Parasha Chukat / Sermon: Cast your burdens

There has been some rioting by the Ethiopian community here, a white off-duty police office shot and killed a young Ethiopian boy who he alleges attacked him. Investigations so far have found the officer's actions justified, but that has not stopped the protests. People have been injured, cars burned and property destroyed. Please pray for calm and for justice to prevail. We are still a democracy and someone is innocent until proven guilty. In a country which indited and sent it's Prime Minister to jail and which is now investigating it's present Prime Minister, I think we can be assured that the truth will be found out. 

We are returning to Kenya in September to continue our missionary work. There's still much work to be done there. For one we want to hold High Holy Day services in a way they've never experienced. Also we're their source of hands on Messianic teaching which is necessary for spiritual growth and maturity. 

On our last trip we managed to arrange a larger place for the congregation to worship, one where they can do Davidic dance, however, it is not available every Shabbat and involves extra expense . We were in discussions with a church to allow us to use their facility on Shabbat and for one night a week for Bible study, but that has temporarily stalled at least until we get back.

In March we applied for the congregation's membership in the International Association Of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS). I am pleased to say that we have been accepted (Thank You Lord). This puts us in the company of hundreds of other Messianic congregations around the world and has moved us to a new position within the worldwide Messianic community. We're also now under their umbrella of accountability; everyone needs to be accountable. In addition it opens the door for the elders of the congregation to participate in their online Yeshiva and grow in their faith even further. It also makes future ordination possible. Your donations will go into helping this effort.

The Orphanage is in crisis! The health department has slapped them with a summons requiring them to make expensive upgrades to the facility. Just this week we sent them money for 4 additional bunk beds for the boys dormitory, but they need a new well, a security gate, solar lighting, kitchen upgrades, and relocation of their outhouse toilets. With all that we've already done for them our finances are exhausted. 

Finally, I had my follow-up MRI and CT scan and awaiting now for the results. We'll get them from my oncologist July 30th. Thank you for your prayers, God is good (all the time!), 

If you're being blessed by these weekly teachings, your continued financial support would be appreciated.

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

Rabbi Jack

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Parasha Korach / Sermon: Are you teachable?

Shalom and Blessings;

PM Natanyahu is beginning to have second thoughts in having called an election September. The poles are turning against him and it's beginning to look more and more like the centrist Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz is heading for victory.

I went for my regular follow-up ENT examination. As anticipated, they found nothing B'H. Next week I'll be having an MRI and Doppler CT. I'm sure the results will be the same. God is Good!! Please keep me and Ellen in prayer. Also please keep the children's home in Migori, Kenya in prayer, the government is requiring them to make some major upgrades.

I have attached this week's Parasha as well as an audio of another sermon I shared with our Kenyan congregations, enjoy. 

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

Rabbi Jack

Sermon Link:

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Parasha Shelach

Shalom and and blessings

Things have been relatively quite in Israel, except for a massive urban warfare exercise that took place in the north of the country. It's obvious that our armed forces know where the next attack is coming from. Then again it's been obvious to us (Believers), for centuries. If they would have read their Bibles, and believed what they read, they would have known about it also (Ezekiel 38.1-23). This war will have as its effect the reveling of the anti-Christ. Are you ready?

I have two things I would like to share with you, no four. 

First are pictures of the children from the home being vaccinated against typhoid. I can't express how distraught we were when a child contracted the disease while we were at the home and then another while we were back in Nairobi. But now thanks to your generosity they have all been immunized. I've attached pictures of the children both waiting their turn at the clinic and being vaccinated. 

Second, I put together a video of the mission trip for you. It doesn't show everything we did while in Kenya, but it does give you a good overview of the mission. Just click on the YouTube link below. 

Third, needless to say we are planning our next trip to Africa, hopefully in September, God willing, please remember us in prayer. Another prayer request. Starting June 27th I begin a series of follow-up tests. Having reached my second anniversary of being cancer free it's time to show the doctors what the Lord has done (they'll find nothing!). Praise the Lord.

Fourth, I've attached this week's Torah commentary.

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

Please consider supporting our next mission trip; share in the blessing.

