Elul Day 12

Psalm 27:1 "A Psalm of David. THE LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27 is all about faith. Faith means we do not fear, faith means we are strong in our trust of the Lord, faith means we will not be afraid. As we continue in our daily reading of Psalm 27 it should be revealing things in us that need to be cleansed so as to be drawn into God's perfect will and into His strength.

1 Samuel 13:14 "But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Everything that king Saul was not, king David was and that is why God could call him 'man after God's own heart.' David was not an angel, he failed in many ways, perhaps in some we have not even failed in, but after he returned to the Lord in repentance he was cleansed of all unrighteousness and brought back to a place of new mercies.

Psalm 30:5 "For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."

When we go to bed at night in repentance we wake in the morning to new mercies. God is faithful, He loves us and wants to make all things new in our lives day by day. So, every morning He gives us a fresh beginning. All He asks is that like David we recognize where we went astray and return to His light and His strength, because in the Lord there is forgiveness, safety, love and healing.

David experienced the covenant God through his trials, battles, successes, failures and worship. He understood how the LORD was his shepherd and took good care of him as a helpless little lamb so he had faith not fear.

Make God your light today because He is bigger than anything Satan can throw at us. David said The LORD is my light. Light dispels darkness so that the works of darkness cannot hide in dark corners of our lives because the light of Messiah Yeshua pierces and scatters all darkness.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Listen to the sound of the Shofar

Parasha KeTetze

FROM THE RABBI'S DESK

When we proclaim the Word of God, we need to be careful that we proclaim the whole truth.

2 Timothy 3: 1 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come..."

Paul then goes on to describe what the last days will look like. If you read through the list, you will find that the root of them all is selfishness; love of self, love of money, love of pleasure. I do not think we have to look very far to see that these three characterize our world today. So then, what separates Believers from today's world? Unselfishness! We are called to serve and be servants, unselfishly.

2 Timothy 3:8 "Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;"

Jannes and Jambres were the Egyptian magicians that duplicated Moses' signs to Pharaoh. So, Paul is saying that in the last days there will be a rise in the occult. When people think of the occult, they normally think of tarot cards, palm readers, seances and the such, but the occult can be Yoga, martial arts, tie chi, secularism, legalism and all false religions (that is any religion that denies the deity of Yeshua), all of which are an epidemic in our society today. What is the answer for a Believer who wants to remain on the right track with God?

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

We need to know what the Bible says from Genesis to Revelation so that, as Paul says, can be "thoroughly equipped." Why, because if we are not thoroughly equipped, we can be easily deceived.

2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come (I believe it is already here) when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

Hi Ellen here…Another tough week but when things get tough the tough get reading the Bible!!! Ezekiel 33.30-33 excited me so much...let's see: "As for you son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, 'Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.' So, they come to you as people do, they sit before you as my people and they hear your words but do not do them: for with their mouth, they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed, you are to them a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words but do not do them. And when this comes to pass – surely it will – then they will know that a prophet has been among them." I read this and repented not only for myself but for my people, family, friends, nations, Jew, Gentile, Muslim…do not miss what the Lord has to say to you through His messengers, those who have ears, let them hear!

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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Elul Day 11

Elul Day 11

Psalm 27:5, "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock."

As God's Beloved, it is impossible for us to really know how many times God has hid us in the past in His pavilion/tabernacle in times of trouble. The root word of pavilion in Hebrew means 'fenced about' or 'shut in' while the Hebrew for tabernacle means 'dwelling place,' in Psalms 27's case, God's dwelling place. I cannot think of any better place to be in a time of trouble than fenced about in God's dwelling place. David was no stranger to trouble but because of the relationship he had with God he had the confidence to write this verse in Psalm 27. What I find the most comforting about this verse is the ending; "… he shall set me up upon a rock."

Matthew 16:18 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

The rock Yeshua was talking about was not Peter as some believe. Yeshua did not build His church upon Peter, rather he built His church on the rock of confession of salvation which Peter declared.

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Yeshua (meaning Salvation in Hebrew) is the Rock!

Our God is the same, He never changes. Take today and remember how He protected you in your personal times of trouble. Then, thank Him. He is worthy of all praise and glory and honor!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Elul Day 10

Elul Day 10

It is believed that during the month of Elul the King comes down off his throne and enters the field where he greets and makes himself available to His subjects. The King is in the field and in this verse, we read about Him affirming his love for the Shulamite.

Song of Songs 1:9 "I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh's chariots."

Try comparing your loved one to a horse and see what kind of reaction you get. However, to King Solomon, who was well acquainted with Pharaoh's chariots and horses, he knew they were the finest in the world. Pharaoh only used the fastest, strongest, most powerful steeds and contrary to Torah's command Solomon bought many from Egypt.

