Parasha Va'etchanan (And I Pleaded)

From Rabbi Jack...

Luke {5:1} "One day, as Yeshua was standing on the shore of Lake Kinneret, with the people pressing in around him in order to hear the word of God, {5:2} he noticed two boats pulled up on the beach, left there by the fishermen, who were cleaning their nets. {5:3} He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat."

There are times when we sense that Yeshua is telling us to do something. We can feel it in our spirit but we have some unwillingness to do it. We ask: "Why do I have to do this; why do I have to give this up; why can I not do it my way and why can I not do it in my own time." These are very common struggles that most Believers have, common complaints that have been around since man was created. Let us face it, many times our free will gets the best of us. It is the things that we hold dearest, like our personal time, that usually come into conflict with our relationship with God. Sometimes it is our ego that drives a wedge between us and the Lord. We also take offence when the Holy Spirit convicts us that making money should not be our driving force in life; we are put-off when we are made to feel guilty about things we say or do and we get offended when someone confronts us with the reality of who we really are. But these things have to happen because they are a natural part of drawing us closer to the Lord. Without these experiences we cannot be molded into Yeshua's image. Just as an X-ray probes deep into our bodies, exposing the defects and disease, the Holy Spirit probes deep into our being exposing everything that we are either intentionally or unintentionally concealing. Without the diagnostics there can be no progression to treatment or cure.

So how should we react when we feel the influence of our Lord's will telling us to do something we do not feel like doing? There's only one word that should describe the way we need to react to Yeshua's will for our lives when it is revealed to us through His Word or by the Holy Spirit, and that is "immediate." Once we know the will of God there is no time to waste, only action to take. There is no time for discussion, disagreement or compromise; there needs to be quick, total, immediate and complete surrender to His will.

Hi Ellen here…

A friend sent me an image some time ago that I liked very much. I liked it so much that I posted it on my WhatsApp status more than once. It says…"Joseph waited 15 years; Abraham waited 25 years; Moses waited 40 years; Yeshua waited 30 years. If God is making you wait, you are in very good company." Just typing it makes me smile! If you truly believe that God has promised you something, may it be ministry, traveling, a spouse, a child or a divine and miraculous opportunity then wait patiently. If it is of God, He will bring it to pass. We all need to know that His timing is not like ours…the world offers us instantaneous gratification in so many areas. These areas are most probably not from God so wait patiently. Isaiah 62.6-7 urges the people of God to pray fervently, not to allow God to rest, but to awaken Him with relentless cries so that He should keep His promises to the end, (paraphrased). Waiting patiently does not mean sitting back or second-guessing God or making things happen by your own power! Waiting patiently on God means praying, listening, reading and at times sitting quietly at His feet and asking Him to speak to you. So today I would like to leave you with this, God wants us to press into His presence and wait patiently before His Holy Throne of Grace. Blessings, we love you!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Mistaken Priorities"

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Parashot Devarim (Words)

From Rabbi Jack...

Matthew {6:25,34} "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. {6:34} Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Due to the external influences the world's secular humanism exerts on people, Believers lose touch with the inward leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. God does not tell us in advance what tomorrow will bring, He leads us day by day working in our lives and directing our path as the Holy Spirit sees fit. If we are in touch with the Holy Spirit within us and have released our lives to Him, we do not have to plan tomorrow but can trust that God has our tomorrows in hand and under control. More lives have been derailed because Believers left the leading of the Holy Spirit and ventured into planning and directing their own lives.

Proverbs {29:18} "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he."

This Scripture is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted and abused passages in the Bible. From it, people think they need a vision for their lives. Pastors and Messianic Rabbis think they need a vision for their congregation's direction, business people think they need a vision for where their companies will be in the next years, and so on. However, the word for vision used in the Hebrew is, "hazon" which properly translated into English means divine communication. I think the New Living Translation grasped how the scripture is to be understood.

Proverbs 29:18 "When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful."

So, what is the conclusion of this matter?

Matthew {6: 34} "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Hi Ellen here…

Everyone Ok out there in the cyber world? I was thinking today that Zoom is a great vehicle to hide in. We have many people logging on Shabbat to our services but many "squares "are black with just a name or number. There are some who do show themselves and that's great! I think of those we cannot see a lot. Are you not dressed for Shabbat? Is there not enough power or internet in your homes? Are you cooking? Are you painting the hallway? Maybe you don't know how to turn on the video? Are you even there? There are many reasons or should I say excuses for not joining the visual virtual cyber family on the Zoom screen but guess what? We may not see you but God sees everything.

