Parasha Balak & sermon "Why Why Why"

 

Shalom and blessings

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Many misunderstand the term love as expressed in this verse. In context we are being told to love our neighbor as ourselves. The religious in Israel took the term neighbor to mean that they were to love only those of their own group or those of like-minded beliefs and could, therefore, hate their enemies. However, Yeshua at His coming corrected this misunderstanding of who our neighbor is and instructed us to love both our neighbor and our enemy.

Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, …

People sometimes misconstrue "tough love" and "correction" as being unloving, but that is the farthest thing from the truth.

2 Timothy 4: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Those in leadership positions have the responsibility to ensure that those in their charge are safe from deception and on the right spiritual path. That may require them to step in and correct and if necessary, discipline false, religious, idolatrous or misleading doctrine and information. This should never be confused with not being loving, rather it is "tough love" and "correction," as expressed in 2 Timothy. When we consider the consequences of false information or false doctrine, "tough love" and "correction" may in fact be a high form of love.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

Hi Ellen here…Oy, another blurb of alarm! No but Abba wants us to be cautious, continually on guard because there is a lion …a toothless lion…a devil with many cohorts roaming this earth to destroy, distract and devour all in its path. But we have a God, an Abba in heaven watching over us at all times. It may not seem that He is with us at times but He said that He will never leave us or forsake us, hallelujah! There is a threefold warning that I would like to share with you. I may have shared in the past but we live in uncertain times. The warning can come like a bull in a china shop or even like a whisper. The devil has three main tactics of attack…1) FEAR, 2) INTIMIDATION, and 3) DECEPTION. Number 1 we know is not from God as He has given us perfect love to cast out all fear. Number 2 is a bit more abstract but the Word says to do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth. Last but not least number 3…Yeshua said to watch out that no one deceives you! Many will come in His name in fact many have already come saying they are the Messiah! Don't look at what you see!!! Look up!!!

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

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Listen to sermon "Why Why Why"

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Parasha Chukat & Sermon "Prescription for Anger Management"

Shalom and blessings

In reading through the Book of Daniel we can take comfort in what he and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, accomplished under extreme and difficult circumstances. They were taken in their youth from the midst of the royal court of Jerusalem and planted in the pagan environment of the City of Babylon. Even though the Kingdom of Judah was in apostasy at the time, we can get from Scripture that Daniel and his friends had a relationship with the Lord God of Israel. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for these young boys to hold to their godly convictions, but hold on they did and not only did they survive, they prospered without ever compromising their beliefs and faith.

January 19, 2021, we went to bed in a world whose pagan values were challenged, the supreme court of the United States had moved right, prayer was being reintroduced into schools and we heard the name of Jesus proclaimed in political speeches. We woke-up, however, on January 20, 2021 to a world that almost mirrors ancient Babylon. Most of what was done by the previous U.S. administration was being undone by the new administration and as much as Believers disagree with what was happening, we, like Daniel and his friend, could not control our circumstance. Yes, we may not be able to control our circumstances but we sure can control how we react to our circumstances and that is what Daniel and his friends did. By not compromising their faith, by not compromising their commitment to God they managed to change Babylon in such a radical way that when King Cyrus and Darius came on the political scene, God had paved the way for the reestablishment of the nation of Israel.

Study the Book of Daniel because we will ultimately face many of the challenges he did and hopefully we will be as steadfast in our resolve and loyalty to God as he was.

Hi Ellen here…this is not a judgement call only a question…Are you filled with the Ruach haKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God? I have been pondering and Jack and I speak about it with each other often. When we get saved, hallelujah we receive the Holy Spirit and it is only when we completely surrender our lives to Yeshua and we know that we are not of our own any longer…do we truly become FILLED with the Holy Spirit. In order to nurture and nourish His incredible presence in our lives by reading and studying the Word can we be led by Him. He leads us to pray, He convicts of us sin, He moves in us to evangelize and so much more. So are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Let us pray…Abba, I thank You for saving me. I now come before You and surrender my entire existence to You. You own me and I ask that You will guide me in all understanding and wisdom of Your ways. Thank You in the Name above all names – YESHUA!!!

