Posts tagged: Spirituality

This week (March 31) on Shabbat Night Live, was the Yom Kippur War a fabricated exercise for political gain?

Bruce Brill reveals jaw-dropping evidence about antisemitism inside the NSA — and why Israeli intelligence preferred to ignore their own information and trust American intelligence instead, which led to disaster.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) How does maintaining the venerable practice from Hebraic culture of sighting the new moon serve to dramatize the inherent unity in YeHoVaH’s creation? How have we, thanks to our preoccupation with ongoing scientific advances, effectually separated divine influence from natural phenomena and failed to recognize providential patterns in our created world?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) How does the necessity of secrecy and classification of information by government agencies over prolonged periods like that of the Cold War arguably lead to abuse of power through leveraging such practices as surveillance, profiling, and diplomatic immunity? How can our current political climate be viewed as an example of this same exploitation for questionable intentions?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) Similarly, how has the concept of confidentiality in matters of governmental security become trivialized by civilian officials who violate their security clearances through arrogance or the public behavior of military valor thieves who conceal their imposture by claiming “classified” promotions or service? What is the possible role of our expanding communication media in this potentially explosive scenario?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) How does the seemingly permanent marginalization of the Jews from certain sectors of U.S. intelligence demonstrate the inexplicable threat of Israel to the Western powers, despite their ostensible alliance with the Jewish state? How might this paradox have been dramatized over the past week over media attention to the scale and intensity of public protests against the alleged autocracy of Netanyahu’s leadership?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 32:00) What is the likelihood of public acceptance of the provocative suggestion that major world leaders, including those of Israel, collaborated in the contrivance of the Yom Kippur War? Will this accusation lead to further investigation thanks to the profile of the controversial Henry Kissinger, or will it be relegated to the status of a fringe conspiracy theory like those involving the JFK assassination or 9/11?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 36:00) Similarly, how does Kissinger’s alleged involvement in an orchestrated war against an allied power in late 1973 serve to recontextualize the international identity of the U.S. during a time of détente with the Soviet Union and China? How does the resignation of an American president within a year of this event add further cynicism to the sensibilities of an uninformed public regarding the conscience of public officials?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 40:00) In light of the scale of disinformation that ostensibly played a major part in this matter, how might the Yom Kippur War eventually be viewed as a paradigmatic event in world history? Might this conflict eventually equal or surpass the significance of the Seven-Day War of 1967, even though it has been largely forgotten by at least two generations of students and is rarely referenced by political leaders?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 44:00) Similarly, how might the deceptions discussed here – particularly the deliberate withholding of vital information from Israel – convey an aspect of realpolitik that suggests the hollow nature of alliance for this small country? Will the near-destruction of Israel during this war be viewed as vindication of its resilience or as a result of policy failures by its supporters?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 48:00) How does the subversive yet comic amateur surveillance attempt described here provide an ironic illustration of the David v. Goliath principle to those who recognize Jewish resourcefulness and its underestimation by the larger world powers? How might the greater circulation of this episode provide a withering example of the pretensions of power for uninformed citizens of any developed nation?

10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 52:00) Similarly, how does the eventual exposure of questionable testimonies by government officials over the origins of the Yom Kippur War indirectly strengthen Israel’s reputation to the point of undermining the tiresome perennial arguments for a two-state solution to Arab-Israeli conflicts? How might this war ultimately become rediscovered as a watershed event that reaffirmed Israel’s political and military integrity in contrast to those of its allies?

This week (March 24) on Shabbat Night Live, the Yom Kippur War saw thousands of Israelis lose their lives. But it didn’t have to be that way.

