Marriage And Jewish And Interfaith Rabbi

By Linda Russell


When a couple meets for the first time and love is in the air, it is not always considered how things will turn out. Many find themselves in the position of needing the service of a jewish and interfaith rabbi should marriage be looming. A rabbi such as this can be consulted on the many issues and questions arising from requiring a service such as this.

Judaism has many practices and customs and it is no wonder why someone such as this will be required to answer questions or to facilitate and wedding for that matter. From Kosher laws to ceremonial laws, it takes a great deal of studying to become proficient at them or to get an idea what it is really like being a Jew. For one, Laws regarding the Sabbath are plentiful and it takes some time before one gets a grasp of what it means to keep this Holy Day.

This is derived from both the Oral and Written law and can be dated back to when the Israelites wandered through the desert after leaving Egypt. During this time the mishkan or tabernacle was built. The manner of work that was used to build it was then used as those laws that are prohibited from carrying out on the Sabbath day. Furthermore one is even not allowed to touch a tool on this day, less one is tempted to use it to perform prohibited work.

When the Jewish people were wandering through the desert many years ago, they built the mishkan or as translated, the tabernacle. This was the holy ark that they carried around with them during the sojourn in the desert. The work that went into building it constitutes all types of work that is performed during the week and these are abstained from doing on the Sabbath day.

This even includes not touching objects that may lead one to do work thus desecrating the Sabbath and its laws. It is a day of rest and as a Jew one is expected to go to Shul or Temple and to pray and study both the Oral laws and those contained in the Five Books of Moses or otherwise known as the Written Law. In synagogue on a Saturday, the Torah is taken out and the weekly portion from it is read out aloud.

This is a whole study in itself but with a little patience and a little knowledge, it is something that can be put into practice relatively easily. It is all about separating what is holy to that which is not. There are certain foods that may be consumed such as meat derived from an animal that chews the cud and has cloven hooves two of which being cattle or sheep.

Being a Jew requires much study and practice. A rabbi can help with this and guide one on this path. It is a beautiful religion.

It is one that preaches patience, humility and love towards the fellow man. There is much to learn and embarking on this journey requires commitment and perseverance. Engaging in discussion with a Rabbi is advised should one want to know more or to just find out about the many facets of this Religion.




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Talking About Jewish Interfaith Marriage

By Amanda Anderson


When it comes to intermarrying it is best to consult with those that have been down this road and to garner advice from them. A Jewish interfaith marriage is common nowadays with couples finding that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. It is often stressful should one partner not know anything about this religion and in doing so, will have to learn a lot before the marriage day itself.

Interfaith Rabbis are there to assist with any questions the couple may have and will suggest ways in overcoming obstacles when discussing the ceremony itself or talking about what is and what is not permissible with food laws. The couple will obviously have attendees from both religions but usually it is the one who is Jewish that must make the effort to accomodate all those guests that will be attending. This is not as confusing as it may seem as a simple way to navigate this course is to use an accepted kosher caterer.

Firstly, comes food and what is permissible to eat and what is not. This is a whole study in itself but a quick way to bypass this is to use a caterer that is well known in the community and one that is accepted by all as being one hundred percent kosher. This is probably the best thing to arrange as many of the guests will expect this and obviously one does not want to disappoint.

So if meat will be served it has to be kosher and approved by a Beth Din or Jewish court of law. This is not too difficult to overcome as there are many caterers who have been approved by this governing body and can be consulted with regarding this. If one is going to go it alone and cater the function themselves then there is a lot that needs to be learnt before one gets into the kitchen and starts preparing.

Apart from this, it should be noted by the couple, what foods are permissible to eat and what are not. Meat may never be eaten with milk and this law is one of the first laws that is learned in a Jewish home. One usually has to wait six hours after meat is eaten before milk products can be consumed. So it is best to choose a meal for guests that do not have both of them served at the same time.