In the Bible we know that Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, we also know how that turned out. We know that Jonah tried to hide from God and yes, we also know how that turned out as well. Are you busy? Are you feeling shameful or unrepentant? Come out, come out wherever you are…so we may have a more intimate time of fellowship with you and you with us. You can hide from us but remember you cannot hide from God (Psalm 139) …Looking forward to seeing you on Shabbat.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Perfect love drives out fear"

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Parashot Matot-Masei (Tribes - Journeys)

From Rabbi Jack...

Matthew {5:37} "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

Basically, what Yeshua is saying here is; Keep It Simple. Why did He say this? Because He was speaking to a group of hypocritical religious leaders. However, we too have a tendency to be hypocritical, so Yeshua is also instructing us to keep it simple by letting our 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and our 'No' mean 'No'. In other words, we are not to exaggerate and we are not to lie because anything beyond being truthful, Yeshua says, comes from the devil.

John {8:44} "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

So, when we lie, we are speaking the Satan's language and becoming like him.

Do you remember when we were kids and we wanted to be sure someone was telling us the truth? We would ask them, "Do you swear to God?" or we would ask them say "Honest to God." Of course, they would say it and would still be lying.

We do the same thing as adults. We say, "As God is my witness" or "honest to God" yet we may still be lying or exaggerating. In court we are asked to place our hand on the Bible and swear that we will "Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." But the reality is, taking that kind of oath will not make a dishonest person any more likely to tell the truth, and the lack of an oath on the Bible will not make an honest person any less likely to tell a lie.

This passage of Scripture as given to us by Yeshua is not an injunction against taking an oath in court. Rather it is a commandment to keep our lives free from elaborate oaths and schemes to assure others that we are indeed telling the truth. Yeshua is telling us to live simple, speak simply and to tell the simple truth. If we are people who have an honest character then we will not need to swear or promise to make others believe us, our character will be our oath and it will speak for itself.

Hi Ellen here...

It's a tough world out there and sometimes it is easier to be tough than to be Messiah like! As believers in Yeshua, we are to be like Him. God wants to give us the power to talk like him, live like Him and think like Him but we have to be willing to allow Him to do so. God would like His Word to come out of our mouths into a sin sickened world and our responses to it be His and not ours…mmm, sounds like self-control. This is one fruit that I deal with every day. Please pray for me in this area. We should strive to love everyone as God loves us! This world desperately needs healing and we can be a doctor of sorts. When we respond to a family member in anger; because remember not all our family members may be saved, we radiate the world and not the Messiah. When our children or spouse looks at us do they see wickedness, rage, even hatred or do they see love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, patience and yes self-control? Let's feast together on good fruit and throw out the rotten fruit today!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Precious in His sight"

Mini teaching "Nothing but the Blood"

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Parasha Pinchas (Phineas)

From Rabbi Jack...

Exodus {15:22} "So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. {15:23}  Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. {15:24} And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" {15:25} So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them. And there He tested them, …."

It is obvious that God brought the children of Israel to Marah to test them. God is always going to test His children. The Children of Israel had already seen the miracle of the ten plagues, the miracle of the gifts bestowed on them by the Egyptians, the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh's army in the sea. Now, after wandering about for a while in the wilderness their water was running low, they were thirsting, their cattle were thirsting and, in the distance, they saw a pool of water only to arrive and find that the water was undrinkable. From the Scripture passages we can see two opposite end results of testing. The children of Israel complained and received no revelation from God and Moses prayed and the Lord gave Him the solution to the problem. There is not a problem or a test that God does not have the solution for, however, if all we do is complain He will never reveal it to us; try praying instead!

Hi Ellen here…

I was reading and thinking on the Scripture in Matthew concerning coming to Yeshua like a little child.  Kids, we love them and their innocence and we are a little envious of it!  Children have such freedom in the spirit and in the physical. What I am trying to express is that children are humble, forgiving, not seeking a position higher than who they just are.  They are trusting that their parents and siblings will protect them and instruct them in the way they should go and not lead them astray.  I remember as a child my oldest sister would take care of me as if I were her child.  My middle sister and I played and shared together and our parents did not put stumbling blocks in our paths that we should fall.  This is how we should come to Yeshua. 

