Parasha Va'era (And I Appeared)

From Rabbi...

We all know that conditions around the world are deteriorating and fast. There was a time when we could put our trust in the government but through all that is going on due to Covid-19 they have proven that they are totally stumped by this virus and as much in the dark as to what to do as any one of us. Once we could trust in the police, the military, the justice system but those too have let us down. We have gotten to the point today where we cannot trust in keeping our jobs or in the economy. What can we trust in today, where can we find a little comfort or solace in this chaotic world? For Believers in Messiah Yeshua and unbelievers as well the only real hope we have for real and sustainable help is in the Lord.

 

Psalm {121:1} "I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]— From where shall my help come? {121:2} My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." (AMP)

 

All that is going on in the world today is not a surprise to God, He is not stumped nor is He in the dark, in fact He is allowing it all to happen. God is preparing those that are truly His for the imminent return of Messiah Yeshua

 

Mark {13: 35} "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. {13:36} If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. {13:37} What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"  

 

From Ellen...

As You know Jack and I follow the Victory Bible Reading Plan. Each year, if you have followed it brings the reader through the entire Word of God. Jack and I, as a married couple. have read the Bible through 30 years together and prior to marriage …even more times. All that said it never ceases to amaze us the illumination that the Holy Spirit delivers on the Word of God. This past week we were reading in the Book of Luke, chapter 4.  I know I have read this specific passage many times before but verses 5 and 6 jumped off the page! I will let you read them right here… "Then the devil, taking Him (Yeshua) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Yeshua, 'All this authority I will give to You, and their glory; "for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'" Wow what an illumination that was to know and understand that the devil himself was given authority to be over all the kingdoms of the earth. That statement the devil made was not just for then but has been carried to this very day! So, stop looking for the anti-Messiah because he has been ruling and reigning from before the time Yeshua walked this earth. What this is saying is our battle has intensified over the centuries and warfare is a part of Believers walk with God.  Do not let your armor tarnish. Do not let your knowledge and understanding of the Word of God diminish. Stand up and take the position the Lord has given you on the enemy's line and fight…fight the good fight and never forget that God is bigger than all this, we are victorious in Him and He rules and reigns over the devil. We know the outcome and we look forward to the Messiah's return…Maranatha Lord Yeshua!

 

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

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

 

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon: "Immanuel - God With Us"

Parasha Shemot (Names)

From Rabbi..

For decades there has been talk and concern over climate change and as time passes and as we see and experience these changes more and more, governments around the world are uniting in an effort to take the situation into hand. As we have recently seen with the international conference on climate change, they are making agreements, proposals, plans and promises to correct and even reverse the earth's ecological downward spiral.

However, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua and proponents of the Bible as the infallible Word of God, we need to put climate change into its proper biblical perspective.

Genesis {1:28} "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

This was a blessing given to Adam and Eve before they were deceived by Satan and sinned. However, after they sinned things changed and God pronounced the follow curses on them:

Genesis {3:16} To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." {3:17} To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. {3:18} It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. {3:19} By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Notice that God did not only pronounce a curse on Adam and Eve and their future generations, He also cursed the earth, the ground under their feet. Compare these curses with what we are told in Psalm 102:25 and in other passages of Scripture in the Bible, where God ordained the passing away of the earth. Therefore, man's effort to change or reverse what God has cursed, although it may delay the inevitable, in the end it will be an exercise in futility.

Psalm {102:25} In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. {102:26} They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. {102:27} But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…Even in Israel, a Jewish state, you can hear Christmas songs in the stores and other public venues. This is not the sound of the birth of a King but a sound of commercial ventures and retail exploitation. We do not have Christmas sales or advertising but in certain neighborhoods little shops spring up to sell artificial trees, garlands and shiny colored ornaments. My point? What is the reason for this season? If the reasons were of thankfulness, blessing, generosity, giving to the needy and most of all the acknowledging of our Messiah Yeshua all would be well…but alas as Noel and Silent Night ring out in the shopping centers, people are living in fear of a virus, children and elderly are hungry and cold, the needy are more needy and the fact that our Messiah should be lifted up, unbelief rages on. Let us hold hands, reach into our hearts and pray for the Lord's will to truly be done here…on earth!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

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Sermon: "Cults - Not So Subtle Deception"

Parasha Commentary

Parasha Vayechi (And He Lived)

From Rabbi ...

Romans 8:28 "God works everything together for good for those that trust in the Lord and are called according to His purposes."

