Parsha Lech Lecha - Go You

From Rabbi Jack 1 Thessalonians {4:3-8}3) It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4) that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5) not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6) and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7) For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8) Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you His Holy Spirit. Paul is saying that marriage is superior to living together like the pagans were doing.  The point of the passage is that there are consequences for abandoning this principle of being holy and honorable and the evidence today seems to bear this out. Parents who have chosen to live together instead of marrying have raised young adults who see living together or just having sexual encounters as a viable option to marriage. Couples today are suffering and our society is deteriorating because the sins the parents committed in having children out of wedlock and in living together instead of getting legally married before God and man, is being passed down to their children. So now the children are committing the same sin their parents committed. The parent’s sin is being visited upon their children, just like the Lord said. It is a spiritual demonic curse that parents have passed down to their children. But it does not only manifest itself in the children having sex before marriage or living together in fornication instead of marrying, but it also manifests itself in other ways; homosexuality, sexual perversion, drug addiction, psychological problems, low self-esteem, depression and the list goes on. Brother, sister, if you are not legally married to the person you call husband or wife, if you do not have that “legal marriage certificate,” do yourself, your children and your future generations the favor of getting it and get right with God.  Because right now you are a fornicator, no matter how long you have been together. You are living in sin and I do not think I need to tell you where that will get you!

From Ellen I am sure the feeling I have is being experienced by many of you as well and when investigated I have identified it.  Control!  Control of what you say? Everything! As I ponder this predicament, I have come to realize how a baby must feel.  Babies must rely solely on the one caring for them.  They are hungry, they need to go to be changed or they may be just plain uncomfortable so they cry. They cry out for the caregiver to pay attention to them and fix whatever circumstance is occurring.  “Ahhh, thank you caring individual for feeding me, changing me and turning me to a right position…but do not leave me because at any moment I will need your attention again.”  Now transfer this as an adult.  If we are healthy and able to navigate on our own in the above-mentioned scenarios then why do we not feel better?  In life the Bible says do not be concerned with tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6.25…).  Also, in Matthew 6.25 it says; do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink or what you will wear, look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap and yet our Heavenly Father feeds them…I am of course paraphrasing and if you take the time to read verses 25 and following you will find that worrying or concern will not add a single hour to your life.  We do not feel better because we cannot do anything without the Father.  As believers, true believers we cannot do anything without the help of our heavenly Father so this means to relinquish complete and total control to Him.  Sounds easy but as finite humans our first reaction to anything is to fix it.  When we fix things of our own power it is most likely akin to a band aid but when Father fixes things the circumstance is done, completed and over! Please heed to this warning…time is short and the state of the world is chaotic but remember Jeremiah 29.11-15 says God’s plans and purposes for your life are for a future and a hope and not of calamity.  We all need a caregiver and the best one is the Father in Heaven…so if you are not walking through this upside-down world with Him, it is time!  All you need to do is to relinquish control and receive Yeshua into your life as Lord and Savior and He will take care of the rest.  Love you all!

VISIT our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. Click the link below: youtube.com/@EtzChaimKenya CHECKOUT our website and visit us when in Kenya: www.etzchaimkenya.com

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com.

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha “NOACH” by Faysal Mburu Njuguna

https://youtu.be/4SBhyYpIrtE

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha “NOACH” by Rabbi Jack.

https://youtu.be/sjUN4YqODJI

CLICK below to read the commentary on Parsha “Lech Lecha” by Rabbi Jack.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yYtf5DyyeNg0IFnd6WQ-yXnoU-HSAsoH/view?usp=drive_link

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com. DONATE using PayPal. No PayPal? No problem! Contact us for other options. https://paypal.me/kenyamission Titus 2:13…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.”  Yours in Messiah Yeshua, Yom Teruah Sameach Jack & Ellen

Parsha Ha’Azinu (Give-Eat)

VISIT our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. Click the link below: youtube.com/@EtzChaimKenya CHECKOUT our website and visit us when in Kenya: www.etzchaimkenya.com

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com.

