Cornerstone Community Church Vodcast

In the concluding part of this series on the Torah, we examine some overarching themes that help us frame the way in which we view our world. This is important because how we view the world around us also determines the way we engage with it.

613 – that’s the number of Commandments listed in The Torah. From the famous 10 Commandments, to the ones that we might not have even heard of, like shaving the sides of your hair! It must surely be a mistake to think that they have any relevance at all for today? The key lies in understanding the nature of these laws. Just like the Kingdom of God, everything begins in seed form.

The first 5 books of the Bible are called the Torah collectively, and their authorship is attributed to Moses. We may have read them individually, but few of us have examined them collectively as a blueprint of God’s salvation plan for mankind, as well as His design for bringing transformation to our world. Over the next 3 weeks, we’ll be examining the Torah more closely. Our intention is to give us a fresh pair of lenses in how we read the Torah, and also to draw applications that are incredibly relevant for our times.

In Zechariah 9, the Lord refers to His people as ‘Prisoners of Hope’, not prisoners of hopelessness. There’s nothing the world is aching for more right now than hope. And it’s true those with the greatest hope are also the most positive people on the planet. Both hope and hopelessness are equally contagious and we cannot allow ourselves to fall into hopelessness. Biblical hope is one of the greatest things in the world and we’re called to manifest it.

Some sources say that a mere 52 days of Jesus’ life was recorded for us in the Gospels. Others say that the Gospel of John recorded only 20 days of the life of Christ. Whatever it might be, what‘s presented to us is a mere vignette of His life. But the Bible is not random in what it documents for our reading. Instead, it’s a divine emphasis of what God desires to communicate to us. It’s a picture of what counts for eternity.

On 30 Oct 2021, humanity passed a threshold when we officially recorded 5 million deaths from the coronavirus, not counting the devastation it has brought to untold numbers around the world. People are desperate, governments are running out of ideas, and nobody can guess when this will all end. If there are two things people need right now, it’s HOPE and PEACE. Over the next two weekends, I’ll be addressing these vital issues. It’d be wise to heed what Corrie Ten Boom said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be depressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”