Parasha Terumah

Shalom & Blessing 

We had an incident where the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), retrieved the body of a young Arab man who was shot as he was planting a bomb along the border fence. His intent and the intent of the other men with him were to kill Israeli soldiers. Israel's new Minister of Defense (Naftali Bennett), has stiffened the military polices concerning allowing the Arabs to retrieve terrorists shot in action. They now capture their bodies with the intention of holding them so that they can be exchanged for the release of the bodies of dead Israeli soldiers held by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Minister Bennett's reasoning is that Israel should not be releasing terrorists we are holding in prisons, who once released go right back into terror activities, in exchange for our dead soldiers they are holding. However reasonable this may be, it has ignited distain from Israel's enemies including the U.N. and E.U. and ignited the launching in excess of sixty missiles into Southern Israel (where we live), this week. One landed in a children's park, but by the grace of God, other than destroying the playground equipment no one was injured. The Prime Minister had harsh words of warning for those responsible, the air force retaliated, and if the PM lives up to his threats there will be other consequences that we may never hear about. In the meantime all the accusations by the Arabs and others have not changed the Minister of Defense's policy towards terrorists. 

Ellen and I have been in heavy prayer for the salvation of Israelis and the Arabs. Only Yeshua can bring true peace to the Middle East, please join with us in this prayer. 

The momentum is building as we prepare to return to Kenya for Passover. We are preparing to bring items for the Seder which may not be available there, one item being new Haggadahs. We already have approximately 61 people who are planning to attending and are sure there will be more as we get closer to the date. As always we are expecting that some of the people attending will be unsaved, so please pray for God's blessing and anointing to be poured out at the event.

Kenya is heavily dependent on China and many Chinese live, work and travel back and forth to China where the Coronavirus began. Please pray for Kenya's protection and especially for the protection of Believers in the land. It goes without saying that Ellen and I also covet your prayers of protection. 

Please visit our blog site for more teaching and reading previous Torah commentaries: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Attached is this week's commentary on Terumah,

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord, our God, our soon coming King.

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Mishpatim & Video

Parasha Mishpatim

Video

Parsha Yetro

Shalom and Blessings

We give God all the glory!! The results of my CT Scant came out well, although my lungs are not 100% (99.5%) clear, there is NO cancer. I now can resume my normal life and visit public places, which will include attending the congregation we fellowship at; we have missed so much. We will still take precautions, because I need to be 100% for our Pesach trip to Kenya. 

Things are quiet in Ashkelon; however, border towns are experiencing incendiary balloons and mortar fire and the city of Sederot as well as the southern areas around it are experiencing missiles. Hamas seems to be targeting open areas not wanting a conflict escalation with the IDF. I was notified of a rocket being fired even as I am writing this update. The IDF is still retaliating, but they too are targeting uninhabited areas and weapon depots (nothing new). The rioting, however, is stilling going on in the West Bank and of courses threats towards us are flying all around. An Arab drove his car into a group of soldiers waiting at a bus stop, which seriously injured one and hurt eleven others; the driver got away but was later apprehended. He is claiming that it was an accident and that he lost control of the car (right!).

The host of the Airbnb we booked in Nairobi cancelled the booking on us; she claimed she sold the apartment and offered us some other place in an inferior area. I immediately called Airbnb, suspecting a bait and switch, they investigated and it turned out to be legitimate, we got a full refund. The problem is that anything comparable and in the same safe neighborhood is now going to cost us $200.00-300.00 more. Please pray for the Lord to give us wisdom in finding another place to stay. 

I have attached this week's D'Var Torah, Yitro. I have also attached an audio file of the Sermon I shared with the congregations on Shabbat.

Check and share our Blog: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord, our God, our soon coming King.

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Listen to: Keeping Up Appearances

Parasha Beshalach

Shalom and Blessings;

There are only four more days until my CT scan, a day I have been waiting on in anticipation for six weeks. We believe God has healed my lungs completely and we praise Him for it. In the past my oncologist received the results of my scans within two hours of the test, This scan is scheduled for late afternoon so I don't know if she will be available in the hospital to receive the results. We may have to wait until the next day to hear back from her. Thank you for keeping Ellen and I in your prayers. 

The Arabs have not stopped rioting in the West Bank since the release of President Trump's peace plan. In addition Gaza has been firing missiles or sending incendiary balloons across the border every day. Yesterday (the 4th) they threatened to launch balloons carrying tear gas canisters which would explode on contact with the ground. These balloons from Gaza, in the past, have traveled with the wind as far a Jerusalem, so if they go through with their threat who knows what affect it will have and what the IDF's response would be. 

We have another threat, although it is nothing new, which specifically targets Messianic Jews. Yad L'Achim is the Israeli anti-missionary group and lately they have been aggressively persecuting Messianic Believers, in news print, radio programs and social media. They claim we are deceptive, twisting Scripture and stealing Jewish souls. These false claims and tactics are nothing new; they have been doing it for years and even worse. As of late they have stepped up their campaign of hate against us because many Jews are coming to salvation here. Please pray for the salvation of the leaders and staff at Yad L'Achim, Israel. 

Plans are going very well as we prepare, God Willing, to go to Kenya for the Passover. This is the first time Ellen and I will be holding a Passover Seder in Kenya and we ask that you pray that the event will be a success and a blessing to all who attend. I have attached a copy of the flier we sent out. If you know of anyone in Kenya who would be interested in attending, please forward the flier to them.

Check and share our Blog: https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord, our God, our soon coming King.

Rabbi & Ellen

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