I believe that merely reading the Scriptures on a topical basis or reading isolated passages for "life application" is not the intention of Yahweh and does not lead to a comprehensive or accurate understanding of His Scriptures. Though there is a time and place for this (not very often), this was not the point of Scripture. I believe that my mission as a teacher is to recreate, to the best of my ability, Jesus Christ’s teaching in Luke 24:27: "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures." I believe that the Bible is one story about how Yahweh is redeeming humanity and creation back to what we lost in the garden—a physical and spiritual relationship with Yahweh as His image bearers. I believe that everything in the First Testament is leading toward Christ as the ultimate image of God (Heb. 1:1-4) and fulfillment of Yahweh’s redemptive plan.
I do not believe that we are to read the Bible merely to find some moral, behaviorist lesson in order to make us better people. This approach violates the intentions of Yahweh and the Scriptures and also has led to the Biblical illiteracy of the Church and the culture around us. I believe the point of Scripture is to reveal who Yahweh is and how we can better know Him and rest in Him as we join Him in the expansion of His kingdom. This knowing Him and remaining in Him is what makes us more like Him in character, word, and deed (John 14).
Yahweh chose to reveal Himself through a literary story rooted in a specific culture. The Bible tells of how He has worked in the lives of people in a personal way to bring them to a deeper understanding of Himself and to make them a part of a larger story and plan to redeem humanity and creation. The Bible was written for all people of all times, but it was written to the Jews in their culture. My goal as a teacher is to help you better understand the Bible in its literary and cultural background.
I have found that when people begin to realize that the 66 books of the Bible are one big story, and when they see the stories in all the beauty of their culture and literary devices, the stories come alive and Yahweh becomes so mind-blowing and personal. This leads to a greater excitement because one is truly beginning to know Yahweh and not just trying to become a better moral person based on the convicting passages of the week.
I teach the Word of Yahweh because I really want everyone to know the amazing things that Yahweh has taught me about Himself and His Word throughout the years of studying the Bible. I am committed to providing all of my teaching material for free. However, running a website does cost money, and producing written and audio lessons does require precious time away from my family. I would only ask that if you have been blessed by the teaching here that you would prayerfully consider making a donation to help me to continue to build this website. (No begging or nagging is intended here, for I truly do trust Yahweh to provide as we have seen Him do so many times in the past.)
My Beliefs
Please do not nitpick my wording or label me. Instead, grant me some grace as I attempt to sum up a complex worldview in the best way I can.
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are triune in nature (one God with three separate consciousness). He is eternal in His being, the creator of the universe, sovereign and transcendent over all things, and is Perfection and Goodness. Yet He is very involved in His creation because He is also Love.
Humanity is created as the image of God and is unique in this way. Humanity was created to have a relationship with God and to represent Him. This was lost or marred when sin and rebellion were committed on the part of humanity through Adam and Eve. However, humanity is redeemable, is being redeemed, and will be fully redeemed.
Jesus Christ is both God and man, is sinless by nature, and died and rose from the grave in our place to pay for our sins. He is the only one who has done this and the only one capable of providing this redemption.
Salvation is only found through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. This salvation begins and leads to the ultimate redemption of those who place their trust in Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation is only found through faith and trust in Him, not through us or through our intelligence, skill, or works.
The Return of Christ will bring the final redemption of all creation and humanity. Christ will judge the wicked, who will be separated from Him for all eternity, and glorify the believers, who will dwell with Him for all eternity. He will bring about a new earth and sky where there is no sin, Satan, or death and we will dwell with Yahweh as in the garden.
Scripture is the work of God, true and trustworthy in all that it says and for instructing us in our lives. Though Scripture does not answer every question about the universe and life, everything in the universe and life must be held up to the Scriptures.