THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN for Us Today

"It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is." - That statement by Bill Clinton is the best way to sum up the issue underlying this exposition of Hebrews 11.6, which revolves around what the meaning of the word "is" is. This is a foundational point, because it deals with the very nature of God Himself, and our responsibility because of it.  YouTube: E R Potte...

Exposition of Psalm 147.10-11 As children, we are impressionable. We grow older, and we begin to realize that everything that impresses us is not equally worthy of our admiration. There's a part of childhood wonder that we should never discard, but it must develop from mere wonder into mature wisdom, wisdom that recognizes the nature of the stream of life that is carrying us to our final dest...

The Mayhem in Minnesota is not Donald Trump’s fault, but it is something he has to deal with. Immigration is not the issue, and deportation is not the evil. The key to understanding the problems of the city on Interstate-94 is found in Psalm 144. That’s a long leap of 2500 years but it ends up right here where we live.  YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

Reading the Hebrew text of the OT  can be a daunting challenge. The translation of obscure words and unusual phrasing requires dependence on the Holy Spirit for an understanding of the best way to  communicate the lesson of a particular text. Many possibilities for translating a verse have appeared over the centuries, and after looking at some of them, one must choose one that corresponds to the s...

The favorite book of the Bible for many people is probably the book of Psalms. This collection of Hebrew poetry is the longest book of the Bible and expresses the whole range of human emotions: sorrowful wailing, doubtful questioning, and joyful thanks for deliverance. One of the favorite verses is Psalm 126.3: “ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” That sounds good, but that’s...

O livro favorito da Bíblia para muitas pessoas é provavelmente o livro dos Salmos. Esta coleção de poesia hebraica é o livro mais longo da Bíblia e expressa toda a gama de emoções humanas: lamentos dolorosos, questionamentos duvidosos e agradecimentos alegres pela libertação. Um dos versículos favoritos é o Salmo 126.3: " Grandes coisas fez o Senhor por nós, pelas quais estamos alegres."...

In my podcasts and sermons, I will rarely call out an individual person by name, and on the rare occasion I do, it’s never to pick a fight or stoke the fires of controversy. I don’t aim to silence views I do not agree with. I believe everyone has the right to hold a position that’s different from mine and be wrong. 😊 But I also believe there are times when I should point out where another person...

Nos meus podcasts e sermões, raramente refiro-me a uma pessoa pelo seu nome e, nas raras ocasiões em que o faço, nunca é para a provocar ou para atiçar o fogo de controvérsia. E não pretendo silenciar opiniões com as quais não concordo. Acredito que todos têm o direito de propor uma posição diferente da minha e estarem errados. Mas também acredito que há momentos em que devo apontar onde a outra p...

Jesus said, “ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”  I remember wondering when I was a young boy whether there is a limited number of words allotted to each person, a quota that we use up in our lifetime. In that case, we should be more careful about how we use up our supply, like living on a fixed income, so we have to choos...

Jesus disse: "Digo-vos, pois, que de toda palavra fútil que os homens disserem, hão de dar conta no dia do juízo. ".  Lembro-me de me perguntar, quando era miúdo, se há um número limitado de palavras atribuídas a cada pessoa, uma quota que esgotamos ao longo da vida. Nesse caso, deveríamos ter mais cuidado em como utilizamos o saldo da nossa conta, como se estivêssemos a viver com um ren...

The most important task set before us is to follow the Bible. But it's a fool's errand to try it if we don't correctly understand what the Bible is and what its purpose is, Here are some major ways to foolishly deal with the Bible. YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

This is the concluding part of the presentation in the previous episode. Part 1 concentrated on the foolishness of not believing in God or not taking His Word seriously, In this episode, I look at how Bible-believing Christians can follow the Bible in a foolish manner. YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

Donald Trump made a lot of promises when he campaigned for president, something all presidential candidates do, but many of his promises seemed outlandish and unrealistic. His first month in office, however, has left not only Americans reeling, but, the rest of the world, too. He continues to check off one promise after another, even the ones no one believed he would or could fulfill. To what exte...

