Another Look at Paris

Last week, I spoke about Paris, and I mentioned that in a tragedy like this, we as Christians become burdened for a little while and then a few days later, go on with their lives. Maybe we make a temporary Facebook profile picture, maybe we put up flags, but eventually the emotion of the moment dies down, and we ignore the still real ramifications of what's going on in the world.

And I must admit that I am as guilty about this as anyone else. I have had times where my burden for the situation in Paris, which was first so strong because of the number of people affected, and the superb opportunity for the church to shine a spotlight in this tragedy, has started to slowly dwindle. I pray about it every other day, but not as a consistent daily occurrence.

And it's only been a week since the events happened! How is this so? How is that the emotions that are felt throughout the world are so transient that we even now start to feel unaffected by the tragedy and more concerned with the implications of a text message we sent?

A far cry are we from the works of Nehemiah who kept his burden for 4-5 months. A far cry are we from the old men of the faith who would pray constantly and long-term for those affected by poverty.

Admittedly, we will not all be burdened like Nehemiah about every situation. That would be insane and a scary world. But I think we should be able to still desire prayer for these people.

And then of course, there are the people critiquing the fact that we are up in arms about this and not about the killings that happen in Africa. Ok, let's pray about those too. Further, I don't think it's ok for them to condemn anyone for the burdens that we have in society.

At any rate, I feel strongly about Paris, and wish that I could specifically do something to help. Since I'm not in that position, I'm praying the Lord would burden and guide those that are. And you can probably expect to hear about Paris for several Mondays to come. If you would, at least take that time, to pray about the situation.

Philosophy and Toys [Video]

Due to my busy schedule, you get an interesting video of a speech I gave in high school. Enjoy!

Priority Evaluation from the Book of Jonah

I talk a lot about priorities it seems. Usually I focus on how we spend our time, specifically at times when I am rushing to write this blog post because I haven't prioritized it. Today, I am kinda rushing, but we are not going to write about how we use our time in relationship to priorities.

In the book of Jonah, God goes through quite a lot to show an object lesson of someone who does not have proper priorities. And then he ends with a question in Jonah 4:12-13,

"Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"

There isn't any rest of the book, Jonah never gives an answer. We see instead that we ourselves are supposed to provide an answer. So how would we as people evaluate our priorities to see if they line up with God? Well, perhaps, a good way of doing that is to see the things that Jonah did that highlight that his priorities were in the wrong place. There are three of them.

1. Disobedience.

When Jonah first hears that he is to go to Nineveh because saving Nineveh is the Lord's priority, he runs precisely the other way. He showed that his interests were more important than God's and that he cannot move on.

2. Prejudice placed above compassion

He decides that he is not going to have any chance that the people of Nineveh might not actually get destroyed.  He goes so far as to in chapter 4 complain that the Lord is showing mercy to the people of Nineveh and explains that this is why he didn't come in the first place! He knew the grace of God (never mind that he knows it because he has received it) and he didn't want his enemies to receive that grace.

3. Convenience placed above the spiritual need of others.

And then of course, he was more thankful for the gourd than anything. He twice in chapter 4 explains that he is ready to die. One when the people of Nineveh live, and the second when the gourd (his personal heat shield) dies. I feel like you see the issue here, don't you?

So maybe at the heart of all three of these issues is a heart for the conditions of others, whether we like them or not, and seeing people as souls that the Lord wants to save.

Time And Priorities

 If it's important to you, you will probably make time to do it. This is something that seems rather relevant in my life as at a time when I thought I was overwhelmed, and could add nothing more to my schedule, I actually did add something more to my schedule, and have still managed to stay on top of things (except this blog of course). 

So if I can add in a huge and amazing time spender because I really really want it, and still manage to keep up my grades, it is probably possible at any given time for us to add in time to spend time with God in both Bible study and prayer, as well as ministry and service to God. 

What then does it mean if we choose not to do so because we're too busy? Really, it only means that we value one thing we could spend our time on, over spending time with God. Or if we choose not to spend time helping the poor, we are saying that whatever we currently spend our time on is more important than the poor. 

When we fail to post blog posts in time, or to spend the accurate amount of time deciding what to write about and putting thoughts into the words, it means that I value my schoolwork and other social activities above my blog post. #sorrynotsorry

So, there is more time in the day than you give credit for, which means the way we use our time is probably an indicator of our priorities more than anything else. 

The Importance of Prayer

I have a crazy proposition. The number one important thing in the life of any Christian is not how kind he is, how much he spreads the gospel, or how involved he is with church. No, I believe that the most important part of a Christian's life is prayer.

(Now I know that's not that radical. But let me pretend it is.) Here's my argument. Jesus made it clear in the gospels what the greatest commandment is. And there were lots of good ones to choose from. But he chose this one,

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

 So, it's a strange thing to me to say, but one of the best express love or to generate love is to communicate! And we communicate of course through prayer. My love for God only stands strong when I am praying constantly and readily for the sake.

I could also make the argument (because it's true) that we can do none of the service that we are required to do, absent God. And we get that help via prayer.

So prayer is important and you should probably do it every day. More than just once. Here's some thoughts on how to make that happened (ironed out with help from two amazing friends of mine):
1. Plan an extra long time to pray in the morning, or whenever you do your devotions. Make sure you don't have to rush through your prayer.
2. In that time, pray with purpose. Consider creating a prayer journal. Document your requests, and God's answers, in an organized way. My prayer journal is set up like this:
Date          Request                          Date          Answer
9/20/15     Blog Post Idea                9/20/15      Prayer
3. Ask people if they have anything you could pray about. This gives you further things to bring to God and helps make your prayer less self-oriented. It also helps you fulfill the second greatest commandment - love one another.
4. If you have time alone, don't just talk to yourself. Talk to God. It will fill your time nicely.
5. Put up something that will remind you to pray in a place that you frequent often. Whether that be an office or your bedroom, or a car. Whether the reminder be worship music, verses on a whiteboard, or a prayer wall. Put up a reminder. We're carnal creatures. We're going to forget. So let's make it harder for ourselves to do so.

Cake, Pseudoevents, and Songs

What is the meaning of birthdays? When I turn 20, am I suddenly more mature than when I was 19? After all, at the end of the day, I am no longer a teenager. So that must mean something.

