Several awesome book recommendations!!

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Currently, I am reading several awesome books!!  I wanted to share a few quick thoughts on each and links to these excellent sources.

TRotKPigFirst up is Rabbi Itzhak Shapira’s scholarly work, The Return of the Kosher Pig.  As most of my readers will recognize, I have already mentioned this book several times in my writing, and a few more would not be too many!

While R. Shapira reveals a small part of his personal story in coming to Messiah Yeshua, he digs deeply into rabbinic writings to demonstrate that a Divine Messiah is not foreign to Judaic thought, particularly in the first century.  In addition to the obvious primacy of Scripture, his sources range from the Talmud and the Zohar to Targumim, Mishnah and various other writings.

Shapira uses an extensive bibliography to build a case that clearly demonstrates that even the most respected sages accepted Continue reading →

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David and Goliath. Prophecy? Let’s see…

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Several parts of my study have recently converged on 1 Samuel.  Initially, while looking at ‘אבן‘ or ‘stone,’ I was led to consider David and his use of a stone to slay Goliath.

In the considering of this story, I asked myself, ‘If David is a picture of Mashiach, then shouldn’t this story have some prophetic clues?’  Minimal digging in the immediate davids-sling-clipartsurrounding verses of the actual confrontation turned up a few real nuggets, but I had to move on to another topic/post burning in my chest.

As I worked on a post dealing with the error of dividing the Law, I was again led into 1 Samuel and a look at Saul.  A few more thoughts teased the corner of my mind and I decided to pursue…

The Jewish sages regard the Books of Kings to be prophetic.  I think that opinion would extend Continue reading →

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“What’s this sound of bleating in my ears?”

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Pete Rambo

I think my father used that line on me one time.  It sounds as a curious condemnation, but knowing the story behind it enlightens it.

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”  

In I Samuel 15 we find King Saul being clearly instructed by Samuel, the prophet, to defeat and “utterly destroy” the Amalekites.  The command from Yahweh was unambiguous.

Saul takes his army and defeats the Amalekites!  Most of us would give him a pat on the back, but Yahweh did not.  Saul was disobedient.

Contrary to ‘utterly destroying,’ as he had been commanded, Saul ‘spared’ king Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen and fatling lambs.  Honestly, by human standards, he got most of it right.

However, Continue reading →

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Some additional notes on Evan, the Cornerstone!

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Pete Rambo

After the study I put up the other day on the Hebrew word ‘אבן‘  (even or evan) meaning ‘stone,’ I decided to build on it for our congregation’s Wednesday evening Torah study.  I dug up a few more verses with the Hebrew word and we had a ‘ball’ just looking stone_2at familiar texts and ‘seeing’ new things as remez insights for Messiah.

Now, not all verses with the word ‘evan’ point to Mashiach, or at least we didn’t ‘see’ Him under every stone…  pun intended, but we found some really cool verses that you will enjoy, and they’ll peak your interest in other references as you read.

If you have not read the ‘אבן‘ study, you need to do so to understand the rest of this post… 😉 Continue reading →

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The Error of Dividing the Law

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Pete Rambo

For centuries, millenia, really, Christendom has embraced an error that it calls the ‘Three-Fold Division of the Law.’  It is particularly prevalent in Reformed circles, sometimes even called a ‘cornerstone’ of reformed teaching.  Most all other main streams of theology embrace the error to one degree or another, as a means of justifying their particular theological bent.

The general gist of the position is that the Law of Moses can be divided up into three categories; moral, civil, ceremonial; and that two of the three categories are no longer valid, or have been annulled/abrogated.

The thumbnail sketch of history will often assign the origins of this division to Thomas Aquinas in the 1200’s, where indeed he did articulate most clearly and popularize the system of thought, but the threads of this can be traced into the mid-200’s.  (Those who desire a quick jaunt through history can read The Threefold Division of the Law by Continue reading →

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A thought… Biblical Exegesis.

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Great short teaching on Biblical Exegesis.

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Explaining Colossians 2:14-16…

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Excellent video…  Learned some interesting new things about Indonesia and Richard Dawkins…  Seems they are connected.  Should we be?

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Of elephants and theologians….

