Parasha Beshalach (When He Let Go)

From Rabbi Jack...

Romans {7:23} "but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. {7:24} What a wretched man I am!...

Satan's utmost desire is to desensitize us to sin. He does it in many ways. One such way is Relativism. Relativism teaches that morality is relative to the morals of what society finds acceptable at a specific time in history. It says that morality, like civil laws, change. Take for instance laws that applied to horses and carriages. These laws no longer have application in the age of automobiles and have been replaced and updated to apply to a car society.

Therefore, Satan uses relativism to say that what may have been immoral 2000 years ago is not necessarily immoral today in our progressive, modern, liberated society. It is because of Satan's use of relativism that we are now seeing the rise of homosexuality, and transgenderism and other morally objectionable immoral standards. We must recognize that relativism is not from God and is a tactical lie from Satan, the father of lies. Biblical morality is as valid today as it was 6000 years ago.

Another of Satan's pet sin desensitizing tactics is materialism. Sadly, much of the church today has fallen hook-line and sinker for this one. Satan uses materialism to take our minds and the emphasis off our relationship with God and place it on objects. Money, finances, getting and spending become more important to us than serving the Lord. I do not think I have to tell you that he is very successful with this one. However, a faith in Messiah Yeshua that is properly functioning will have the ability to resist these tactics of Satan.

Romans {7:24} "…Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? {7:25} Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Messiah Yeshua our Lord!"

Hi Ellen here…

Do you always have to have a project? Do you always need to have a plan? Do you always need to be needed? Do you feel guilty when you are just sitting down without a clue what to do?

No, this is not another Mary and Martha message but I do think it is worth sharing…so let us talk about the above questions.

Being in Kenya for the last month and a half has been somewhat challenging in that I just cannot grab my car keys and dash out for some groceries. Each outing has to be planned so we are able to, not only achieve the things we need to do but also to be aware of how the Holy Spirit is leading us. We have discovered in this new neighborhood where we are residing that some of our familiar destinations are not as far as we thought, hence lots of walking exercise and we say AMEN to that! On the flipside walking to is great but then walking back needs to be planned. On the off days that we are not scheduled or invited somewhere we have the need to feel needed so we make ourselves busy…Jack with creating and researching for sermons and other written material and me, well I will cook or clean. As I was doing and witnessing all the above, I believe that the Ruach, the Holy Spirit said; "STOP!" But I thought the trash still needs to go out and dinner has to be refined and oh-my, the floor can be cleaner and…but then I heard; "Be still and know that I am God!" Then as I thought of creating a new and tasty dessert I heard; "Take My yoke, it is easy and My burden is light." Do we really listen to that sweet, small voice or do we leap ahead and get busy? Today I will not take on a project. Today if anyone needs me, just text or call. Today I will sit back and rest awhile. Why not join me…?

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha commentary (coming soon)

Sermon of the week "Why Baptism?"

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Parasha Bo (Enter)

From Rabbi Jack...

Romans {12:18} "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

Ellen and I have been experiencing so many marriages in conflict. Right now, we are praying for no less than seven marriages. Perhaps when Paul wrote this passage, he was not thinking about it applying to husbands and wives, but it does. It takes two to start an argument, whether it be between strangers or between spouses but it takes only one to end it. So many times I have heard husbands praying for God to change their wives and wives praying for God to change their husbands. Change for the better in anyone's life is good. However, when a husband or wife comes to me to ask for prayer for their spouse, I inevitably pray for the person asking. Why? Because it takes two to argue and if one earnestly seeks for God to change their spouse it starts with them, then God will heal and change the marriage relationship. Self-will, selfishness, pride and stubbornness are a destructive force in all marriage conflicts and the negative traits we are seeing in our spouse is most certainly in us as well.

James {4:1} "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?"

Before you start accusing your spouse, take a good look at our own life and start praying for God to change you! It takes two to tangle, but only one to bring peace. If you are in conflict with your spouse, start praying for God to change you.

