As a Jewish boy growing up in Montreal, Christmas was a very joyous holiday of happy children being showered with toys. At least that was my impression watching television, since I didn’t have any direct experience with the matter. I remember the classic Christmas specials, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Rudolf […]
I have always been fascinated by the latest innovations. Perhaps I got this from my father. I remember being one of the first people I knew with a Phillips cassette recorder, introduced in 1963. I also remember how fascinated I was by computerized tic tac toe at the Bell Telephone pavilion at Expos 67. […]
A major regret of mine from the past couple of years has been my lack of understanding of what’s been going on in the world. I know I am not alone in being confused, though you may not share my regret. Perhaps there are some who are reading this who are convinced they have a […]
A Hanukkah Love Story The festival of Hanukkah (which began this year Sunday evening, November 28 and continues through Monday, December 6) commemorates the brave stand of a small faithful minority against powerful foreign oppressors supported by a large portion of the Jewish nation about a century and a half before the coming of the […]
Note: I am reposting this article from August 2018, because it addresses one of the main reasons why I am offering my Old Testament course online this month. Register now here. Download Audio [Right click link to download] Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35) This past spring, popular megaplex church leader, Andy Stanley, presented a three-part […]
2020 has been quite the year. As we start a new year, many of us thought that the dark days of the pandemic would have been behind us by now, not that we would anticipating many months (at least!) before it’s over. I have been thinking something a physician said to me days before […]
Updated June 29, 2021 Full course now available here: YouTube Playlist Course resource page (handouts, etc.) * * * Let me ask a question: Does faith in Jesus as Messiah depend on the New Testament or the Old Testament? I would guess that most people would say either the New Testament or […]
He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:19) I recently read a delightful book entitled, Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say About the Jews by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. I think humor is serious business. No wonder this is among my favorites from Telushkin’s book: A group of elderly, retired men […]
Fall Feasts In the third book of the Bible, Vayikra/Leviticus chapter 23, verses 23-44 is a description of three special observances that were to occur each year around September/October. The first is often referred to as “The Feast of Trumpets,” and became known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It begins this year the […]
The Re-Mark-Able Gospel About a year ago, I started the Gospel of Mark for my personal, daily Bible reading. I have read it many times before as I have done with the other Gospels. The stories are all familiar to me. But something was different this time around. There is something about how this Gospel […]
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