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Parasha Beha'alothecha

Glory to God! We arrived safely back in Israel. God has truly blessed us; I'm referring in relation to our good friends and siblings in the Lord, Eddie and Jackie Santoro. I previously shared that Eddie had brain cancer and many have been praying for him, thank you. When we learned, while in Kenya, that Eddie had taken a turn for the worse, Ellen's and my prayer turned to asking the Lord to preserve him until our return. Well He did! Eddie was united with his Savior last Shabbat, allowing us to attend his funeral, say our temporary goodbyes and comfort Jackie on her tragic loss. We are so grateful to the Lord for this. Please continue to pray for Jackie as she transitions into a life without her beloved partner and embarks on a new journey of service in the Lord. 

Concerning our mission trip to Kenya, it was amazing! We're busy organizing all the video clips we took into one movie presentation to share with you. This is something I’ve never done, but with the grace and wisdom of God I hope to get something together that will represent some of what we did and experienced.

The many salvations and re-dedications were of course the highlight of our trip but nothing touched us more than when the 31 orphans and single parent children that form part of Light Way Children’s Home recited the prayer of salvation. Ellen, I and the other leaders there led the children in their prayer; I could just about hear the angles in heaven rejoicing. Sadly no one recorded the event, but it will be forever in our hearts.

I mentioned previously that through your generosity we were able to bless the orphanage. We gave them money for food, bought them a computer, purchased bunk beds for the girl’s dormitory and paid for typhoid injections for 29 of the children; two were previously inoculated when they came down with typhoid.

There is so much more work to be done in Africa, all of Africa. Ellen and I have already started to pray for our next assignment there. Thank you for joining us in our prayer, we want to move in accordance with the will of God, and will be preparing in anticipation.

Attached are before and after videos of the girls’ dorm at the children’s home, an audio link to the sermon I gave the Nairobi congregation on Shavout, and this week’s Torah commentary.

We love you!

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

Rabbi Jack

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Sermon - Staying Balanced

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Parasha Naso

Shalom and Blessings.

I have attached this week's D'var Torah (commentary).

Trust that you will be blessed by it.

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

Rabbi

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Kenya Mission

Shalom and blessings from Kenya. 

Tomorrow we return to Israel. Last night we celebrated my 75 birthday with a family form the Nairobi congregation. The evening started with a Bible study and ended with a meal and of course, a birthday cake. 

It is with sadness that we are leaving Kenya, there is so much work to be done here. We are already planning our return trip with a stopover this time in Uganda to encourage a Messianic congregation there. 

Your support has allowed us to financially help three families multiple times with food they could hardly afford. We were also able to bless, pray over and affix mezzuzot on the door posts of many homes and on the doorpost at the orphanage. We blessed the orphanage with a laptop so that we could continue to teach them over Skype, money for food for the children and with bunk beds for the girl's dormitory. Because we could not carry too large sums of money, for security reasons, we plan on providing for more of the orphanage's needs via wire transfer when we get back to Israel. We also introduced the orphanage to CBN's Orphans Promise ministry. Although they cannot provide immediate help, they put them on their short list for consideration next year. There is so much more that we accomplished far more than we can include here; salvations, re-dedications, preaching , teaching, ministering, encouraging, counselling and so much more, all with God's help and for His Glory. We are so grateful to The Lord for giving us the abilities and strength to accomplish what is needed to be done. He healed me from cancer and frustrated the plans of the devil to silence me and is now using Ellen and me for His Kingdom. To Him goes all praises and glory. 

Remember to plunder hell and populate heaven. I would like to introduce you to Pinchas; his home, his family, his son and his artistic talent. 

I will be sending this week's Parasha by a separate email. 

Yours in Yeshua HaMashiach, our Lord, our God and our soon coming King. 

Parasha Bamidbar

Shalom and Blessings from Kenya. 

My computer crashed and I'm finding it very difficult sending emails. We have visited the congregation and children's home in West Kenya and I will be telling you more about it and sending pictures when we arrive back in Israel and get the laptop up and running again. I attempted to send videos from my cell phone and was partially successful, some of you may have received them. For those that didn't I will be sending them to you a.s.a.p.