Unlike the rest of humanity Believers in Messiah Yeshua do not live for today. Our lives and our futures are not bound up in the daily events of the world, nor do they depend on what is taking place and reported on by the daily news casts. Our hope is not based on this peace negotiation or that arms agreement; our lives are based on the hope of the promises of God as set forth in His Word, in the Bible. Our hope transcends the natural and extends into the eternal, it does not begin or end with this world but proceeds into and beyond death because of the death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. That is why in this world we can say with confidence, if we are walking with God according to His purposes, that everything that is taking place and that will take place in our lives, even if perceived as bad, God will work out for our good. And because Yeshua lives, we have the eternal hope of life after death. The unsaved do not have this hope. Their lives are bound up in the here and now, they are like ships tossed by the waves with no anchor to bring hope or security to their lives. In fact, their hope is not hope at all because it has no basis, no anchor, it is just wishful thinking.

From Ellen ...

Hi Ellen here…Did you ever not feel "right", I mean like sick but cannot put your finger on the exact symptom? Your head hurts, you have palpitations, there is a pinching between your shoulders…you are not feeling well but not sick enough to call the doctor. What to do? Well, you can start to Google all your ailments, all your feelings and maybe even that strange spot that just appeared on the inside of your forearm. Why not? All those experts that have degrees on their virtual walls must know more and they will be able to diagnose you and then all will be well. Then it happens…as you read you become sicker and sicker and your "self-diagnosis" is a terminal disease and all hope is lost! Have you been there? People now believe Google before they believe the real thing. You can read up on all the symptoms and you become convinced that you are really, really ill! So why do those same people not, maybe even you and me, read the Word of God and take on its characteristics and believe the Creator of the Universe and those who penned His words on paper…We need to believe and walk in all that the Almighty God has told us. Stop leaning on your own understanding; know for sure that He will never leave or forsake you and truly believe as He is we are on this earth!!!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

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

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Weekly Sermon: God's Presence

Parasha Vayigash & Sermon of the week "God's Extreme Makeover"

From Rabbi...

Before I became a Believer in Messiah Yeshua as my Lord and Savior, I was involved in the occult. My specialty was psychometry, the ability to divine information about people or events associated with an object they owned solely by touching or being near to it. Friends and associates would come to me seeking to know what their tomorrow held, and I gained the reputation of being a psychic. Of course, upon coming to know the Lord, I recognized that the information I was receiving was from demons and that I was in communication with what the Bible calls familiar spirits. Looking back, it is amazing how much demons know about us and this knowledge of how much they know has helped me in the ministry of deliverance. However, once our lives are committed and bound up in the Lord, demons can not have any influence over us, nor can they judge or condemn us and certainly they no longer have the power to influence our tomorrows.

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua,"

We do not know what tomorrow holds, our lives and our futures are completely in God's hands, or more precisely they are imprinted in the nail holes in His Hands. This alone tells us the extent of God's love for us and leaves us with the confidence that He wants only the best for us and, therefore, our futures are secure. Why then do we need to know our future when God's timing for our lives is perfect? So, instead of trying to figure out what our tomorrows hold, we should say as the psalmist:

Psalm 31:15a "My times are in Your Hands; …"

Glory to God!

From Ellen...

I don't know about you, but I ask the Lord all of the time…SHOW YOURSELF LORD – I NEED TO SEE TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF YOUR POWER IN OUR LIVES!!! You notice I said in "OUR" lives; whenever I pray I pray as my husband and I are one. All that said, I want to share a miracle with you this week. You may not get the impact from it that we did but I am sure you will enjoy our experience. In the storage room at our apartment, we have lots of stuff. Little by little we weed out this and that. My bicycle of almost 45 years was really in the way of easy access. It was a good one and we kept it in usable condition, but we had only one. This would mean that we could not have outings together on one bicycle, so its time was over. We inflated the tires and wiped it down and it was good to go…but go where? Jack and I prayed at home, and we were led to leave it "Canada House". This is like a halfway house for new immigrants, they reside there until their language classes are finished and they can rent an apartment. We pulled up to their entrance but there was not anyone around, so we were going to leave it at their dumpster site for someone to retrieve it. As we were about to unload Jack prayed, "Lord, send the perfect person for this bike…". Out of a cluster of trees walks a young boy with a bicycle on his tee shirt. We beckoned for him to come over and in our broken Hebrew we asked if he would have this, pointing to the bike in our trunk. He said ken (yes in Hebrew), took the bike, squeezed the tires and rode off. Thank You Lord for tangible evidence of your Holy Spirit in our lives!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

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Sermon of the week "God's Extreme Makeover"

Parasha Miketz & Sermon "CHANUKAH 25th OF KISLEV"

From the Rabbi's Desk

When I was a child there were no microwave ovens and of course there was no such thing as internet and email. If you wanted to warm something up in my youth, you had to heat-up the oven, place whatever you wanted to warm in it and wait and wait and wait. If you wanted to search a certain subject for a school paper, you had to go to the library and take hours searching through an encyclopedia. Mail communication had to be done through the post office and even local mail deliveries took weeks to arrive at their destinations.

