The Mini-Gospel in the Garden of Eden. (Yahweh addressing the Serpent in the Garden) “I will place an ongoing hostility between you and this woman, and between your descendants and her Seed; he shall crush your head under foot, and you shall only bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15). Plan A. Before we discuss Creator God’s …
Mini-Gospels in the First Testament – Introduction. “The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.” (St. Augustine). Actually, I don’t think I agree with that long-accepted claim. First of all, can’t we Christians start referring to the “Old Testament” as the First Testament (FT), or …
Our God Who Takes Us Under His Wing. “Like the birds that fly, even so will the LORD of Hosts shield Jerusalem, shielding and saving, protecting and rescuing.” (Isaiah 31:5). Birds are mentioned over 300 times in Scripture, are used as examples of beauty and powerful symbols in countless pieces of the visual arts, and are …
Covered by the Covenant Wings. “Then later, I passed by again and looked upon you. And behold, I saw that your time had come – you were now old enough for love and a lover. So I spread the wings (‘kanaph’) of My garment over you and covered your nakedness and shame. I gave you …
Under the Wings of Jesus, the Mother Hen. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37). Jesus finally managed to catch His breath …
The Wings Over the Mercy Seat. “Whoever dwells in the secret shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord Yahweh, ‘You alone are my refuge and my fortress! You alone are my God in Whom I trust!’ … He will cover you with His …
On the Wings of a Dove. “First this: God created the heavens and the earth – all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” (Genesis 1:1-2, MSG). Since the fifth day of creation in Genesis 1:20, birds …
Under the Wings of the Healer. “For those who fear My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings (‘kanaph’).” This prophecy clearly points to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. For believers who revere the name of the Lord, who deeply respect and honor and adore Him, who are fully aware …
Under the Wings with the Sacred Tassels. “And Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, throughout all their generations, knotted tassels (“tzitzit”) on the wings (“kanaph”) of their garments, and to put with the tassel on each wing a blue thread. So it is to be a tzitzit …
Under the Wings of the Prayer Shawl. “And Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, instructing them to make, throughout all their generations, knotted tassels (“tzitzit”) on the wings (“kanaph”) of their garments, and to put with the tassel on each wing a blue thread. So it is to be a tzitzit …
Wondrous Music, All Natural: The Miracle of the Songbird. Jon Batiste Performing Blackbird – 09 FEB 2016 “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds soar high above the earth across the expanse of the heavens!’ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, …
A Love Sonnet to Music. Backstory. Way back in the day in the 1990’s when I was teaching Humanities to middle schoolers, I wanted to stretch their sensibilities, and mine, by introducing all of us to Shakespearean sonnets. So I did a little lesson on the basics of writing a sonnet… Pick a theme you really …