Parasha Vayakhel (And He Assembled)

From Rabbi Jack...

1 Kings {14:11} "The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!" {14:12} Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. {14:13} And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."

Sometimes I wonder what God saw in me that He felt was worthy to die for. I did not deserve it yet He saw it fit to bring me to a saving knowledge of His Son Messiah Yeshua. Looking back on my life before salvation, I can see many times I could have died as sinner and ended up spending eternity in hell. As a young child I almost choked to death; my uncle revived me. As a young boy I was accidently pushed off a pier into the water and was drowning; a stranger lifted me out. As a young man my car spun out of control in heavy rain on a busy highway; somehow, I was saved from almost certain death. In my early thirties many friends I partied with and was doing the same things they were doing were dying from drugs and sexually transmitted diseases; I was spared to go on and become a Messianic Rabbi; talk about God's Grace! These are only the events I remember; I am certain there are many others that I am not aware of but God knows. I am sure all of us who are saved and reading this today have had similar experiences, some we remember, others will be revealed to us when we get to heaven.

We are quick to thank God and praise Him for answered prayer, getting us through difficult times or for unexpected blessings but have we ever thought of praising Him for preserving us until the day of our salvation? If you cannot think of any specific incident in your life to praise Him for, surely the fact that He chose to save you and die for you qualifies:

Psalm {71:6} "By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You."

To God be the Glory, Praise and Honor for the wonderful things He has done.

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…It has been a busy week and I have been very distracted. I will tell you why…Jack has survived an insidious disease and in fact June will be five years; hallelujah! He is now going through a similar situation but doing extremely well, praise God. The reason we are both distracted; when Jack began treatment, we were told he would have to endure 6 infusions of a very strong biochemical drug, once a week for six weeks. December 26th was the sixth treatment and all his bloodwork and numbers were stellar. To our surprise the doctor, instead of saying how well he was doing, stated that this protocol calls for two more treatments; Thursday, the 24th was his seventh…what am I getting at? I am getting at endurance and keeping our eyes always on the Lord. We praise God everyday…in fact we pray and praise at least four times a day together and always thanking Him for giving us a mantle of endurance to get through infirmities and trials…just as you all have to do. Everyone has a prescription for prayer. Everyone has sickness in their lives. Everyone experiences trials each day in all kinds of situations in life. Now I would like to type that everyone keeps their eyes on the Lord through all these but I cannot. Why? Because as finite human beings we all faultier…even Jack and I. Let us all ask the Lord for increased endurance and the never-ending ability to keep our eyes on Him. All our love in Yeshua to everyone.

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

DONATE

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. In Kenya, for the poor and orphans and in Israel for the elderly poor and sick.

If you do not have PayPal and would prefer using another donation method, please contact me and I will send you other options.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week: He Calls Us Friend: Part 3"

Parasha Ki Tisa (When You Take)

From Rabbi Jack...

Ellen and I enjoy watching travel shows on television. In fact, Ellen has mentioned in the past that we have been around the world and have visited countless countries without ever leaving our living room. While in the country being featured on a show the host takes us to the exciting tourist attractions offered in it; museums, exciting cites and their features and beautiful vistas but they also engage, where available, in ziplining, bungy jumping and repelling. I am not afraid of heights but these are three things I have no ambition to do and are certainly not on my bucket list. I get butterflies in my stomach from just watching as the camera pans the gorges with either rocks or a raging river below the ziplines and high bridges, or the street below the tallest building in the city with cars speeding by where the repelling is done. Can you imagine trusting a rope while leaning backwards over the edge of a tall building or bridge seventy-six meters (250 ft.) or more in the air and letting yourself fall from it? Yet we can see people paying and standing in line to do it; not my definition of fun!

All over the world in our living room travels we have seen people putting their trust in ropes and harnesses. So why is it that so many people, including Believers in Messiah Yeshua, find it so difficult to put their confidence in Yeshua and release themselves into His hands? Throughout our lives as Believers in Messiah Yeshua we are going to have cliffhanging, edge of building type experiences where the only support we will have is not a rope or a bungee cord, but our faith. Ask an unbeliever and they will say faith in God is irrational while they would not hesitate to put their faith in a man-made rope. I do not know about you but I would rather trust in the Lord and put my faith in Him before ever putting my faith in man. There is probably nothing more exhilarating when falling into a difficult situation than to know that Yeshua is there as our lifeline. I would like to share the following verses with you:

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the LORD our God."

