Tov is translated “good.” The
Creator measured His acts by the Tov Standard. In other stories,
He also measured acts by people that affected the lives of other people by the Tov
Standard. Once you learn to recognize acts that are Tov,
even though the word Tov isn’t mentioned, you will be able to
recognize them in many Bible passages. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/d618f38f77b7/jesus-taught-the-tov-standard
Hebrew word Tov
is translated “good” in Genesis. Humans create words which
are transmittable
symbols. But the
meanings are bundled in life experiences. The life experiences required
to understand Tov are in the first story in Genesis. Humans are the only
creatures created to function by doing acts of Tov individually, collectively
and in harmony. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/ce86a134d4e1/tov-is-what-good-means-to-the-creator
In the
teachings of Jesus, there is one underlying and overriding theme, a theme that
serves as the foundation upon which biblical faith is built. If one looks at
the Bible as a whole, if one includes additionally all Jewish literature that
is extant, the Oral Law, the Written Law, the commentaries, and search for one,
single, overriding theme, it is summed up in the Hebrew word tzedakah. Tzedakah
is the outstanding, overriding, and yet simple, theme of Jesus. He taught, “let
your kingdom be spread abroad over the whole earth in such a way that God may
begin to rule in the lives of more and more people.” Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/ee4e20247d64/tzedaqah-the-foundational-theme-of-biblical-faith
Does the
“original” meaning of a Bible passage, apart from Christian or later Jewish
interpretation, still have anything to say to us? Those words described the
obstacle I have been facing for decades. BHC’s Guidelines and Linguistic Model
clearly indicate that Jesus was “Jewish,” but Jewish in the early 1st
century CE does not mean the same thing as Jewish means today. So what
did Jewish mean then? Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/65108941c178/breaking-through-jewish-and-christian-barriers-to-understand-the-original-jesus
The Bible’s
Wisdom of the Beginnings, combined with its interpretations by Jesus,
gave a very clear answer – humans are created to protect lives, preserve
lives, make lives more functional and increase the quality of life. So why
are so many people destroying lives, harming lives, making lives less
functional, and decreasing the quality of life in America today? Continue
readding at - https://mailchi.mp/83131fda4f97/doing-more-than-repeating-meaningless-endeavors
Light is one
of the most important words in the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of Jesus. On
Day Four Elohim created the Greater Lamp, the Lesser Lamp, and the stars. Jesus
used Day Four to teach his disciples a very important wisdom lesson in the
Sermon on the Mount. Continue to read at - https://mailchi.mp/a50f521e5483/how-are-humans-supposed-to-function
This is no
easy task. It involves appreciating what biblical texts meant in their earliest
contexts and then explaining how over the centuries different communities with
different concerns developed different interpretations. This war continues
today, when a Christian tells a Jew, “You obviously don t understand your
Bible because, if you did, you would see how it predicts the Messiah Jesus,”
and when a Jew responds, “Not only do you Christians see things in the text
that are not there; you mistranslate and you yank verses out of context.”
Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/82c0541f0191/are-you-sure-you-understand-what-we-are-exploring
In the Jewish
culture before 70 CE, sacrifice or gift to Yahweh Elohim at the Temple had no
atoning effect unless the person giving them has a pure heart. But in this
story, at the moment this person was
standing in the closest place to Yahweh Elohim on Earth, priests are waiting to
do their rituals, other people are in line waiting to present their
sacrifices/gifts – at that very moment this person remembered saying things
Jesus warned him not to say! What should he do? Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/49b04589c491/how-many-people-did-you-forgive-today
The
teachings of Jesus are very much like the Jewish Rabbis in tractate Avot: The
Sayings of the Fathers -- almost no laws, consisting instead of short
statements of advice, ethics, and wisdom. One of the most important teachings
of Jesus – that Americans (Christians and everyone else) urgently need to do
today is found in Matthew 5:21-26 -- “how to exercise impulse control and
self-discipline when they become angry!” Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/e21de67d035e/thinking-like-a-member-of-the-kingdom-of-elohim-in-2025
One of the
most remarkable and misunderstood stories in the Bible is our story -- the
ADAM. Day Six of creation is about
the creation of “creatures of the Earth” – animals and humans. It is
important to understand the things that humans and animals share, as well as
the things that make them different. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/3e383891cee9/a-kingdom-of-people-like-us
The
Parable of the Great Day of Judgment
is probably one of the most well-known parables of Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46). The opening words of the parable reveal
some very important clues that most people today never see -- this is the
judgment of nations, not individuals. This parable is found only in
Christian Bibles, but the parable was written for Jewish people who knew
the Jewish Scriptures behind the parable. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/b8537f32b2bd/ancient-wisdom-for-modern-families-nations
I do not
believe that members of those Christian groups believe “God visits the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations.” I also
believe that Christians want to do what Jesus taught! So let’s begin there. The
Jesus who lived and taught in Jerusalem, Judea, and the Galilee began his
movement with these words. “Turn! The Kingdom of Elohim is here!” The Jewish
members of the audience knew Jesus was referring to Exodus 18:20-30. Continue
reading at - https://mailchi.mp/2f0ce78a5b43/a-source-of-shared-beliefs-and-values-for-christians-jews-and-american-citizens
We now know
the word “Ten Commandments” do not appear in the Hebrew
text of the Torah Scroll (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, or
Deuteronomy). English translators should have translated the Hebrew words “Ten
DEVARIM” as “Ten Words” or “Ten Legal Sayings.”
