substantiated. He never authored a book
Yeshua chose twelve disciples to follow Him, and this book presents the testimonies of twelve individuals who found Messiah. Some of his disciples were fisherman from Galilee and another was a tax-collector (an occupation
Now imagine that you are Samuel. God has imparted a vital message to proclaim to Eli, but you are not going to be the bearer of ‘good news’ . I doubt Samuel slept much
Samuel’s call to ministry and the collapse of Eli’s house occurred at a pivotal time in Israel’s history.This was a period of transition from Theocracy to monarchy, judges to kings and to some extent
Abundant and evident beauty points to the existence and glory of God. The aesthetic argument for God shares similarities with the teleological argument (order and intelligent design by the supreme Creator). We often quote
Some people today state that they are ‘spiritual’ though not religious in the conventional sense. One might read the above quote and state that Spinoza was a Pantheist. He presented a form of rational
Sigmund Freud had a complicated relationship with religion as well as his family. His ancestors were of Hasidic descent, though his father was more akin to reformed Judaism and his self- analysis influenced his
Marx was one of the most influential thinkers in history. He divided society into two strata, the bourgeoisie (elite ruling class) and the proletariat; and he viewed religion as a means of social control
Emile Durkheim conducted fascinating studies leading to insightful yet sweeping conclusions. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were rabbis though he broke tradition and studied philosophy.[i] Much to his credit, he defended Alfred Dreyfus
Filmmaker Tim Mahoney investigated archaeological digs with reference to the early and late dates for the Exodus and his findings could be summarised as follows. When the timeline for the Exodus from 1 Kings
Controversy has arisen within archaeology concerning the historicity and timing of the Exodus. The Director, Timothy Mahoney was reluctant to make a film on this subject since he knew it would inevitably result in
It is not difficult to understand the logic driving Maslow’s famous pyramid. Physiological needs occupy the bottom and most crucial foundational strata relating to food, water, warmth, and rest. Survival guides recognise that in
Einstein spent the latter part of his career trying to determine what holds the universe together. Despite his previous achievements with regard to his theory of relativity, the speed of light as constant, and
Solomon wrote “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9)” and that was clearly evident in the life of Isaac Levinsohn. His story was more akin to a
The book of Habakkuk closes with a prayer and a hymn. The prayer is a useful template for us when we pray that the Lord might revive His work in the midst of the
In the previous chapter we discovered that God would use Babylon to judge Judah. Not surprisingly Habakkuk was baffled since Babylon was more corrupt than Judah though he chose to hold his peace and
Do you ever look at a corrupt ruler, society or nation and think how long will that continue? How could that possibly happen and more importantly why? How long will there be violence, iniquity,
Biblical prophecy is so compelling, detailed, and accurate that it can be likened with history written in advance. When history and prophecy converge, they find fulfilment in Messiah and His purposes for Israel and
In this chapter we see the encouraging dawn of blessings already fulfilled though there are further blessings to come in the Messianic Age. Israel has been inhabited, Jewish people have returned to Israel from
God commanded the children of Israel to camp in front of Pi- Hahiroth between Migdol and the sea in front of Baal- Zephon. Much ink has been used and many maps drawn in an
Biblical covenants reassure us of God’s faithfulness and reveal God’s plans. The Noahic Covenant includes a reaffirmation of God’s creative purposes contained in the Edenic Covenant plus an extension of the seed promise from
Little time passed before Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation and broke the Edenic Covenant (Genesis 2:15-17) by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Hence the dispensation of innocence
The Edenic Covenant, which is sometimes referred to as the Covenant of Works was established between God and man in the Garden of Eden. It is the first of the eight biblical covenants and
The apostle John immediately draws our attention to that which was from the beginning. This unmistakeably relates to Genesis 1:1, John 1:1 and Hebrews 1:1-4 since our Saviour was not created and was from
The Feast of Firstfruits is another important marker in God’s prophetic calendar. It occurred a day after the Sabbath and coincided with the day that Yeshua was resurrected. This day formed a bridge between
Passover speaks of deliverance and salvation, whilst the Feast of Unleavened Bread concerns sanctification and living a holy life pleasing to God. They are connected since sanctification follows salvation with the goal of becoming
Pesach is a well- known feast carrying an important message, since it not only speaks of freedom from slavery, but also points to Messiah in so many ways. The timing of the Last Supper
In my teens, a friend of mine offered a natural explanation for the ten plagues. It went something like this. There was a plague in the Nile River, so the frogs went on land
Jeremiah was sanctified before he was born and ordained as a prophet to the nations. God would use him “to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build
The children of Israel were camped by the plains of Moab. Balak, King of the Moabites was afraid of the Israelites because they had grown numerous and he called on Balaam to curse Israel.