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6) in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…On our first trip to Kenya in 2007 we had the joy to be able to minister at a retreat for a couple of days. This was not a religious compound but a rustic resort set close to Mount Kenya. Our accommodations were simple, clean and we had everything we needed. As Jack readied himself to teach a Bible study we were asked to go for a walk and view the grounds as it was still light. The trees and foliage were beautiful…mature and well cared for. As we approached a very old and very large tree there arose an odor, no more like a stench in the air and our host smiled…he beckoned for us to quietly come closer and there was a split in the trunk housing a very large and smelly badger. Many years have passed but that memory lingers, not sure if it is because of the beauty of the place or the stench of the badger.

This past week we were reading in Exodus concerning all the materials used for the Tabernacle and lo and behold the Lord directed Moses to use badger skins for the covering of the Tent. Yes, I am sure they were treated and all lingering odors had gone. What came to mind was the Lord used the skins of smelly animals to adorn and protect His dwelling, so how much more will he continue to use us for His glory!

Please continue to pray for Janet. Her mother abandoned her because she was premature and sickly and she could not afford to care for her needs. Pictured below:

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. In Kenya, we help the poor and orphans and in Israel we help the elderly poor and the sick.

DONATE

Do not use PayPal? Contact me for other donation options.

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

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "He Calls Us Friend: Part 2"

Parasha Tetzaveh (You Shall Command)

From Rabbi Jack

There is an amazingly beautiful thing that God does in our lives when we go through adversity. So many ministries have been started by people, not because they decided to start a ministry, but because they went through an affliction, a disease, an addiction, persecution or other traumatic events in their lives. Afterwards, because of it, they want to use what they experienced to help and comfort others. Sometimes, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua, God plans for things to happen to us so that He can use it for us to bring relief, comfort and consolation to others with the comfort and consolation we received from the Lord during our time of trial. I can attest to this from my own life, as I am now emerging from battling a second round of cancer. I have found a well of compassion that was not there before and which I never thought was in me.

2 Corinthians {1:3} "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, {1:4} who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. {1:5} For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of the Messiah so also our comfort abounds through the Messiah. {1:6} If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. {1:7} And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

Life happens, we are all subject to the same curse placed upon Adam after the fall; old age, physical deterioration, sickness, pain, diseases, but all these things that we experience and encounter travelling through life do not have to overwhelm us and detract from living our lives for Yeshua. If we allow Him to, the God of all comfort will use us and our experiences to glorify Him and bring hope, encouragement and comfort to others.

From Ellen....

Hi Ellen here…Many years ago when Jack and I were at Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto I wrote an article on how the Lord peels back the layers of our lives. I likened the process to peeling an onion. I also thought that the Lord was patting me on the back because I had faced up to what He peeled away, repented and voilà I was redeemed. All this is true but lo and behold here I am at another stage in my life and there is lots of peeling going on…again! I have been going through a rough patch spiritually and the Lord reminded me of my article. What is the idiom of onion skin…it is to expose various layers of something…the need to peel back the onion skin to find out what was bothering me. Sounds easy right? Not so! So, I took a beautiful new onion from our pantry and started to peel…first the papery outside then that first peel that we really do not use then the clear filmy part…all discarded. Now I had a beautiful fresh onion so I began to slice and halfway through this perfect large bulb was a ring of mushy decrepit onion, yuck! This is an example of what our heavenly Abba does in our lives. I am sure that the spoiled ring in the middle of this beautiful onion is like an unresolved issue in our lives that needs further investigation. As I go through this rough patch or yucky spoiled ring in my life, I thank God for Him exposing my sin to me so I am able to confess and express the need for His forgiveness. If you are going through a hard time in your life, slice an onion and ask Abba to take you through a time of awareness. Do not worry, if you are willing to be humbled, He will help you through…sending you all my love.