Song of Songs 1:10 "Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold. 11) We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver."

We know that Song of Songs is about Yeshua, the King, and the Beloved, His Bride, the body of Messiah, therefore we can understand that the "We" in verse 11 is referring to what the "US" refers to in:

Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…"

The "We" like the "US" appears to represent the Godhead, the Triune Nature of God. We know that gold is a symbol of deity and silver a symbol of redemption. We learned this from our lessons on "Yeshua in the Tabernacle." The Beloved being adorned in gold and silver can, therefore, represent the Bride of Messiah bearing God's Character, which is His redemption.

Yeshua wants to affirm His love for us. He does not see His Bride as weak flesh but rather He sees her as fast, strong and powerful, like one of Pharaoh's horses and He sees her adorned in His God-like Character of redemption.

Do not put it off for another day; put on the Character of God and His redemption this tenth day of Elul.

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

Listen to the sound of the Shofar

Elul Day 9

Elul Day 9

Psalm 27 is read aloud every day during these 40 days of repentance. Verse 1 says, in the Amplified Version: "… whom shall I fear or dread?" With the Covid pandemic crouching at our door, with the ever-changing restrictions and the morphing of new variants, it's easy for us to give in to fear. Reading Psalm 27 every day is a big help in our effort to refuse to fear because fear is not something a Believer should have. Our verse in the AMP version also mentions "dread," which is something just as bad as fear.

There are many things we dread having to do. I dread washing our balcony railing windows; mostly because I have to hang over the railing to do it – six floors up. So, I put it off for as long as I can and even when it gets difficult looking through the glass, I procrastinate just a little while longer.

Proverbs 13:4 "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."

1 Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in order."

We need to order our time and value our days. Whatever it is we need to do today we need to do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. There are many reasons why we put things off—apathy, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, habit, indifference, passive resistance, and/or just plain not-getting-around-to-doing-it. Whatever the reason, there are some things that are far too critical to put off until a more convenient time—especially putting our life right with God. Today is the only day we ever have, yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow may never come.

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Elul Day 8

Elul Day 8

Song of Songs 1:7 (To Her Beloved) Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions?

When the Shulamite says to her Beloved; "O You whom I love" this is her first act of returning – coming back in repentance to her Beloved. It is basically her confession of faith.

She then asks Him; "tell me where you feed Your flock." Do you remember when you first received Yeshua into your heart, when you first confessed Him as Lord? If you were like me, from that time on you could not get enough of the Word of God. When I received salvation (Born Again), I spent every spare moment reading the Bible, I was starved for the truth. No one had to invite me to a Bible study, no one had to coax me to attend services. When something was going on at the congregation, I was there no matter how I had to rearrange my schedule. I was hungry for the Words of truth.

"Where you make it rest at noon." The only time sheep will rest is when they have full stomachs. Teachers can lead and inspire us, but only Yeshua can really feed us. Psalm 23:2, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures." The human spirit will only be satisfied in Yeshua's presence, feeding on His Word until full and can lie-down in peace.

There are so few preachers that will teach the Truth of the Word of God today, fearing they may offend someone and lose a tither. People sitting in a congregation where the truth is not taught will never be able to lie-down in peace because they are not feeding on Yeshua's Word, they are allowing themselves to be fed with lies, which causes confusion and not peace.

Matthew 5:6, (AMP) "Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

AMEN!

Listen to the sound of the Shofar

Parasha Shoftim & Sermon "That He May Dwell - Part 3"

FROM THE RABBI'S DESK

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Paul is telling us here that in order for us to have faith we have to hear the Word of God. How do we hear God's Word when we read it?

The Word of God has only two ways of entering us; through our eyes or through our ears. So how do we hear when we read and see it, what does Peter mean when he says; "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God?" Does he mean we need to listen to the Bible rather than read it? No, that is not what Paul means! We hear the Word of God as we read when the Holy Spirit imparts the Word into our hearts. It is the Holy Spirit that speaks God's truth into us when we see and read it, that is what Paul is talking about here. That is why when an unbeliever reads the Bible they cannot make sense of it, they do not have the Holy Spirit so they cannot discern the Word through hearing it by way of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Your Words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

So much emphasis is placed on education today. Parents want their children to get college and university educations so they can become successful in life. In fact, in order to be in politics today you need to either be a lawyer or have a degree in political science, but education alone does not give one wisdom. We need only to look at the state of the world today, which is being run by supposedly educated people, to recognize that. No amount of secular education can give wisdom. Education without the understanding of God, without God's light, without the imparted wisdom of the Holy Spirit is just knowledge. President Theodor Roosvelt said; "An uneducated thief will steal a railroad car; educate that thief and he will steal the railroad."