I guess birthdays are what communication theorists (and probably some other discipline too, since communication is so interdisciplinary) call pseudoevents. Events that don't actually change a person, but that changes the status of a person.

A wedding does not change a person, but two people start single and leave a married couple. On Saturday, I was a teenager and now I am not. I have a change of status, but I myself have not changed overly much over the last few days.

Of course, I guess I am just really enjoying the fact that my birthday brings me certain attention and things, and also getting embarrassed at it as well. My Sunday School class sang to me. I don't remember the last time my Sunday School class sang to someone... That's weird.

But that's ok. I got some cake and generally simulated the economy. My sister finished her series of birthday/Christmas gifts with The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King: Special Extended Edition. 

And I'm a year older. I love the opportunity to celebrate and everything, but can we just acknowledge again how weird it is to celebrate the day of one's birth? Hey, this is the day that you were emancipated from the womb. Have some cake! Yeah...

But I like cake, so it's all good. Also, people set off fireworks today, just for my birthday. (and that random holiday that today actually is). Hey, happy labor day, everyone!

How not to Study with the Original Languages

Hey, here we are. I remembered the day of the week and properly prepared for a blog post idea. Because of my failure as of late, I would like to share with you a cool video.

Yeah, so that's what happens when you put a song through Google Translate a bunch of times. Funny. I guess Google Translate isn't very good, or words in different languages don't have a one-to-one correlation, or both. Probably both.

But anyway, onto our content today, I want to start with a story. Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of a good friend of mine. The wedding was beautiful. But I am sad to say the officiate of the wedding did little to impress me.

He starts talking about this arboretum that was apparently important to the couple, and that was just dandy, but then he goes on to explain that this arboretum if we went to the Greek would be translated as Paradeisou, which happens to just be the same word that is translated for the Garden of Eden in the Septuagint, which is obviously a picture of heaven, so now let's talk about heaven.

Wait, what? I don't understand how you can go from English to Greek to English and expect something to be ok. I mean, yeah an arboretum and a garden are similar things and you could make that case from the English text, but in that case, why complicate the matter and go to Greek in the first place?

By now, you have already seen that my fun video isn't quite as random as I tried to make it seem. It actually fits in with the topic today. Greek (or Hebrew) do not possess a one-to-one correlation with English, nor with each other, nor with any other language. This means that it is not good for us to take words in and out of one language and into another because that can drastically alter the meaning of the text.

Maybe sometimes, it's better not to go into the original tongues at all if you're going to keep going back and forth. Maybe one should be careful about talking about how we get our word martyr from the term martyrio that means witness. Because let's just be honest. English is a language that was developed long after Greek and its meaning of words had no effect on the Greek itself.

Or maybe more importantly, we shouldn't see the original languages as a catch-all for every interpretational question. It's not a perfect thing. It still will leave some questions, and many times, the word of God has been faithfully preserved so that the translation is actually the way it should be.

But Greek and Hebrew is very much different in nuance at times and in understanding and should still be studied as often as possible, but not to the extent that you believe them to be catch-alls or that you use them as tools to manipulate everything into your gain.

The End of the Summer is upon Us

It's the beginning of that one time of year. The year where the relaxing elements of summer (or the busyness of your summer internship) is about to come to an end. Over the next month, schools will be back in session, which means life returns to a normal routine for anyone under the age of college graduation (because at this age, we don't care about numbers just grades).

I get the season started with my internship ending on Wednesday, my last CLEP test on Thursday, and my first meeting for the school year on Friday. I'm pretty excited about what is in store for this upcoming school year, and thankful that Cedarville's schedule involves a lot of downtime the first few days on campus.

But as at any time a routine is about to change, it is important to remember your priorities and perspective. It is now that we begin to make a schedule for our upcoming year, and that schedule needs to involve God.

Yes, I know, I right about this every year, but I believe that's because I need to be reminded every year, and I can imagine that others do as well. When you hit into the structure of a schedule, if you don't schedule time for God, it won't happen.

That of course doesn't mean that you only spend time with God during that scheduled time, but it does mean that you have that time or else no other time will be had ever. So remember that as you start thinking about your schedule for next year, you be intentional about your walk with God.

One Bad Thing about Christian Homeschoolers

Hey, it's pretty obvious that I love homeschooling, that I am greatly appreciative of being homeschooled both because it enabled me to be better educated and that it allowed my character to develop much better than it would have in a school setting.

But there is one thing about Christian homeschoolers that I have a hard time with. We are great kids, and we know it, but that doesn't bother me quite as much. What bothers me is that in secular settings, we are so quick to credit our behavior to homeschooling.

I will admit that I think I am more mature going through homeschooling than if I was in a Christian or public school when I was growing up. If people notice I seem more mature than my counterparts in church, I will credit homeschooling.

But if in a secular workforce or anywhere else, I seem more mature and less interested in partying than any peers my age, I hope my first thought would be to explain how that's the power of Christ in my life, and not talk about homeschooling.

Because what is the main difference between me and a public schooled kid who is involved in drugs, alcohol, and sex. It's not that I was homeschooled. Put me in a public school and I think I would still not be involved in drugs, alcohol, and sex.

The difference is that I am a Christian. The difference is that I have Christ to fulfill the hole that the other kid is filling with partying. The difference is that I have a reason to live uprightly - to serve the one who died for me.

So why is it that we as Christian homeschoolers are so willing to credit the latter part of that title with why we are different more than the former? Why do we not take the opportunity given to us to witness and share about Christ?

It's simple - we've gotten (legitimately) fired up about our form of schooling, and we want to promote it. And our actions are indicating that we want to promote it more than we wish to promote God Himself.

I hate to say it, but it seems that for many of us, we have made homeschooling an idol. Let's try to remove it from that pedestal and return it to its proper place as a means of training children in service to the Lord.

Church, According to the Scriptures

In the much talk about revitalizing churches today in order to remain relevant to the culture, there seems to be little in the likes of a comprehensive analysis of what the Bible says church should look like. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that it would require a lifetime’s worth of study of the Bible to even begin to comprehend what the Bible has to say about church. 

This essay will thus only scratch the surface of this important topic, but what I aim to do is give a biblical foundation for church found by looking comprehensively at Paul’s admonitions to the young pastors Timothy and Titus, as well as examining the example set out by the apostles in the book of Acts. In so doing, I discovered what I call the three S’s of church management – sound doctrine, structure, and service.