Little words can have a tremendous impact. In reading Ecclesiastes 3.11 in the original Hebrew, there is a small word that is not well translated in almost every version, and the implications even extend to the scope AI can reach. YouTube Link:  https://youtu.be/zZ9GtuUm190   Automatically generated captions available in English. Portuguese captions not yet available. YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

A história do nascimento de Jesus, contada com anjos, pastores, reis magos com camelos e que sempre inclui um burro, em volta de um bebê numa manjedoura é conhecido em todo o mundo, mas subjacente a estas figuras populares encontramos a resposta à pergunta central do debate sobre o aborto. Versão em texto also available. YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

The story of Jesus' birth, complete with angels, shepherds and kings with camels, centered around a baby in a manger is well known and depicted, retold and replayed thousands of times each year, but underlying all those trappings is the answer to the key question in the debate on abortion. Text version also available. YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

The 2024 Presidential Election is over, and the vote was fair. The campaign was hard fought and rife with mud-slinging on both sides, but the nine words that alarmed me the most were spoken after it was clear who had won the race. I’m not the only one who heard these words, but no one else seems to have paid much attention to them. That, in the end, is the really alarming part.   YouTube: E R Pott...

A eleição presidencial de 2024 acabou, e a votação foi justa. A campanha foi duramente disputada e os dois lados recorreram ao jogo sujo e chamaram a uns e outros de nomes feios e lançaram uma vaga de insultos, mas as nove palavras que mais me alarmaram foram ditas depois que ficou claro quem havia vencido a corrida. Não sou o único que ouviu estas palavras, mas ninguém mais parece ter prestado mu...

When Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Israel recently, it was not surprising to read and hear concerns regarding the intentions of that almost-nuclear power, raising fears that the world is too dangerously close to witnessing the fulfilment of the end-of-the-world scenarios painted by prophets in the Bible or by prophets of doom of every stripe. The Bible, however, encourages...

Recentemente, o Irão lançou uma imensa onda de mísseis e drones contra Israel, e não foi surpreendente ler e ouvir preocupações sobre as intenções daquela potência quase nuclear, suscitando receios de que o mundo estivesse se aproximando perigosamente perto do cumprimento dos cenários do fim do mundo pintados por profetas na Bíblia ou por profetas da desgraça de toda a espécie. A Bíblia, no entant...

This episode, based on Psalm 23.3, complements the previous episode which focused on Psalm 23.2.  We find from a study of the Hebrew text that the phrase "He restores my soul" involves far more than we think it does. These thoughts were triggered by an article written by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki . YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

Este episódio, baseado em Salmo 23.3, complementa o episódio anterior, que focou em Salmo 23.2.  Quando estudamos o texto hebraico da frase, "Ele refrigera a minha alma", descobrimos que isto implica muito mais do que pensamos.  Esta meditação foi desencadeada por um artigo do Rabino Pesach Wolicki.   [Artigo em Inglês] YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

Um dia de folga. Um feriado. Ficar na cama mais duas horas de manhã. Será que o descanso consiste nisso? Por natureza, descansar, para nós, depende de circumstâncias externas; na realidade, é fruto de um relacionamento espiritual. O que significa as “águas TRANQUILAS ” de Salmo 23?  YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

A day off from work. A holiday. Sleeping in an extra couple of hours. Is that what resting is all about? By nature, we make it depend on external circumstances; in reality, it’s all about a spiritual relationship.  What about the " STILL " waters of Psalm 23? YouTube: E R Potter Podcasts

O Hamas está em todo o lado nas notícias, mas esta semana encontrei-o na Bíblia.  Agradecimento: Enquanto fazia as revisões finais deste texto e verificava as minhas fontes linguísticas, deparei-me com alguns artigos que corroboravam e amplificavam o meu ponto de vista. Depois de ler O Dilúvio, a Torre e a Batalha contra o Hamas*, do rabino Pessach Wolicki, inseri as referências a Gênesis 6.11 e 1...