What I would like to say to you today is this…stop analyzing and contriving everything, stop seeking to be someone else because God made you as you are and He loves you so much!  Shed the skin of the world.  Don't worry about what you should eat or what you should wear.  Stop and give it to God and come to Him as His little child.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Under the Sun"

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Parasha Balak

From Rabbi Jack...

Proverbs {3:5} "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; {3:6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

This Scripture passage recently came alive in our lives. The other week I reported that I had lost my wallet. It was a daunting experience, not because of the loss but because I would have to replace everything I lost. Ellen and I retraced the most likely place it may have fallen out of my tote bag – Assuta Hospital in Ashdod. We checked with the receptionist, we checked with the doctor, with no results. Despite the loss, however, we were at total peace. Yes, though I may not have known where my wallet was, God did. Therefore, I needed not to set my mind on the loss but on the good that God was going to accomplish through its loss.

Wednesday July the 6th a God incident happened. Our Israeli daughter (she adopted us), had a friend that was going to Assuta for a test. She had someone who was going to accompany her but at the last minute that person was unable to go. So, our daughter, who had no reason to go to Assuta and who was available only because it was her day off, offered to join her. While at the hospital, knowing that was the place I most likely lost my wallet, she took a shot and went to the security office to inquire. Sure enough, my wallet was there. Security had my wallet for days and could have very easily contacted me, but did not. It is so encouraging how God worked out all the circumstances in getting our daughter to Assuta, she was the last person we expected to find my wallet.

What good came from this loss? First, both our daughter and we experienced firsthand God's leading and intervention in our lives; our daughter was able to help a friend in need and whoever found my wallet, most likely a cleaning maintenance person, was blessed with the money they found.

We may never get to meet the person who found and turned in my wallet to security, but I believe that God wanted this perfect stranger, someone I would have never met or otherwise helped, to have the money which perhaps they desperately needed. We give God all the Glory!

Hi Ellen here…

I have spoken to you all before concerning what the world has to offer and I reiterate, "All that glitters is not gold"!

Well, today let us talk about hearing and reading. We all know that rock music, especially heavy metal, contains satanic messages. As I was growing up everyone would say of that super talented group, The Beatles, that one of their albums carried subliminal messages, if you played it backwards! Just to make sure, I will give the definition of subliminal; "Perceived by or affecting someone's mind without them being aware of it"…Oh my goodness that is scary. It is not the music that is bad but the spirit behind the music. For example, heavy metal music, if you can call it music, has a satanic spirit!

Now, I will share something that maybe you have not thought of. Hearing or reading messages or teachings from unbelieving religious scholars, although they may seem insightful and harmless, carry an anti-Messiah spirit and really have no place in a Believer's life. Even the most dedicated Believer cannot, at times, discern between spirits when reading or listening to Jewish teaching, insights and commentaries. I have received unbeliever's TED podcasts from friends saying; "Oh you have to hear this amazing message," no I do not! Now, do not be fooled because even some Pastors and Messianic Rabbis are not always spot on with lining up with the Word and Spirit of God.

Brothers and sisters, now is the time to grow up and sharpen the gifts we've already been given…wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits. If you want to receive deeper insight into the Word then ask HIM, for our God is a generous and loving God.

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Listen to Commentary

Sermon of the week "Gift of eternal life"

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Parasha Chukat (Statute)

From Rabbi Jack...

Crises happen to us all. I do not think there is anyone who does not experience crises in their life with some kind of regularity. I am experiencing a crisis right now. I lost my wallet and besides the money, I lost all the things people usually carry in their wallet; credit cards, identification card, driver license etc. Ellen and I never leave the house without putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18), so one would think that a crisis, like losing your wallet, would be covered by God. The thing is God uses crises to test where our hearts and loyalties lie.

Colossians {3:2} "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. {3:3} For you died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in God."

If I truly died to myself and my life is hidden in Messiah in God, then I did not lose my wallet, God lost my wallet and if He lost my wallet then He had a plan and a purpose for losing it. Yes, though I may not know where my wallet is, God does. Therefore, I need not set my mind on the loss of my wallet but on the good that God is going to accomplish through it because of its loss.

Romans {8:28} "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Barring me finding my wallet or someone returning it to me, I will have to go through the process of replacing the documents I lost. However, because I am dead but now live in Messiah, I can go about the process anticipating a blessing and who knows, maybe the person who found my wallet was blessed by finding the money. Moral of the story; when crises strike, and they will, be encouraged because your life is not your own it is hidden with Messiah in God and He has you covered!