Sound Doctrine

As I read through the pastoral epistles, I was immediately taken aback by the amount of times that Paul mentions and expounds upon sound doctrine. To him, it seems one of the primary roles of the church is to expound upon and share sound doctrine to the members of the congregation. 

From the beginning to end of Paul’s three epistles to these gentlemen he documents the importance of teaching sound doctrine because if they don’t, many will fall to fables. For instance, in I Timothy 4:6-16, Paul instructs Timothy,

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

In the book of Titus, Paul expresses more of the same, as he writes, 

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.”

It is then important for the church to be a place where sound doctrine is taught. But what exactly does that look like? Well, one obvious starting point is that sound doctrine begins and ends with the Gospel and the rest of Scriptures. But even then, that doesn’t specifically guarantee that sound doctrine is being taught in the church and received by the congregation. 

Luckily, the Bible gives clearer guidelines for the pastor in this area. As the Bible says in II Timothy 2:14-16, 

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” 

Here Timothy as a pastor is asked to study the Word of God day in and day out so that he can rightly divide it. But more than that, he is supposed to study the Word, so as to avoid the profane and vain babblings that are fruitless and even harmful. 

Careful and Spirit-led study of the Bible should prevent the pastor from teaching false doctrine. If you need further evidence on this, just look at the apostles, and their ability to preach the entire redemption story through referencing and quoting many Old Testament passages by heart.

Structure

As we move through into next big area of the biblical church, we begin to take a look at structure. 

Structure in general is not given out in quite as much detail as one might expect given the very uniform structure of churches across the United States and even around the world. Yet there is still somewhat to be gained from an analysis of the structure mentioned within the Bible itself.

The structure of the leadership is described probably most detailed of all. The first thing to notice is that local leadership is key. Paul started a lot of churches in his missionary journeys, but he held no authority over those churches after he moved on. 

Instead, as Acts 14:21-23 states, 

“And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” 

Indeed, the very existence of the pastoral epistles goes to show that Paul was entrusting the care of the churches he planted to other men and not trying to run them via proxy. The significance of this is that the service which the church is supposed to do together (which we will discuss later) is hard to manage from a distant location.

But the leaders themselves have a little bit of a job to do. They are of course requested to teach sound doctrine, but they are also expected to live up to a considerable amount of character qualities. 

These pastoral requirements are documented in I Timothy 2:11-3:7 and Titus 1:7-13, and include: man, blameless, husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that rules well his own house, one with experience, not self-willed, not soon angry, a lover of good men, just, holy, temperate, one who holds fast to sound doctrine, and a good report of the unbeliever. 

That is quite a hefty obligation! But according to I Timothy, this is because it is “a good work.” The pastor’s actual work involves of course, expounding sound doctrine, but it also extends to nurturing and shepherding the flock of God as they need it.

Before we leave the structure of the leadership within the local church, it is important to discuss the deacons. ITimothy 3:8-13 documents a list about as exhaustive as the list of character traits for pastors for deacons, but little is given in that passage as to what the deacons actually do. 

What seems to be clearer about different functions of different leaders within the church is Acts 6:1-2. Here we read that the twelve apostles (that were serving as pastors) were supposed to be primarily focused with studying the Bible and declaring the sound doctrine of the Gospel. But the church still had other functions with which to participate in. Thus, we read, 

“And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.” 

Thus, it would seem that the other leaders in the church are supposed to primarily be concerned with ministering unto the needs of the church congregation, while the pastor(s) focus on spreading the good news. However, this does not preclude the pastor from ever ministering to the sick, nor the other leaders from declaring the Gospel – just pay attention to the life of Stephen!

There are two other important points about structure of the church that I would like to make really quick. First, note that membership within the church wasn’t added until after people accepted Christ and then were baptized as an outward sign of the inward regeneration of the Spirit. Acts 2:41 declares, 

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” 

Thus, while church is certainly a place where all are welcome (Jesus came for the sinners right?), membership is reserved solely for the baptized believer. 

Second, there is precious little in the Bible about the structure of a church service. Indeed, Acts 2:46-47 indicates that the early church would come together daily in the temple or just in breaking bread from house to house. The only thing listed as happening when they met together is that they praised God continually. 

Thus, the Bible seems to be ok with a more informal church fellowship rather than just the service we consider the assembly of believers today. While the structure of the days we currently live demand that we have an opportunity for a structured church service, maybe we as Christians shouldn’t be so quick to apply the teachings of Hebrews 10:25 to describe as heathens anyone who missed a church service. That doesn’t seem to be its original context. We should only treat as sin that which is forsaking the formal or informal assembly of believers altogether.

Service

The main attention and purpose of the church should be service. Now by service I do not refer to the meeting time every Sunday that I just finished discussing, but rather the idea of meeting the needs of the believers, or the community, or just so much as obeying God. No matter the area in which this service is conducted, it all must be motivated from love and driven by the Gospel.

The early church clearly modelled that we should serve other believers within our community. It all begins with the example of material provision granted in Acts 2:45, where we are told the early church, “sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” But material provision is only the start of it. 

What is more important is that the spiritual welfare of those around them. II Timothy 2:1-2 explains the function of discipleship in the church, 

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Here is the directive which shows that all Christians are called to a discipleship mechanism. This discipleship mechanism is something that can be done through a formula or a curriculum, but is much more likely to occur by simple one-on-one informal training. I

t takes noticing the potential of an individual and training him to grow in the Lord. In Acts18:25-27, Aquila and Priscilla model this form of discipleship quite well, 

“This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace.” 

And of course it would be remiss not to speak to how Jesus did not run through a program to train His twelve disciples, but instead served with them, spent time with him, and ultimately gave them the opportunity to serve alone.

But the church also has a function in serving the needs of the community. Little is given in the needs of the church to supply these needs, whether they be spiritual or physical. It is quite possible that these needs are to be met not by the church collectively, but the believer individually, and the church serves as support or maybe even a collaborative effort to fulfill that endeavor. 

Thus, the church will run ministries like the food pantry to help their members serve the community, but ultimately it is not the church (structured) but the church (body of believers) that are committed to evangelizing and supplying physical need. 

Nevertheless, the act of sending out missionaries with prayer and monetary support seems to be supported by the sending forth of Barnabus first, and then Barnabus and Paul, and then also including Silas and Mark. World evangelism is something that not every Christian can handle on their own. It often takes the pooling together of resources within a church to fulfill that function.