Most of Yeshua's apostles were uneducated fishermen, but when the Word of God entered them through hearing by the Holy Spirit, they gained great light which imparted wisdom to these simple men and enabled them to impact the whole world for the Messiah Yeshua.

Hi Ellen here…Are you afraid? I'm afraid. Yes, we all think that being born again will take all these twisted feelings away but at the end of the day we are still flesh and blood and have free wills. It would be so nice not to feel any of those emotions but we are not robots. As the world is with its messy politics, pandemics and crime…it is difficult not to sometimes be afraid. Aging is creeping in and our bodies are more fragile than they used to be. Yes, I chant all the same things you are probably thinking right now like: "perfect love casts out all fear…we have not been given a spirit of fear but of power…fear not." I AM with you but sometimes we just get that gripping feeling in the pit of our stomachs and it hurts. Just yesterday I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to tell us all that I am afraid, "oy, I thought, do I really want to expose myself publicly? So, I looked for confirmation. I opened my phone to see what the "Verse of the Day" was, as I do each morning, and it gave me Psalms 56.3, "When I am afraid, I put my trust and faith in You." Ha, not enough Lord, then my very good friend who always seems ready for anything posts, "Dear God remove any worry, fear, stress, doubt in our hearts"…so okay Lord here goes…sometimes I am afraid…

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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Elul Day 5

Elul Day 5

Psalm 27: 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?….

So many of us today are looking to governments to solve our problems. It's time to settle it in our hearts that- The LORD is our salvation. The government is not our salvation, the doctor is not our salvation, the banker is not our salvation- The LORD is our salvation.

The Hebrew word used for salvation here is yeshi, which means: deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety, welfare, prosperity and victory. Our words are powerful and they carry weight, so what comes out of our mouths can make a big difference in our lives. If we attribute deliverance, safety, welfare, prosperity or victory to anyone or anything other than God through our words, we will reap what idols can give us and not what God can do for us.

Isaiah 57:13 When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you!

What we say makes a difference to our lives.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Matthew 12: 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

Today is a good time to begin planting words that honor our Lord Messiah Yeshua as our Salvation (yeshi). We are after all the prophets of our own lives.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Elul Day 4

Elul Day 4

Song of Songs 1:1 ", The Shulamite, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is better than wine."

Contrary to many people's thoughts this book is not about sex, it is about how much Yeshua loves us.

Deuteronomy 8:3 "…. to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

This verse has been refered to as the "kiss of the Torah." The words "every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD" are taken as the kisses of God's mouth which release His Word into our hearts.

Genesis 2:7 "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

God breathing into Adam's nostrils was to him the kiss of God that brought him life. For us the kiss of God is Him breathing His Word into us which brings us life eternal and sets before us the course for us to run the race.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Prayer: Lord Yeshua, I ask You to equip me with what I need for the race that is set before me. You are the Living Word. Kiss me with the kiss of Your God-breathed Word so I can fulfill my God ordained assignment in these last of the Last Days. Amen

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

Listen to the sound of the Shofar

Elul Day 3

Shir Hashirim is the Hebrew name of the Song of Songs, aka Song of Solomon. It is the best of the best of all he wrote and according to I Kings 4:23, he wrote 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. He is most known for Solomon's Temple which has 3 sections. The Outer Court, The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Proverbs is likened to the Outer Court – everyone is comfortable there in the natural light.

Ecclesiastes is likened to the Holy Place – you need more light to see and ingest the bread of the words. The Song of Songs is as the Holy of Holies where you are invited in, one at a time, on God's fixed appointed time

Ecclesiastes is a description of 'vanity of vanities,' whereas the Song of Solomon is the 'song of songs.' Ecclesiastes speaks of a life of wandering; whereas the Song of Songs speaks of rest from wandering. Ecclesiastes tells us that one cannot obtain satisfaction through knowledge alone; Song of Songs tells us that man can reach satisfaction only through love. Ecclesiastes relates to the pursuit of all things under the sun; the Song of Songs specifically relates to the pursuit of things "in Messiah."

"Draw Me!" is the cry of Elul. Another year approaches and again we are too busy, the little foxes have come in as the many distractions and obligations and our intimacy with our Beloved has been stolen. It's our fault alone, the garden of our heart is our responsibility alone. Our heart's cry to Yeshua needs to be "Draw me!" That is where the true rest is found, only in Him. Is your cry today "Draw me?" Selah, pause and think about it.

Prayer: "Yeshua, Draw me! Please, lift me up from this pit of busyness and distractions I have dug again for myself. Draw me! I have lost hope and my faith is weak! Draw me! May all the walls I have built up for protection fall down flat. Those walls have closed off our intimacy! Draw me! I need You."

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

Elul Day 2

Elul Day 2

There is something divinely assigned to the month of Elul — hear what the Spirit is saying to the Body of Messiah.