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Pete Rambo

On an unnamed blog that I read from time to time, the question was asked,

We understand that the Old Covenant was inaugurated with blood (Ex. 34) and its terms were verbally established for God’s people through the giving of the Law. If the New Covenant was similarly inaugurated with blood (Luke 22), when was its content verbally established?

As soon as I saw the question, fireworks went off in my head!  Here is an Achilles heel!

Because that blog is largely frequented by Reformed pastors and elders, I chose to watch it for 24 hours before responding.  I wanted to see what answers would be posted by a ‘covenantal theology’ crowd.

Frankly, I was deeply disappointed.  I shouldn’t have been, because a simple look at the question reveals that it can only lead where Christendom does NOT want to go, thus revealing an Achilles heel. Continue reading →

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Torah Time ~ Beresheit part 1- Gen 1:1-6:8

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Torah Time ~ Beresheit part 1- Gen 1:1-6:8.

You will totally enjoy this study of the alef-tav based in Genesis 1:1.  Bithiah does an excellent job revealing connections to Mashiach and tying the beginning of ‘the Book’ to the end!  Enjoy!

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Evan, the cornerstone, revealing Mashiach.

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Pete Rambo

A couple weeks ago, as we studied Devarim (Deuteronomy) 32, verses 30 and 31 stood out to me.

How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had given them up?
Indeed their rock is not like our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves judge this.

It led me on an interesting study of the word ‘rock’ and that title for Yahweh and/or Messiah.

Currently, I am reading a dynamite book, The Return of the Kosher Pig, by Rabbi Itzhak Shapira, and I ran across a related remez that knocked my socks off!  In it, as he makes a scholarly defense from rabbinic sources evan

for the Divine Messiah Yeshua, there is a picture and related thoughts that again brought to the forefront this study of the ‘Rock.’

Admittedly, the Hebrew word used in Devarim is not the same as the word meaning ‘stone,’ but the connections are obvious.

As one can see from the illustration to the right (from page 90 of The Return of the Kosher Pig) the Hebrew word for ‘stone’ or ‘evan’ can be divided into two words, ‘Av’ and ‘Ben,’ (where the ‘bets’ overlap) meaning Continue reading →

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Wow!! What a week! Sukkot2013…

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Pete Rambo

I slept in this morning…  sure needed it!

The last three months have been at least partly consumed with getting ready to host Sukkot.  The Father’s hand was clearly involved all the way through, but I often found myself worrying that I’d miss some detail, overlook some important factor, or just plain fail…  He exceeded abundantly above all I could ask or imagine!  Let me share some thoughts and stories!

If I could put a particular theme on this week from my vantage point, it would be ‘healing.’  We saw the Father’s hand bring healing in multiple situations and ailments.  More in a minute!

This was my third Sukkot.  The first two were celebrated Continue reading →

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“Grace IS the Law!!”

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Pete Rambo

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Sukkot 2013!! Pics from the Feast…

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Pete Rambo

Hey, all!!  I just wanted to share some of the pics and fun we are having…  There are about 60 people with another 40 or so expected over the weekend.  Most are camping…  I have my hammock up in the barn…

Sukkot pics 032

Wind has not been an issue until today…  Weather is PERFECT!!  Mid to high 70s Continue reading →

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Joel Olsteen and I agree? Say it isn’t so!!**

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Pete Rambo

A blog I follow totally surprised me with a Joel Olsteen clip this morning…  Who needs coffee.  The shock of agreeing with him was enough!!  I’m awake now!!

Check this short clip out!  He gets it right!!

 

**The reason we agree is that we accept what God said on this matter and act on it.

Shalom!

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‘Be ye holy, as I am holy…’

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Pete Rambo

The Apostle Peter quotes from the ‘old’ testament when he says, ‘Be ye holy, as I am holy.’  What does this really mean?  What does the ‘church’ tell us it means, versus what Scripture tells us it means?

We’ll look at the context of Peter’s quote in a minute, first, we must understand what the word ‘holy’ means.  The Greek gives us part of the picture, but the concept is rooted in the Hebrew.

From Strong’s Concordance, the Greek Continue reading →

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