Other items that must be noted is that seafood is a no. No shelled foods can be consumed and these include crab, lobster, crayfish, shrimps or prawns. The list is endless so it is best to consult with a kosher caterer before deciding what it is that will be served on this day.

It is a time for celebration and nothing should detract one from this. Having an interfaith wedding, if done properly, will be spoken about in years to come. It is a great day for the couple.

Every eventuality can be discussed and planned for by speaking to a Rabbi who officiates ceremonies such as this. Doing it the right way and providing kosher food for guests is a must. It is a day long in the making and one that will live in hearts forever.




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What Is The Full Meaning Of Salvation?

By Larry Cooper


The terms save, saved and salvation can be used in different contexts. At the basic level, the meaning of salvation is being delivered from destruction or danger. In the strict interpretation of Christianity, it means being delivered from sins. This means that you have been rescued from eternal condemnation that translates to living forever in pain and anguish.

According to Christians, Jesus is the one who saves people. He was sent to the world purposely to deliver humanity from sin and gain for them eternal life. They were saved from eternal fire and damnation which arose out of original sin by Adam and eve. For man to live in eternal happiness after death, he had to be rescued from this original sin which brought eternal condemnation.

How do people get saved? This statement implies that Christians have to make a journey. It can be translated to mean that there is a path to be followed. From James 2, 24-26, this path is that of obedience to the will of God. This obedience signals that your actions are in line with the world of God.

If salvation is an issue, who is this savior? As skeptical as this question appears, it is necessary. People have been arguing on who between Jesus and God saves. The Old Testament points at God as the source of all salvation. He sends people like prophets to redeem his people from hardships. Such incidences are recorded by Isaiah in chapter 43, 1st book of Samuel chapter 10, Jude 25 and Titus 2, among others.

Jesus Christ becomes the final savior for human kind. His coming was prophesied by Old Testament prophets. He is the ransom that God pays for people to gain salvation. In the New Testament, we are told that you have to go through Christ in order to gain salvation. It becomes difficult and irrelevant to attempt to separate God from Jesus Christ when talking about salvation because each represents a different dynamic.

Will everyone be saved? This is a difficult question to answer considering the scripture and its account of salvation. The books of gospel and revelation point at a selected number of people who God has chosen as his own. However, the same books point at a choice given to all human beings to decide their destinies. It is only the few who meet the conditions set that will be saved.

Is being saved eternal? One might think that because Jesus died on the cross, it is enough for everyone to be saved. This is not the case. Everyone has the duty of working towards his own destiny. Only those who keep the fire will be safe. It is an accumulation of good deeds and efforts towards living according to the will of God. Without that, even the pastors, reverends and bishops will not find salvation.

It is a personal decision to seek to be saved and will not be forced on you by anyone. You have to make choices on daily basis to live up to the command of God. Any small act may lead you to condemnation.




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Christian Education Principles For Teachers

By Ruth Baker


Teaching Christian education is different from any other subject. Most of this education is about life and not passing examinations. There are Christian education principles for teachers that should guide you to ensure that you deliver the information as it is required. These tips will enable you to produce a class that lives Christianity as a way of life other than a subject to be taught.

You must focus on what the student is learning other than what you intend to teach. This is a tricky approach considering that trainers are advised to have lesson plans and objectives. By focusing on what should be learnt instead of what is to be taught, you adapt the perfect pace to instill the right attitudes on learners. It also gives you the time to instill important lessons other than brushing across them in a flash.

Do not rush over content in order to finish the syllabus. The best approach is that of less-is-more whereby you focus on students understanding as opposed to coverage of the syllabus. When you rush through your lesson, you deny your students the opportunity to understand the content. A lot of content will not even be remembered. This makes it difficult to implement.

Teach your students to understand the concepts instead of memorizing them. Religious teachers have been known to cause their students to memorize. This only results in people who know scripture, creed and prayers but cannot think through them. By understanding the principles taught, you can face challenges internally and externally with ease.