In today's modern technologically advanced world waiting thirty seconds for something to warm in the microwave seems like forever. Is it any wonder then, that we get anxious and impatient when God does not answer our prayers within our expected time frame! Sadly, some people get so impatient they go as far as to give up on the Lord and end up backsliding (falling away).

The Lord warned Judah, the Southern Kingdom after backsliding Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was sent into exile of their impending destruction, yet He waited 150 years before sending in the Babylonians.

Acts 1:11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Yeshua has promised us that He will return to claim those that have committed their lives to Him, yet over two thousand years have passed since His ascension and still no sign of Him. Sadly, some Believers have given up hope of Him ever returning, as they watch the world spiral lower and lower into sin and evil. However, the Apostle Peter warned us that this would happen:

2 Peter 3:3 "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4) They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Not one of God's promises have ever failed and if we are faithful to commit our way to Him, we will yet see Him return, coming in His Glory.

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Hi Ellen here…How do you act when it comes to a test? I remember when I was in school, the higher grades, I would wait until the last minute then cram, cram and cram some more until it was time for the test…wow did that become an exhausting experience. As I grew, I tried to change but with no success…I remember being totally exhausted in the exercise of trying to change, so I thought; 'why be so tired twice' and so I returned to cramming. Years later and only through the grace of Almighty God, I received the free gift of salvation. I did not have to cram for it, in fact it just happened, I wasn't tired and wow, those carnal and negative habits started to fall off like dried leaves in the autumn…God is so good! So, what is the moral of my little story? Do not dwell on who you were yesterday or on who you are today but look ahead, look straight ahead and receive the free gift of God that is given not by works but by faith!!!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

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Sermon of the Week "Chanukah"

Parasha Veyeshev & sermon "Watch"

From the Rabbi's Desk

We have small birds, at least two, that come to drink the nectar from the aloe flower blooming on our balcony. We live on the sixth floor and we have often wondered; 'Of all the flowers blooming around us on street level, how these two birds found our aloe blossom amongst all the balconies in our complex of buildings.'

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

So many people in the world live not knowing where their next meal is going to come from or if they will even eat. Yet these two birds managed to zero right in on a sixth-floor balcony which has one blooming aloe flower.

I think we need to take a lesson from the parable Yeshua has given us on how the heavenly Father cares for the birds. In fact, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua, every time we see a bird it should remind us of how much more valuable we are to the Father than birds, and take assurance that He will provide for all our needs.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. 30) And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31) So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Hi Ellen here…Sunday night just before sundown we light the first Chanukah candle. The season of lights is not all about chocolate coins and potato latkes (fried potato pancakes) …oh yes, it is about so much more. I read an article on the month of Kislev and these are some of the thoughts that stayed with me to share with you. In Hebrew kis means pocket and lev means heart. The month of Kislev is a time to reach into the pocket of your hearts and re-examine your desires. I suggest through prayer and quiet moments of sitting at Yeshua's feet that we hold firmly onto those things in our lives that need adjusting; those things that we thought were lost and rekindle our dreams…hold firmly onto the heart of flesh that the Lord replaced our heart of stone with upon receiving Him as our Messiah. In addition, I would ask that the embers of our candles be ignited into a holy fire to light up our lives and be a light to all those around us! No, it is not about greasy pancakes and jelly doughnuts…it is about the Lord!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR U.S. FRIENDS & FAMILY!

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Watch sermon of the week "Trust"

Parasha Vayishlach

From the Rabbi's Desk

Apparently, there are still many things we as Believers need to be delivered from. One of the most blaring, and the one I encounter all too often is, MAKING EXCUSES.

Luke 14:16) Yeshua replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17) At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18) "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'19) "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20) "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' 21) "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry….