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

Rabbi

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Kenya Orphans

Shalom and Blessings; 

There was a bittersweetness to our visiting the congregation, school and orphanage in West Africa. It was sweet because we were able to minister and teach both the children and the congregation leaders. Five adults who had not previously invited Yeshua into their live did do with us. 

Ellen led the thirty or more children present, through God’s plan of salvation in the simplest of terms. She then, together with the other leaders had them invite Yeshua into their lives. What a joy it was to hear them recite the prayer of salvation and see their glowing faces. The sad parts are, the home is in much need of help. There is s shortage of food, beds, clothing, proper living conditions and no electricity. Yet, even though they are living in primitive conditions they are much better off then they would be without the home. 

I’m including a number of videos so that you can get an idea of what we saw. 

I will be sending this weeks Parasha by a separate email.

Parasha Bechukotai

Shalom and Blessings from Kenya;

Ellen and I are continuing our ministering in Nairobi, Karatina and the surrounding areas. Tomorrow (Thursday) morning we leave for Migori to minister with fledgling Messianic believers there. We are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us. Please pray for; travelling mercies. protection from malaria and tzetze flies and of course God's blessings upon us and upon those we will be ministering to.

We have attached two pictures; one of the service we held in Karatina and the other, of me heading out immersion certificates to the people we immersed during our previous trip in February.

Thank You for your prayers and for sowing into the work we are doing in Africa.

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Parasha Bahar

Shalom and Blessings from Kenya; 

We are well into our ministering here and the Lord has blessed us abundantly. Here is a review of what we have been doing. We ministered 2 Shabbats at the congregation we helped planted in Nairobi; helped negotiate a larger temporary location for them; been teaching two Bible studies a week; participated in the march for Israel where Morris, a street boy came to salvation; attended a church in a very underprivileged area of Nairobi (Kyole), where I was able to share the truth about what's taking place in Israel. As a result the pastor committed that the congregation would start praying for Israel, Baruch HaShem! We traveled to Karatina where we spent three day, from Erev Shabbat to Sunday ministering and teaching. It's here that God gained two beautiful souls; Ann and Naomi who is 98; glory to God! I've attached their pictures below. In addition 12 people rededicated their lives to Yeshua. When we left Karatina we went to visit the home of two congregants where we prayed and and affixed mezuzot on their doors, pictures also attached. We will be ministering in Nairobi this Shabbat then we'll be travelling approximately 5 hours west to Miguri where I'll be sharing, preaching and teaching to pastors in the area, who were formally associated with the cult, Church Of God. Our main focus there will be with Pastor Evans who will be our host. His church is very active and it's there where we'll be visiting with the orphans his church cares for. Please keep us in prayer, this is a notorious malaria area.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Sermon - Breaking Generation Curses

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Parasha Emor

Yesterday we participated in an Israel Independence Day walk here in Nairobi. It was hosted by the African Transformers Youth Association. Many local churches participated in the march which was repeat with both Israel flags, Kenyan flags and speeches affirming the Kenyan Christian community's love and support for Israel. I had the honor to be invited to address the group and recite the Aaronic Benediction over them. With chants of praise for Israel, a marching band and the blowing of scholars the procession wound through the streets of downtown Nairobi, ending up at its beautiful, and only Jewish Synagogue.

You would expect that this event would have been the highlight of our day, but it wasn't. The march started at a large park in downtown Nairobi, a park infamous as a hangout for homeless youth. While the speeches and preparations were being made for the march, many street kids were hovering around us, but one in particular caught my eye. He was a gaunt looking 13 year old boy, whom I sensed had a different spirit than the others. I introduced myself and we talked for a bit. He recounted his story of how he ended up on the street. Having the experience of dealing with the homeless of Toronto, I took most of what he said as a ploy to get me to feel sorry for him and give him money. However, I did feel sorry for him but not for the reason he wanted me too. I felt sorry because his life was being held hostage by Satan. I knew if I had handed him money I would have been swarmed by the 10 or more other boys who were intently, hovering around us a vultures would their pray. I did get to pray for him and then invited him to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior, which he did. Please pray for Morris, He received the greatest gift of all yesterday, the free gift of salvation. To God be the glory. 

In addition to the attached Parasha Emor, I have included the link to the sermon I shared with the Nairobi congregation last Shabbat.

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

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