CLICK the link below to view the video sermon of the week: “Seek the Kingdom of God” by Barzilai Kaindi

https://youtu.be/4moAmWGjGCA

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha “Netzavim-Vayeilech” by Mbugua (Dov) Njuguna

https://youtu.be/_jHUvCqwY2U

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha “Netzavim-Vayeilech” by Rabbi Jack.

https://youtu.be/cwxBgT3vFUA

CLICK below to view the commentary on Parsha Ha’Azinu by Rabbi Jack.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MiNvFmpdUfgPwc_eZdbXiKyyPfPR0UpJ/view?usp=drive_link

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com. DONATE using PayPal. No PayPal? No problem! Contact us for other options. https://paypal.me/kenyamission   Titus 2:13…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.”   Yours in Messiah Yeshua, Yom Teruah Sameach Jack & Ellen

Parsha Bamidbar (In the Wilderness)

From Rabbi Jack

John {13:21} “After He had said this, Yeshua was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray Me.” {13:22} His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. {13:23} One of them, the disciple whom Yeshua loved, was reclining next to Him. {13:24} Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask Him which one He means.” {13:25} Leaning back against Yeshua, he asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” {13:26} Yeshua answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. {13:27} As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So, Yeshua told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” {13:28} But no one at the meal understood why Yeshua said this to him. {13:29} Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Yeshua was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.” These passages of Scripture were part of our Bible Reading Plan for June 3. Often, I have been asked how Yeshua and His disciples could be celebrating the Passover Seder if He was crucified on the Passover. In reading these scriptures this verse caught my attention: John {13:29} “Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Yeshua was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.” A Passover tradition which has extended from biblical times until present day, is to give charity to the poor before Passover. Most often it is done by giving baskets containing food for the Passover Seder. What is interesting is that it was and still is done before Passover, not on the Passover. The second observation I made is that the disciples thought that Yeshua gave Judas money to buy what was needed for the Festival. Obviously, the Festival they were referring to was the upcoming Passover because they already had all they needed for the meal they were eating; Yeshua having instructed His disciples to make the necessary preparations to celebrate.  Luke {22:8} “Yeshua sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”  Without a doubt part of the preparation was the food. Considering that the disciples, during the meal with Yeshua, thought He was sending Judas out to buy food for the Passover, the meal they were celebrating could not have been the Passover Seder meal. Yes, it was the “Last Supper”, but it obviously was not the Passover Seder because the Passover and Yeshua’s crucifixion were the following day.

From Ellen

I write this in hope that we have all increased in our relationship with the God Most High and Mighty! I often write about sin.  Sadly, this subject is ever present in not only individuals but nationwide; no worldwide!  You have read and heard often that if we say we do not sin then we are liars…oops, yet another sin on top of our other sins. I am not without sin that is why I can recognize it. Another common sin that we all commit is calling others out about their sin when we know we have done the same at one time or another.   Mishlei (Proverbs), lists seven sins that God hates in the sixth chapter, verses 16 –19: “These 6 things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to do evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”  Ouch!  Although you and I have not committed all those listed intentionally, we still stand guilty of at least a few.  Have we repented?  Without repentance and swift repentance, at that, we are not forgiven.  I am not talking about the person that has been sinned against, although we need to apologize to them, but repenting to GOD!  So, think about it.  How many times a day, an hour, a minute or even a second do we think of lying, glance at someone with haughty look, wish someone was gone from your life so as not to have to deal with them, devising a plan that will trip someone up because they have exposed some sin in your life, run to join in on revealing the wickedness in others, said something terrible about someone that does not take your side, and whether right or not speak ill of fellow Believers, primarily to vindicate ourselves of our sin. One of the big things about sinning is that we have to remember the first time we sinned so we can keep face…you know what I mean, saying we could not keep a promise when we did not even remember the promise we originally made.  Life is confusing enough so why add sin to it. Here are some reasons… you may want to make yourself look better than the other person; you are envious of someone’s life; you were not chosen first; you exaggerate your situation to keep up with the next and so many more.  If you are reading this then try to keep count of how many times you sinned by just thinking about what was listed. I pray that you become strengthened in your faith in God and in yourself so sinning will not be prevalent in your life but repentance will.  BTW, I pray the same for my life in Yeshua!