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

DONATE

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. In Kenya, we support the poor, sick and orphans. In Israel we help the elderly poor and sick.

Meet Janet (picture attached below), a prematurely born child at the orphanage who because she was premature, battles illness regularly and is often in need of medical care. Please keep her in prayer.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the Week "He Calls Us Friend: Part 1"

Parasha Terumah (Offering)

From Rabbi Jack...

Psalm {8:3} "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, {8:4} what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them? {8:5} You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. {8:6} You made them rulers over the works of Your hands; You put everything under their feet:"

In creating man God turned over the administration of His creation to us. David was amazed that God would do such a thing because he felt, as we can tell by many of his psalms, so unworthy. We can all relate to David's feelings of unworthiness because I am sure that at one time or another, we have all felt unworthy. Like David we fall so short at times in our faith and commitment to God. However, God has not given us kingdom authority based upon our worthiness. Judging from the condition of the earth today, the pollution, the destruction of forests for profit, the poaching of animals for ivory and to satisfy people's desire for exotic meats, the killing of whales and other animals to the point of extinction for greed or pride, surely do not credit us with worthiness. No, I believe that God made man ruler over the works of His Hands for the purpose of eventually bringing them to salvation, not of their bodies but of their souls.

It is sad that those of us who have been saved through the acceptance of Messiah Yeshua as our Lord and Savior have to witness what the rest of the world is doing because of their rejection of God. However, the Bible teaches that we need to make such a mess of things, until we come to the point of realization that we cannot rule over the works of God's Hands, that we made a mess of it all. It is then that we will finally turn over what He has put under our feet back to Him in total and complete surrender to His Kingship.

Revelation {21:1} Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. {21:2} I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. {21:3} And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. {21:4} 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." {21:5} He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

From Ellen...

Mmmmm…" MEDITATION", what comes to your mind when you hear or read this word? New age, yoga, mantra, clearing one's mind, concentrating on self or an object …all of these once came to my mind until I was saved and focused on my Lord and His Word. When you sit down to read your Bible by NO means clear your mind but by ALL means ask the Ruach, the Holy Spirit, to fill your mind with things that are lovely, noble and uplifting. Ask Him to bring His Word to you and flood your mind with it…ask the Ruach to guide you and instruct you on the journey He would have you go on through the written Word. Our Lord wants us to draw near to Him continually, and especially when reading His Word. "I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways." (Psalm 119.15)," Make me understand the way of Your precepts and I will meditate on Your wondrous works (Psalm 119.27). In a biblical sense to meditate really means to think about, to ponder, to mull over the Scripture…even to chew on it! Please do not read with thoughtless intention but read with the expectation of insight, understanding and wondrous enlightenment.

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. See the pictures I have attached below.

DONATE

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Watch Parasha Commentary

Watch Sermon "God First"

Parasha Yitro (Jethro)

From Rabbi...

Psalm {63:1} "A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."

Ellen and I can certainly attest that during the long hot summer months Israel is a dry and thirsty land. There is no rain from Passover (April-May), until Sukkot (October-November) Even in the winter when it normally rains, the Negev (wilderness of Judah), where David hid out much of the time when King Saul was pursuing to kill him, gets very little rain.

What is so beautiful about this Psalm is how David is comparing the longing of the land for rain to water it, to his longing for the Lord to water his soul. It is not unusual for us with all the struggles life brings our way for us to experience dry and thirsty souls that long for God to pour His rain into. At dry times in our lives it is not unusual to feel like God is not there, that He does not hear us or see what we are going through; we are spiritually parched and we are longing for refreshing.

Isaiah {55:1} "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

There is a refreshing well of salvation just waiting for us to drink from and that well will not only revive our thirsty souls it will save them; we just need to come to it. That well is Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua said:

John {4:14} "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

From Ellen...