Matthew {7:3}-And why do you look at the speck in your brother's (spouse's) eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? {7:4} Or how can you say to your brother (spouse), 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? {7:5} Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's (spouse's) eye. (Bracketed additions are mine).

Reconciliation only takes one!

Hi Ellen here…

1 Samuel 3: The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple where the Ark of God was. God called out "Samuel" and he answered "Here I am." Then he ran to Eli and said "here I am" but Eli said "I did not call you; go back and lie down." So, he went back, and lay down. God called a second time, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am – you called me." Eli answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not know God yet and the Word had not yet been revealed to him... God called a third time, "Samuel!" He got up and went over to Eli and said, "Here I am – you called me." Eli then realized that God was calling the child. So, Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down. If you are called again, say, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening." 

Would it not be wonderful if the Lord called out your name and then proceeded to tell you what He will do and how He will use you? I am sure it does happen. As Believers in Messiah, we have all heard the audible voice of the Lord at one time. If it has happened to you and God spoke to you concerning your calling…hallelujah! But I think many Believers are searching and asking the same question, "What is my calling?" What I have learned of the many years of serving the Lord is that your calling may be right there, in front you. It may not look like what you expect and it may even be contrary to what you desire. What I am saying is do not look to foreign lands before you look in your own backyard. Your calling may be calling you from your husband, your children, your neighbors, your friends…God works in mysterious ways and His ways are higher than ours. You may not hear your name but listen for that small, still voice. Blessings to you and yours.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha commentary (coming soon)

Sermon of the week: "What Is Holiness"

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Parasha Va'era (And I Appreared)

Rabbi Jack...

Deuteronomy 30:6 "Moreover The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live."

The purpose of T.V. Reality shows are to do one of two things; either to reveal what a person is truly like on the inside or to change something about them on the outside. In other words, these shows are designed to expose the flaws on the inside and outside, but they do nothing to change the person on the inside. Now exposing flaws or changing someone externally is not a bad thing. Sometimes we need our flaws exposed so that we can correct them. But if God had a reality show, do you think He would be interested in exposing our flaws to the world or do you think His priority would be to change our external appearance? God already knows our flaws, they do not need to be exposed to Him and second, God is really not interested in changing only our external appearance. What God is interested in is making us over on the inside which will ultimately change everything about us on the outside. When God wants to give us a makeover He starts with the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"

Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God - God in the flesh. You receive a new heart by understanding and accepting what Yeshua did for you; He died for your sins, was buried and rose from the dead so that you may have eternal life with Him in heaven. And when you confess your sin and receive Him as your Lord and Savior and accept His free gift of salvation, you instantly receive a new heart. This new heart gives you the ability to love God, love people and become a new creation in Messiah Yeshua.

If you have already had a heart makeover and received Yeshua as your Lord and Savior but you have not been loving God with all your heart, nor been loving other people especially your enemies as you are commanded to do, then maybe your body has rejected your new heart. I think then you need to come before the Great Physician for a heart bypass. In either case, if you have never received Yeshua as Lord and Savior, or if you need a heart bypass to get you past your sin and into God's righteousness, allow God to do a makeover on your heart today.

Hi Ellen here…

Do you have any regrets? I mean big regrets!!! I did but they have diminished since working out my own salvation through fear and trembling. I continue to have little pesky regrets like wearing the wrong outfit to an event or not putting on sneakers when journeying on rocky terrain (like here in Kenya) and there are so many I cannot list them but I am sure you know what I mean. As I was pondering on the subject of regrets I went to our heavenly Father and asked Him what He thought on this subject…

One very significant event came immediately to mind, Noah and the Ark. In Genesis 6 God said that He saw wickedness and evil in humankind and He regretted that he made man on the earth and that He was deeply grieved and we all know what happened after that. The other event that comes to mind is when Samuel regretted that he made Saul king. There are so many more in the Bible with David, Jeremiah and Peter and the rooster crowing three times. Maybe our regrets are not as earth shattering as these but still shaking our world. Rabbi spoke on opportunities versus excuses last Shabbat. If you were not there to hear the sermon, I suggest that you tune in to our YouTube channel. Why, because it may help with not passing up opportunities so that you will not suffer regret. I remember what my husband says… "The only thing I regret in life is not receiving Yeshua sooner." If you have not made this most important decision in your life, do it now! With Yeshua you will have no regrets, Amen!