Through first-hand experience in the NSA, Bruce Brill reveals the shameful truth that members of American intelligence agencies knew what was happening yet deliberately misled the Israeli government.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) How does the sequence of events leading to the meeting between Brill and Michael Rood described here exemplify the providential ethos of life in Israel for those foreign visitors whose spiritual life becomes redefined in this democratic oasis within a desert of authoritarian hostility? How does the power of YeHoVaH to enlist unwitting servants manifest itself when individuals arrive in Israel only to receive a new apostolic agenda?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) Similarly, how do the heated debates described here regarding the integrity of a genuine biblical calendar dramatize the imperative of accuracy in our recognition of YeHoVaH’s manifestations through his creation? How do the attempts in this case portray the uncompromising desire for correctness as an inextricable element of obedience in the observation and protocols of those who would seek salvation?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) How does the sometimes irreconcilable factionalism within Israel – invariably viewed by many U.S. citizens as sectarianism – dramatize both the resilience of this nation and its ostensible fragility? How has the alarming scale of the recent protests against the current Netanyahu government led to premature charges in the Western press against ungovernability, despite its illustration of the democratic vigor of this controversial sovereign state?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 29:00) How has the war in Vietnam become an enduring paradigm for the troubled dynamic between conscientious citizens who believe in defense of freedom, loyalty to one’s home country, and adherence to Judeo-Christian morality? Is this controversial and divisive example of foreign policy likely to continue as a bellwether for those who would fight and others who would refuse involvement, all for the same range of principles?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 32:00) Similarly, how has this conflict and its aftermath given rise to the recurrent notion of compulsory national service, either in a military or civilian capacity? Despite the familiar image of individuals opting for feckless bureaucratic positions at taxpayer expense instead of being in harm’s way, how might such an option encourage those believers who would desire a means for charitable work as their choice for “fighting the good fight”?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 36:00) How has the rediscovery of Arabic by Western learners as a Semitic language family served to demonstrate the arrogance of wealthy nations during the peace and prosperity of the post-Cold War world? How did the sudden demand among agencies like the State Department and the military for speakers of this and other Middle Eastern linguae francae reveal a cultivated ignorance toward the looming threat of Islamic terrorism?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 40:00) Why has the so-called Yom Kippur War of 1973 become a virtually forgotten conflict in the study and teaching of postwar history? How can this event – which nearly resulted in the destruction of Israel as a nation – be viewed as a disturbing reminder to anti-Semites among the cultural Left of Jewish resilience in the face of persecution and of Israel’s formidability as a major player on the world stage?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 44:00) How does the ostensible failure of intelligence that led to the opening salvos of this war constitute a grim foreshadowing of the events of September 11, 2001? How do the withering documents that surfaced after the terrorist attack provide an example of the reluctance to engage in defense of ourselves or our allies in the presence of short-term political interests or longstanding economic alliances?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 48:00) How does the disingenuous conduct of the IDF and the Pentagon regarding vital intelligence of Arab forces mobilizing on Israel’s borders demonstrate a level of complexity and unsettling cynicism? How does this exemplify Orwell’s contention that such acts “can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties”?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 52:00) Similarly, how does this development suggest the weakening of the American concept of independent agencies and an incremental growth of collusion between NGO’s, intelligence organizations, and the federal government?  How does the foreshadow the obstructive midlevel buffers between tradecraft and unelected, appointed groups that were fictionalized by John Le Carre or Graham Greene? 

This week (March 17) on Shabbat Night Live, Yeshua’s name appears in the Old Testament, but it’s not referring to whom you think it is!

