Parasha B'resheet & Sermon "The Sukkot Journey"

From the Rabbi's Desk

We all face pressures in our daily lives; time pressures, work pressures, school pressures, marriage pressures, financial pressures and on and on. How do we as Believers in Messiah Yeshua overcome all this external pressure?

Submarines can dive to incredible depths, where the external pressure has the capability of crushing the hull and destroying the sub and its crew. The hull of a submarine must be able to withstand the force created by the outside water pressure while maintaining the inside air pressure but that is not the case with us.

Psalm 118:5-6 "I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

Simplistically put, the psalmist is saying that the pressure on the inside of us has to exceed the pressure being exerted on us from the outside. He concludes that as long as the Lord is our life on our inside, we will not implode and will be able to withstand the pressures imposed on us from the outside. Yeshua told us:

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Divine power gives us everything we need to withstand all the pressures of life. As Peter put it:

2 Peter 1:3 "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Amen

Hi Ellen here…"But Yeshua said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9.62) …Oy vey, very sobering so I decided to pray and seek more about this Scripture. Of course, its context is in what a true disciple of Yeshua should be and we all in the faith desire to be just that. The above Scripture was the NKJ translation; I looked at the LBT which says, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." There you go…DISTRACTED! How many times have you purposed in your heart and in your mind to do what the Lord is leading you to do, mainly praying, reading the Word, attending fellowship, getting on that all too needed prayer chain and so much more. Maybe you have a Martha inclination instead of a Mary…oops that's me…God is here to help! "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1Corithians 15.58 NIV) …AMEN!

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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Parasha Shabbat Sukkot & Sermon "Freedom from Oppression"

Have you ever bought something and when you got it home discovered it was a knockoff, a counterfeit? Have you ever received an expensive gift and found out it was a fake? How can we protect ourselves from counterfeits, fakes? When it comes to gifts, we cannot protect ourselves from fakes, it was a gift! However, for purchases we make we can protect ourselves by watching what we buy and where and who we buy it from. The old adage is always right; "Buyer Beware".

I have been told that when the FBI trains their agents to recognize counterfeit money, they have them study the real thing very intensely, so when a counterfeit crosses their path, they can recognize it immediately. The same principle applies to false, counterfeit religions. I have come across people who think that in order to witness to Mormons or someone who practices Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc., they need to read and study their holy books, but nothing can be farther from the truth. If we want to be good Messianic apologists, we need to study the real thing, the Bible, God's holy, true and only instruction book to the world. The more we know about God's truth the more we will be able to detect and reject counterfeits. But in order to know what is false we must know what is true!

John 14:6 Yeshua answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Buying, accepting, teaching or listening to counterfeits is sin, so do not be afraid to say NO when someone offers you a fake and always be ready to defend the real thing, the TRUTH!

Hi Ellen here…We write these short messages midweek so by Thursday we can send it all out, but please know all the words that are on your screen now have been prepared with prayer and supplication.

On Tuesday night following our Sukkot services Jack and I sat down to pray before we went to sleep. So many things are going on in all our lives, for sure, so prayer is the best outlet. As we prayed our petitions before the Lord most high, I spoke out and said; "Please Lord I need answers…why not leave me a note on the breakfast table – AMEN!" Well about 6:30ish A.M. I came into the kitchen and, no note. "It's OK Lord, we are still good," I said. As I settled into a new day, I pulled up the Scripture to send out to Congregation Etz Chaim, as I do every morning…lo and behold my Abba in heaven sent me a note. The passage I pulled up said; "Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, but the LORD rescues him from them all." (Psalms 34.19). Have you truly made GOD your hiding place (Psalms 91)? Have you truly and sincerely called out to GOD (Jeremiah 33)? Today is a good day to start refining your communication with our heavenly Father…who knows, He might leave you a note on the breakfast table tomorrow morning. Blessing to you all.

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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Parasha Ha'azinu

From the Rabbi's Desk

With all that is going on around us these days, sometimes it is hard to stay focused on God. I do not know about you but the devil sure tries his hardest to keep us preoccupied with 'to do lists,' chores, and the mundane things of life which steal our time. It is such that if we allowed our flesh to influence our spirits, we could easily find ourselves neglecting focusing on what is most important - God. The apostle Paul tells us:

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."

Most often when we read or hear the word 'meditate' we instantly think of eastern type meditation, which is idolatry. However, that is not what Paul is saying here. If we, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua, want to meditate on what is noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtuous or praiseworthy, the only place for us to go to find such things is in the Bible. I am sorry to say that many Believers have fallen into the habit of meditating on the television, internet, social media or the daily news, more than the Word of God, things which only steals our God focusing time.

