Good Deeds

I *do not* believe that good works just naturally flow from being born again and filled with God's Spirit. Jesus had to learn obedience (Heb 5:8). How much more then do we?!?! There is still the need to *actively* engage the will, and then to obey the Spirit, most often through obeying what is written, i.e. commandments. And friend, the "good works" associated with the New Covenant are the commandments of the Torah/Law (Deu 30:1-10 [esp vs 6, Cf vs 10]; Jer 31:33 [Cf "My law" in Jer 6:19; 9:13; 16:11; 26:4; 44:10]; Eze 11:17-20 and Eze 36:24-28 [Cf

Moses and Gethsemane

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

Moses faced his own garden of Gethsemane. In the legends and midrashim about the death of Moses, he does not go passively or willingly to his death. It seems strange that the traditional stories would paint Moses—the hero of heroes—as reluctant to accept death. Why would Moses resist striding boldly into that dark night?

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Nitzavim-Vayalech (נצבים/וילך | Standing/He went)

Torah: Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10-63:9

Gospel: Luke 24:1-12/Luke 24:13-43

ANALOGY IN ROMANS 7

HAVE WE REALLY PAID ATTENTION TO PAUL'S LAW, MARRIAGE, AND REMARRIAGE ANALOGY IN ROMANS 7?

"Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another -- to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom 7:1-6).

Imitating God

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called Merciful, so should you be merciful, just as He is called Gracious, so should you be gracious, just as He is called Righteous, so should you be righteous; just as He is called devout, so should you be a devout one. (Sifre on Deuteronomy 10:12).

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Ki Tavo (כי תבוא | When you come in)

Torah: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22

Gospel: Luke 23:26-56

Imitating God

That you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. (Deuteronomy 26:17)

GOD IS A GOD OF RULES

God started Adam and Eve out on *two* explicit commandments -- one a positive commandment with two parts ([1] "Be fruitful and multiply and [2] subdue the earth" -- Gen 1:28) and one a prohibition ("Of the tree ... you shall not eat" -- Gen 2:15-17; 3:3). In addition, there was the implicit commandment of Sabbath observance because God Himself blessed and sanctified the day (for whom? ... -- Gen 3:2,3) and because "the Sabbath was made for man/Adam ..." (Mar 2:27). There may have been more (E.g. "to work it and take care of it" -- Gen 2:15), but those are three commandments I can pull up on the spot.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE NEW COVENANT TO THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT, THE MOSAIC COVENANT, AND THE TORAH/LAW

 (Part #1)

Many Christians I converse with rightly acknowledge that there is some relationship between the New Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant. The basis, however, for this acknowledgement is often incorrect.

As is plainly written, the New Covenant was promised, not to Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews), but to “… the house of Israel and to the house of Judah …” (Jer 31:31). Consequently, the common assumption which sidetracks many non-Jewish Christians as we reason through Scripture is that that we Gentiles were/are smack-dab in the center of God’s redemptive agenda and that the New Covenant was made with us. This assumption is incorrect.

The Least of the Commandments

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Ki Tetze (כי תצא | When you go forth)

Torah: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10

Gospel: Luke 23:1-25