The
man in Hades called out to Abraham and asked him to send Lazarus to Hades to
comfort him. Abraham refused. The man in Hades asked Abraham to send Lazarus to
the home of his five brothers and tell them about what happened to him. Again,
Abraham refused. But there was another very rich man in Abraham’s Bosom – and sin
affected generations of Israelites. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/e7905d668939/guess-who-was-in-abrahams-bosom
This
is a Jewish parable, taught by a Jewish teacher to a Jewish audience – and
they all attended synagogues every Shabbat. It was recorded over
100 years before the Mishnah was written – and 400 years before the Talmud. The
teacher was a member of Late Second Temple Period Judaism. The Great
Day of Judgment and the Kingdom of God are linked together by Jesus
in this famous parable (Matthew 25:31-46). His sacred writings were separate Hebrew scrolls, not writings
in one book. He spoke Hebrew, not English. His lived in Galilee, not the United
States. He never taught any Christian salvation doctrine. He is the reason that
Jewish Scriptures are read by over 2.4 billion people around the world and
tourism is a major economic factor in Israel. Continue reading -
http://mailchi.mp/2d49347474f9/salvation-and-the-great-day-of-judgment-parable
Soon
after sending my previous email, I became aware of new information regarding
the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. I could not believe that
I haven’t heard anything about it on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or PBS. If I hadn’t been
involved in celebrating Hanukkah, writing these Exploring Jesus emails, and
exploring biblical heritages since 1999 -- I might have missed it too!
Hanukkah is the beginning of a demonstration on the part of the Jewish people that
they would not go down without a fight. It is the first recorded instance in
the history of a war conducted purely and solely in defense of religious
freedom. On October 7, 2023 Israel was challenged once again by multiple groups
at the same time. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/74029fc09204/making-the-invisible-drivers-of-human-behaviors-visible
In
my previous email I asked you to consider the differences between cave dwellers
and smartphone users separated by 191,700 years. I pointed out that their DNA
would be the same and it would produce identical bodies and organs, including
brains. Anything that you can name has a corresponding belief model in your
brain. A belief model is like an app on a smartphone. When something that a
person can name catches their brain’s attention, the belief model is activated.
Their actions were driven by instincts. We are immersed in an invisible Infosphere
full of misinformation, propaganda, and weaponized information produced by
nations, religions, corporations, criminals, and other individual users. Continue
reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/9319603e04fd/empowered-to-change-our-crazy-and-conflicting-world
I
want to apologize for not sending emails lately, but after my previous email a
longtime friend called. He told me how crazy the current situation looked and
how confusing everything had gotten. Then he said something that caught me
completely off guard: “I am sure you know what’s going on. Tell me!” I
told him that I didn’t have that answer, but if I found it, I would let him
know. He responded, “I know you know, but if you do want to tell me now, I
will wait.” He sounded so sure that I knew, I stopped and reviewed all of
the information I had -- using the Exploring the Bible and Biblical
Heritages guidelines and models. Two pictures popped into my mind – cavemen
and smartphones! Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/a1bd98285aee/what-do-cavemen-and-smartphone-users-have-in-common
October
7, 2023 is a day that will be remembered in Israel like September 11, 2001 is
remembered in America. Interesting, there is a link between the events that
most Americans are not aware of. On October 7, 2001 airstrikes targeting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban had begun in Afghanistan. For
Hamas and other Islamic terrorists’ groups, it has another meaning – it was the
beginning of the war they won against America. By October 30, 2023 pro-Palestinian
anti-Israel protests were taking place around the world. Find out what Earth
Day 1970, John Rawls, and a Supreme Court Justice have to do with those
protests. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/448e43d19053/rights-without-morals-are-killing-our-democracy
Reporters
use the modern generic English word “God,” instead of the names Jews,
Christians, and Muslims use -- Yahweh, the Trinity, and Allah. If reporters used
the correct names, their reports would place the credit or blame on identifiable
groups. The differences in their “gods” have been a primary factor in many of
the wars that Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought against each other for many
centuries. There is a way to resolve this problem! Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/6b7fc9d639a7/a-new-way-to-protect-lives-and-strengthen-societies
One day after the attacks people around the world were trying to
process what happened. one week later, American college campuses had students
protesting against Israel’s response to the attacks -- “Israel is committing
genocide! Israel is violating human rights.” This is a situation in which
the skills we use Exploring the Bible and Biblical Heritages come in handy. A
very important skill is identifying and tracking “unintended cascading
factual consequences” (UCFC). There are always multiple
versions of an event and endless speculations.