Develop a class of thinkers other than reciters. The bible does not capture every challenge that the world presents today. Rather, they need to use the principles taught to work their way through new challenges. Unless they are taught to think, present day challenges will weigh too heavily on them. Teach students to interrogate situations and find the best solution.

Active learning is also encouraged if the students are practice what they are taught. Ask questions that follow up on the lessons learnt. You should also allow them to act some of the scenes and give situational analysis to foster open minded. Moderate discussions instead of controlling what they say about issues. With moderation, they have the freedom to reason through situations instead of being forced into a line of thought.

Encourage your students to ask questions in the course of learning. This is an encouragement to you to dig deeper into Christianity. Questions should not be considered as interruptions but rather a moment to learn. When you ask questions, they should not take the yes and no perspective. Probing questions have been known to open conversations and result in more proactive students.

A teacher must understand well what he or she is teaching in order to inspire confidence and disseminate the information in a believable manner. Learn in depth about the topic you will be teaching to enable you answer questions as is required. The people you are teaching will learn from your examples.




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How Christian Meditation Practice Can Give You A Whole New Meaning And Growing In Faith

By Frank Jones


It is good to know that there are a number of ways of rejoicing over what the Lord has done for you. Out of the many things you can do, Christian meditation practice is one of the ways you can draw yourself closer to God. When you have found your purpose in God, you can do anything with the assurance of knowing that your life is in greater hands while Growing in Faith.

Christian meditation practice is not about how you know every scripture of the Bible. Just because you know, every chapter of the Bible doesn t mean you are in the right sound mind of the Christian meditation practice. Instead, meditation is more about finding yourself and fixing what you feel needs to be fixed in your spiritual journey.

When you pray, you are laying everything out in bare for God. You are having a private conversation with Him that will only be heard by you and Him. Prayer is not only about asking for the strength on the good days. People can also pray when they are having great times. The only important thing about prayer is ensuring that you have the faith to carry you.

It is important that people realize just because you feel faithful and carry out your business in the most positive way; it doesn t mean good things will happen all the time. However, when you have faith, you have to be unshakeable at all odds. This way, you will be able to face each and everything you are going through with the firm belief that all things work together for your good.

Christian meditation practice passes no judgment. If you meet someone who doesn t meditate, the least you can do is to tell them about the benefits of meditating and teach them how different their lives would be if they started investing in the idea. However, you have no right to deem yourself better now that you meditate and some people don t.

You need to only find the interest in Christian meditation if it works for you. If you find that you are not benefiting anything from it, you don t have to do something that doesn t produce results for you. However, you shouldn t judge the people who find the significance of doing it. Everybody has a category they fall in to; you just have to choose which one is your fit.

In order to meditate, you will need your Bible, sometimes to yourself where you can gather your thoughts and read the Word and some quiet time. When you are meditating, the last thing you need is a distraction. You need to fix your entire gaze in what you are doing. This way, you will be able to concentrate and put your mid on the things that matter.

It is important to give yourself credit because you might think you are not doing much since you don t know every chapter of the Bible. However, when you realize the change you have seen within yourself and your soul, you will see that Christian meditation practice has done a lot of good for your life.




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All There Is To Know About Leading High Performance Teams Tactics

By Christopher Burns


Being the head of a group of opinionated individuals can be a headache. There will be conflicts and fires to put out all the time. There will always be someone who disagrees with another. One must, therefore, learn leading high performance teams tactics in order to abate the intellectual tugs of war that are bound to develop. Communication is key. Ensure everyone knows the group rules.

These groups are known for their innovative solutions. Such distinguished groups tend to survey outside the box. The leader should encourage this out of the box thinking. He or she should provide a safe space to pose the strangest questions. No idea is too crazy. It is through taking leaps and risks that innovation happens. As the head, ensure to nurture that spirit.

For the above to be possible, the group must be a safe space. It must be a place where no one is chastised for suggesting something radical that no one agrees with. A place where judgment is passed. A group where every member is encouraged to be an active participant. To express their opinion on whether or not it will be popular. The head should turn the diversity and differences into strengths.

