My Blog has Moved to http://shawnbumpers.com

Hey all,
As of early this morning, my blog has been relocated to http://shawnbumpers.com. Please update the address in your favorites. I also have a new post up there ... Psalm 119 Hey Stanza ... check it out and leave comments. Let me know if you like the new design and/or what improvements you would like to see. Thanks!

Psalm 119:25-32 Dalet Stanza

This is the fourth letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Beth and it is called dalet (dah-let).  The sound of this letter is like the "d" in door.  Dalet is the first letter of the Hebrew word Davar and Derek.  Davar means "word or thing" and Derek means "way."  Like Beth and Gimel, the Dalet may also contain a dagesh mark, making it have a hard "th" sound, but still very much resembling the sound of "d".  It has the numeric value of 4 (Aleph=1, Beth=2, Gimel=3) and the pictograph meaning is that of a tent door.  As I explained before in the Gimel stanza, it is also thought of as a poor or needy person. The word dalet comes from the word dalah (to make needy or impoverished) and the word dalut (poor or impoverished).  As a door, Dalet symobolizes our choice to go forward through the door or to wait outside the door.  Interestingly, the word for religion is dat (composed of a dalet and a tav), which means "the door of the cross."

Each one of us faces the choice of what we will do with Jesus.  Will we accept what He did for us or reject Him?  This stanza of Psalm 119 is all about God's way and man's way.  Taking either path requires the choice to take that path.  We can choose to take the path of the world and that will lead in the end to "my soul clings to the dust,""my soul melts with heaviness", "the way of lying" and shame.  The way of Jesus (HaDavar - The Word - see John 1) leads to revival, answers, understanding, strength, truth, and life.  The point is that there is a choice to be made.  God gives us the choice to accept or deny Yeshua - the Way, the Truth, and the Life or to reject Him and go the way of the world.  As in the pictograph of the Dalet, we have before us a door and thus a choice.  Romans 13:1 tells us that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Have you made that decision?  In Luke chapter 9, Jesus said, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  Friend, nobody can make the decision for you.  Jesus.  Yes or no?

Soul Wow

So ... what about:
1 Tim 2:1-7
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle -- I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying -- a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
NKJV



Creativity-wise ... ok.  doctrinally - Anyone else see a problem here?

How to Pose Like This

Came across this on Twitter and had to share.  By the way, if you are not twittering, you are missing out.

Psalm 119:17-24 Gimel Stanza

Continuing our look at Psalm 119, we arrive at verses 17-24, which is the Gimel stanza.  The Hebrew letter Gimel has the sound of the English letter "G."  It carries several meanings - camel, riches, and lifting up (as a camel lifts the rider who sits on it).  The Talmud states that the Gimel is a rich man running after the poor man (the next letter, Dalet) to give him Tzedakah (charity).  Gimel is the first letter of the Hebrew words Goel and Goyim.  Goel is the word for kinsman redeemer and Goyim is the word for gentile and nations.  Gimel can also be seen as a picture of grace in this way - the letter is made up of two other letters ... the Yod and the Zayin.  The Yod is a "hand" in which is carried the Zayin "sword." In the picture of Tzedakah that I described above, the sword of the Zayin is facing away from the Dalet who is the object of the charity.

Reading this stanza of Psalm 119, it strikes me that we in no way merit the right to receive God's instruction.  By no means have we received God's instruction because we are righteous enough.  We are but Dalet's - poor men - in every respect before the Lord.  We are poor in spirit and poor in righteousness.  Yet God has brought His Word to us in the ultimate act of grace and charity.  Though we should be destroyed in His righteous presence, we can yet come before His throne of grace boldly to receive mercy (Hebrews 4:16).  Whereas God could have come to us with sword to avenge and destroy, He instead turned his sword away and came to us in charity that we may call upon the name of Yeshua/Jesus and be saved.  He even delays judgement, that many more may come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:9).  Indeed El Shaddai has dealt bountifully with us.  Let us delight in His testimonies, seek His counsel, and meditate on His chesed (loving-kindness.)

Proverbs 10:3 "The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked." ESV

Psalm 119:9-16 Beth Stanza

In the next of the 22 Psalm 119 stanzas is the Beth stanza.  The sound of the letter is "b" as in bait.  This letter can acutally have two sounds.  If there is a dot in the middle of the letter (called a dagesh) then the letter has the hard "b" sound.  Without the dagesh, the letter has a soft sound like the "v" in vet.  The Hebrew letter Beth carries the meaning of house, home or more widely, dwelling place.  It's interesting to note that the Tanakh (The Hebrew Scriptures) starts with the letter Beth (Bereshith - means "in the beginning.")  Why doesn't it start with Aleph, the first letter?  Well, Yeshua said He was the beginning and the end, the Aleph and the Tav.  God existed before His creation.
In Psalm 119:9-16, each verse starts with the letter Beth.

This stanza deals with three things ... the heart (ha-lev), God's Word (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach - Jesus, the Messiah [see John 1]) and the overflow of God's blessing out of our hearts.  Jesus occupying the dwelling place of our hearts means we are righteous in the eyes of God.  What occupies the dwelling place of your heart?  Is it money, your job, possessions?  Each one of us has only one thing that truly belongs to us.  That one thing is our heart.  What will you give your heart to?  Will you give it to the things of this world or will you give it to HaShem - to God?  Whatever occupies that dwelling place, will flow out into the things of our lives ... you will become like that thing (see Tehilim [Psalms] 115:4-8).
In the Psalm 119, what is the outflow of God's Word in the dwelling place of your heart?  The outflow is rejoicing, righteousness, blessing and delight.  Let the Word of God dwell in your heart and these things will inhabit your days and will be the joy of your family.  Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  Normally, I don't quote The Message as it's just someone's paraphrase of God's Word and not a literal translation, but I really like the way it puts Colossians 3:16 "Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."
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Mythbusters Vaporize Car

This is just awesome.  To blow up a car is cool.  To sandwich a car between two speeding trucks is pretty cool.  To hit a car so hard the paint flies off and only a couple of pieces are left is just wicked awesome.  If you have not seen this, check it out.