When Jack and I pray we of course wait on the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct us how to pray BUT…there are many things we include almost in every prayer time. One very important statement is, "Lord we command in the mighty name of Yeshua that no fear, no intimidation and no deception fall upon us!" I have a warning because the devil considers all of us his dinner and we continually need to fight him. He is a toothless lion roaming around ready to devour anyone that would leave a door open in their lives. 2 John says plainly in this short but wonderfully profound book. Verses 4 through 11 is necessary reading right now…don't procrastinate on this one because you too could be a meal for the evil one in an instant…

2 John {1:4} "I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Messiah Yeshua as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Messiah. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Messiah does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Messiah has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds."

Hallelujah! However, my favorite verse is (12) "Having many things to write to you, we did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but we hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full." AMEN!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel:

DONATE

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Watch Sermon of the Week "After God's Heart"

Parasha Mishpatim (Judgements)

From Rabbi...

Once when Ellen and I were at one of the largest hospitals in Israel for an appointment at one of the departments, we did not know where to go, so we asked for directions at the information desk. The man behind the counter got up from his chair and called another man who was also associated with the information desk and when he was told where we wanted to go he said, "Follow me, I will take you there." He then proceeded to navigate through the hallways, going up this hall and down the other, turning left here and right there with Ellen and I following close behind. You can imagine that we were both impressed and grateful for his kindness, on our own we would have been lost.

Life is that way, it can be a confusing maze with so many directional options but yet only one direction leads us out of the maze while all the others are just dead ends. So, it is not uncommon for us to question which way to go? It is then that we need a guide, someone we can follow close behind who will show us the way and bring us to where we have to go.

Psalm {63:7} "Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. {63:8} My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me."

David knew that in the midst of all his troubles, if he stuck close to God he would see the way out. Yeshua told us:

Matthew {16:24} "Then Yeshua said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.""

If we stick close to and follow Yeshua He will get us through the maze of life and bring us safely to Himself in the end.

From Ellen...

Do you have a lot of friends? If you are a believer, I hope that most of them are as well. It is great having friends, you can text them during the day, meet for coffee, have them over for a meal or go out to a restaurant together. If you are a female, shopping trips are fun and maybe having a pedicure at your local nail spa together. The possibilities are endless. It is friends that you want to make happy and have them be pleased with the way you conduct your friendship. Do you know who the best friend you can have is? This may be a trick question because if you are married the first thought is; 'my husband is my best friend,' or my neighbor or my sister or the cousin I grew up with…if you are a male probably your golf buddy or brother or business partner may be your best friend. Do you know who the best friend you can have is? As friends go, are you kind, gentle, respectful and considerate? Are you the friend everyone leans on for compassion and mercy? Do you know who the best friend you can have is? Your best friend as I'm sure you have already guessed is the Ruach, the Holy Spirit. So why do we lie to Him, ignore Him, stop listening to Him, stop calling on Him for guidance and instruction. Acts {5.3-4} says "But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God."…OUCH!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel:

DONATE

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Watch Parasha Commentary

Watch Sermon of the Week "Power and Authority"

Parasha Beshalach (When He Let Go)

From Rabbi...

Many reading this now are facing difficult circumstances in their lives. I remember the time when I was faced with having to leave my wife and travel to another city where I would receive radiation and chemotherapy treatment; the hospital in our town did not treat the type of cancer I had. I would be spending five days a week for seven weeks in a hostel and then home for Shabbat. The thought of having to go through the treatment was daunting enough and having to leave my wife only added to it. I was already weakened, tired and in pain because of the cancer and I did not know if I would have the strength to see the seven weeks through. With the little strength I had, not only did I have to hold myself together but I also had to battle Satan who was playing with my mind.

2 Timothy {9:17} "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. {9:18} The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

In and of ourselves when difficulties arise and we are in a weakened state where we feel deserted or are deserted by friends and family or when we have to leave loved ones, we can take solace in the fact that if we call upon the Lord, He will rescue us.

Isaiah {41:10} "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Such was the case with me. In my distress God sent me encouraging and uplifting scriptures which I was able to listen to every night and draw strength from. It was a difficult seven weeks but God saw me through and what he did for the Apostle Paul and for me, He can do for you. In God there is hope!

From Ellen...