As mentioned before, conflicts will happen. They will happen a lot and more often than not, aggressively. The best way to ensure they do not get out of hand and are constructive is to instill the culture of cooperation. Rather than having each individual present a mosaic of their own thought process, have them make a collective presentation of a solution. There should be a prescribed understanding on how to manage and handle conflicts. This understanding must be followed to the letter.

The Betari Box behavioral mode is especially important in this instance. It suggests that the attitude and behavior of one member can paint those of the others. That one improper member could soon turn into three and soon all. There is often a reason for the change in attitude and behavior. One should keep a close eye on that so they can address the issue before it escalates.

The head is not a school principal. It is not his or her job to push for deadlines and to punish tardiness. If one finds themselves in a situation where they are constantly pushing people, he or she needs to find the reason. Often it is motivation. Instead of pushing, try another approach. Inspire the members. Start a fire within them to work and work hard. Appeal to the parts that led them to join the group in the first place.

Be the model. Be a shining example. Be vulnerable. Be a follower of own preaching. The leader was and is a member first. The crown matters very little if this fact is forgotten. Being the head does not make one king. It does not mean that head sits back while everyone else works. In fact, as head one should work harder. They should be more driven to be great. This kind of humility will breed appreciation, respect, motivation, admiration, and success.

Be the person the team members run to and not from. Be trustworthy. Be the person they approach with their issues or conflicts. Do not be a person who scolds.




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Characteristics Of Godly Wisdom And Some Examples That Display Them

By Carol Evans


There seems to be a meanness and lack of civility in today's society that is frankly disturbing. Technology has brought great advancements, but it has also opened a floodgate of poor behavior on the part of a large segment of the population. This might be the perfect time to step back and take a look at what characterizes Godly wisdom, and how we exhibit, or don't exhibit, those characteristics.

Wisdom can be defined in a lot of ways. According to many theologians, God shows how wise He is by choosing the best goals and creating the best means to achieve them. Wise men obey God's commands. The Book of Proverbs says that becoming wise starts with fearing the Lord. From the Book of James comes a list of characteristics that exemplify God like judgment.

Humility is a virtue that Jesus Christ epitomizes. The greatest example of all was His willingness to die so that others might live. On the way to Golgotha, Christ was scorned, ridiculed, humiliated, and shamed. He bore it without remarking. In the Garden, He asked for relief from this burden, but accepted God's response. Jesus became a servant, who washed the feet of His disciples, when in fact He was their King.

Consideration is one virtue found in those who are wise. Considerate people have empathy toward others. They have a smile for everyone. Having a pleasant demeanor doesn't just lighten the load of their day, it lightens the load of everyone they have contact with during the day. Considerate people have good manners. This is more than please and thank you. It is the willingness to treat everyone the way they wish to be treated.

Wise people are peace lovers. Instead of creating division, they work to solve problems and bring people together. Mohandas Gandhi is considered by many to have been, after Jesus, the most peaceful man that ever lived. He believed in nonviolence and demonstrated it in his personal and public life.

Mercy is a trait of wise people. They are kind, quick to forgive, and compassionate toward others. One of the most famous examples of mercy to come out of the Revolutionary War involved Patrick Ferguson, a British soldier. He was known as a skilled marksman. He was leading an ambush and had George Washington within range. He didn't believe in shooting someone who couldn't see him however. Instead of killing Washington on the spot, he stood so the fight would be fair. American history might be been very different if he had not.

Sincerity is another trait of the wise. Sincere people are not dishonest or false. They are the ones you count on for an honest opinion. They don't gossip or judge. They don't say one thing to your face and something else entirely when you are somewhere else.

The path to wisdom can be bumpy. Most fail repeatedly to live up to the examples wise women and men set. That's not an excuse to stop trying. Every day is a new beginning with a new chance to get it right.




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