Biblical Heritage Center Blog

  In my previous email, Is Forgiven of All Sins Like the Enron Loophole? , I asked readers to think about that question. For me, the first thought that came to me were the “ Get Out of Jail Free Cards ” of a game I loved to play, Monopoly . They were basically “ Break the Law Without Paying Penalties ” cards. I didn’t become a saint after being saved. I sinned but without any fear that those sins would keep me from going to Heaven and spending eternity there! Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/5afcaf65b588/how-can-we-identify-a-sin-or-enron-loophole

  My family went to a church that had a “ once saved always saved doctrine .” This meant that when I was “saved” – “ my past, present, and future sins were all forgiven .” Because of my background in banking and business, “ once saved always saved ” always reminds me of the “ Enron Loophole .” Next time you buy groceries, pay your mortgage, pay your electricity bill, etc. – remember the Enron Loophole. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/8c2269ba302b/is-forgiven-of-all-sins-like-the-enron-loophole

  A defining behavior of the members of the original Jesus Movement was something they prayed everyday: “ Forgive us the debt of our sins as we forgive the debt of those who sin against us .” The words of Jesus are linked to Leviticus 19:17-18: “ Do not hate your brother in your heart; you shall reprimand (educate) your neighbor.” We are not born to be loners. Loss of self-control is part of being human. Continue reading at: https://mailchi.mp/1a150630c22f/the-original-jesus-movement-the-forgivers

  In the first story in Genesis, when Elohim spoke, a new hierarchy of natural differentiations separated the old order of the other cultures. Elohim is distinct from nature, humans, and the world. Elohim is never a human, and a human is never Elohim. Elohim is unnamed and beyond the capacity of humans to describe. Humans are created to do Elohim’s will in the world, and they can communicate with Elohim through prayer. Humans are creatures with the freedom to do or not to do Elohim’s will. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/ef634db70ffb/do-tzedaqah-and-keep-theologies-out-of-government

  Jesus taught his followers this prayer so they could cross the chasm between them and Elohim. But simply by praying “ His will be done on earth ,” demands were placed on those praying to fulfill those obligations . Jesus used each line of this prayer to teach his followers how to fulfill those demands . He did it by “ hinting at specific portions of Hebrew Scripture .” Even this simple line – Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread – is part of a wisdom lesson. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/b833d766a49b/give-us-this-day-our-daily-bread

  The shared biblical-based wisdom principle and Lives 1 st Value -- “all humans are created as equals” -- of the United States of America and the State of Israel is under the most serious attacks in both of their histories (1776 & 1948). The moment Ike, Jeffrey, and I realized that the original Jesus was neither the Jesus described by modern Christian institutions, nor the Jesus described by institutions of Rabbinic Judaism – all of our ingroup vs. outgroup barriers collapsed. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/800fa1f3f5b4/a-way-two-christians-and-a-jew-found-to-stand-shoulder-to-shoulder