Continue reading at -
Today, making accurate distinctions between hate, hate crimes, anti-Semitism, and race is very important. Hate is regarding other people with extreme ill-will, having a passionate aversion to them, or treating them as an enemy. The word "crime" in “hate crime” is often a violent crime. “Anti-Semitism” and “race” are much more complicated. Scientists today, using powerful computer technologies, know much more about humans as genetic creatures. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/24eeebd5e1db/hate-hate-crimes-anti-semitism-and-race
I
had memorized the words of the Lord’s Prayer and prayed it many
times. But I was taught that after I said, “Amen” – I had
finished my part. Now everything is in God’s hands.
I can now move on to the next thing on my “To-Do List” or my “Prayer
List.” But I discovered that “Amen” for Jesus and his disciples signaled
the beginning, not the end. Now they are obligated to actively participate in
answering the prayer! Do not pray the Lord’s Prayer until you know the meaning
of the Hebrew “HINEINI.” Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/90a70aee11d3/praying-with-the-kingdom-of-heaven-mindset
The
New Sanhedrin had been making decisions about what a “Judaism without a Temple
and Priests” will be. They ruled that prayers would replace sacrifices.
Therefore, understanding the processes associated with offering sacrifices must
be understood. Presenting sacrifices at the Temple was called AVODAH
– divine service. There were two kinds of sacrifices (obligations) presented
at the Temple, so they created two kinds of prayers. The prayer Jesus taught
his disciples was also a communal prayer. This is probably the most
well-known prayer in the world today! Continue reading at --
http://mailchi.mp/64fdf5a46458/the-jewish-prayer-jesus-taught-his-disciples
In
the 10 years between Luke’s report and the writing of the Gospel of Matthew,
things had changed. What we see in Matthew confirms that Luke’s report had
been widely circulated. During that time, many Jewish and Gentile must have
become familiar faces at local synagogues. The followers wanted to use their
disciples’ skills on the teachings of Jesus and the Gospel of Matthew met
that need. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/af7e30fdff49/the-most-jewish-gospel-in-the-new-testament
Luke did as Theophilus asked and wrote a
two-volume report. The first volume is the Gospel of Luke. He focused on
the life and teachings of Yeshua aka Jesus. The second volume is now called “The
Book of the Acts of the Apostles.” It begins with the resurrected Jesus
spending 40 days with the apostles and members of his family. The question of “should
Gentiles be required to be circumcised in order to be saved” had created a
great controversy in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were told to go Jerusalem and
ask the leaders of the Jesus Movement for a ruling. It contains a big surprise!
Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/21720631f8e9/the-big-surprise-in-lukes-report
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon,
people around the world learned about black swan events. A black swan event is
a single improbable event with enormously far-reaching consequences. The
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE was the black swan event. However, I believe a
major factor related to this black swan event is overlooked by those engaged in
“hindsight analyses.” Imagine life in America if the internet was
suddenly destroyed and the nation’s government no longer existed – that’s what
it would have been like in 70 CE! See how the Yeshua aka Jesus Movement
responded. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/80c9a007f20c/the-black-swan-event-in-jerusalem-in-70-ce
I
created the Linguistic Guideline to help people more accurately discover the
meanings of words in the Bible. Later I created the Primary Guideline to
provide rules for members of our meetings to follow, so they would explore
instead of defending their beliefs. The two Guidelines totally changed the
environment of our meetings. Two unexpected consequences emerged as people used
them. Safe open environments in which honest
discussions took place and that increased transparency in everyone’s belief
systems. Continue reading at -
For over 2,000 years people have been hearing,
reading, and studying the Bible. People from all nations, not just Israel, are
familiar with acts of evil, like those described by Isaiah and
Ezekiel. But they do not understand what the “I will” statements
mean. Why had I never heard this before? It was unknown in my Christian religion.
