1. Something kept hidden from others or known only
to oneself or to a few.
2. Something that remains beyond understanding or
explanation; a mystery.
3. A method or formula on which success is based:
Super Heroes have secret
identities except for Iron Man who everybody really knows is Tony Stark.
Most people have secret
identities where they hide parts of their personalities and private behaviors,
secret sins, secret pasts, tings they are ashamed of that they wanton one to
know. How are we to live with the stress
of these emotional weights.
What does it mean to be friendly? I talk a lot about making new friends and building new relationships. This video offers tips on how to make new friends n the real world and the virtual world. Friendly means being intentional by desire for meaningful contact with others through being kind, courteous, and respectful with the gift of a smile.
Texts from the Proverbs say:
Proverbs 17 vs 17 - King James Version (KJV)
17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17 vs 9
9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend.
5 Characteristics of Being Friendly
1. Respectful
2. Kind
3. Considerate
4. Generous
5. Open
3 Primary Steps
1. Intention - Desire for and want connection because connection feels better.
2. Plan - Design activity that will put you in places you can be assertive to meet new people.
3. Act - Do your plan. Be where people are. Be courageous to take the first step.
Get all the love and friendship you want when you give away all the love and friendship you need.
Make it a goal to meet 3 - 5 new people a week. If you want to make friends, you must be friendly.
For more information, write to me at oscarcrawfordchristianmedia@gmail.com.
Hebrew and Greek are Bible Study necessities to
validate biblical translations, as they exist in English. The seminary has been the bastion of
investigation into the original languages of biblical texts. Consequently, seminarians choose Hebrew or
Greek and sometimes both to prepare for preaching and teaching in
congregations, they will serve.
Preachers and teachers, from television to
America’s mega churches to America’s rural churches, refer on occasion, to what
the original biblical languages say. For
some, exploration into the original languages is exciting. For others, questions voiced ask if what is
present in English translations is enough.
The people of the Church challenge themselves
and each other. Shall they accept what
they believe English translations have revealed? Is it enough or should they dig deeper into
the original languages?
Hebrew
The Website Hebrew for Christians reports Hebrew one of the world’s oldest
languages. Origin of the word ‘Hebrew’ derives from the word ‘Eber’ or the son of Shem, one of the
sons of Noah. Eber means region across
from, beyond and emerges for the same root as the word ‘Passover’. The descendant
sons of Shem or Eber are Hebrew descendants called Semites.
Hebrew is the original language of the Torah, the word spoken
by God given to Moses for recording shared with the people. The Torah is the first five books Christians
identify as Old Testament or Hebrew Bible.
The five books by title are Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The
names in Hebrew come from each book’s opening phrase. The titles do not necessarily have direct
correlation to contemporary translation of meaning for the books.
Tanakh is the word for the Hebrew Bible.
The Torah represents the original source of revelation of God to
humanity through the chosen man, receptionist, and transcriber; Moses. The correlation of Torah to English translations
and transliterations is central to Hebrew and Greek Bible Study.
Greek
From the Jerusalem
Perspective, Greek was the primary language of commerce and transaction in
first century Jewish culture. This was
the direct result of the conquest of Alexander, the Great in the fourth century
B.C. E., (Before the Common Era).
Pentateuch is the Greek word for the first five books of the Bible. Mary
Fairchild describes the Pentateuch as the foundation of God’s
revelation to humanity. She defines
Pentateuch as meaning five vessels," "five
containers," or "five-volume book.
The five book titles remain the same; Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. However, Greek does not follow the
pattern of title selection from each book’s opening phrase. Greek titles take on meaning.
The Septuagint resulted from
the translation of the Tanakh Hebrew Bible.
The work accomplished by 70 or more Greek scholars between 400 – 300
B.C.E. served Hellenistic Jews as they spread through the Greek Empire. Hellenistic Jews assimilated into Greek
culture and overtime lost their mother tongue or original language of
Hebrew. The Septuagint would lead to the
Greek Diaspora knowing Jewish history and relationship to God. This same process will eventually lead to the
translation of the tests into English.