CLICK the link below to view the video sermon of the week: “Old Testament Torah and the New Testament Believer” https://youtu.be/C-5M9Gg_ym0

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha "Bechukotai" by Samuel Mangara Kibi https://youtu.be/SSSpbH7BqZk

VISIT our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. Click the link below: youtube.com/@EtzChaimKenya CHECKOUT our website and visit us when in Kenya: www.etzchaimkenya.com

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com   DONATE using PayPal. No PayPal? No problem! Contact us for other options. https://paypal.me/kenyamission Titus {2:13} “…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.” Yours in Messiah Yeshua, Shabbat Shalom Jack & Ellen

 

Parasha Kedoshim

From Rabbi Jack

Isaiah {28:9} “Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. {28:10} For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” If you are coming to a congregation week after week, service after service, listening to the sermons but it is having no effect on your life and you are not changing or growing, then you are just like Israel during Isaiah’s time. You are not willing to learn, hear, listen or change your life to be more like Yeshua. So why are you attending? If the sermons and teachings are not affecting change in you for the better, then you might just as well get one of the kids out of nursery and let them stand and preach to you. You would get just as much out of what they had to say as you are out of what God has to say. That is what God was saying about Israel and I believe He is still saying the same thing to some of us today.  “Line upon line,” God repeats His message over and over again in the simplest way possible, trying all the while to take us deeper into His will. He does not teach us the deeper things of the Spirit until we have understood and practiced the simple things of His Word and consider this basic teaching as something wonderful. He teaches people who love to hear about God’s love, mercy and grace. Those that listen, learn and hear He moves into the deeper things of His Word. There is always something deeper for us to learn and one of those deeper things is learning more about living in victory! We also need to learn more about God’s will and how to walk in it! We need to learn more about faithfulness, spiritual discernment and waging spiritual warfare! We do it by building on the basics we have already learned; we have to grow!  Self-righteousness just will not measure up! Good works are not good enough! Just learning the basics and then playing around in the world will not measure up either! We have to grow in Messiah and do all that we can to measure up to God’s standard, to God’s Word and learn to be like Messiah Yeshua. Our life has to produce the fruit and the works that come from a heart of true repentance. Works of righteousness and a life that is fully committed to Yeshua is a requirement, not a suggestion. You can either stay stuck as a beginner and face the judgment of God and His wrath for your disobedience, or you can grow to maturity in the Messiah. The choice is yours!

From Ellen

1 Samuel {16:7} “But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not pay attention to how he looks or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. Adonai does not see the way humans see – humans look at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks at the heart.”  Remember, when Saul was chosen to be king he was a head taller than everyone else and very handsome, Although he looked good, he did not do the job according to God’s standards.  Saul was a man for himself, not a man for God.  Saul was prideful, greedy and self-absorbed tyrant and only thought of himself.  When we enter into the service of God all these “traits” that I just mentioned should have been repented of and delivered of as well.  Being in ministry for God and always coming to Yeshua first in everything is the only path to take.  Keep in mind there are no wide paths to accomplishing the will of God, only very narrow ones and Saul was on a wide path but God knew David was His man.  Paul said he must die daily and we should as well.  There is a very sad situation in ministry that we have seen throughout the years and that is putting self-absorption and self-interest before God’s interest…remember what the Word says: ‘Seek the kingdom of God first and all things will be added unto you.’  Are you seeking the Kingdom of God in your life?  Are you seeking God first in the ministry God has entrusted to you?  Do you want to look good on the outside for all to see?  Be careful, we become what we worship. Is it better to look good and lack the anointing or to be true to yourself and receive the anointing equal to the challenge?  These are all simple and really everyday questions.  You do not have to be the rabbi or the worship leader…maybe you are ministering at home to an unsaved family or neighbor.  Maybe the Lord Yeshua has placed you in a job among pagans and idol worshipers or maybe you are alone. The Holy Spirit sees and knows all.  A Word of warning…this world is speedily spiraling downward into Hell.  As I write this last sentence it was like the flushing of a toilet.  So again, I will ask a really simple everyday question…are you worshiping God or yourself?  Before your next “flush” take a long good look in the mirror and seek Yeshua for the answer.  Your Abba in heaven has all the answers.

