Building on the Foundation

  Are you Jewish? That question is one I often get asked upon someone learning that I don't eat pork, that I celebrate the Biblical Festivals instead of the pagan ones, or that I keep a Saturday Sabbath.  It seems common knowledge that all the things the Bible commands in the Old Testament, were for the Jews, and that we modern people (after 30 AD.) are not required to observe such rites, and especially if we are not Jewish. Before we delve into that though, we need to define some terms:  A “Jew” is someone that is ancestrally descended from the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob (later named “Israel”)    The line-up went like this: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin.   Joseph's two sons; Manaseh and Ephraim each became a tribe and replaced the tribe of Joseph.  Thus there were thirteen “tribes of Israel” that were enslaved in Egypt, and released at Passo...

Have you ever asked our heavenly Father for something?   I am sure we all have many times.  And many times we have been granted our requests.   I love hearing stories of miraculous healings and interventions in the lives of our brethren! But then there are the times we have asked for things and been denied. Maybe it was healing for a loved one, or for the return of a prodigal child.  Maybe it was a shiny new car,  or a spouse.   Whatever it was, when the answer is “no” how do we handle that?  What about all the promises in the Bible?   Is it because our faith wasn’t strong enough?  Is it because we committed a sin, and our Father doesn’t hear our prayers?  Or is it something else entirely?  These are questions I have asked,  and after studying this subject, I would like to share my findings with you, and get some input and different perspectives if possible. Let’s start with the promises.     “ So ...