Alfred Edersheim wrote a major life of Christ called "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah." Edersheim's Jewish heritage gave him interesting insights into many of the beliefs and ways of life during the time of Christ. In his book (Vol.11, p.12), he wrote of the Jewish traditions concerning the defilement of hands and the accusation that Jesus did not keep these traditions (as recorded in Mark 7:1-9).
David Cloud has an excellent article on his site that I encourage you to read. It deals with our tendency to speak of salvation using unbiblical phrases. We talk about "giving our life to Christ" or "inviting Jesus into our hearts" as if these phrases truly described the act of salvation. They do not. That does not mean that those who use these phrases are unsaved. It only means we are sloppy in our terminology. This is important because these phrases are also sloppy in doctrinal meaning. We are not saved by inviting Jesus into our hearts but by believing on Him. It is true that we receive Him (John 1:12; Colossians 2:6), but this refers more to a receiving of His way and person. Our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Why should we invite Jesus in? The point is that we should get as close as possible to biblical terminology and meaning. Sloppy appeals for converts tend to make sloppy converts.
The following is an excerpt from Soldiers in Training by Brother Daryl Coats.
An article called "Who's in Charge Here?" in the Summer, 2006, edition of "the Wilson Quarterly" opens with these words: "The 20th century taught us that repressed desires are the source of human unhappiness. Now, with more possibilities for pleasure and fewer rules and constraints than ever before, the happy few will be those able to exercise self-control." The article continues with an excellent assessment of the dangers of modern temptations. One section deals with the removal of restraints. Very little keeps people from doing whatever they desire to do. Among those restraints that are weakened today are stigma (social shame for wrong doing), financial constraints (there is always credit), family (broken families provide little reason to do right), neighbors (they used to watch out for each other), and church (where sin has all but disappeared). But in the Bible, temperance (self-control) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and "every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things" (1Corinthians 9:25). Where are the Christians who will re-establish the virtue of self-control?
In early April of 2006, many of the major news media outlets (including MSNBC's website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12152740/) carried a story about a Florida State University professor who tried to help the Lord out by explaining a miracle, a supernatural event, in natural terms.
Tuesday's "Wall Street Journal" reviews a book called "A Perfect Mess" written by Eric Abrahamson and David Freedman. It makes a case that messiness has its purposes and is not always superior to neatness. This is appealing to me--one who has always struggled with messy desk syndrome. On one occasion I was pointedly told that my messy desk was a sign of a lazy Southerner and it was evidence for my lack of accomplishing much with my life. Ouch! That hurt. Why not just press the blade into my stomach and twist?
Whilst sorting out my book case over the recent holiday period I was struck by just how many books I have that I've never read and got thinking about just how long it will take me to read them all. I guess if I did read them all I would never need to buy another book again.
Genesis 43:32 states, "And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination...