Focusing and meditating on God requires us to disconnect from the clutter of our lives and read the Bible with purpose and total concentration. We need to think about what we have read, apply it to our lives, then pray the positive things upon ourselves, learning and meditating on it throughout the day. If we follow this pattern of meditation, our minds will be filled with what is noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy and God will be our focus not the world. Amen.

Hi Ellen here…We all wait a lot, right? We wait for the clothes to dry, for our dinner to cook, we wait for our kids to come home from school and we wait on life altering answers…I figure life is a lot of waiting and most times it is really hard to wait. Now I would like to share with you what the Word says about waiting and maybe many of us will receive peace as we wait. Isaiah is one of my most favorite books so read on…

Isaiah 40:29-31 "He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 64:4 "For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him."

Hosea 12:6 "So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually. I like these Scriptures so much and there are many more like"

Psalm 27.14, 37.7, 38.15! We have tried to analyze things, answer things with our own finite minds and we have gone before the lord without success, without peace.

So I say to you today to wait on the Lord for the right answer and for the shalom, shalom – the perfect peace…"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer," (Romans 12.12).

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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Parasha Vayelech

Numbers 13:33 "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Everyone has situations in their lives that when looked upon seem like giants. Like the children of Israel in the Scripture passage I quoted, we feel inadequate to confront them and sometimes do everything we can to avoid them, which ends up as us making the wrong choices and suffering for it, like Israel. There is, however, another way to look at giants.

Numbers 14:9 "Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them."

The problems we see as giants, God sees as our lunch, bread for a sandwich. When Yeshua taught us to pray He said:

Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."

Is it possible Yeshua was preparing us for our daily encounters with the giants in our lives? Was He also saying that they are not giants at all but our bread that we can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner? So, next time we are confronted with a problem that to us appears like a giant, remember to God it is our lunch!

Hi Ellen here…Praying continually in the Spirit throughout the day and even in the night is an exercise that not only opens windows in heaven but draws us closer to the Lord. Our Abba waits to hear us not only in corporate prayer meetings or when we are on our knees in our prayer closets. Continual communication brings blessings, answers, direction, guidance and so much more. When I read the Scriptures concerning how Yeshua went up to pray and found his disciples sleeping upon His return, I am convicted but also can relate. Prayer is our hearts poured before the altar of grace and Yeshua says His grace is sufficient for us…we may not receive that house we have been praying for but our Abba has a mansion for us in heaven. BOTTOM LINE – PRAY!!!

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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Parasha Nitzavim

Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

The greatest barrier to our prayers being answered is that we do not pray as Yeshua prayed. Yeshua always prayed in reverent and complete submission to the Father. He never imposed His will on Him but always prayed totally renouncing His will in favor of His Father's will. Many of us have developed the habit of praying by asking God for what is on our hearts, we pray for needs, healings, successes, or other things not ever taking into consideration if what we are praying for is in the will of God for us. This attitude of prayer is a carryover of our old nature as Paul tells us:

Ephesians 4:22-24 "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Our old self was selfish and arrogant, we were used to asking for and receiving what we wanted. If we went to the boss and asked for a raise but were refused, we would either look for a new better paying job or quit. The boss's will was of no interest to us. But Paul is telling us that we have to put off that old self and put on the new self the one we received when we were saved. Our old self was not in reverent submission to God. Our new self should reflect the image of Yeshua, therefore, like Yeshua we are to be in reverent and complete submission to the Father's will.

Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

God sees far beyond what we see, it is impossible for us to understand what God's purposes are in any particular situation. When we pray in our old rebellious nature, we may be praying contrary to God's will, no matter what it is we are praying for (needs, healings, successes etc.). Therefore, by saying, "Your will and not my will be done," we are putting off the old selfish arrogant self and putting on the new reverent, submissive self so God will hear our prayers and answer them.

Hi Ellen here…I remember four plus years ago when my husband was undergoing treatment and he had to live at the hospital from Sunday until Thursday, wow really rough time but we got through it. I was in a very sorrowful state one day and I had to do all the banking and other errands for our household that we always did together. Standing there in the bank and trying to smile while tears were welling up in my eyes I prayed, Abba please send me someone who will be like minded, I need an encouraging face. Well, I walked out of the bank and a man approached me with a tract, a brochure, proclaiming the love of Yeshua. I almost hugged him with tears of joy thanking Abba for hearing my prayer. I can embellish this five minute in my life but I think we got the picture. God has created a community of like minded believers in our lives if we would only reach out to Him. When we are shopping or at a restaurant do we look around to see the prettiest girl or how she is dressed? When we are driving do we notice the nicest car or SUV? Try to see outside the box and ask Abba to give us the ability to see what He sees. Maybe He will show us someone in need of help, or a prayer, maybe an offering of food…God is able even if we aren't…remember try to see with our Father's eyes.

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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