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha commentary (coming soon)

Sermon of the week "Excuses or Opportunities"

If you are being blessed by the teachings and commentaries we share, please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. We support the needy, the hungry, the elderly and new immigrants (Olim). Most of all we teach and preach the Word of God in both countries and throughout the world. Contact us for more information: daatbina@gmail.com

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Parasha Shemot

From Rabbi Jack...

Revelation 17:2 "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

Revelation 18:3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

Who is this woman being described in these verses?

The Greek word used for fornication in these passages can also be understood as, harlotry, prostitution or adultery. I do not know how many times I have read these Scriptures and thought it was talking about an actual woman, or a country, the Vatican, or an economic system. It was not until recently that I learned she is a spirit and a demonic one at that. I came to that conclusion because God always associated prostitution/adultery/harlotry with idolatry and the worshipping of false gods (see Deuteronomy 31:16).

In Scripture, the Temple High Priest who ministered before God, is described as being dressed in purple, scarlet, white, blue and gold. Purple is the color of royalty; scarlet is the color of sacrifice; white is the color of righteousness; blue is the color of heavenly origin and gold symbolizes kingship. Every one of these colors combined, point to and are associated with Messiah Yeshua, who the High Priest represented.

Revelation 18:4 "The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries."

The woman in this passage is described as wearing purple for royalty, and scarlet for sacrifice. Missing, however, are white for purity and blue for heavenly origin. Also notice that the gold, precious stones and pearls she is wearing, in contrast to the High Priest's robes, were for glittering and an obvious ostentatious display of wealth.

In the difference between the High Priest's robes and the way the woman is dressed we can recognize what John is telling us about this woman, in fact, it is blatantly in our faces today.

The kings of the earth who are described as prostituting themselves with the woman, are describing our political world leaders (kings), who are turning to idolatry and false gods, something we are witnessing here and now. What we are seeing today coming from our world leaders is the turning away from God and His Word and a turning toward, secular, liberal humanism, the likes of Sodom and Gamora. Throughout the world liberal governments are being elected and are passing laws legislating God out of our society and committing fornication with this demon of secularism and money, acquiring for themselves wealth and power. This woman is the spirit of the anti-Christ and in Revelation 17:7 we see her riding on the back of Satan.

Revelation 17:7 "But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns."

I hope we realize that we are living out the Book of Revelation right now. What John spoke about is no longer the future, it is the present!

Hi Ellen here… 

Are you holding anything back? Have you surrendered all to Yeshua? Are you transparent before the Lord? You see, it is better to answer YES to all the above because we cannot hide anything from the Lord. He knows all, sees all, hears all and even knows our thoughts and feelings! I heard a very reputable preacher once say that there is an angel stationed just to monitor our thoughts 24\7…Lord help us and please take our thoughts captive to Messiah Yeshua!

I am sure you are all reading the Scriptures every day and see where Yeshua would publicly ridicule the Pharisees for their thoughts that were contrary to His teaching, rebuking them. Are you holding anything back from those in authority or from blessing your believing family. Do You remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira? In Acts 5.1-10 we see where God demands complete honesty even in our giving. Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a portion to the apostles. Kefa asked why Ananias had let Satan in so that he lied and we all know what happened next! I am not only talking about giving in a monetary sense but also who we are in the Lord. Yes, Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead right there on the spot but what about us holding on to our unconfessed sins and unlawful deeds and dying a slow death, a slow agonizing tormenting spiritual death. Our Father in heaven knows everything about us and is waiting on us to repent so He can once again lovingly embrace us. Life or death? It is our choice.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary (coming soon)

Sermon of the week "Fear of Man"

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Parasha Vayechi

From Rabbi Jack...