Question 1: How would you discuss this information with
others? Does knowing the words are “legal sayings” instead of “commandments”
change the way you view them? Continue reading by clicking here: https://mailchi.mp/e518fbf0a1b2/questions-for-accurately-discussing-beliefs-related-to-the-ten-commandments
And Yahweh said:
“Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels
such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the
people among whom you are shall see the work of Yahweh. For
it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe
what I command you this day. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/a29778746596/the-second-set-of-stone-tablets-that-most-people-know-nothing-about
When Moses
went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh
settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and
on the seventh day Yahweh called to Moses from within the cloud. Moses
entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain
forty days and forty nights . . . The tablets were the work of Elohim; the
writing was the writing of Elohim, engraved on the tablets. Continue reading at
- https://mailchi.mp/0fc3eef0a079/moses-threw-the-writings-of-elohim-at-the-people
In Texas,
the Ten Commandments are in the spotlight again. A 2025 law in the state of Texas
that requires all public schools in the state to include the Ten Commandments in
the classroom. This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the benefits
of Exploring the Bible and Biblical Heritages. The Ten Commandments are
not as polarizing as Bible verses linked to other Christian and Jewish beliefs.
I will use the Hebrew words “Elohim” and “Yahweh”
instead of the standard English translations “God” and “LORD.”
Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/5d1bf9307256/is-the-exodus-20-story-about-the-ten-commandments
A cosmic war
is like a ritual drama in which participants act out on earth a battle they
believe is actually taking place in the heavens. It is, in other words, both a
real, physical struggle in this world and an imagined, moral encounter in the
world beyond. The conflict may be real and the carnage material, but the war
itself is being waged on a spiritual plane; we humans are merely actors in a
divine script written by God. A cosmic war partitions the world into
black and white, good and evil, us and them. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/31669ceec901/distinguishing-between-the-kingdom-of-elohim-cosmic-wars
Until the
end of the exodus, neither Abraham nor the descendants of Isaac, had ever lived
in their own land. They had been living in the lands of people who had many
gods – and they had their own languages. None of them used the English
word “god” or the Hebrew word “Elohim” to identify their deities. What
Christian’s called “The Old Testament” is the Jewish Bible called “Tanakh”
(written in Hebrew). Therefore, it is absolutely essential for accuracy, to
call deities that are found in it by the Hebrew words that are in the text.
Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/0fcf9cb33c68/the-mysteries-and-wisdom-of-the-hebrew-word-elohim
The first
act of creation created “Sacred Light (Fire) in the most holy space.” The
second act of creation made a solid dome-like structure that resulted in
turning one body of water into two bodies of water. The things that were
created are very important, but those two acts were about much more than they
appear! Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/9eac58566f15/elohim-is-superior-to-the-gods-of-the-babylonians-and-persians
Today I want
to expand on a statement I made in my previous email, A Wisdom Option for
Dealing with Life in a Toxic Infosphere. “Biblical Heritages have a way to protect themselves and their children
from the symptoms I described above – I am talking about people in these
groups: Jews, Christians, and Nones.” After I clicked the button that
sent the emails, I began feeling like something was wrong. Continue reading at
- https://mailchi.mp/258f576db955/i-need-to-correct-a-mistake-in-my-previous-email
We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. . . .” These Rights are not individual rights or a
Free ticket to do anything. There are responsibilities attached to them.
Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/99cfb94ed509/are-unalienable-rights-civil-rights-and-human-rights-the-same
How did the
Declaration of Independence acquire ideas from the Hebrew Scriptures? In 1492
the Jews of Spain were expelled by royal decree; five years later the Jews of Portugal
faced a similar fate. They were educated, wealthy, and had many contacts with Muslim
and Christian communities. Over a century later, Christian colonists arrived in
America with Hebrew Scriptures and ideas linked to forming a new government. Sadly,
this part of our history didn’t make it into our history books or Sunday School
classes. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/aa1734c8dceb/another-forgotten-jewish-messianic-movement
Those words are
clearly linked to the Hebrew Scriptures. So how did they get in
America’s founding document? Jews didn’t appear in the American history books I
read in public school. The link is there, and a great deal of information is
available online. The story began when Queen Isabella asked Pope Sixtus IV for permission to set
up an Inquisition to weed out heresy. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/3a0ae5cdb24e/discovering-the-missing-hebrew-link
Covenants were a common institution in the
ancient Near East. The covenants of the Hebrew Bible are most similar to
the covenants made among the ancient Hittites. These were made between
powerful, sovereign kings and less powerful, subordinate vassals. The Hittite
covenants provided protection in return for allegiance. They were always
voluntary and just. They were made under oath and included no termination
clause. In other words, they were meant for all time. Continue reading
at - https://mailchi.mp/517bb93a380a/understanding-covenants-and-the-first-century
When you
have been Exploring the Bible and Biblical Heritages for decades with
the same associates, we do many things subconsciously without mentioning them.
As I looked back over previous emails, I realized I had not been pointing them
out to readers. The most important one defines what we are actually doing. I will
use this email as an example -- Jesus and The Kingdom of Elohim. The
correct title should have been this: Belief Models
about Jesus and the Kingdom of Elohim. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/088fd3a81bde/do-not-forget-we-are-talking-about-belief-models
.png)
As many of you already know, the teachings of Jesus in
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very different from John – and Paul’s Christ.
Christians have a difficult time seeing that, but Jewish rabbis usually
instantly recognize the importance of the teachings of Jesus. Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor was one of those rabbis. He said, “I
think the Jewish Jesus would be much more comfortable at my synagogue than any church.
Jesus was a Jew. He was raised in a Jewish home by Jewish parents. I will
always remember the night Jim Myers walked into my class carrying a lot of
books, and asking just as many questions.” Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/cd37d3827f2f/why-do-the-images-of-god-continue-to-kill-each-other
Trillion-dollar
tokens traded. Trades valued in billions of dollars made in seconds without any
paperwork and without government regulations. The democratization of investing:
expanding prosperity in more places, for more people. You have until 2030 to
decide or there could be costly consequences. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/df8205bcd113/is-tokenization-tov
We are now launching
the BHC Lives 1st Teams & Networks of Safety Nets Program.
Its purpose is to “empower people to create overlapping sources of Safety
Nets, which will increase order and decrease chaos.” We will use this
model. Each of the circles represents centers of different sources of chaos.
The first kind is linked to the Bible. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/7a5e18f876fe/identifying-primary-sources-of-chaos-in-america-today
I was a
banker before I became a preacher and later the co-founder of the Biblical
Heritage Center. Banking is in my blood and when financial markets go crazy,
that always gets my attention. So that’s what I have been doing instead of writing
these emails. Interestingly, I discovered something I had been looking for in
my biblical research as I analyzed a bunch of financial statements. Continue at
- https://mailchi.mp/6400a9329d78/order-of-chaos-the-choice-is-ours-to-make
In the modern world we want to know precise definitions and be able to view comprehensive legislation. However, the cultures of the scribes of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, and the Israelites shared a “way of thinking” that is unknown to us. Their writings have “lists of legal sayings” that are “aspective.” The first story in Genesis contains some of the most important aspects. Continue to read at - https://mailchi.mp/39ada9d32222/identifying-key-aspects-to-discover-wisdom-and-create-order
Why do
we do the things that we do?