Furthermore, the primary duty of the church had to do with serving God corporately. In II Timothy 2:22, we hear the principle, “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” We are called to serve God, but we are also called to do so collectively. 

In the book of Acts, we see this readily on display. In Acts 2:46-47, we read, 

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” 

It is then a primary function of the church to allow opportunities for fellowship and opportunities for support meetings. The church should be a place where people come to be encouraged and challenged in their walk with God. But more than any of that, it should be a place where they come to praise the Lord for the goodness He has wrought in their lives.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the beginnings of what a church looks like, according to the Scriptures. Certainly, it seems that not much time has thus far been spent on such a summary and I hope that in the future more study will be done. If nothing else, I will provide a more complete summary of the subject over time and begin on my life-long quest of what a biblical church actually looks like. 

Fathers! They do Things and It's Awesome!

So, yesterday was Father's Day, which is kinda a big deal. Though we humans are still a little strange in creating celebrations for literally everything, I guess it makes sense to spend some time refocusing us to do what we should do all 365 days of the year.

And such is Father's Day as well, another holiday where we celebrate and honor our mothers - of course, an obligation that we as Christians should always hold. But maybe we forget sometimes, and maybe the day serves as a reminder of what all fathers do.

(Yes, I just copied and pasted from my Mother's Day post, and switched out a few words. Don't hate me.)

I mean, they work, support a household, raise kids, provide spiritual leadership, manage finances (at least in some families), and do anything else that their family requires in order to function as a cohesive unit.

So, fathers are an integral part of the ideal family unit, and we should honor those people who fill that role 365 days a year. But if nothing else, I hope that you gave your father due respect yesterday. That's what the day was meant for.

(Don't judge me for borrowing my brilliant wording from Mother's Day for this post. I thought it was so good that I would use it all again!)

The Class of 200 (Blog Posts, That Is)

It is the month of June, which Hallmark is informing us is the month for Dads and Grads! Most graduation parties by this point have passed, but there might be a few stragglers that we haven't yet gotten to. Some people just have to be late in their graduation parties. Such annoying people (yes, I realize mine was a year late, but not every reader of this blog knows that!).

But seeing as how it is that time of year, and people have received Yearbooks with all those fun awards in them, and it also just happens to be the 200th post of this blog (!!!), I thought we would see which one of my blog posts would win which Yearbook Awards!

So here are your Yearbook Awards for the Class of 200!

Biggest Overachiever

The Purpose of the Christian Life

Category: Ethics

Date: June 23, 2014

Message: Glorifying God is a lifestyle, not a catchphrase. 

What it means to glorify God. Yes, that's a really easy topic to discuss in a short 900 word blog post. I'm sure that you covered it very deeply. 

Ok, so yes, maybe deciding to answer the nebulous question - what does it mean to glorify God? outside of a simple Sunday School answer was a bad idea for such a short post, but hey, it doesn't seem like I did THAT bad! And what can I say? I really am an overachiever. 

Class Clown

Let's Celebrate the Workmen!

Category: Holiday
Date: September 1, 2014
Message: I have no idea

The short description of message probably details all you need to know about this post. I just sort of put pen to paper...um...finger to keyboard, and the result was a satirical, sarcastic, random, and apparently well-appreciated blog post about the most ironic holiday of them all. I guess the closest thing to a point in this blog post is that Labor Day doesn't fulfill its purpose.

Cutest Couple

Oh, How the Mighty have Fallen and Why the Mighty Have Fallen: A Sequel

Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen
Category: Devotion
Date: September 26, 2014
Message: We are all vulnerable to sinful temptations.

Why the Mighty Have Fallen: A Sequel
Category: Devotion
Date: February 20, 2015
Message: We must serve God for the right reason - enjoying Him.

These two blog posts have been together since Dr. Miller's lectures on Job clarified a little bit about what I was trying to discover in the book of Job in the following September. Together, they inform us that serving God does not make us invulnerable to temptation and that the best way, to withstand that temptation is to be serving God for His sake, and not our own. With that kind of attitude, this relationship could last for a while!

Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on the Differing Roles of the Academic and Pastor, and Pastor as Scholar: Reflections on the Differing Roles of the Academic and Pastor (Part 2)

Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on the Differing Roles of the Academic and Pastor

Category: Ethics

Date: September 22, 2014

Message: Scholars are primarily concerned with supplying the materials to be used on the frontlines of the battlefield. 

Pastor as Scholar: Reflections on the Differing Roles of the Academic and Pastor (Part 2)

Category: Ethics

Date: October 6, 2014

Message: Pastors are primarily concerned with communicating biblical truth to their congregation. 

It's hard to remember a time when these two weren't paired together; sometimes, it seems like only two weeks passed before the "Pastor as Scholar" entered the life of "Scholar as Pastor." Given how much they have in common, it's hard to imagine that they will ever split up either. After all, they both go to show that there isn't as much difference between the pastor in his congregation and the scholar in his university - both study the Bible rigorously, both preach on a regular basis, and both must be willing to pour into the hearts of those entrusted underneath them. 

Apologetics Series 1: Absolute Truth, and Re-examining Absolute Truth: A Deeper Look at the Contradiction of Relativism

Apologetics Series 1: Absolute Truth
Category: Apologetics
Date: November 20, 2013
Message: Truth exists because to say otherwise is contradictory.

Re-Examining Absolute Truth: A Deeper Look at the Contradiction of Relativism
Category: Apologetics, Ethics
Date: November 3, 2014
Message: Truth exists because to say otherwise is contradictory.

Along with his 6 brothers and sisters, "Apologetics Series 1: Absolute Truth" was one of the first blog posts to enter this blog. It seemed as if he would never find the perfect match, but then she came along. "Re-Examining Absolute Truth" made "Absolute Truth" a better logical argument, and for that, we are all grateful.

So, I need to get out of my fun roleplay because it is a little difficult to explain why the second of these blog posts came to be. Simply, my first stab at showing absolute truth was a little flat and shallow. When I was assigned a paper to show the reality of objective knowledge, I found the added depth in that paper to be worthy of another blog post.

And now, it seems impossible to imagine that anything could ever come between the two of them! 

Most Inspirational

You are Not Alone

Category: Devotion

Date: May 16, 2014 

Message: The Christian's plight is not as dismal as it may seem. 

