Bread, fruit and praise

I’m reading a book at the moment called ‘The Practice of Biblical Meditation’ by Campbell McAlpine. The chapter I have just finished talks about us being Bethlehemites.

The word Bethlehem means house of bread. We are to be children of this house, feeding on the sure word of God, the bread of heaven.

Another name for Behlehem was Ephratah. This word means fruitful. We are called to be fruitful children, showing forth love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance and faith. And we are called to share this fruit with others so they to can be fruit-bearers and children of the house of bread.

And finally, Bethlehem is in Judah,  and Judah means praise. Our lives are to be filled with praise to God and of God.

Children of the house of bread, feeding on God’s word the bread of heaven, bearing fruit and praising God.

Will you join me in being a child of this house?

Trish

Complete Jewish Bible

Read about this Bible on a site I was visiting and thought it sounded okay, so I bought a copy.

The translator is a Messianic Jew who took on the task for two reasons. Firstly to show Jews that Yeshua (Jesus) is indeed the Messiah and to show Christians that the New Testament is a Jewish book, to reconnect Christians with forgotten or ignored Jewish roots.

Hebrew terms and names are used throughout. 

The language is not as formal as the translation I am used to, NASB, not as formal as the King James, (which wasn’t formal English at the time it was completed anyway) but that is not a bad thing. I seriously doubt that Jesus used formal language when talking to His disciples.

So far it is good, I have been comparing it to the NASB and the differences so far are ones of style.

I would love to hear what others think of this translation.

Trish

A Favourite Psalm

I love reading the Psalms, and singing them as well. There is simply so much in them about faith and life for us today.

Psalm 103 contains a song which I sing sometimes.

“Forget not all of His benefits,
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities,
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Who healeth all thy diseases,
And crowneth thee with lovingkindness,
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction,
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

This is one of many pslams and songs that speaks of the goodness of the Lord God towards us. One that brings peace to my heart in the night when I find it hard to sleep. It reminds me that He did it all for me.

His offering of Himself was for my benefit, my forgiveness, my healing and my redemption.

Bless the LORD O my soul indeed!

Trish