Keith Johnson and Dr. Nehemia Gordon comb through the Torah to illustrate the subtle nuances of Yeshua’s name for different individuals throughout the ancient world.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section, and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) How has the evangelical impulse to translate unknown words and idioms into contemporaneous locutions proven to be problematic for many believers? How might careless or unscrupulous individuals seek to politicize or falsely allegorize ancient texts into contemporary polemics, resulting in another Tower of Babel instead of the clarity of divine truth?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) How do these two references to the name “Yeshua” in books of the so-called Old Testament both de-mystify and hallow the identity of the Messiah? How can this paradox be said to undermine the distinctions between two major segments of the Bible by suggesting a narrative element of prophecy and also drawing our attention to the inherent symbolism of divinely-appointed names throughout scripture?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) Similarly, how does Moses’ gesture in Numbers 13:16 of changing the name of Hoshea to Joshua serve to dramatize the importance within biblical narrative of name-changing as a profound shift of identity, one that demarcates particular figures as significant for the process of salvation? How does the absence of this context effectually deprive believers who are limited to English translation of the New Testament of the eminence of Yeshua’s birth?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) As discussed repeatedly in this forum, the matter of proper translation of scripture is known and frequently acknowledged by many believers, yet proper instruction and methods of exegesis are often unavailable to most readers of the Bible. How does the present discussion suggest the plausibility of a growing evangelism that is based on accessible scholarly approaches, one that could challenge the “easy grace” that has been criticized by Michael Rood?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 32:00) How does the initiation of the Feast of Sukkot as detailed in Nehemiah 8:17 underscore the importance of the linguistic affinity between the names of Joshua and Yeshua? In light of the scale of this commemoration on the part of the children of Israel and their return from exile, how might this factor be interpreted as a vindication of the Law of Moses and a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 38:00) How does the concise yet detailed pronunciation gloss in Leeser’s 1853 translation provide an essential tool for the student of scripture regarding the recognition of linguistic patterns that provide a subtext of continuity between the earliest texts and the accounts of Yeshua’s ministry?  How might the revival of this simple practice serve to deter potential believers from the tempting recourse to doubt and agnosticism?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 42:00) Aside from its importance as a commemoration of Sukkot, how does Nehemiah 8:17 further underscore the pattern of exile and return throughout Hebrew history and scripture? How does this ancient text draw our attention to the profundity of an event like the founding of modern Israel for those believers who seek evidence of YeHoVaH’s plan for his creation as a foundation for their own worship and obedience?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 46:00) How might Benjamin Kennicott’s Vetus Testamentum hebraicum (1776 – 1780) and the scholarly activity which it inspired be rediscovered as part of a reflex toward greater recognition of the importance and challenges of biblical translation within the evangelical community? How does its equivocal legacy encourage the participation of both academic and unlettered readers in efforts to discern the truth of scriptural meaning?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 50:00) Conversely, how does the confusion over specific meanings in these volumes involving vowel points and centuries-old scribal practices threaten to discourage the student of scripture from ascertaining truth through preserved texts?  How does this work demonstrate the need for recognition of shifting historical contexts as a characteristic of intellectual history as part of the search for salvation?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 54:00) How does the ostensibly arbitrary rabbinic commentary on the 1523 edition of the Jerusalem Talmud suggest the importance of Ezra with regard to the Book of Nehemiah? How does his presence in the chapter under examination here, particularly his designation as “the scribe,” serve as a reminder of the Hebraic orientation toward preservation through the written word and an ironic foreshadowing of the close reading that will be demanded of those who would follow the word of YeHoVaH?

This week (March 10) on Shabbat Night Live, sometimes we as believers need a reminder of who we really are. Martin Luther did it by nailing his 95 theses to a church door.

Today, Luke and Kayte Abaffy are calling for Reformation 2.0 in a new book called The Truth — a reminder to today’s Church that they are Israel, and as such, should start acting like it!.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) What are the challenges facing those believers who would instigate a second reformation in our present-day world? How do internal divisions within many denominations, secular politicization, and the growing “Christophobia” of many powerful leaders and agencies all combine to sow discord and confusion among the faithful who seek a genuine authority regarding doctrine and practice?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) How do personal accidents or injuries serve to impact our spiritual lives in complex and unforeseen ways? Why are these private and traumatic experiences so often treated in a pretentious and self-serving manner by those who have little if any spirituality, as opposed to others who are willing to view such events as providential challenges for future apostolic work?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) How does a contemporary evangelical effort like The Way dramatize the importance and enduring controversy over the writings of Paul? How has the proliferation of biblical translations over the centuries served to diminish the role of historical context – those of both 13^th BC and AD 1^st C. – in the comprehension of his expressions of Christian doctrine, to the extent of virtually dismissing the role of the Law of Moses?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) How can this negation of the Hebrew ethos in present-day Christian evangelization be said to have contributed indirectly to pervasive popular agnosticism and outright hostility toward worship by many advocacy groups? How does the practice of parsing and editing scripture suggest the wiles of Satan in its refusal to accept the stricture of venerable rules and the potential for permissiveness and the rationalization of sin?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 32:00) As with fortuitous personal accidents, how do unexpected insights gleaned from the study of scripture compel us to reassess our received knowledge and assumptions about our search for salvation? How does this in turn aid our recognition of the apprehension of YeHoVaH as part of an ongoing revelation of the truth, one that is dependent on our willingness to persevere in learning as well as worship?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 37:00) How can the documented decline in deep literacy since the turn of the millennium be viewed as having encouraged a resistance to serious consideration of scripture and the viability of Christian belief? How has the proliferation of aural and video representations of biblical narrative, both dramatic and documentary, possibly undermined the potential insights that can be derived from private glossing and rereading of texts?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 40:00) Similarly, how has the prevalence of visual imagery over the postwar period contributed to a virtual dependence on still photographs and moving video to convey ideas in education, whether formal or private? Have we unwittingly fostered an overreliance on such elements as PowerPoint and streaming video, to the detriment of our rhetorical skills in interpretation of the written word in learning environments?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 44:00) How have efforts over time by publishers of biblical translations to enhance their texts with illustrations possibly thwarted their own intentions, thanks to the inclusion of representations that are either luridly overstylized or self-consciously contemporary and “relevant”? Why has virtually every generation of Christian educators found it necessary to recreate personages and events from the Bible for young learners in a newly contrived manner instead of a historical framework?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 48:00) Similarly, how might the idioms of particular English Bible translations prove to be a hindrance for contemporary readers who seek a fundamental, literal understanding of narrative before consideration of doctrinal significance? How does the common presence of “therefore” within a seeming non sequitur or the appearance in the KJV of archaisms like “it came to pass” or “verily” demonstrate the need for linguistic context as well as secondary apparatus?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 52:00) How do the scriptural “contradictions” discussed here recall the common practice of arbitrary selection of quotations from the Bible to justify questionable beliefs or conduct? How instead does the close examination of text and context between Old and New Testament passages demonstrate both the doctrinal coherence and consistency between these divisions and the fallacy of glib accusations of treating the sacred text without proper Christian charity?