This blog post will never cease to encourage you when you are feeling down. As it tells the story of Elijah fretting about being the last servant of the Lord, it reminds you that there were 7,000 other servants of the Lord at that time. And better yet, he does this so succinctly that I need to stop this blurb, so that I don't talk longer than him! 

Most liked by Parents

(That would be my parents, for the record.)

A Single Man in Possession of a Good Fortune...

Category: Ethics

Date: February 16, 2015

Message: Christian culture over-emphasizes the necessity of marriage when the reality is, it's not meant for everyone. 

This post is well loved by my parents because of Jane Austen. Who doesn't love Jane Austen? And the way that it brilliantly points out the irony that it is actually the woman who want to get married, not the man within the story. On a more serious note, it is much respected that this post likes to point out how Christians today are focused upon finding a spouse, rather than considering how one might serve God, single or married. Additionally, my mom being mom likes that I document so repeatedly my internal partiality to marriage. It's a nice personal touch.

Internet, Iron Man, and Indebtedness 

Category: Devotion

Date: August 22, 2014

Message: As Christians, our lives ought to show gratitude to Christ for his sacrifice to save us.

This post is well-loved by my parents because it doesn't attempt to do anything that it cannot do. It takes a simple message and delivers it powerfully and relaxed. Yet despite the simplicity of the message, people don't seem to be doing it. So are our lives lives of gratitude or do our actions reveal that we just don't care? 

Why Reading the Bible makes me More Libertarian 

Category: Politics

Date: January 20, 2014

Message: The Bible should not be read to form a political worldview. Even still, conservatism and libertarianism align with the Bible. 

This post speaks to its parents' long frustration with hearing why if we're really good Christians, we much be liberal progressivists because of course, they're the only ones with compassion to the poor. It is appreciated that the distinction between government and individual responsibility is emphasized, showing that the Bible never asks the government to care for the poor, but rather the individual Christian. 

Most Likely to Make Pop Culture References

Why we Should Put the Death Penalty to Death

Category: Politics 

Date: April 28, 2014

Message: Only God should decide who lives and who dies. 

This blog post just can't help itself. Making a very serious point about the death penalty, it just has to throw in a quotation from the Lord of the Rings. I'm not sure, what's weirder, that there was a quotation thrown in, or that the quotation fit so well.

Admittedly, this was a hard call to make - many blog posts have hidden and sometimes obscure references to Doctor Who (ok, these are usually more overt), Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, and Marvel movies! But this post just seemed to use a reference in the most perfect way imaginable. 

Most Likely to Show up Late for their Own Wedding

This Post may be Worth the Wait

Category: Devotion
Date: April 24, 2015 (just barely)
Message: You should show gratitude to God by telling others about what He has done.

Ultimately, what this blog post has said has completely escaped my mind most times. Instead, what I remember about it is that I forgot to write it until I was just about to go to bed on Friday night. You know, when it was supposed to have been published on Friday Morning. Yeah, sot that's not the most shining moment of this blog, and this here post will forever be memorialized as the one that just couldn't stay on time.

Most Likely to Step on Toes

The Elephant in this Blog

Category: Ethics

Date: April 13, 2015 

Message: Homosexual lusts are one result of the Lord leaving man to their own uncleanness. 

So, I wasn't expecting this blog post to ever surface, but then in April, it did. Though he mistakenly states that homosexuality was first mentioned in this blog only a week prior, this post still gives this blog its first detailed analysis of such a controversial issue in our day. Additionally, it highlights a biblical response to the issue that not all churches have exemplified. 

Three Solid Reasons why Public Altar Calls are of the Devil (Yes, that's an Exaggeration)

Category: Ethics
Date: February 2, 2015 (Groundhog Day) February 2, 2015 (Groundhog Day) February 2, 2015...
Message: Public altar calls are more emotional manipulation than offering an opportunity to respond to the Holy Spirit.

Motivated by events seen within very close parameters of this post, he made a stand against the idea of a public altar call. Having no mind for the fact that his wonderful Cedarville colleagues may have found the instances of these invitations to be refreshing, he took solace in the hope that people usually don't read his blog anyway. But now he is really stepping on toes as it is republished within this list for all his friends to see!

Most Likely to Succeed

I'm Ashamed of my Quality Education

Category: Ethics

Date: August 18, 2014

Message: It doesn't take ignorance to be used of God. 

This blog post has all the ingredients necessary for success, which he will inform you is the one single ingredient of submission to the Lord. At the end of the day, there is an implicit conclusion in most Christian rhetoric that states that God uses the unintelligent exclusively because that's how He can be glorified. That of course, is incredibly limiting of God. Simply, this post reminds us that submission, and not ignorance is what is required to please God. Further, it doesn't matter if that submission comes from an intelligent man or an ignorant one, God will still be glorified through it.

Most Popular

Ignorance Isn't Bliss; It's Carlisle

Category: Politics
Date: November 18, 2013
Message: Christians have a duty to stay informed as to the current political landscape.

The easiest decision for this yearbook committee of one. Entering as one of the very first posts, this articles has never ceased from being the most popular entry. With 421 pageviews, this post is more popular than the next 7 most popular posts on this blog combined!

The reason for such popularity is unknown. Perhaps it is because the message resonates with those in the Christian community. More likely, the quotation from an amazing sci-fi television series was probably something often googled because what in the world is Clara talking about when she says that ignorance is Carlisle? (The answer is in the blog, if you want to know. ;))

News Tracker

It Ain't Discrimination

Category: Politics 

Date: April 6, 2015 

Message: The Indiana Religious Freedom law does not discriminate against homosexuals; it only supports religious freedom exactly as the federal RFRA does currently. 

At a time, when all anyone wanted to talk about was that of homosexual discrimination inherent in the proposed Indiana law, all this post wanted to express was that this law provided no opportunity for discrimination, as it simply gave rights to businesses, exactly as federal law already did. 

Duck Dynasty Drama: The Cornerstone of Freedom Under Attack

Category: Politics

Date: December 23, 2013

Message: A&E has as much right as Phil Robertson to exercise their civil rights. 

Related to the previous blog post, this post sends a similar message, but this time to the Christians who argued that A&E stepped upon Phil Robertson's civil rights by suspending him from Duck Dynasty. Remembering that businesses have rights, and that governments alone can violate civil rights, this blog post energetically asked that we "let our principles stand no matter what supports our agenda."