Have you ever wondered why some families tend to have recurring tragic patterns in their lives? When they look back into their family history they find recurring things like divorce, no father in the home, personal failures, financial problems, homosexuality, drug and alcohol addiction, untimely deaths, depression, mental illness, unexplained health problems, fear, and many other repeated misfortunes that have occurred over the generations of their family? I have heard it said that alcoholism, addiction to tobacco, and criminal behavior are genetic dispositions, but is that true? Genetics explains why we look like our parents, but can genetics explain why certain catastrophes can be traced through family lines? Is it possible that there is more at work here than just the arranging of chromosomes? Could the sins of our parents, grandparents and even our great, great grandparents become issues for us to deal with in our lives? Are we linked to our family line spiritually?

Exodus {34:6-7} 6) And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7) Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

This verse might be difficult for some to accept; that our sins are visited upon our children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation, and we might be tempted to just ignore it. However, what God has said here, is not an isolated occurrence in the Scripture. I found it four other times: Exodus 20:3-6; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9-10; and Jeremiah 32:17-18. So, since this warning is repeated at least five times in Scripture, I think it is safe to say that God thinks it significant and worth paying attention to.

If there are some specific sins that you can identify in your life without much thought, then I suggest confessing them and asking God for forgiveness. However, maybe there are things that your past generations have done that are affecting your life that you do not know about and cannot identify offhand. So, I also suggest confessing the sins of your ancestors and asking God to forgive them. A prayer like Nehemiah's would work fine.

Nehemiah 1:6 let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's family, have committed against You.

Nehemiah did not list each and every sin; he just said that past generations sinned against God. So, say a general prayer asking the Lord to forgive the sins of your ancestors; a prayer asking for Him to forgive you for any of their sins that may have entered into your life. You should also ask the Lord to identify any of those sins so that you can specifically confess each one. The good news is that when you confess those sins and turn away from them, you break the generational curse!

Hi Ellen here…

I'm sure you have heard that the eyes are a window to the soul. Matthew 6.22-23 says the following: "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (clear, undivided, without hypocrisy), thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil (wicked, malicious), thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone and sensed a troubled heart or was blessed by another with peace and grace? Proverbs 30.17 tells us this: "The eye (face, countenance) that mocketh (derides, scorns) at his father, and despiseth (disrespect, rejects) to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out (pierce, thrust out, hollow out), and the young eagles shall eat it (feed upon)." Wow, not a pretty picture but the Word of God does not lie. Everything we need is in His book even a side glance or a wink of an eye can be explained. Let us read Matthew 13.15: "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." I implore you; I urge you to open your eyes and ears to your fate should you continue down a path contrary to God's Word. Yeshua said, and I am paraphrasing, that He is the light of the world. Let us strive to be more and more like our Yeshua and shine with His light.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "An Incredible Journey"

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Parasha Vayigash

From Rabbi Jack...

2 Timothy {3:5-7} "5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 6) They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7) always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Today we are finding more and more Messianic Believers, and Christians, seeking after knowledge rather than relying on and putting their trust in the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth and righteousness. I suppose they think that the more knowledge they have the more they will understand God and the more God will be pleased with them. Such people search the internet, and any other sources they can find, trying to gobble up as much knowledge as they can thinking that the wisdom of man is better than the wisdom of God's written Word (Genesis-Revelation). I would like to counter this understanding with the following teaching by showing that it is power and not knowledge that we will need as we approach the end of this age. That type of power is only obtained through the Holy Spirit working in the life of a Believer.

It took four demonstrations of power before the magicians of Egypt were defeated and three of them Pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate. I want us to see in this the way it is going to be at the close of this age. In the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures), there are three forms of the Satanic supernatural; the magicians of Egypt, Balaam and Jezebel. It is interesting to see that when we look into the Renewed Covenant every one of these are referred to in the context of the church.

Know this; the ultimate battle at the end of this age, which we are fast approaching, is not going to be a battle over theology or knowledge, it's going to be a battle of power; Satan vs. Yeshua.