CLICK the link below to view the video sermon of the week: “Final Day of Hag HaMatzah” https://youtu.be/Sft7MnNCsI4

CLICK below to view the video commentary on Parsha "Pesach the 7th day" by Eugene Omondi https://youtu.be/SSSpbH7BqZk

VISIT our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. Click the link below: youtube.com/@EtzChaimKenya CHECKOUT our website and visit us when in Kenya: www.etzchaimkenya.com

If you are being blessed by the teachings, sermons and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com   DONATE using PayPal. No PayPal? No problem! Contact us for other options. https://paypal.me/kenyamission   Titus {2:13} “…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.”   Yours in Messiah Yeshua, Shabbat Shalom Jack & Ellen

Parsha V'zot HaBrachah (And This Is The Blessings)

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link

Matthew {13:15} "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." In my blurb of September 21st, I said the following: "At times, when I gaze out over the congregation I am sharing a teaching or sermon with, I wonder to myself, 'Are these people actually hearing what I am saying.' I have never tried it but perhaps next time someone approaches me after a sermon and says; 'Good word, Jack,' I will ask them if they would tell me what they liked about what they heard." Perhaps by what I said I did not give the Holy Spirit the credit He deserves, so I think my comment from last week needs some clarification. Yes, there are many people in the congregation that are not actually hearing what I am saying when I am giving a teaching or a sermon. I am sure if I would ask these people when they came up to thank me, they would not be able to tell me what I talked about. Before I give a message and even when I am formulating it and studying it in preparation to share it, in fact, even before I give it, I pray and ask the Holy Spirit for His anointing upon the message and every word I speak. I want the messages and teachings I share to be from the Holy Spirit and not from my flesh. I desire the Holy Spirit within me to speak to the Holy Spirit within those that are listening. The Holy Spirit knows who are His and those that He wants to hear the message will hear it, receive it and internalize it. The fact is, those who have listened and not heard, their hearing was made dull by the same Spirit. Maybe the message was not for them and they will hear the next one or maybe they do not have the Holy Spirit. In either case, I confess that the comment I made in my previous blurb was from my flesh and not from the Holy Spirit, please forgive me!

Parshot Rosh Hashanah 1 & 2

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link

Leviticus {23:24} "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of Shabbat rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet (shofar) blasts.'" This passage is speaking about the Feast of Rosh Hashanah. It is on this Feast Day that the shofar is sounded. According to tradition a total of one hundred blasts of the shofar are to be heard by God's congregations as they celebrate this Feast. But the blowing is not an indiscriminate pattern and a purpose and meaning is applied to each sound. There are four different shofar sounds which we hear. Each one echoing a different aspect of the human condition, each one having a different meaning. The first sound is called TEKIAH. It is one short loud blast. The Tekiah sound was used to gather the Israelites together as they wandered through the wilderness. Essentially it was blown at two times: when things were very, very bad or when things were very, very good. Numbers {10:9} "When you go to war in your land against an adversary who is oppressing you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets (shofar) 10 Also on your days of rejoicing, and on your festivals and on the New Moon, you shall sound the trumpet (shofar)..." So, the sound of Tekiah has dual but opposite meanings: Gather for war, gather for celebration. Come together to confront our common enemy, come together to rejoice in the Lord. Join forces to face the challenges before us, join hands in gratitude and joy! Tekiah. is a call to community. Hebrews {10:25} "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." No man is an island, we cannot survive alone. Our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he shall devour and we must stand together against him. Next, is the sound called SHEVARIM. Shevarim is three woeful, mournful sounds of the Shofar. Shevarim itself means broken things, it gives voice to the brokenness of the world, it echoes the pain of our lives. Shevarim says, "Hear the hurt, respond to the pain!" Shevarim says, "Why is there so much hurt?" The third call is TERUAH. Teruah is a series of ten short blasts which represents an outcry, a call to listen and learn. It was used to break camp to call the Israelites out of their comfort zone; a call to stand up, listen, it's time to move on. The grand finale of our shofar calls is TEKIAH GEDOLAH. Tekiah Gedolah is the ultimate call, the summons to hope in the ultimate triumph of God and His Kingdom. It is a call for the future and the conclusion to history itself. It is the call Believers will hear when Yeshua returns to set up His Kingdom on earth. As you listen to the sound of the shofar, apply each sound to your life and listen for what it means to you.