Notice that all of the excuses the guests gave were legitimate but all the same they were still excuses. Basically, what they all were saying was they had more important things to do than to go to this banquet. I'm sure they all had good intentions and wanted to go and the scripture implies that once they got what they needed to do out of the way, next time there was a banquet they would go, it was just that this time they had something more important to attend to. So it is today when people make excuses, some are very reasonable, while others are out right foolish but all the same, they are all just excuses.

The excuses the guests gave the host in this parable represent three categories of life's excuses. Most excuses that we give fall into one of these three categories; they are identified in Mark 4:19: 1. The cares of the world. 2. The deceitfulness of riches. 3. The pleasures of life.

Yeshua teaches us; "…let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37). Isiah says; "all we like sheep have gone astray everyone unto his own way." (Isaiah 53:6).

One day we are all going to find ourselves standing before the Lord and we are going to have to give an account for every idle word we have spoken. I pray that when that day comes, we do not find out that we have EXCUSED ourselves right out of the Kingdom of God.

Hi Ellen here…Do you know what your calling is? Each of us is gifted in different areas; some are gifted in many at once and their callings can be for a season. Some may be able to serve in one area for their lifetime and others serve for a shorter time…we are all different. In Romans 12.4-5 the Word says there are many members of the body and all do not have the same function…although one body, many different parts. You have just read a paraphrased version of that Scripture so verse memorization is not one of my gifts! Another thing I would like to mention is that sometimes our "calling" is not something we want to do. I remember when I first became a Believer in Messiah Yeshua my rabbi instructed me to do two things …one was to join the hospital visitation team and the other was to teach the little ones in "Junior Shul." Hospitals, I do not think so, this was one place I did not want to go... I joined anyway. First time out it was difficult to speak and pray for strangers especially those that were in dire situations. God is so good; He took away what I saw and smelt and by the time the hour was over I was elated and could not wait until next time. As for the children, how could I as a brand-new Believer teach anyone anything about Yeshua? Well, I could not at first but the children through their love, playfulness and joy taught me…hallelujah. Take a risk today. Step out in faith and ask the Lord, "what is my calling Abba"?

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:
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Yours in Messiah Yeshua; our Lord, our God, our soon coming King;

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Parasha Vayetze & Sermons

From The Rabbi's Desk

I wish I could say that I do not have a care in the world but the fact is I do! So many things weigh heavily on our lives and mine is no exception. Yes, even though I repeat the Scripture; "Cast your burden on the Lord" (Psalm 55:22), to myself regularly, the pressures of life at times still weigh me down.

One of the heaviest burdens that a person can carry is SHAME and GUILT. Many of us, even though we are Believers in Messiah Yeshua and have been forgiven, redeemed and cleansed of our past sin, still condemn ourselves. As a result, some of these sins pop-up in our minds every now and then and cause us to feel shame and guilt. Let me tell you this; Messiah Yeshua, (God in Human Form) did not come upon the earth to save us so that we would remain guilt ridden, in fact He is our Passover "Guilt" (in Hebrew "Asham") offering. That is why the Apostle Paul could say:

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua, 2) because through Messiah Yeshua the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

When Yeshua died on the cross for us He took upon Himself both our shame and our guilt. Now that we have made Him our Lord and Savior, He has taken away all those burdens from us. Therefore, if we insist on carrying our old burdens of shame and guilt, we have to take them back from Yeshua because we both cannot bear the same sins. So, either He carries them or we carry them. If He carries them, we cannot carry them, if we carry them, He cannot carry them. However, if we carry them, it is proof that we have not turned our lives totally over to Him.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for us."

Who would you rather have to carry your anxiety, shame and guilt, God our you?

Hi Ellen here…You all know how I like to talk about the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit…well there is more. Each morning after Jack and I read the Bible Reading Plan we listen to a teaching from a reputable source, a short teaching which then allows us to study and meditate on the Lord and His Word into prayer. I heard something so profound and marvelous that I had to share it with you. There is more that the Lord has for us in His Word so do not limit yourself. In 1 Peter 1.5-7 it says this "…But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness LOVE." That is what it is all about …bottom line…no thrills, chills or vibrations…just LOVE!

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

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CLICK the link below to see the YOUTUBE SERMON OF THE WEEK:

"The True Worshiper"

https://youtu.be/AGHm9GynmgM

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Toldot

From The Rabbi's Desk

What is it in your life that is holding you up, bogging you down and stopping you from serving the Lord with all of your heart, soul and resources?