Disagree with any of my nominations? Like to add another Yearbook award? Voice your opinion in the comments section below. 

Evangelism Programs?

Witnessing and the Great Commission. It can't be packaged or boxed, but it is something that we are all called to do. Thus, many churches have dedicated much time and effort to create evangelistic programs. People are scheduled to go out with door hangers and make an impact on the neighborhood.

But how is that truly the fulfillment of the Great Commission? Certainly the Lord can and has used evangelistic programs such as this, but is it out best way of fulfilling our obligation, or just an easy way for us to check it off the list?

How many people truly come to church or get saved based off of an impersonal flyer. It shares the message of the Gospel if they choose to read it, rather than throw it in the trash. Walking from door to door can give you the opportunity to share... if the door is not slammed in your face.

It would seem that the best opportunity that we have to actually make an impact is with the relationships that we develop with people over time. People that constantly see our examples, who might be more willing to get involved with us personally with a Bible study or a church activity.

Evangelistic programs, though having a place, are poor substitutes for Christians living their lives as evangelists, taking every opportunity to share the message with their friends, and continually showering them with love.

It's not an easy, come, leave a flyer, and leave mission that we were called to. It extends beyond that to the development of disciples which requires a commitment to spend a good deal of time with that person. Evangelism requires cultivating a relationship.

Mothers! They do Things and it's Awesome!

So, yesterday was Mother's Day, which is kinda a big deal. Though we humans are still a little strange in creating celebrations for literally everything, I guess it makes sense to spend some time refocusing us to do what we should do all 365 days of the year. 

And such is Mother's Day as well, another holiday where we celebrate and honor our mothers - of course, an obligation that we as Christians should always hold. But maybe we forget sometimes, and maybe the day serves as a reminder of what all mothers do. 

I mean, they cook, clean, raise kids, take care of their sick household, decorate, and do anything else that their family requires in order to function as a cohesive unit. 

Wait, that's a little old-fashioned, isn't it? I guess in the somewhat feminist view, women do things like work a job, have a career, cook, clean, raise kids, take care of their sick household, decorate, and do anything else their family requires in order to function. Wait, that's still pretty impressive, isn't it? 

So, any way you really slice it, mothers are an integral part of the ideal family unit, and we should honor those people who fill that role 365 days a year. But if nothing else, I hope that you gave your mother due respect yesterday. That's what the day was meant for. 

The Hebrew Calendar

You remember that post nary a year ago where I wrote on one of my favorite books, Nehemiah and documented how that there was actually 4-5 months between when Nehemiah heard about the wall of Jerusalem being torn down and actually being able to act upon it.

This of course says a significant amount of the endurance of Nehemiah's burden where he is still noticeably upset by the events 4-5 months later. It opens up many a great understanding of the text and of what Nehemiah was actually going through at that time.

Understanding the perspectives of the people involved in the narrative texts helps to let the events come alive and for you to understand more of what the author was intending. After all, even though the messages are obviously still relevant today, the author didn't write to Americans in the twenty-first century. Instead, he wrote to the culture of the times.

Thus, it is helpful in understanding especially the Old Testament to understand what is going on within the context of the culture. I feel that a good way of beginning an understanding of that culture is by understanding the calendar. It also is what allows you to catch what was going on in Nehemiah.

So today, we will examine some key tidbits about the Hebrew calendar in hopes of giving you tools that will allow you to memorize it in the future. Much general information was taken from the book, The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar.

Background

Civil v. Ecclesiastic Year

The Hebrew calendar has to be a bit difficult to even begin to understand. You see, there are 12 months in the calendar, but there are two important distinct calendars using those twelve months. Indeed, the Hebrew calendar utilizes both a civil year and an Ecclesiastic year, which begin with different months!

Indeed, the civil calendar starts with the month Tishri and is used for documenting, well civil events that pertain to governments. It is also used to count the number of the year. The ecclesiastic calendar starts in the month Nisan (also goes by the Hebrew word Aviv, which means Spring).

Ecclesiastic Year                                                       Civil Year

Nisan                                                                         Tishri

Iyar                                                                            Chisleu

Sivan                                                                         Cheshvan

Tammuz                                                                    Tevet

Av                                                                             Shevet

Elul                                                                           Adar

Tishri                                                                        Nisan

Chisleu                                                                     Iyar

Cheshvan                                                                 Sivan

Tevet                                                                        Tammuz

Shevet                                                                      Av

Adar                                                                         Elul

This may seem confusing at first, but it really isn't much different than the way we Americans discuss the calendar year starting in January, and the school year that starts in September. The only difference is that in the Hebrew system, both calendars are formalized. 

The Ecclesiastic calendar is the one primarily used in the Bible and as our goal is to get at understanding the Bible better, we will be examining this particular formalized calender, which for this current year started on 21 March 2015. 

Lunisolar System

In the English calendar are months are kinda arbitrary in their length and can span from 28-31 days depending on what that particular month feels like at the time. Hebrew is much less arbitrary. Hebrew months are determined by the cycle of the moon. 

This used to mean that the new month would start when the new moon was noticed in the sky. Thankfully, the Hebrew month has been standardized to mean that instead we now know that each Hebrew month is either 29 or 30 days in the year and largely it alternates between those two amounts for days by the month it's in. 

But there is a slight hiccup in this system. The Hebrew people needed to calculate the year based on the Sun because many of their festivals must fall during certain parts of the harvest season. For instance, it would be a tad bit awkward to have a firstfruits offering when there are no firstfruits... But a purely Lunar calendar would fall 11 days behind a solar calendar. 

Thus, 7 years in every 19 years, there is an added month before Adar, called Adar 1. This month contains 30 days. Adar simply becomes Adar 2. This is called a Shanah Me'uberet (pronounced shah-NAH meh-oo-BEH-reht), literally: a pregnant year.

Now, I say that a month is added before Adar, rather than that a month is added at the end for two primary reasons. First, in a Shanah Me'uberet, Adar 2's 29 days corresponds to the number of days in Adar in a normal year. More importantly though, the festivities of the month of Adar (most notably Purim) will occur during Adar 2 during a pregnant year, meaning that it's as if the festivities of the month of Adar are postponed for 30 days for the month of Adar 1. 