Hi Ellen here…

Why should this week in the news be any different than last week in the news? Good question but the answers differ. Everyone is talking about the chaotic conditions at airports yet everyone is travelling. Last week as we ended Shabbat services with our friends in Toronto, someone prayed for these conditions to cease in the Name of Yeshua and we all said AMEN!

As I write all these things to you a friend who travelled last week from Israel to Wales sent Jack and I serene countryside pictures. Just the other day I looked at the parking lot from our balcony while a family disembarked from an airport van with huge checked luggage as they entered the apartment building across the way from ours. Seems everyone is travelling. My good friend and her husband sent us gorgeous pictures of snow capped mountains in Colorado as the temperatures rise each day here in Israel. Friends of ours are now vacationing in a lodge in Finland. Everyone is complaining but everyone is travelling! I will end this stream of words with Scripture, Daniel {12.4} says…" But you Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge will increase."

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Watch commentary

Sermon of the week "A living sacrifice"

Parasha Korah

From Rabbi Jack...

Proverbs {28:13} "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

You would not think so, but many Believers in Messiah Yeshua delay in confessing their sin. Yes Believers sin, we all sin in one way or another; an evil thought, an idle word, a wanton look, failing to honor God, sins of omission, unintentional sin and so on. We are not immune from sin. We may no longer be sinners but we still sin. So, we must confess whether we know we committed a sin or not; confession should be standard procedure for a Believer.

A measure of the spiritual maturity of a Believer is the time distance between a sin and confession. The shorter the distance the more mature the Believer. Our goal as Believers in Messiah Yeshua should be confession the minute we sin or the minute we realize we have sinned; it is a Biblical directive. By being disobedient to the commandments of God we invite hell into our lives and into our homes. Confession is good for the soul and it clears and frees up our conscience and our life.

Hello Ellen here…

Jack and I moved to Toronto in 1995 to lead CMY. It was so cold and coming from sunny Florida, it hit us like a brick wall. We began the Lord's ministry and started to meet many people. One of our congregants set up a lunch meeting with a well-known man in Christian circles. Yes, a very interesting fellow and knowledgeable as well. What I am getting to is that at lunch he told us something very interesting as we talked about things to come and the return of Yeshua. He told us about his two daughters, ages 3 and 5 at the time, that he has enrolled in language school to be fluent in Mandarin. We asked why Mandarin and he replied that he believed this was our future. Yes, China has moved into many nations but our God is way bigger than China and we pray for the Believers there. Why am I sharing this? He was preparing his family for what he thought was their future. We do not agree with him about China.

Are you prepared? Are you preparing your family for the coming onslaught? Are you preparing for the return of Yeshua? Listen…if this man could do what he did you can do better. Be prayed up and most of all I say to all heads of households, pray with your families, pray over your spouse and your children, put on the full armor of the God most High, plead the blood of Yeshua over your homes and your lives and follow His lead not mans! This is so important - please…!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Bought at a price"

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Parasha Shelech Lecha (Send on Your Behalf)

From Rabbi Jack...

2 Corinthians {5:17} "Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

What exactly does Paul mean by this verse because sometimes when I wake up in the morning I sure do not feel like a new creation and when I look at myself in the mirror I do not look like a new creation. So of course, Paul was not referring to a reversal of ageing. No this is not at all what Paul intended when he said that we are new creations.

When God created the earth and formed man from the dust, man lived in a perfect spiritual bond with God. God and man communed together, walked together and were at peace with each other, there was spiritual bliss. However, when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience, all that came to a screeching halt and man was thrown out of paradise to fend for himself in a cruel, harsh world dominated by Satan. That is the world you and I were born into and this is where we have grown up; in a world alienated from God without hope, without a future. We saw ourselves as sophisticated animals that were more intelligent and higher up on the food chain. Like so many of our ancestors we would have continued on in life that way until we died believing the maxim: "Life is a drag and then we die!"

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."

Those of us that met Yeshua along the pathway of life and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, through that acceptance was Born Again. The Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) entered our lives and despite the fact that we were living in a world filled with darkness, God's light started to shine in our lives. Essentially, we became a new creation, and reverted back to who we were created to be in the Garden of Eden. We returned to the perfect spiritual relationship with God where we could once again commune together, walk together and be at peace with each other in spiritual bliss. This is what Paul meant when he said: "Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"!