As Ellen and I are going through some health challenges, God has been impressing upon us that nothing we possess is really ours. We look around at our lives and see all the wonderful things that God has blessed us with, but which in reality are not ours. Yes, we worked, and worked hard for everything we have, but were it not for God giving us the strength, wisdom, health and life itself, we would not have anything, not even the food we eat or the ability to eat it. Nothing is really ours; everything is just on loan to us for a season. As temporary earth dwellers, we are not taking any of it with us into heaven when it is time to go, and those who do not know Yeshua as their Lord and Savior, are not taking any of it with them into hell. In fact, what they hold so precious, hoard and guard so passionately may hasten their going to hell.

Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Look around you right now, what do you see that is precious to you, that you would hate to lose, have stolen, give away or give up; material things, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a pet, looks and so on, and realize that none of them are leaving this earth with you when you pass. So, give them up! I do not mean that you have to physically give anything away but you do have to give them all up in your mind and heart because no one can be tied materially to the earth and expect to receive true and lasting spiritual abundance from God, which is the only things that we will be taking with us into heaven.

Hi Ellen here…Do you get convicted when you read the Word? I know, not all Scripture is intended for that, because there are so many Scriptures of blessings, instruction, illumination, history and much more…but there are those times when we are wavering in thought and deed and bam, a Scripture just opens our eyes and churns in our innermost parts. Well just think on this…when we do err, God in Heaven knows; when we move from faith in Him, He knows; when we sneer at a person or a situation, He knows; when we are called into an opportunity that might take us out of our comfort zone and we walk away, He knows; when someone is hungry and we do not feed them, He knows; when we are called to prayer and we turn away, He knows. God is the Word and the Word is God. Are you convicted now?

Visit our blog for more teaching and to view previous Torah commentaries:

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Chayei Sarah

From The Rabbi's Desk

As Believers in Messiah Yeshua we all want to, or at least should want to, serve the Lord with sincerity. However, today with our hectic lives and the expectations placed on us by family, work and life in general, sometimes what we do for God falls short of what He expects in relation to our motive. Therefore, we need to check ourselves and ask if the things we are doing for God are to satisfy our own consciences, our own need to be needed, our pride and guilt or are our works truly motivated to glorify God in every way and in everything we do for Him? Motive is the best indicator of the quality of our service towards God. Anything short of being motivated to do things solely for His Glory, will ultimately not withstand the test of fire when we stand before Him in heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13) their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.

Our ministry, our work needs to always point and direct people to God and not to ourselves. Too much of what is done today, which is said to be for the glory of God, is as much or perhaps even more, being done for our own recognition, for our own fleshly desires and sadly, in some cases, for our own profit.

Ellen and I have had to stop watching certain Messianic (Christian) television shows because just about every guest interviewed had their own formula of prayer and other areas of improving our relationship with God, which of course they printed in their latest book and were promoting for sale. Is that what serving the Lord has become, selling our latest book, we sure hope not! Everything we need to know about prayer and life in general is already available to us in printed form. I think it is time for committed Believers to stop following their favorite human author and start following the author of life for direction!

Let me say that if there is anything Ellen and I write or teach which does not point to or glorify God, we repent of it right now! We want our motivation to withstand the heat of the Lord's fire and we pray that each one reading this piece wants the same. TO GOD BE ALL GLORY HONOR AND PRAISE!

Hi Ellen here…This is a crazy weird time in our history but as long as we hold onto the hem of our Messiah's garment and not let go, we will be ok. One of the things that really makes me sad is that family and friends, those we love and hold dear in our hearts, are living in a parallel universe; some are Believers and others are not. I, as a Believer seem somewhat naïve in thinking that if you are a Believer, a committed follower of Yeshua haMashaich, then following conspiracy theories and watching all kinds of anti and pro videos, reading the latest and the greatest news articles about the "jab" (the vaccine) and berating government officials instead of praying for them…seems a little disjointed. My husband and I pray about everything we do and every step we take and we know the outcome is of the Lord, whether it looks good to us or not so good. These past many months we have lost so many good friends in and out of the Messianic community to this so-called nonexistent virus, with preexisting health issues and others down right healthy strong men and women. What we want to do is love…love like our Abba in heaven loves and not judge or be judged. We have all made our own choices through God's grace and free will and we also reap the benefits and suffer the consequences of those choices but in the end, God will work everything out for His glory and our benefit. Bless the Lord all my soul and all that is within me bless His holy Name, bless the Lord all my soul and forget not all His benefits, Who heals our diseases and forgives our iniquities, bless the Lord (Psalm 103).

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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