Robert Morris Sapolsky, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at
Stanford University, has spent a career doing research on that question. I am sharing this information with you to
simply make you aware of these very important facts. The
information he provides also relates to the limitations of algorithms. Having
an awareness provides a degree of protection from predators lurking in
cyberspace. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/614bd571a1b0/facts-about-our-relationships-and-futures-with-algorithms
It is not
clear what Americans mean when they talk about God. Yet references to God are
everywhere. It is the rare presidential speech that doesn’t end with “God bless
America.” The phrase is all over bumper stickers and billboards. The Pledge of
Allegiance informs us that we are “one nation under God,” and U.S. currency
assures us that “in God we trust.” Yet the philosopher Charles Taylor offers an
important caveat. “Belief in God,” he writes, “isn’t quite the same thing in
1500 and 2000.” The main difference is that belief in God used to be assumed. Now,
it is consciously chosen. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/328c67cb89c0/protecting-our-minds-from-predator-algorithms-and-polluted-information
The earlier
internet was a human-driven relevance engine, shaped by live interactions
between people. But as social media evolved, algorithms began to drive the
engine. Today they gather identity signals of others and deliver them precisely
to those whom they can alarm and agitate the most. Algorithms are rewriting
the cultures in which we live. Culture guides what is right and wrong
and what our customs, traditions, laws, and values should be. Continue reading
at - https://mailchi.mp/c655fd05eb95/algorithms-are-rewriting-our-cultures
Before: In 1983, 90 percent of what Americans called
the news, plus other things they saw, watched, and heard were controlled by 50
corporations. After: By 2012, 6 corporations controlled 90% of
what Americans called the news, plus other things they saw, watched, and heard
on traditional media – plus social media with data abstracted from the banks
of every computer in the human system. Continue reading at – https://us13.admin.mailchimp.com/campaigns/edit?id=6740924
Always
follow the money if you want to discover the facts. That is what I asked you to
remember in my previous email. The next thing to remember is: Make sure you
know what kind of money you are following! January 1971: US
gold reserve at Federal Reserve Bank New York (Manhattan) will cover only 22%
of the liabilities the US owes to foreign central banks. The crisis caused a
gradual loss of confidence in the dollar. From January to August 1971, $20
billion in gold fled to other countries. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/ff70ddf6d924/there-is-more-than-one-way-to-make-a-dollar
In order to
identify and understand key historical events, always keep the three facts
below in mind (I have written about them many times): 1. Something happens. 2.
There are unintended consequences. 3. Cascading unexpected events follow. As a
person educated in banking, I remind those who work and explore with me, always
follow the money if you want to discover the facts. Continue reading at
- https://mailchi.mp/6b79cc46edbb/setting-the-stage-for-understanding-america-today
In order to provide
readers with the resources needed to understand and discuss subjects in these
emails at a much deeper level, I will be uploading a series of modules.
Today I uploaded Module #1 with these Key terms: social creatures, social
organizations, social interaction, identities, nations, complex belief
structures, religions, and science. This is foundational information
required for any political, social, economic, scientific, or religious
discussions. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/6cea203525e8/from-social-relationships-to-nations
At our
meeting last night, I used a new example to explain the meaning of the words of
very well-known prayer. They liked it so I thought I would share it with you
today. It was a Jewish prayer in the first century, and became a Christian
prayer later. It was a prayer that Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor and I talked about many
times. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/224da59f597c/what-would-life-on-earth-be-like
The
Hebrew University in Jerusalem
posted this article today: “First burials: Compelling evidence that Neanderthal
and Homo sapiens engaged in cultural exchange.” The first-ever published
research on Tinshemet Cave reveals that Neanderthals and Homo
sapiens in the mid-Middle Paleolithic Levant not only coexisted but actively
interacted, sharing technology, lifestyles, and burial customs. For more
information - https://mailchi.mp/d0bb9ad83f4a/formal-burial-customs-appear-in-israel-110000-years-ago
Aspects
lists are found in multiple ancient cultures of the Middle East. This accumulation
of aspects serves to produce a sense of understanding of the field as a whole
and provide wisdom for making decisions and judgments. These lists are part of
legal documents called Alliances and Covenants. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/626877a6cc17/the-universal-genesis-alliance
The last positively identified Akkadian text
comes from the 1st century CE. The ability to read the Akkadian language faded
into the distant past until 1767 CE, 9 years before the Declaration of
Independence. The
Stele of Hammurabi was discovered in 1901. It would be another century
before it before its relationship with the Bible would be heard by people
outside the circles of scholars. Today it is helping us better understand the
Bible. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/6ef476bfdfec/establishing-justice-and-maintaining-order-together
One
can point to multiple trends that knocked down our wiser selves. Traditional
institutions that have drawn us together around more noble purposes have been
overtaken by political messages. The “Greatest Generation,” which filled
our country with a sense of moral purpose after World War II, is gone. Civility
has largely broken down. Differences of opinion have now become occasions for
unleashing vitriol, identifying those holding alternative views as not just
misguided but evil and dangerous. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/330bf7448c36/how-did-we-get-here
The
first major conflict in the Jesus Movement was resolved by the Jerusalem Council (50 CE). Even though all
but one apostle had been personally taught by Jesus, the council led by Jacob (James),
the brother of Jesus, and included “elders.” Their ruling became an “institutional
truth” of the Jesus Movement. The councils of the Roman Catholic Church also created
“institutional truths.” A major change occurred in the 16th century.
Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/411e17e0df3f/know-the-difference-between-institutional-and-individual-truths
I
was working on an email about Martin Luther’s movement beginning on university
campuses in 1517 CE. I took a break to write recommendations on two books -- Your
Professors Are Lying to You About Israel and The Road to Wisdom: On
Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust. The first book deals specifically with
five false accusations. The second book deals with Postmodernist claims that “An
author didn’t actually know what was meant in a text that he or she had written,
so readers were therefore free to create their own meaning for a work,
unrelated to all previous interpretations.” Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/7115186f402e/the-age-of-transparency-has-arrived-in-america
Rabbi
Jeffrey Leynor and I talked about death a lot. When we first met, besides being
a pastor, I was the chaplain at the Sheriff’s Department. Later he became a
chaplain at a local police department. So delivering the message, “your loved
one is dead,” was one of the things we both understood. So, as an Informed Bible
Reader, I learned to insert myself into Bible stories, understand what they
meant to the original audiences, and then apply I discovered to my life today. I
was reading the story of Cain and Able. The first thing that popped into my
mind was – Who delivered the “your loved one is dead” to Adam and Eve? Continue
reading at - https://mailchi.mp/f69311d02ef6/your-loved-one-is-dead
Being an Informed
Bible Reader makes it possible to discover things many Bible readers
miss. I was updating our notes on Genesis 5 and wanted to share this one with
you. The words in italics are the Bible verses. In the day that Elohim
created ADAM, He made him in the likeness of Elohim. He
created them male and female, and blessed them and called their name
“ADAM” in the day they were created. (Be sure to note that “ADAM
is the name of two people” – usually called “Adam and
“Eve.”) Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/6e65a54a96c4/when-did-adam-and-eve-die
The Torah does not have a “Right Beliefs” Standard. Jesus did not teach Christians to have a “Right Beliefs” Standard. Jesus used the Torah to teach those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, gave shelter to the homeless, gave clothes to naked, visited the sick, and went to those in prison will enter into eternal life. Jesus taught people to use the Tov Standard the Creator used when He created the Skies and the Earth. He did not give people “Right Beliefs” Standard. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/4f40bdba87dd/right-beliefs-or-life
We
explore the Bible and biblical heritages. Explore means we examine
and investigate information related to the histories of writings in the Bible,
as well as the histories of institutions linked to the Bible. Bible study is an
important part of Exploring the Bible and biblical heritages, however, we place
the appearance of Bibles, institutions, beliefs, doctrines, creeds, and
statements of faith in chronological order on a timeline. This often reveals
some very interesting historical and theological nuggets. Continue reading at –
https://mailchi.mp/c12f590e40d4/the-pope-or-the-bible
Prominent
leaders, teachers, and blue-collar workers collectively let their hair down to
talk earnestly about their faith, and to ask penetrating questions about how
science and faith can contradict or reinforce each other. For a good hour of
discourse, goodwill filled the room. And then one church member asked the
senior pastor whether he believed that the first chapter of Genesis was a
literal, step-by-step, day-by-day description of the origins of the earth and
of humankind. In an instant, brows furrowed and jaws tightened. Continue
reading at – https://mailchi.mp/53153bb595bb/how-science-and-faith-could-reinforce-each-other