Hi Ellen here…

2 Corinthians {10.5} says: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Messiah Yeshua."  Does it work? A resounding YES!!! If you are a committed believer in Messiah Yeshua and if you are in this world…you must recite this Scripture, as I do, many times a day. We all know that even though we are of God and serve Him we still have free will, we still have our flesh. Why do wicked thoughts come into our minds? Because the devil does not want us to rest. I am writing this to warn us not to let our guard down ever! The devil seeks to bring us into total chaos so we become distracted and even tormented…a place of no peace in all that. Taking every thought captive requires repentance from sin to faith in God. Ahhh but you say I am not sinning…we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. If you struggle with anxiety and worry in your thought life, which is a sin, then practice taking every thought captive…believe me, it works!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "A better way"

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Parasha Becha'alotcha (When You Set Up)

From Rabbi Jack...

There is only one way to learn about God and that is by studying His Word. I know that the word study strikes fear in many people's hearts because we had enough studying when we were in school, but the fact is, there is no other way!

My sermon last week was about being a disciplined disciple and I used the Apostle Paul as my subject by whom we can compare his life as a disciple to ours'. God empowered Paul because through his teaching He was going to use him to lead us into becoming disciplined disciples of Yeshua; disciples learn from their Master.

Something that Yeshua said always inspires me to study Scripture, all Scripture, it is when, speaking to the Pharisees He said:

John {5:46} "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. {5:47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

Many churches discount the Hebrew Scriptures (aka Old Covenant) and in doing so they cause their members to focus their concentration and study on the Renewed Covenant (aka New Covenant). However, Yeshua told us that Moses wrote about Him and that should challenge us to Study the Hebrew Scriptures to discover more about our Savior. In fact, I had to become more than just a student, I had to become a miner as I read the Hebrew Scriptures and dig into the Word to extract the gems hidden below the surface. I confess that doing so liberated my mind, inspired my understanding and gave me a perspective of the Renewed Covenant I could have never had if I only studied it.

As a Messianic Rabbi I did many home visitations and somehow every home I visited had a Bible somewhere within my view. Little did those I visited know that I was not impressed by the presence of their Bible but rather by the condition of its pages.

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…In 2006 the Lord motioned to Jack and me to go to Nigeria. We had been communicating with some Believers there that had become interested in Messianic belief and worship. The news about Nigeria was unstable and somewhat frightening but if the Lord says so, you go! We began to pray together concerning this trip. One evening a still, small voice kept whispering in my spirit…fast, fast, fast. It was coming to the time of High Holy days, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. I was elated because I always fast on Yom Kippur, as commanded. Soon, preparations began with one of our favorite times in Ontario - apple picking for honey and apples for Rosh Hashanah; no apples for me, the spirit in me kept saying more than a commanded fast. What to do?

I was flipping through some magazines to take my mind off it all and a small pamphlet fell out…the title, you guessed it; "Fasting for the Nations". I read it in its entirety and was blessed and encouraged. As we celebrated Rosh Hashanah I began to fast for wisdom, safe passage, documentation such as visas, a good price on airline tickets and anything else you might pray for a trip such as this. Lo and behold the fast lasted forty days and nights with ease and joy but more importantly our potentially dangerous and scary trip to Nigeria was one of divine protection and revelation. The Lord brought us through some interesting times and we were blessed.

Listen, I am fasting every Wednesday when Etz Chaim prays as a family in the evening. I am asking you for only a one day fast. Want a blessing or a much-needed breakthrough? Fast with Etz Chaim Kenya and we will pray for you as well. Blessings and love, always in Yeshua!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary - coming soon!

Sermon for the week "Listening for God"

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Parasha Naso (Take)

From Rabbi Jack...

James {1:2} "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,".

When we read that Believers are supposed to be joyful in all circumstances it can be misleading and even troublesome because there are many circumstances in life that are not joyful. Everyone goes through times of sadness and disappointment. So, if and when we experience such times and misunderstand what the Lord means by joy, we can judge ourselves, judge others and be judged by others. However, God knows that there are going to be times of sadness and disappointment, so He cannot be talking to us about rejoicing when we are in trouble or when we are going through an extreme trial because then we would be sadists.