Parshot Netzavim - Vayelech (You are Standing - He Went)

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link

Isaiah {6:10} "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." We are almost at the end of the month of Elul. Elul is the month of inspecting our lives. Specifically, so that our hearts will not be callous, nor our ears blocked, nor our eyes shut. It is a time of repentance and returning to Yeshua, our first love. Why is the month of Elul considered a time of returning to the Lord? Because the letters of Elul have been interpreted as an acronym. Its Hebrew letters, ""Aleph,"" ""Lamed,"" ""Vav,"" 'Lamed"" represent the words. ""Ani L'Dodi, V'Dodi Li."" This is taken from Song of Songs: {6:3} "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" Elul is a time of return, because although we know that God always watches over the earth and is always waiting for us to return to Him, there is something special about the month of Elul, which makes God more accessible, somewhat like the Shabbat. Isaiah {55:6} "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" When the children of Israel sinned by worshipping the Golden Calf, they were in effect rejecting God. It was in response to this event that Moses broke the first Tablets on which God inscribed the Ten Commandments. At that point, God was furious and wanted to destroy all of Israel, but Moses ascended Mount Sinai again and pleaded with God to have mercy and to forgive Israel. God accepted Moses's pleas and had mercy and forgave them. This time, however, Moses had to add work to his faith, when God commanded him to make another set of Tablets, like the first. Jewish tradition believes that Moses reascended Mount Sinai on the 1st. day of Elul and as we know he remained there 40 days, which would bring him to the 10th. day of the month of Tishri, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is not a coincidence because during these 40 days Moses was pleading for God’s forgiveness. Since then this period has been remembered as a time of introspection and repentance. It is for this reason the month of Elul is special and appropriate for personal reflection, repentance and asking God for forgiveness. "Chet" is the Hebrew word for sin, it means failure in our relationship with God, literally missing God's mark. "Chet" causes us to move away from God. "Teshuvah,” however, is the antidote for sin, it means "Repentance," returning to God and to a Torah based life. The King is coming so we are to be aware of His forthcoming visit. That is what the month of Elul is set aside for – preparation, where we allow the Holy Spirit to engage in refining our spiritual lives to meet the standards that the Lord expects of us.

Parsha Ki Tavo (When You Enter In)

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link

Galatians {2:20} "I have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." 2 Corinthians {4:16} "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we may see a new wrinkle or a new blemish and we judge ourselves by our outward appearance. Often, we also think of ourselves as failures, nobodies, just dust and insignificant in the universal scheme of things. We judge who we are inside by what we think about ourselves on the outside. But do you know that the Bible says we are more than conquerors and that we can do all things through Messiah Yeshua who strengthens us? When we doubt our abilities, it is because we are looking at our flesh and are judging ourselves by what we see. But what we see is not who we are! When we accepted Yeshua as our Savior and the Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit took up residence in us. Do you understand the implication of this? The power that raised Yeshua from the dead now lives inside of us. God is Spirit and those who come to Him must come in spirit and in truth. If we come before God and express how unworthy we are and how we do not deserve anything, we are insulting the Holy Spirit. It is our flesh that is unworthy not our spirit because the Bible says, speaking about Yeshua; “As He is so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17). Also, if we are united with Messiah, we are one Spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17). Do you realize the implication of this? It means that what He did, we can do, what knows we can know. There is nothing beyond our ability and nothing beyond our knowing. We limit ourselves by giving our flesh too much credit. What is the solution? The apostle Paul gives it to us: 1 Corinthians {14:15} "What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding." Unlock the power inside of you by ignoring what you see or believe about yourself on the outside and releasing who you have on the inside through both praying in understanding and praying in tongues, God’s heavenly prayer language. Do not have tongues yet? Ask and you will receive!

