ANOINTED FOR CHRIST

1. Seminary Update Greetings, friends. Over the last month, I have continued working through my flashcards of the 75 most common Hebrew root words in the Old Testament. I also received my syllabus from Manna University for Biblical Hebrew I, purchased the textbook and workbook, and I am looking forward to the class beginning on August 24, 2026. This month, one Hebrew word especially caught my attention: יְשׁוּעָה — yeshu’ah — salvation That word became the starting point for this month’s Seminary Journey reflection. 2. The Flashcard Moment As I was studying my Hebrew flashcards, I came across the word יְשׁוּעָה . Front of my Hebrew flashcard: יְשׁוּעָה (yeshuʿah), meaning “salvation.” I sounded it out slowly: Yeh-shoo-ah. Yeshu’ah. Then I thought, “I know that word. That sounds like Yeshua.”   I was already familiar with the name Yeshua as the Hebrew name behind the English name Jesus . But when I flipped the flashcard over, I saw that the meaning listed w...

Seminary Journey explores lessons from biblical Hebrew, theology, and Scripture. Greetings, friends! One of the greatest blessings of attending seminary is discovering fresh insights from God's Word that deepen my love for Him. This month, my biblical Hebrew studies led me to reflect on the beautiful relationship between prayer and praise in the Book of Psalms. I learned about the Hebrew words  tefillah  (תְּפִלָּה, "prayer") and  tehillah  (תְּהִלָּה, "praise"). Although these words come from different Hebrew roots, their similar sounds serve as a memorable reminder of something we see throughout the Psalms: prayer and praise are deeply connected. Just as some pastors use the phrase "at-one-ment" to help us remember reconciliation with God, the similar sound of the Hebrew words tefillah and tehillah creates a memorable picture. Throughout the Psalms, prayers were often written to be sung. When a tefillah (prayer) is lifted to God in song, it becomes ...

As I studied the book of Ruth, I began thinking about the relationship between faithfulness, patience, and blessing. Ruth 2:1 says: “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz” (NIV). The expression “man of standing” includes the Hebrew word חַיִל—chayil. This word can describe strength, ability, wealth, influence, or noble character. Boaz was therefore a capable, respected, and substantial man within his community. The word chayil does not specifically mean patience. Nevertheless, Boaz’s actions throughout the story reveal a patient and honorable character. When Ruth approached Boaz concerning marriage and redemption, Boaz did not take advantage of her vulnerability. He explained that another relative had the first legal right to act as guardian-redeemer. Although Boaz desired to help Ruth, he was willing to respect the proper order and wait for the matter to be resolved. His patience was not passivity. Once t...

      In my prestudies, I learned about a verse in psalm 37 that says "refrain from anger, forsake wrath, do not fret; it only leads to evil."       In the Hebrew of that verse, Yahweh uses 3 different words for anger: aph, chemah, and charah. Aph means nostril, chemah means heat, and charah means to burn. The last one charah comes from the word charr which means to burn. We use that same word when we say, "I have charred the meat in the fire."        Yahweh wants us to obstain from anger in general. That is because anger is so destructive. Yahweh handles anger the best, using it sparingly and for judgment purposes only.        For us, Yahweh wants us to leave anger in his hands. God wants us to stay cool, keep peaceful, and let Yahweh take revenge. Yahweh will handle the heat of anger better than us. He won't get burned. Much love, Chris (Image of person yelling in a crowd)

 01_Genesis_1_Notes God is in Control In Genesis chapter one, we learn that God made all things.  This should bring us some comfort.  When the world seems to spin out of control, we must remember that He made it all.  God can reign the earth and its chaotic parts back into correct orbit, and He will in due time.  Consider when God created the ocean. It is so powerful and no one can tame it, but Yahweh: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels a shouted for joy? “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; h...

While sitting in church one Sunday, I found myself near a group of people who were worshiping through sign language. They praised God with their hands and followed the sermon through the work of a sign-language interpreter. As I watched, I began thinking about a difficult passage in Leviticus: “No one who has any defect may come near” to present the offerings of God (Leviticus 21:17, NIV). Leviticus 21:16–24 lists several physical conditions that prevented a descendant of Aaron from approaching the altar and presenting sacrifices. These included blindness, impaired limbs, and other physical conditions. It is important, however, to notice what the passage does not say. It does not say that these priests were rejected by God. It does not say that they had sinned. It does not say that their lives were less valuable. They remained members of the priestly family, and Leviticus 21:22 specifically permitted them to eat the holy food provided for the priests. The restriction concerned a p...