The Hebrew Calendar Itself

With the background explained, we can go through a look at the calendar as a whole. I will go through the current Ecclesiastic calendar year in comparison (5775-5776) in comparison with the dates of the Gregorian calendar we use today. 

Spring

1.      Nisan/Aviv (Mar/Apr) 30 days     21 March 2015 – 19 April 20152.      Iyar (Apr/May) 29 days   20 April 2015 – 18 May 20153.      Sivan (May/June) 30 days   19 May 2015 – 17 June 2015

Note the alternation of the days beginning pretty clearly; this continues for a little while longer anyway.

 Summer

4.      Tammuz (June/July) 29 days  18 June 2015 – 16 July 20155.      Av (July/Aug) 30 days   17 July 2015 – 15 August 20156.      Elul (Aug/Sep) 29 days   16 August 2015 – 13 September 2015

Fall

7.      Tishri (Sep/Oct) 30 days  14 September 2015 – 13 October 20158.      Cheshvan (Oct/Nov) 29 or 30 days    14 October 2015 – 12 November 2015  (30 days) .9.      Chisleu/Kislev (Nov/Dec) 29 or 30 days  13 November 2015 – 12 December 2015 (30 days)

And this is where our difficulty with the easy to remember alternating pattern begins. The reason why Cheshvan and Chisleu decide to be so annoying with their dates is not entirely clear, though there is certainly an element of it that had to do with the fact that Tishri cannot being on the first, fourth, or sixth day of the week, and so at some point manipulation would be needed to ensure that didn't happen.

Also, when you get down to trying to memorize these names (I will be making that easier for you very shortly, just you wait), it will be difficult to deal with Cheshvan and Chisleu both starting with C being right next to each other. Easy way to keep it straight is that is remains in alphabetical order.

Winter

10.  Tevet (Dec/Jan) 29 days 13 December 2015 – 10 January 201611.  Shevat (Jan/Feb) 30 days   11 January 2016 – 9 February 201612.  Adar (Feb/Mar) typically 29 days 

Conveniently for teaching purposes, the current Hebrew calendar year is a Shanah Me'uberet, so we get to examine the effects on this in real time. So the months of Adar look like this:

12. Adar 1 30 days 10 February 2016 – 10 March 201613.  Adar II 29 days 11 March 2016 – 8 April 2016 

How to go from Here

So this is kinda a lot of information, and those Hebrew words seem kinda rough, so how are you ever suppose to remember them? Have no fear, my mom developed a wonderful mnemonic device that should greatly aid you with this effort. She may have a slight sense of humor that you may or may not catch. 

Normal                                                                Nisan

Intelligent                                                            Iyar

Students                                                              Sivan

That                                                                    Tammuz

Apply                                                                  Av

Effective                                                             Elul

Techniques                                                         Tishri

Can                                                                     Cheshvan

Comprehend                                                       Chisleu

This                                                                    Tevet

Simple                                                                Shevet

Aid                                                                     Adar

Other than that, it's just a lot of hard work, that may not seem worth it, but maybe you should at least copy this down and interact with it when reading some Old Testament narratives. You never know when you might find a gem like we discovered with Nehemiah not that long ago. 

Appendix: Calendar with Major Festivals (and Explanations)

       I.         Background

A.    Civil v. Ecclesiastic Year

1.      Civil year is when they change the number of years and starts with Tishri

2.      Ecclesiastic year is the calendar referenced in the Bible and starts with Spring “Aviv” Nisan

3.      There are also other “years” in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the trees or the reign of kings.

4.      Since we want to understand more about interpreting Bible, we will follow the Ecclesiastic year.

B.     Lunisolar system

1.      Months are determined by the cycle of the moon. All are 29 or 30 days in length.

2.      The lunar calendar falls 11 days behind a solar calendar

3.      Ergo, 7 years in each 19 years, there is an added month before Adar, called Adar 1 (of 30 days). Adar becomes Adar II.

    II.         Calendar

A.    Spring

1.      Nisan/Aviv (Mar/Apr) 30 days     21 March 2015 – 19 April 2015

a.       Passover 15 Nisan – 22 Nisan

                                                        i.            Background

1)      To celebrate what the Lord did in delivering the Israelites from Egypt. Killling Firstborn… Passed over Israelites’ houses

2)      Also marks the beginning of harvest season

3)      Ordained in Exodus 12-15

                                                      ii.            Observances

1)      Sacrifice a lamb

2)      Eating unleavened bread. Symbolizes that the Israelites were in a hurry when leaving Egypt, couldn’t wait for bread to rise.

3)      Must sell all leaven and have none in possession for the duration of the holiday. Spring cleaning!

4)      No work on the first two or last two days of the festival.

                                                    iii.            Other Scriptural references

1)      Joshua 5:10. After the act of circumcision on the Canaanite side of the Jordan River.

2)      2 Kings 23:21-23 Part of Josiah’s reforms to bring people to God. No Passover like it ever.

3)      Ezra 6:20-22 Part of the dedication of the Temple after it was rebuilt.

4)      The Last Supper: Luke 22:1, 7-22, Matt. 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:21-30, I Cor. 11:23-25

5)      I Corinthians 5:7-8 Christ is our Passover.

2.      Iyar (Apr/May) 29 days   20 April 2015 – 18 May 2015

3.      Sivan (May/June) 30 days   19 May 2015 – 17 June 2015

b.      Shavu’ot     6 Sivan

                                                        i.            Background

1)      As of post-exilic era, commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (note: not receiving because they are always receiving)

2)      Referred to as Marriage day in Talmud between the people and God.

3)      Commemorate the Firstfruits of the harvest.

4)      Count 49 days between second day of Passover and Shavu’ot. This reminds the Israelites of the connection between the two. They were physically emancipated at Passover, but the giving of the Torah spiritually rescued them from idolatry.

5)      Ordained Lev. 21:15-22

                                                      ii.            Observances

1)      No work. Treated like a Sabbath

2)      Burnt, sin offering, peace offering.

3)      Firstfruits harvested, baked, and brought to the temple

4)      Stay up the night before Shavu’ot, studying Torah, and pray as early as possible in the morning.

5)      Eat a dairy meal once on the day

6)      The book of Ruth is read

                                                    iii.            Application in Scriptural Interpretation – Ruth

1)      Can glean from the fact that Ruth is read at this festival some insight into how the Hebrews interpret this passage.