This week (March 3) on Shabbat Night Live, one of the first Christian traditions that believers begin to question is Christmas. Is it pagan, or isn’t it? Does celebrating Christmas constitute sin? If not, what’s the problem?

Luke and Kayte Abaffy recall their journey creating a documentary around the Christmas question.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section, and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) Aside from fulfilling the mandate to spread the truth of YeHoVaH throughout the world, evangelical efforts in the Southern Hemisphere have been notably proliferating in recent decades. How have Western media outlets either ignored or marginalized this activity, despite their focus on migrants and populist movements?  Is this a function of arrogance, carelessness, or a refusal to recognize the impact of spirituality?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) Similarly, how has the increasing commercialization of Christmas in wealthy countries since the mid-20^th century served indirectly to aid evangelical endeavors in the developing world? How does the unthinking materialism that is promoted throughout the capitalist West through exploitation of the Christian calendar serve to encourage “the still, small voice” of divine truth within the poor and unlearned?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) How do today’s evangelists in this vast, multinational part of the world face the challenge of semi-literacy among those who seek salvation? How can such subjects as scriptural history, the vagaries of translation in biblical texts, and the dangers of syncretism be taught and advocated without the corporatization that often restricts freedom of thought and imposes narrowly-defined learning models?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) How does the method of scriptural and historical interpretation demonstrated by Hislop’s controversial The Two Babylons (1853) serve to illuminate ancient Babylon as an enduring point of reference for diverse believers who seek salvation through YeHoVaH? How have postwar developments in the Middle East, such as the restoration project of this city by the Ba’athist government of Iraq, underscored the challenges posed by seeking contemporary signs of the Book of Revelation’s prophecies?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 32:00) In light of the recent evangelical revival at a small, largely unknown Kentucky university and the grudging reportage by the mainstream media, how likely are such practices to make an impact upon public perception and conscience in our cynical, materialist age? How might the spread of voluntary restrictions in diet and days of work among various denominations, hearkening back to our nation’s earliest settlers, become part of an emergent and unanticipated spiritual awakening?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 36:00) How is the post-Christian reflex of the early 2000s manifested through such popular culture events as solstice celebrations in music and dance, environmental efforts involving Native American ceremonials, and the resurgence of Gnosticism? How might the conflicting components of these practices allow for influence of the demonic among those unwitting individuals who lack any sufficient background in Christianity?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 40:00) Similarly, how might the spread of these diverse activities be indirectly responsible for the disturbing revival of anti-Semitism throughout many nations, thanks to pervasive ignorance of the Hebrew heritage in both Christian worship and Western civilization? How do such elements as the BDS movement and the euphemism “Anti-Zionist” serve to corrupt the attitudes of those who are susceptible to the temptation of scapegoating?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 44:00) How does the tiresome phenomenon of the “twice-a-year Christian” pose a problem for those who practice their faith on a daily basis, incorporating prayer, study, and calendar-based worship? Aside from matters of negligence, how does this syndrome convey to potential believers an example of easy salvation predicated on the notion that scripture study and informed practice of doctrine are optional factors that do not impact salvation?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 48:00) Similarly, how does this level of poor intellectual formation also increase the vulnerability of those presumptive believers who might accept an inadequately-sourced or even invented foundation for certain practices, such as those discussed in a recent series about Mormonism? How does this widespread tendency reflect the progressive erosion over recent decades of deep literacy among our population, to the endangerment of countless souls?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 52:00) Conversely, how does this attraction to exotic yet questionable belief systems demonstrate both the very human need for a coherent structure of worship and the attendant imperative of evangelism for YeHoVaH’s promise of salvation, as commanded by Yeshua? How is this perennial situation ironically referenced in our cynical political commentary about received “narratives” concerning particular leaders and their self-serving testimonies?