There are so many things to tell you from God's Word, through my eyes. Sometimes I do not know where to start but here goes. Jack and I watched a film depicting the life of Yeshua…it was over 6 hours so we broke it up over many viewings. Although not Messianic it still contained the Word! What we saw was not new but it brought to our minds the basic principles of our instruction book, the Bible. It was filmed in Israel and Italy by an Italian director and chock full of famous actors, some of whom are not with us any longer. We watched as the man "Jesus" walked the dusty earth and blessed, healed and delivered numerous afflicted people, some who received Him and some who just went on their way back into the world.

Here is what struck me from the film, brief but profound. We are to be like Yeshua on this earth. We are to possess His values and know His precepts. What moved me most was His gratitude toward His Father. He fed the 4000 and the 5000 by just thanking, by just believing that He, as God in Heaven, will provide for all the followers.

If you ever have been hungry, help to feed the hungry. If you have ever been thirsty, give a cup of cool water to those that thirst. If you ever have been naked, help to clothe those who are cold. "We are because He Is!"

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

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon "God's Will Be Done"

Parasha Bo (Go)

From Rabbi...

There is a spiritual stronghold of poverty hanging over Africa. I am not so much acquainted with what is going on in all African nations but I do know the desperate situation many are experiencing in Kenya. I can possibly understand why this stronghold of poverty would be plaguing unbelievers, but it saddens me to see that even Believers are living in desperate need and experiencing the crippling effects of poverty.

If there is anything we can say about our God, it is that He is a God of abundance. The Bible is filled with Scriptures confirming God's abundance, so much so that if I were to quote them all I would need pages and pages, so I'll just quote two:

Ephesians {3:20} "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,"

John {10:10} "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

This is not a prosperity message; it is a wake-up call to those who are suffering lack in their personal lives or their businesses. Yeshua did not die on the cross so that we should lack. He gave His life in exchange for ours so that we could have abundance in every area of our lives including finances.

2 Corinthians {8:9} "For you know the grace of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

2 Corinthians {9:8} "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Now, abundance does not mean wealth or prosperity, abundance is having enough for our needs plus a little extra to help and bless others. We only get this kind of abundance at the foot of the Cross. Yeshua has already assured us of abundance but we must claim that abundance by coming to the Cross and applying God's promises to our lives. God's abundance comes through His Word and His Spirit by the revelation of His promises. So, this brings us right back to where we started! God's abundance can only be found at the foot of the Cross. I have also often said; "How can we claim the promises if we do not know what they are?" Even if we do know what they are, promises come with conditions and we need to be prepared to fulfill all of God's conditions in order to claim them; for example, let us read again:

2 Corinthians {9:8} "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

God gives us abundance, not for our pleasure but for our needs, and the requirement is that we do good works. Therefore, if we are lacking in abundance maybe it is because we are lacking in good works!

From Ellen...

Jack and I have daily, weekly, monthly and yearly decisions to make as I am sure you all do. We go before the Lord for each and everything as one in Messiah and pray and hope the Almighty will speak with us concerning all our needs and desires. Here's the thing…The Almighty rarely speaks to us the way we would like to hear Him and He does not always answer us in the frame of time we would like Him to…with all that said we continue to wait on Him because the only true answer is the one that comes from heaven! Everything is in His Word…strategies, provisions, protection, promises and so much more. What we learn from His Word is that our Father is a lot easier on us than we perceive. Here is one example where He says; "If a man does not work, he does not eat." Well, we know that He is a miraculous provider and does not want his children begging bread but He also says that; "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." The Almighty wants us free!

So, if you are caught up in an addiction, drugs, alcohol, even food and money, He gives us prescriptions and tells us in the Word…The unfolding of Your Words gives light; imparts understanding to the simple…He tells us not to be sad…"My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word!"

I know this is quite abstract but the point is this…EVERYTHING we need and desire from provision to peace is right in the Word…free of charge, do not just read but eat of it EVERYDAY!

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.

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon "An Incredible Journey"

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:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

 

Read Parasha

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.

Read Parasha

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:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

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:

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

Read Parasha

Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "God's Extreme Makeover"