Until then, I believed that all God wanted me to do was “believe the
right things.” Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/f8976bce15c1/learning-how-to-live-life-before-death-first
People
with Christian Biblical Heritages are taught a very different story about the
Garden in Eden. Let’s begin by reviewing the Garden in Eden story. Three
changes in the story make it impossible to see the original story or discover
its ancient wisdom lessons. See which version you have been taught. Continue
reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/21f45dbe487f/which-version-of-the-garden-in-eden-story-have-you-been-taught
A snake told Eve that humans would acquire the knowledge of God simply by taking a bite of fruit. But God had told them that if they ate that fruit, they would die. Adam was standing right beside her the whole time – he did or said nothing. Eve took a bite, gave it to Adam, told him to take a bit, he did, and guess what they discovered – they noticed something they had never noticed before and made some loincloths. God showed up and wanted to know what was going on -- Adam threw Eve under the bus! Continue reading at -- http://mailchi.mp/7fbf52a92d9d/the-i-never-noticed-that-thing-before-trial
If
your translation of the Bible says that “God created women to be
helpers for men,” your translation is simply WRONG! The
Hebrew text says, “A woman is an `ETZER KENEGDO.” Continue reading to find out what those
Hebrew words mean; it could change your life and relationships -
http://mailchi.mp/a4533658d92c/the-adam-is-no-longer-alone
Yahweh did TOV by giving
the ADAM a commandment that will protect his life. However, Yahweh also gave the
ADAM the freedom to eat the fruit of a tree that will cause him to begin to
die. Yahweh also said that “being alone is NOT TOV (good) for the
ADAM”, but He did NOT say,
“being alone is RA (evil) for the ADAM.” Find out what the ADAM said,
and more. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/99135c66c811/the-first-time-a-human-speaks-in-the-bible
Yahweh formed ADAM in one place and planted a garden east
of that place. The garden is in a place named Eden. Yahweh took ADAM to the
garden. An unnamed river flowed from Eden
into the garden and became four rivers that flowed out of it. The Tree of Life
is the garden. So why is that tree so important. Eternal life is the reward for
eating its fruit. There were lots of “Tree of Life” stories in the ancient
world, but the Bible’s story is very different. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/3bed0200b40c/the-location-of-the-tree-of-life
For
ancient audiences, this story was known as “The Wisdom of the Creator.”
It was the most valuable information of all. They used it to guide them in
their daily lives. They also knew that they needed it to discover more ancient
wisdom principles that are embedded in the stories that follow it. The people hearing the scribes read were
not sitting straight rows silently listening to an authority figure. In many
ways it was like a game, in which the audience listened for things that scribes
intentionally highlighted. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/7d3aca547a31/joining-the-game-of-acquiring-ancient-wisdom
It
is no accident that the word TOV appears seven times in the First Story in
Genesis. This is a scribal technique designed to highlight key words
in a context. TOV is one of the most important words in the Hebrew Scriptures. Being
aware of the Big Picture of TOV will help you more
accurately understand the stories that follow the First Story in
Genesis – and the teachings of the Jewish Jesus. Continue reading at
-
http://mailchi.mp/fda277861fc6/the-big-picture-of-tov
It is something we are all born with. At birth, babies are endowed with
compassion, with empathy, with the beginnings of a sense of fairness. Every
normal person has a sense of right and wrong, some appreciation of justice and
fairness, some gut feelings that are triggered by kindness and cruelty. called
“genetically hardwired rudimentary belief models.” Even though people are not
aware of them, they are still embedded deep with the brain’s neural networks.
Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/db293466d5a5/infants-belief-models-and-universal-morals
Did
you know that every living thing on earth exists because of a four-letter code?
Did you know that 3 million species make up one thing – life on earth --
and they are interconnected and interdependent on each other? Did you know that
our genome has 3 billion letters and a mutation in a single letter caused
sickle-cell anemia? Did you know that all humans are 99.9% genetically the
same? Understanding what we are is the first step to better and safer lives for
all of us. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/08c6cd878e13/life-the-priceless-miracle
The
stories of the three men above make it clear that what happened in Nazi Germany
is part of Christian Biblical Heritages. However, Explorers
of the Bible and Biblical Heritages quickly learn to ignore the umbrella
term “Christians.” The total population of Germany in 1939 was 79,375,281:
42,862,652 (54.0%) Protestants and 31,750,112 (40.0%)
Catholics. Many Protestants and Catholics have not view each
other as “legitimate Christians.” Did their religious belief systems produce
behaviors that protected or destroyed lives? Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/3a554b352fa3/nazis-catholics-protestants-belief-conflicts
What
began as a political party functioning as political parties do in a democratic republic
changed dramatically when its leader gained control of the nation’s institutions
of government – especially those that were legally authorized to use
physical and deadly force. No theologies or beliefs about supernatural
creatures involved. Homes are the training centers of ADAM (collective) and
ADAM (individuals). Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/b341a2ec7fd9/lives-1st-values-trained-mentored-by-my-parents
In
1919 after World War I, The Constitution of the German Empire was adopted
and the German Empire became Republic governed by a constitution. In 1935
Adolph Hitler’s Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor changed
everything.