There is a reason we should be joyful in extreme circumstances because they are a test of our faith and when our faith is tried, patience is perfected. James explains it to us in 1:4 when he says. "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Basically, we are being told that we have to grow up in the things of God. For that to happen we have to be tested. If we are never tested in areas of our lives that bring sadness or disappointment, we will never develop patience, and if we never develop patience we will be lacking in maturity; trials are the way God develops our faith. If we want to mature in the things of God we have to go through some sadness and disappointment producing tests. So, God is not saying that we have to be joyful when we are sick or when we lost our job or when we broke a bone or when we are in pain, or when a loved one died, but He does want us to be joyful in the fact that these things, and the many others we will we encounter in life, have the ability to strengthen our faith and perfect our patience. Godly joy is an attitude we choose, impatience and complaining is an attitude we should lose!

2 Corinthians {6:10} "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…Cancer! A word that brings fear, disbelief and uncertainty. I have a friend who has survived it and does not even like to say the word. I can relate and do not blame them at all. So many are afflicted with this insipid disease. My husband who has survived stage 4 cancer and thrived is now at the tail end of experiencing a secondary attack…so where does it end? I am writing to you concerning this subject to apologize. Firstly, because sometimes this is the only thing I speak about and honestly think about, but this is not who I am. I am a daughter of the most High God and He is bigger than all disease.

We continue here to experience this pandemic of Covid but everyone is ignoring it. No, my friends, it has not left yet and continues to infect and kill people. Am I concerned? Yes! When I go out, I continue to mask up and honestly sometimes I am the only one wearing one. If I get infected and bring Covid home, my husband could get infected and it could be very serious for him. But this is not who I am. I am a daughter of the King! What am I getting at here? I am not very sure exactly but I know we are all still flesh and fall so short of the glory of God. Oh yes back to my apology…not to you but to Abba in heaven because He has told me He will never leave nor forsake me and He has equipped us to handle all these things as we await His return. I am sorry to lay all this on you but we all fall so short of His glory. I guess these blurbs do not have to be uplifting all of the time…so I apologize.

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "Stay Balanced and Focused"

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Parasha Bamidbar (Numbers)

From Rabbi Jack...

Being thankful is the cornerstone of a Believer's life. As part of our Shabbat liturgy, we recite a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving that I would like to share with you:

"We gratefully thank You, for it is You Who are the Lord, our God and the God of our forefathers for all eternity. Rock of our lives, Shield of our salvation are You from generation to generation. We shall thank You and relate Your praise for our lives, which are committed to Your hand and for our souls that are entrusted to You; for Your miracles that are with us every day; and for Your wonders and favors in every season – evening, morning, and afternoon. The Beneficent One, for Your compassions were never exhausted, and the Compassionate One, for Your kindness never ended. We have always put our hope in You. Everything alive will gratefully acknowledge You, Selah! And praise Your Name sincerely, O God of our salvation and help, Selah! Blessed are You, O Lord, Your Name is 'The Beneficent One' and to You it is fitting to give thanks. For all these, may Your Name be blessed and exalted, our King, continually forever and ever.

Psalms {119:71} "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes."

In this psalm David is expressing thanks to God in his affliction. Normally, in our affliction we tend to question God. However, David recognized that in comparison to his good times, He learned more about God and His statutes when experiencing affliction.

1 Thessalonians {5:18} "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua for you."

Notice that the Apostle Paul wrote, "in everything give thanks" and not "for everything give thanks." This relates to what David was saying in his psalm. Affliction will come into all of our lives, but we are not to be thankful "for" them, rather we are to be thankful "in" them because in them we too will learn more about God and His statutes.

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…Well it was no coincidence, in my opinion, that the Rabbi spoke about marriage last Shabbat. The Holy Spirit moves in our lives very gently and very lovingly. I say this because we are soon to celebrate Shavuot, also known as Pentecost in Church circles. We have an opportunity to reaffirm our relationship, commitment and dedication to our God Most High on this festival. What is Shavuot? Briefly Shavuot is the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit to His people. Shavuot is also a marriage, a marriage between the Lord and you and me!!! How glorious this is. I implore all of us to search back in our memories to the time we first said, "YES LORD!" That incredible day when the Lord changed you and me from the old self to the renewed self…for me firstly I went from frantic to peaceful and yes, He miraculously delivered me from smoking that very same day. Let us all come before our bridegroom this Shavuot and renew our marriage vow to our God Most High!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary: Coming soon

Sermon of the week "Cohabitation"

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