This week (Feb 24) on Shabbat Night Live, Luke and Kayte Abaffy had an awakening to the truth of the Torah, like many Christians. The difference was they made a documentary about their journey.

Today, they are taking the next step that they hope will spark a reformation in the hearts of believers worldwide.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section, and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:00) Aside from being a charming anecdote, how does the meeting between Luke and Katie demonstrate the providential nature of marriage for believers who view their futures as living apostolates? How is the will of YeHoVaH affected through the utilization of diverse talents and eccentric career paths in individuals who choose to devote their time and energy to evangelization?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:00) How does the controversy over the centrality of the Torah in Christian worship underscore the failure of many evangelical movements to recognize the integrity of the continuity between the Old and New Testaments? How does the casual distribution of the later, smaller collection of texts, both in public and private, damage the message of YeHoVaH through a glib campaign of an accessible “manual” for salvation?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 24:00) Similarly, how can some evangelical practices undermine the inherent challenges of following YeHoVaH through their over-promotion of divine forgiveness? How can the insidious influence of Satan be given an inroad into spiritual lives through a marginalization of sin as an ever-present danger for believers, one that hearkens back to his disingenuous words to Eve in the book of Genesis?  
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) How do personal testimonies like those recounted here – particularly those involving dreams which suggest private revelations – dramatize the importance and challenge of discernment for believers? How does the often-frustrating delay of answered prayers provide a corrective for short-sighted and self-serving interpretations that could lead to choices that conflict with the will of YeHoVaH?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 321:00) How is the contemporary opportunity of evangelizing through media both spiritually remunerative and fraught with dangers?  As feature films, documentaries, and online programs proliferate, how can these efforts of the faithful avoid becoming overwhelmed by competition, dismissed as propaganda, or increasingly vulnerable to the aggression of hostile individuals or corporate bodies who would destroy their works outright?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 36:00) How have endeavors like Kickstarter and GoFundMe served to redefine the advocacy of faith-based media and public awareness? How does the notion of corporate benefit and crowdfunding provide not only an outlet for evangelization, but also subvert those efforts on the radical Left to politicize such efforts through accusations of fascism or through such organizations as the Freedom From Religion Foundation?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 40:00) How do the myriad obstacles and frustrations involved in realizing a project like this one, such as funding difficulties, technical malfunctions, and administrative delays, all demonstrate the need for perseverance by believers who seek to spread the word of YeHoVaH? How does the frisson between intention and completion serve to deepen the faith of those involved, both before and behind the camera?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 44:00) How does a production like The Way underscore the dilemma currently experienced by many throughout the Christian world over major denominations, religious leaders, and self-styled “faithful” public figures who seek to rationalize disobedience or normalize transgressive conduct? How has the suggestion of following the example of Yeshua as well as accepting his identity as the Messiah become such a radical notion in our present day?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 48:00) Similarly, how does the concept of private revelation serve to undermine popular efforts to denigrate religious practice among individuals in an epoch of socioeconomic materialism? How does the divine impetus toward conversion, seemingly conveyed at random throughout a diverse population of those willing to consider such a gesture, consistently subvert those organized human efforts to eradicate religious belief from society?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 52:00) How does the notion of syncretism pose a challenge for today’s faithful who seek a bonafide practice of genuine spiritual doctrine? How should believers attempt to discern between contemporary examples of cultural assimilation of pagan belief or practice that suggest possible gateways for demonic influence, and more benign examples of intellectual history in relation to the growth of Western Judeo-Christian culture?