Foundations with Mandy and Robbo

On Foundations we’re going to look at the meaning of the name ’Christ’. Too many people, Christ is Jesus’ surname, and nothing could be further from the truth. In Jewish culture, names have meaning and the name Christ, or the Hebrew equivalent, is really significant. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ll continue our conversation on Foundations about how our God, unlike other gods and mythical deities, is beyond definition. He cannot be defined or contained with any kind of human constraints. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s human to want definitive definitions about who God is and what He’s like. However, the more we learn about God, the more we learn that we don’t know much about Him at all. Unlike the gods of the ancient world who were defined specifically for their individual roles, our God is beyond human definition and understanding. He’s too vast, too lofty and too undefinable. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ll be continuing our conversation today about the return of Christ and when this momentous event might take place. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the greatest doctrines of the Christian faith is the return of Christ, His second coming. Many have tried to predict when His coming will be, and just as many have failed in their predictions. The Bible says that no one knows the hour or the day, but can we know approximately when He’s coming back? That’s our conversation today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people read the New Covenant and conclude that Jesus just loved everyone to bits. Others read the Bible and conclude He was incredibly judgmental and harsh. Which of these views is correct? We’ll be looking today on Foundations about whether Jesus was loving or a severe judge.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Foundations today we’ll wrap up our look at the western industrialised worldview that has wrongly viewed and interpreted the Bible from that vantage point. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve heard the term, ’Clash of Cultures’ many times, and in truth, this clash of cultures can make it very hard for Christians in the west to understand the Bible, which is from the east?the Middle East to be exact and to the Middle Eastern mind, that makes the west a bit weird.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jewish history and culture is confusing to most in the west, and that’s primarily because an eastern mindset is foreign to us. It’s weird, but in our program today we’ll be looking at a different definition of weird and it’s based on western ideology.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many Christians, reading the Old Covenant rules and regulations is very confusing, and often times seems like foolishness. Everything however was for good reason, and today we’ll be looking at the prohibition of mixing wool with linen. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terrorism came solidly into the west with the attack on 9/11. Terrorism was very prevalent in the ancient world and many critics of the Bible have condemned God as being something of a terrorist. But we’ve been learning about what God’s Word actually says and that’s what our focus is today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unfortunately, terrorism has become far too much a part of our lives in recent years, for the most part, something we’ve been unused to. But terrorism has been around for millennia and we’ll be looking into the Torah to see what God has to say about it. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We finish our time together on Foundations learning about the tassels worn by Jewish men. The symbolism is rich and significant, but now we learn what it means for us who believe in Jesus. Are they for us or not? Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Foundations today we’re continuing our look at the wearing of tassels on the garments of all Jewish men, and in particular the symbolism of authority associated with the hem of a man’s garment. A garment that even Jesus wore.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a lot of laws in the Old Covenant that seems strange to the modern, western mind, one of those laws is the requiring of Jewish men to wear tassels on the corners of the garments. In fact, religious Jews wear them to this day. What do they mean? That’s what we’ll begin learning about today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Foundations, we’ll wrap up our series on the characters in the Nativity story with a series of questions asking is it possible? At the end, you can draw your own conclusions. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God had promised to send a Messiah for His people, but for the Messiah to come, He needed human parents to raise and protect Him. Joseph and Mary were God’s chosen and they were a remarkable yet simple and humble couple. Today on Foundations we’ll learn about this wonderful pair. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone involved in the Christmas story are important, and quite often the Shepherds are seen as background characters, but we’ll discover today why the Shepherds were actually crucial players in this story. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re in the lead up to Christmas and we’re learning each day about the different people who played crucial roles in the narrative. Today we’ll learn about the priesthood. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the program today we’re going to look at the characters of Herod the Great and the Romans who governed in Jerusalem and how they reacted to the news of a new born King of the Jews. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Foundations today, as we lead up to Christmas, we’ll look some more at the role of Daniel and the Magi and how their knowledge of the heavens led them to believe their Messiah had finally arrived. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our program today we’re going to begin looking at all the characters who make the Christmas story so rich in meaning. Specifically today we’ll look at the role of the Magi, and how Daniel and his friends may have had more to do with them than we may have realised. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though Hanukkah isn’t a mandatory feast, even this annual celebration is a picture of Jesus, who is the Light of the world. That’s what we’ll be learning about during today’s program. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Foundations today we’ll continue to learn about Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, and the miracle that took place centuries ago during the rededication of the Temple. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Feast of Hanukkah isn’t one of the Mandatory Feasts of the Lord, but it is an annual celebration that even Jesus participate in. The New Covenant calls it the Festival of Lights. It’s to commemorate the rededication of the Temple. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ancient Jewish practice of rabbis was to look for commonalities or connections between passages when a word or phrase was repeated. In this way, they’d be able to connect those words or events, and deepen the meaning and richness of God’s Word, revealing multi-levels of understanding. This process is termed ’stringing pearls’ and that’s what we’ll be looking at on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s program, we’ll spend some time in Isaiah 53, a chapter that describes great suffering and sorrow by the person we know as Messiah. Why did He suffer and who did He suffer for?and who was He? That’s what we’ll try to determine today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Foundations looks at how Jesus used an unclean item in one of His parables, an unclean item He declared priceless. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God often declared certain things to be unclean, and yet, a simple sprinkling of blood or the ashes of a sacrifice could transform the unclean thing into something clean and acceptable. How can that be? That’s the focus on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Apostle Paul taught us to pray without ceasing, a difficult and high calling to be sure. While we might look negatively upon Jewish traditions, they have developed the habit of praying to God in all situations throughout their day, no matter how mundane. It’s a curious thought, but something we can learn from.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not all customs and traditions are bad, and some of the customs and traditions within Jewish prayer are lovely, rich and full of meaning. That’s what we’ll begin learning about today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our program today looks at some of the characters God used to achieve His purposes, wondering how on earth He could not only use, but actually choose some of these people who did some really dreadful things. How could God choose such people to be His representatives to the world? Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re learning about judging on a personal basis, ’measure for measure’, and today we’ll be looking at the situation of Job and his friends and how they misapplied this kind of judging when they observed all the loss and hardships that Job had experienced. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are different kinds of judging mentioned in the Bible, in Foundations we’re going to look at the issue of judging others, but on a more personal level, at least what this kind of judging should look like. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women’s Lib has done some good for women, but it’s also done a lot of damage. We’ve been looking at how the Bible views women, specifically Ruth and Rahab, and in this program we’ll be spending more time in the New Covenant to see how the early church and Paul’s letters considered women. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many cultures throughout history, women have fought for their place and not always successfully. In Foundations we’re going to look at how the Bible viewed women, in particular we’re going to look at the lives of two women, Ruth and Rahab. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Western mind often struggles to rightly understand what the Bible is communicating because we don’t understand the cultural nuances of the ancient people it was writing about and to. This often means we impose modern Western culture into an ancient Middle Eastern context and it can really mess up our conclusions. This is the conversation we’re continuing on Foundations today. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest challenges for the church in the West, is grasping so much of the Middle Eastern ethnic understanding of the Bible and the cultures in which it was written. That’s what we’ll begin looking at in Foundations today. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Foundations, we’re going to look a Hebrew words and the incredible wisdom and depth that are found in them. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our last program we looked at the fact that the Bible tells us to fear God. Some people have misunderstood this and often with good reason, it hasn’t always been taught well throughout the centuries. We’ll wrap up this topic today on Foundations. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible tells us that we’re supposed to fear God?does that mean we’re supposed to be terrified of Him? That’s what our conversation will be about on the program today. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Foundations today we’re going to consider the Hebrew view of watching what comes out of our mouths and the power of an evil tongue. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If ever there was a misunderstood topic in the Bible, it’s the topic of judging. People don’t realise that there are times when we are required to judge and there are times when we’re not. In the program today we’ll be learning about learning to judge rightly in our daily lives. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re focusing on the importance of names at the moment on Foundations, and in this program we’re going to look at the most wonderful name of all ? Jesus ? and we’ll also learn how the Jewish people revere God’s name. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Foundations we’re going to take a look at the power of names. Sometimes people choose bizarre names for their children that have us scratching our heads, but in Bible times, names were incredibly important. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our program today we’re going to look at a verse in the Gospel of Matthew that at first seems out of place and second, seems a little bit superstitious. Jesus was not even remotely superstitious, so we’ll tackle it to see if there’s a deeper meaning. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve learned about rabbis and their students or disciples in the past couple of programs and today we’ll finish up learning how disciples would watch, follow and emulate their rabbis so closely that the process was described as walking in his dust. In other words, staying so close to learn all they could, that the very dust from the rabbi’s sandals would cover them. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rabbis of the ancient world ? and today ? hand selected their students, their disciples, whom they would teach about God’s Law and how they were to live. The disciples or students role was to learn everything they could from him so that their lives mirrored that of the rabbi. We’re continuing on Foundations to learn how students or disciples related to their rabbis. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bible describes Jesus in a number of ways, He’s a Shepherd, He’s a carpenter, He’s the Son of God, He’s a teacher?and He’s also called a Rabbi. What is a rabbi and what did a rabbi do? Not only that, who wanted or even needed a rabbi? That’s the focus of our program today on Foundations.Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re learning about the importance of Living Water in the Bible, about some of the ceremonies and requirements in God’s Law, but in today’s program we’re going to learn about the physical embodiment of Living Water. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.