2)      Marriage between Ruth and Boaz is a bigger picture of a marriage between the world and Christ

3)      Ruth’s rescue with Boaz is indicative of a bigger rescue promised to the Israelite people through Christ.

B.     Summer

4.      Tammuz (June/July) 29 days  18 June 2015 – 16 July 2015

5.      Av (July/Aug) 30 days   17 July 2015 – 15 August 2015

c.       Tisha B’av    9 Av

                                                        i.            Background

1)      Translated: the ninth of Av

2)      To commemorate many tragedies that have occurred to the Israelite people on the ninth of Av, such as the destruction of the first temple (586 BC) and destruction of the second temple (70 AD)

3)      Created after the destruction of the first temple (II Kings 25:8-9; Jer. 52:12-13)

4)      From the Talmud Taanit: “It cannot be said that on the seventh day the calamity occurred, because it is also written "on the tenth." Neither can it be said that it happened "on the tenth," because it says "on the seventh"--hence it must be assumed that entrance to the Temple was gained by the enemy on the seventh, and they ate and did damage therein on the seventh, on the eighth, and on the ninth. Toward the evening of the ninth they set it on fire, and it continued to burn all day on the tenth, as it is written [ibid. vi. 4]: "Wo unto us! for the day waneth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out." And this bears out the statement of R. Johanan, who said as follows: "Were I living in those days, I would have ordained the fast for the 10th of Abh; for on that day the greater part of the temple was burned." The sages of that day, however, held that the day when the calamity began should be observed as a fast-day.”

                                                      ii.            Observances

1)      Culmination of a three week period of mourning, starting with the fast on 17 Tammuz

2)      Fast and mourning. Refrain from even so much as idle conversation. No bathing, no washing, no leather shoes, no sex, and no study of Torah.

3)      Book of Lamentations is read

4)      If the 9 of Av falls on a Sabbath, then Tisha B’Av is postponed to the tenth.

                                                    iii.            Other Scriptural references

1)      Zech. 7:3

6.      Elul (Aug/Sep) 29 days   16 August 2015 – 13 September 2015

C.     Fall

7.      Tishri (Sep/Oct) 30 days  14 September 2016 – 13 October 2015

d.      Rosh Hashanah 1 Tishri

i.                    Background

1)      Translated: head of the year. Tis the beginning of the civil year. Year number changes here

2)      Ordained Lev. 23:24-25 called day of remembrance in Bible

ii.                  Observances

1)      Used as opportunity to turn around oneself and become a better person.

2)      Unless holiday falls on a Sabbath, a shofar (ram’s horn) is blown in the Synagogue.

3)      No work

4)      L'shanah tovah ("for a good year") commonly used as a greeting

5)      Read the story of Abraham to try to receive an empathic heart.

6)      Starts the “ten days of repentance” leading into the Day of Atonement

e.       Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) 10 Tishri

i.                    Background

1)      It is a day to afflict the soul and find atonement for sin. Atones only for sins between you and God…

2)      Ordained Lev. 16:29-30, 23:26-32

ii.                  Observances

1)      Must seek reconciliation from others before the Day of Atonement to

2)      Complete Sabbath

3)      25 hour fast starting an hour before sunset until sunset the next day.

4)      No bathing, no washing, no leather shoes, no sex,

5)      Spend day in synagogue praying

6)      Priest allowed to enter the Holy of Holies

7)      Sacrificial lambs

iii.                Other Scriptural references

1)      Hebrews 9:6-14

f.       Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles) 15 Tishri – 21 Tishri

i.                    Background

1)      Commonly referred to as “The season of our rejoicing” Z'man Simchateinu

2)      Commemorates the forty year period the Israelites wandered in the wilderness

3)      Also a harvest festival.

4)      Ordained Lev. 23:33-43

ii.                  Observances

1)      Live in temporary booths (must have two and a half walls, like the letter Hay)

2)      No work permitted on the first day

3)      Binding together four species of plants and waving in all six directions (up, down, west, east, north, south) to signify that God is everywhere.

iii.                Other Scriptural references

1)      Ezra 3:4 As part of the spiritual revival before the rebuilding of the Temple.

2)      Nehemiah 8:13-18 Part of Nehemiah and Ezra’s reforms that took place as a part of revival after the rebuilding of the wall.

3)      Zechariah 14:16-20 Prophesied that in the day of the Lord, all will go up and keep the feast of the Tabernacles

4)      John 7:2-14 Jesus attends the Feast of the Tabernacles right as the desire to kill Him becomes stronger.

g.      Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 22 Tishri 

i.    Background 

1)      Immediately follows the Feast of the Tabernacles

2)      Host (Lord) asks them to stay another day

3)      Simchat Torah = rejoicing in the Torah

iv.                Observances

1)      No work permitted

2)      Finishing a week of Torah reading in the Synagogue

3)      Much celebration with the Torah, like marching and dancing with the Torah scrolls.

8.      Cheshvan (Oct/Nov) 29 or 30 days    14 October 2015 – 12 November 2015  (30 days)

9.      Chisleu/Kislev (Nov/Dec) 29 or 30 days  13 November 2015 – 12 December 2015 (30 days)

D.    Winter

10.  Tevet (Dec/Jan) 29 days 13 December 2015 – 10 January 2016

11.  Shevat (Jan/Feb) 30 days   11 January 2016 – 9 February 2016

12.  Adar (Feb/Mar) 29 (except leap month this year) so 30 days  10 February 2016 – 10 March 2016

13.  Adar II 29 days 11 March 2016 – 8 April 2016

h.      Purim 14 Adar

i.    Background

1)      Commemorates the protection from extermination in Persia in the book of Esther

2)      Purim means “lots” reference to how Haman determined the day the Jews would be exterminated.

3)      On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, Israelites were saved from their enemies; 14^th day then set aside as a day of merriment and fasting

4)      The walled city of Shushan did not receive rest until the 15^th day of the Month Adar; thus, in cities that were walled at time of Joshua, Purim festivities occur on the 15 Adar

5)      Ordained Esther 9

iii.                Observances

1)      Preceded by a minor fast, marking the Fast of Esther (Esther 4)

2)      Hear the reading of the book of Esther (booing, hissing, stomping, and using noisemakers to blot out the name of Haman)

3)      Commanded to drink and be merry

4)      Making gifts to charity, sending gifts of food to friends