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;

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Listen to "Prescription for Anger Management"

Parasha Korach

Shalom and blessings

Philippians 3:13 "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua."

Paul's past sins were forgiven, they were put under the blood, all guilt of his past was removed, yet like the children of Israel he found himself drawn back in his mind to things of his past. This was happening to him partially because of humiliation and partly because he wanted to magnify the grace of God that was at work in his life. The Lord had forgiven Paul but he was having a problem forgiving himself. His solution; not to look back but to keep his eyes focused on what God's greater plan was for his life.

Paul found a solution for his dilemma. However, I have encountered far too many Believers who, although they accepted that they were forgiven through Messiah Yeshua, their Lord and Savior, they had still not forgiven themselves. If by chance you are one of those people, I would like you to consider this.

It is understood that Yeshua died for our sins on the cross at Calvary, that He paid the price of our sin by dying in our place and as a result we are forgiven. However, what I believe many of us do not understand about what Yeshua did for us, is that He did not only die for us He died as us. We no longer live, Messiah lives through us, therefore, there is no condemnation against us, not for the past, present or future.

Galatians 2:20 "Oh I have been crucified with the 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."

Hi Ellen here…First, please forgive me, last week I gave the wrong address for the Fruits of the Spirit, they are found in Galatians 5:22. Now for this week's encouragement…There is a military term in Hebrew, "Kadima." It implies "Go Forward or Advance!!" I really like this term because I feel it has power and is uplifting in spirit when said…KADIMA!!! We all must go forward and after confession and repentance…we must not look back. In Philippians 3.13 it says, "but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua." Wow, can you see yourself standing there clothed in the armor of Yeshua ready, willing and oh so able to march forward into battle for our lives and the lives of your family and friends and even more so for their salvation? I want to be found worthy and alive in the here and now of my life so God will use me and I pray the same for you. Don't let yourself slip into your past, hear Yeshua say, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9.62). Hear Him also say to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant. (Luke 19:17). Rabbi and I bless you with all the blessings of Messiah Yeshua!

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;

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Listen to "Position, Prospective, Priority, Power

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Parasha Shelach

Shalom and blessings;

It is no secret that Believers, Christians (including Messianic), are being persecuted and killed throughout the world. And if we are not being persecuted and killed, we are being vilified, which is evident by what is taking place in the West. We all thought there was a glimmer of hope when Donald Trump was elected President, that God would be restored in America, but then our hopes have been dashed. However, what we are experiencing should be no surprise, Yeshua warned us about what was coming. While carrying the cross He was to be crucified on He said to the women who were watching:

Luke 23:31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Does that mean that we need to crawl into a hole and allow the world to bury us, no, that is not what the Apostles did as we learn from the book of Acts. They were called to task by the Sadducees and Pharisees who warned them not to preach in Yeshua's name yet they were unshaken by the threats:

Acts 4:29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your Holy servant Yeshua." 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

If you are convinced of the truth, do not allow the world to intimidate you; speak out in love but in boldness, trusting the Lord to use your witness for His Glory.

Hi Ellen here…We pray so often for the Lord to fill us with His fruit. We all know the scripture in Philippians… "the fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Long Suffering (which is patience) and Self-Control." They are all wonderful and they are all needed moment to moment, minute to minute, hour by hour and day by day! What is Goodness and how do we obtain it other than getting it from above? We strive to be good. We strive to find good even in the bleakest times of our lives…in fact it says in Psalms 23.6… "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…" and here it comes, the answer, "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." The goodness we get from striving is carnal but the goodness we get from dwelling with the Lord is infinite. My prayer for you this week and for myself is to dwell with the Lord in His house and obtain His goodness. Shabbat Menuchah to all.

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THIS WEEK'S SERMON LINK: SEEING IS BELIEVING

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Listen to "Seeing is Believing"

Listen to "The Two Witnesses

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