Nazi
leaders were later judged as war criminals, but, according to the laws of Nazi
Germany, these crimes were fully legal acts, done in obedience to laws that
were decreed and approved in a perfectly democratic way. What moral absolutes
apply when nobody can be trusted? Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/5ae9284c9b77/remember-what-happened-in-nuremberg
Traditionally,
this is called the “creation of light,” but in verses that follow, the Creator will
speak again, but nothing will be created. Therefore, we shifted our focus to
the Hebrew word translated “light.” The Hebrew word has two additional meanings,
other than “light.” Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/ceedc2ac8528/light-the-creators-gift-to-the-entire-creation
The
Bible’s Wisdom of the Beginnings opens by revealing five mysteries in the first
two verses – and a foundational principle. These are unknown to most readers of
English translations. It is very clear that the Jewish Jesus knew and taught
them. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/6fd0dc588213/life-the-five-mysteries-of-the-beginnings
This
parable is not about a poor social victim. He has money, freedom, and influence.
In its original setting, was not about the type of prejudice that creates
people on the margins. It is about hatred between groups who have similar origins
and resources. It is about beliefs that in the name of God -- keep people from
loving God! Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/a2693275dc34/a-samaritan-happened-to-come-down-the-road
“And
behold, a certain lawyer stood up; testing Jesus.” The words “testing
Jesus” reveal the kind of person this lawyer is. He clearly is not asking
the question to gain knowledge. He had an answer in mind before he asked the
question. From the context of the story, it is likely that there are Pharisees,
Sadducees, Essenes, and probably others in the crowd that would also like for Jesus
to declare where he stands on this issue. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/054b9ed7bb45/one-salvation-ritual-or-living-lives-1st-values
Germany
was a nation with a 94% Christian population. Germany murdered 20% of Poland’s
total population, six million Polish citizens – three million Polish Jews and
three million Polish Christians. This is a very good reason for Jews to not
trust Christians and to have a difficult time considering that Jesus was a Jew.
This makes the book, The Holocaust, The Church, and the Law of Unintended
Consequences, by Judge Anthony J. Sciolino, a very important for both Jews
and Christians to read. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/1935c3c51c51/the-facts-about-two-christian-biblical-heritages-during-the-holocaust
In
August 1939 Witold Pilecki lived in Poland’s eastern borderlands, his family owned
an orchard and 550 acres of wheat fields. By the end of September, Poland had
been annexed by the Nazis and over five million Catholic Poles and Jews were
being expelled to make room for German settlers. Killing squads rounded up and shot
some 20,000 members of the Polish educated and professional classes. One year
later he volunteered to intentionally get captured and sent to a new Nazi camp.
Germany and Poland were nations with populations that were over 90% Christians.
This is part of history we need to know. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/bd8728efc532/the-power-of-tov-in-our-lives-biblical-heritages
The
Torah was read in synagogues every Shabbat (Friday sundown to Saturday
sundown). As years passed, the stories were heard many many times. They weren’t
“religious stories” for the people living in the Second Temple Period – stories
about an abstract invisible God. For them, “approaching God” was
something that people went to the Temple to do every day. It was a very serious
decision. Continue reading at -
In
my previous email, I put myself in in Cain’s story and asked readers to “ponder
that for a while!” By “ponder” I mean let your brain’s super high speed
information subconscious processer (the elephant) “google” your life
experiences to see if it can find any that match Cain’s experience of being
ignored by Yahweh when he brought Him his gifts. My brain found several of life
experiences – one made me visualize God sending a bolt of lightning taking me
out. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/a03d79ed538d/need-to-know-info-about-god
Bible
stories have brought joy and comfort, as well as learning important things to
billions of readers who read the Bible in two ways. However, most of those “billions”
were not Jewish. Jews use a third way to read a Bible story at the same time
every year. Jesus was a Jew and knew the third way. I used it to write this
email. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/96d284f624d3/did-you-know-yahweh-accepts-angry-people
Jeffrey
fulfilled that prophesy in my eyes, and the eyes of thousands of other
Gentiles. He took “being our light” very seriously and he did an amazing job
teaching Gentiles, many of whom did not understand the link of the Jewish Jesus
to his Judaism – they did not have good thoughts associated with the word, “Jew.”
They also did not understand there was “only one requirement for
membership in the Jewish Jesus Movement.” Read more and go to video link
at -
http://mailchi.mp/1d4e2237e4d9/video-of-rabbi-leynor-teaching-tzedaqah-righteousness
The
Torah has been read many ways over the past 2,500 years, but from 300 CE until
the 20th century, people have not been able to recognize the way in
which Ezra’s scribes used the Persian legal structure of an alliance. We
wouldn’t have found it without a sentence located in a parable Jesus taught.