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44 is not only speaking about unbelievers, it's speaking to those of us who have gotten so busy in our lives that the Word and God is the last part of our day, and too often not in our day at all.

In the beginning of the book of Song of Songs, the Shulamite is 'dark'— discouraged and burned out but the King draws her near. That's you, that's me, that's the state of the lukewarm Body of Messiah, but we can all rekindle our light in this special season on God's calendar and come out of the Wilderness, ready to run with our King Yeshua.

Prayer: 

Lord, lead and guide me back on the path and destiny that You have ordained for me before I was born. Help me to lay aside the things that so easily get in the way of a passionate love for You. Draw me near to You, draw me nearer and higher. Bring back the passion in my life I once had for the Word, prayer and heart-felt worship to You. In Yeshua's Name Amen and Amen

Elul Day 1

 Elul Day 1

The word ELUL is only found once in the Bible. Nehemiah 6:15, “So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.”  This is the last month of the Hebrew civil year. The next month, Tishri, begins the civil year and the year changes to 5782

The Month of Mercy

Historically Elul is when Moses went up Mt Sinai a second time for 40 days to seek forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf. God came down in a cloud and gave Moses the 13 attributes of who He is. (Exodus 34:5-7) Moses came down on Tishri 10, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur and said “God forgives!”

The word ELUL is an acronym of “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.” Therefore, it is associated with Song of Songs when the king goes out into the field to meet his beloved. But for us as Believers our King Yeshua is always available, He is always near, He is always here because He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” (Mt 28:20) But there is a time when His presence comes closer to our corporate gatherings, and also into our prayer times. It seems there is a season when there is a more open heaven and this is it. This is the time to come closer to God, begin to start dropping off time wasters and come back to the Bible, to hear His voice.

ELUL 1 begins the 40-day season of TESHUVAH

The Hebrew root for Teshuvah is shuv, and it means to return, to turn back, to restore, to cause to return. Spiritually speaking it’s turning back to God. He never changes and if we feel distant from Him it is because we have distanced ourselves from Him not Him from us. Elul offers us an open portal to return to the Lord. For everything there is a season – and this is the season of what some call, an open heaven. Do you have the passionate love and joy you had when you first came to Yeshua? He has not changed and starting today He is calling you back. 

Jeremiah 24:7, ‘Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return (shuv) to Me with their whole heart.

Prayer:  

Yeshua, I need Your help. Lord, help me come back to the passionate love I had for You in the beginning. Help me to let go of all the distractions and offences that harden my heart and cause my ears to be dull. Bring my life back into alignment with Your perfect will, In Yeshua’s Name, Amen.

Elul - Day 1

Parasha Re'eh

FROM THE RABBI'S DESK

Shalom and Blessings

2 Peter 3:11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

I am addressing Peter's question to all who are reading this, "What type of person should you be?" Peter asked this question of the Believers. He was addressing them because he held that our conduct as Believers will either delay or hasten the return of Messiah Yeshua. In his question Peter mentions three things: holy conduct, godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. The answer to Peter's questions is found in:

2 Corinthians 6:17) Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."18) "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty." 7:1) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

So, in answer to Peter's question of, "What type of person should you be;" we are to come out from among the worldly influences of unbelievers. This means not participating in what they watch or what they do or any of their forms of idolatry (that is whatever they put before God in their lives). This is what Peter means when he says not touching what is unclean, he is not talking about food. We, therefore, need to examine our lives and ask ourselves; "Are we touching anything unclean?" What type of people have we chosen to hang out with, be friends with? What kind of parties do we attend? What kind of books have we chosen to read or what do we watch on YouTube (Tik Tok) etc. Every unclean thing we expose ourselves to will enter our spirits, corrupt our hearts and ultimately come out in the way we live our lives.

Matthew 5:8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Hi Ellen here…I was looking at Proverbs 31…so much content, it could make any wife or any woman for that matter feel totally inadequate and defeated even before she gets up in the morning, that's if she is not already up baking bread and weaving flax. I also looked at Proverbs 31 women in Israel and Africa…I came from New York so I didn't grow up planting fields or making my own clothing…spoiled you say, maybe just the culture. But here is the thing…it is not about all the work spoken of in these beautiful verses but it is about attitude. We need to drop feelings of defeat and inadequacies and pull-on characteristics of compassion. We need to take care of our husbands, children and extended families, yes, we should give to the poor and more importantly step out of the box we have put ourselves and God in! Next time you stand in your kitchen peeling vegetables or nursing an ill husband with a cold, say thank You Lord for all that I have and all that You enable me to do! Blessings in Yeshua with loads of love!!!

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

P.S. Know of someone that would benefit from these teachings? Ask permission and send me their address.

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Listen to "That He May Dwell - Part 2"