Parsha Ki Tetze (When You Go Out)

from Rabbi Jack… Bible link
Song of Solomon {2:15} "Her Brothers Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes." We are now in month of Elul, the month of introspection in preparation for the repentance involved in Rosh Hashanah. Each day of our lives presents more challenges and yes, we continue to have those foxes in our vineyards that spoil our peace. Personal conflicts, outside attacks, self-inflicted woes and worries pull us down as if we are drowning. “Drowning? But we are new creations!” Yes, we are new creations, but we are also still flesh and therefore, are affected by negative things going on around us. It is bad enough having to deal with stuff during the years but it seems like during the month of Elul the Lord stirs up the things in our lives that He desires for us to release and be delivered from. Please do not let your flesh and the evil one get the better of you during this month of self-revelation, do not give in but continue praising the Lord, giving Him thanks for His mercy and compassion in allowing us to know that we are not perfect, and that we desperately need Him. Often, I have heard someone pray, “Lord, hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” I have wondered if the motive of their prayer was spiritual or if they were really meaning, “Lord, hide me so I cannot see myself or so that others cannot see who I really am.” If we take the time to truly examine ourselves, Elul can be a magnificent time in our believing walk with the Lord. It can be a time of cleansing, purifying and reaching new and higher levels in the understanding of God in our lives. Remember, however, higher levels mean bigger devils. When we get closer to God evil forces attempt to get closer to us. So, it is good during the month of Elul to step up our devotional and prayer life. Particularly, not to put off saying “I am sorry” or immediately repenting of the sin we just committed. Ask God for deliverance from the sins of rolling our eyes, mockery and rebuking and embarrassing others in public. This month of Elul be refreshed and renewed in the victory God has promised us!
from Ellen… Bible link
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4-NIV) Judas Iscariot was not from God and Yeshua knew this from the beginning of time. You ask how I know this? I know this by the Spirit of God and knowing the Word. God choreographed everything from the beginning of time to set up the death and resurrection of our Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua allowed Judas Iscariot to have a very prominent position among the twelve apostles; as treasurer for the mission. Yeshua knew He would be “turned in” by Judas with a kiss on the cheek. When Mary Magdalene poured the costly ointment on Yeshua this apostle was angered because of the waste of money. Judas Iscariot was the only one of the twelve that was from Judea. Judas appeared to be a sincere and committed worker. Who would have guessed that this man would sell out our Messiah for just 30 pieces of silver. I am sure you have all read the account of what I have written but it came into my mind that a woman, a sinner at that, spared no expense in honoring her Messiah yet a disciple and so-called follower of Yeshua plotted His death for the price of a potter’s field. Now, to go back to the beginning where I quoted 1 John 4…We need to be careful at all times as Believers. You know the old saying, “All that glitters is not gold”. When things look too good to be true but there is no fruit, we need to test the spirit! We need to ask and not be ashamed if Yeshua is truly their Lord and Savior! I know that some of you are thinking that they look so good. They attend services, pick people up and take people home, help the needy and do all sorts of good works! But I say to you today, that having one Mary Magdalene is better than 30 Judas Iscariots. Now ask this question of yourself…Is there the spirit of Judas in your life or congregation or family? Test the spirits!!
Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13) Rabbi Jack & Ellen
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