Now we are able to read the ancient story again – and it has the power to transform
societies today! Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/eccdf0438f67/the-creators-alliance-with-the-first-family
Ancient
wisdom of the Bible differs from wisdom of other cultures and writings. The
wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures is not abstract learning or philosophical
speculation. The wisdom of the Bible is not about believing
– it is about doing! The purpose of the wisdom of the Hebrew text is
“to guide people on the path that leads to living life at its highest and
best.” As you explore the wisdom of the Bible, you must constantly seek
answers to three questions. Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/377a9b25eff3/how-to-read-and-do-the-wisdom-of-the-bible
The
second blessing (in Genesis 1:28) is much more than the first blessing – it
is an alliance that the Creator established with the ADAM. This
alliance defines the Creator’s relationship to the ADAM as “father and
son.” That provision also defined the relationships of the male and
female humans – “siblings of the same father.” It also
defines the way in which humans exercise power towards other humans. Continue
reading at –
http://mailchi.mp/a311b5da14f7/the-creator-creates-an-alliance-with-humans
The
ancient creation stories of the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians,
and Canaanites begin by telling stories about the origins, things the gods and
goddesses had done, their domains, etc. When they got what they wanted things
were usually better for humans, but when they didn’t get those things, gods and
goddesses could become violent and other gods, goddesses, and humans could suffer
and die. There were no legal restraints to protect humans or weaker gods or
goddesses. The God of Israel established an alliance will all humans! Continue
reading at -
Exploring
the Bible
is designed to be a team activity, like a sport. We live in a
highly individualized “it’s all about me culture,” where sports are one of few human
activities that publicly demonstrate the power of human cooperation in real
life. Before you can explore “God” in the Bible, you must become aware of the belief
models linked to the word “God” that your elephant is now using to analyze my
words. And, before you can do that – you must learn how to ride an elephant!
Continue readings at -
http://mailchi.mp/b2c16e0edfcb/exploring-god-in-the-bible-part-1
According
to science, humans are creatures created by a DNA code. The kind of life people
live is dependent on the experiences they have with other people in the world –
beginning with their parents. This is something that both science and
the Wisdom of Genesis completely agree on. The Wisdom of Genesis lays
the information foundation upon that plays a major in what we
are. Continue reading at –
http://mailchi.mp/73302d6f0508/what-are-we
People
often ask me what TOV means. I give them a one sentence answer.
Why do I do this? I do it because that is what is expected because we have been
taught “to find THE answer.” They do not want me to give
them two or more answers or a list – they want “THE” answer! People
living before the 16th century CE, did not expect “THE”
answer, they were “list thinkers.” Today, you are going to learn how to “list
think.” Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/a954d41c784c/how-to-make-a-tov-list
I
have been writing about life in ancient cultures that had many gods. Creation
stories reveal things people in a culture will focus on and value. I will begin
this email by reviewing two of those stories -- and then begin a series on examining
the creation story in the Bible. Creation stories create belief models that
are used to generate the realities of individuals and civilizations. Continue
reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/47fc76d2860e/the-power-of-ancient-list-thinking-to-transform-lives
The
Babylonians left a wide path of destruction in Judah as they leveled and ransacked
villages and towns, including Jerusalem. Against all odds, the captives taken
to Babylon from Jerusalem, seem to have not only endured, but prospered. A
century later, Ezra the scribe carried two scrolls to Jerusalem – The Torah and
The Law of King Artaxerxes I. Continue reading at –
http://mailchi.mp/01460bce5b0e/two-scrolls-and-a-very-interesting-situation
When the Persians invaded Babylon, they brought
a new language, new gods, new stories, and new values with them. For over 200
years they ruled lands written about in the Bible. The Babylonians welcomed
them. They codified the laws of Egypt and Judah. Unknowingly, as we will learn
later, what they did will affect the teachings of Jesus and the Declaration of
Independence! Continue reading at -
http://mailchi.mp/3aab2c1825b8/the-persians-the-temple-and-the-torah
Everyone
in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, lived in polytheistic societies. People
had to know which gods and goddesses were responsible for things related to life.
Gods and goddesses were not responsible for only one area, their
responsibilities overlapped. A good example of the complexity of life in a
polytheistic world is Ishtar – the goddess of love and war; a perpetual
virgin and a prostitute. Try to wrap your 21st century belief
models around those words! Continue reading at –
http://mailchi.mp/e58da4d38127/why-most-people-cannot-understand-bible-stories
A
belief system contains belief models, which the brain created from life
experiences. Belief models are located in neural networks of the brain. They are
like pieces of a puzzle that the brain uses to generate and stream an individual’s
reality. Everything you can name is linked to a belief model. Two of the
functions of belief models are attaching meanings to the thing named, and predicting
how it will affect our lives. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/2add46427bf4/why-we-focus-on-people-first-part-2