English
English versions of the
Hebrew Bible and following Greek translation resulted from resistance to more
than a millennium of Roman Catholic Church domination. The
Latin Vulgate, the Hebrew texts translated into Latin was established the
common translation at the juncture of the 3rd and 4th
Centuries of the Common Era (C.E.). The
Roman Catholic Church as political and spiritual power made it a crime for translation
of the Vulgate. Reading the Bible in any
language other than Latin was a crime punishable by death.
John Wycliffe,
Oxford professor, scholar and theologian at the dawn of the close of the 14th
Century C.E. believed Roman Catholic Church teaching contrary to the teaching
of the Bible. Execution followed
Wycliffe and others for their views all should be able to read the Word of God
in their language.
King
Henry the VIII would drive a wedge between England and the Church of Rome,
denouncing the church for not granting a marital request. Henry severed ties and created the Church of
England in protest. As King, he served
as head of the church. One of his
successors, Queen “Bloody” Mary sought to destroy the Church of England and
restore power to the Church of Rome.
From despair to triumph, the
English language made its way to publication during the reign of King James the
First, successor to Queen Elizabeth, the First.
Protestant Clergy appealed to the king in 1604 to develop an English
“translation to end all translations”.
Fifty scholars identified in
1605 charged with the task of collaboration.
They worked together through 1607 from established and agreed upon
sources. They assembled their work for
production through 1609. It went to
press in 1610 and the first of huge volumes of artistic print of the Word of
God in English was complete in 1611,
the King James Translation.
The titles of the first five books remain the
same; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The meanings of the titles are different in
English with the exception of Genesis.
1Genesis
is the narrative of Creation and the Creator’s relationship with created
humanity.
2Exodus
is the narrative of God providing opportunity for Hebrew people to be free of
Egyptian slavery and governed by God’s law.
3Leviticus
is the narrative of the role of human obedience to the direction of God and the
tribe of Levites as priests, teachers and guides to God’s people.
4Numbers is a
narrative of census taking and a draft to service that takes place during a 40
year wandering through desert between Egypt and Canaan.
5Deuteronomy is
a narrative reflection, recollection, affirmation and reiteration of God’s
people in slavery, how God bought them from slavery, God’s present care, God’s behavioral
expectation and promise.
Career
Clergy Wesley Kittling declares, “The serious person committed to effective
Bible study must pursue how the original languages inform us today.” The distinctions in the original languages
and the evolution of English translation bear out the Kittling Perspective. Hebrew and Greek are imperatives for the
Bible preachers and teachers properly informed to properly inform and direct
God’s people.
Add value real people can feel by your presence, encouragement, empowerment, and praise. People feel cared about when others are present by intentional choice. People feel encouraged to know they are important to others. People are empowered to be their best when others believe in them. People who receive consistent praise feel good about who they are. These four practices add value real people feel.
Presence
Intentional presence acknowledges to others your excitement to share time with them. Be genuine in your expression of feel good to be with people. Express full feeling how glad you are to see them and be with them. Allow your full range of emotion show how you look forward to your time together. A happy face smiling from the inside out of pure joy will follow.
Encouragement
Intentionally encourage people to keep on motivating themselves to enjoy who they are whatever their conditions. Make best effort to focus all your attention on them. Your presence and encouragement is the opportunity for them to build on feeling good.
Help them to know they are the entire center of your universe for the time you share together. Encourage their confidence by observing how well they manage the details of their life and relationships. Be aware you may be the only person bringing them encouragement.
Empowerment
Intentionally empower through consistently green lighting their dreams. Affirm their thoughts. Brainstorm during visits for ways to continually identify, define, and reach for personal goals. Empower, give power to the 'yes you can do it' spirit. See through their eyes their hopes and dreams. Help identify ways to accomplish those where possible.
Your regular and consistent presence, encouragement, and empowerment will give power to others to help them be and become more the person they want to be. Be genuine at all times. This will add value real people feel.
Praise
Praise is an experience people enjoy. Universally, people want to feel good at every age, stage, and condition.
Pour on praise like pouring syrup on waffles in melting butter. Make it sweet. Make the moment almost sensual. Make it feel good. Make it real. Make it a shared moment of mutual gratitude.
Intentionally be present, encourage, empower and praise others often. Add value real people feel.