The beginning of the history of the nation of Israel was not with knowledge, it began with a demonstration of power through the Holy Spirit, Pharaoh vs. God. As we read in the Book of Revelation 19:11-21, this age will end the same way! History began with a demonstration of power and it will end with a demonstration of power. Knowledge puffs up, the Holy Spirit powers up!

Yours in Messiah Yeshua,  "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "25^th of Kislev"

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Parasha Miketz

From Rabbi Jack...

John {1:14+18} 14) "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 18) No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known."

Throughout the Bible God reveals His character to us. The Hebrew Scriptures, Genesis through Malachi, teach us who God is, what He likes and dislikes, what He expects from us, what He is willing to do for us, how He deals with us and how much He loves us. One of my favorite passages in the Hebrew Scriptures for getting to know God is His Thirteen Attributes found in:

Exodus {34:6-7} 6) "And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,7) maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."

However, no matter what we read in the Hebrew Scriptures, nothing reveals the Father more than the Son. The Hebrew Scripture told us that we cannot see God and live. However, because Yeshua is God manifested in human flesh, when we see Yeshua, we see the Father. The mercy of the Son is the mercy of the Father; the miracles of the Son are the miracles of the Father and in them we see the power of the Father; the compassion of the Son demonstrates the compassion of the Father to us, but most of all the love Yeshua displays is the love of the Father and no one ever showed love the way He did. No wonder John could say:

John 1:18 "No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known."

There will be no surprises for those of us who are Believers in Yeshua and have read and studied the Word when we enter into eternity and join the Father and the Son in heaven. Yes, those of us who have made Yeshua the center of our lives and are walking in His commandments and righteousness have already seen and know the Father in the Son.

Hi Ellen here…

When you read the Bible, do you just read? Do you say to yourself, "I have accomplished the task of reading my Bible plan today." There is more! I am very blessed to be able to read the Bible with my husband because so many times we exchange and converse concerning the passages we have just read…this is reading the Bible! You too can do this by just meditating on what you read. Each time we read and finish our verses we say; "Thank You Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!" (Psalm 119.105).

Now listen to this, I like this so much because God has written a book that is all beginning and never ending…go to Proverbs 6.23: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light." Is this not wonderful? Do you not just love God's Word? I pray that during this Festival of Lights (Hanukkah), you will not hide your light under a basket but you will SHINE before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven! (Matthew 5.15-16) Chag Chanukah Sameach!!!

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

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Parasha Vayeshev

Ephesians {6:13-17} "13) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"

Paul listed 5 defensive items and one offensive: The defensive is the Belt of Truth, that is the truth of the Word of God. It is from the waist that we bend, so Paul is saying that we are only to bow to the truth of God's Word; the Breastplate of Righteousness, is the full righteousness of Yeshua. The chest covers the heart and righteousness comes from a pure protected heart; Feet covered with the Gospel of Peace. Everywhere we walk we should bring Yeshua's gospel of peace, spreading His peace to everyone we meet; the Shield of Faith. A shield protects the entire body so Paul is warning us that Satan can and will attack anywhere on our bodies to destroy our faith and cause us to doubt God; the last defensive item is the Helmet of Salvation which protects our minds and thoughts. The one offensive item is the Sword of The Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Our soul is what connects us to the earth, to humanity; our spirit connects us to God. Only the Word of God which is our two-edged sword can cut between the two and set us free from worldly lusts and endeavors so we can serve and be connected to the Spirit of God.

If we count them, Paul mentions 6 items of warfare in Ephesians 6:13-17 and most people stop with them when quoting this passage, but there is one more offensive weapon in our arsenal, and it is by far the most powerful against unseen demonic spirits.

Ephesians 6:18 "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

Prayer is our equivalent of a guided missile which can be directed anywhere we want and at anything we want. Satan's greatest fear is praying Believers. So, never start your day without putting on the FULL armor of God!

Hi Ellen here…GOD is awesome, only He is worthy of praise! Jack and I asked for favor as we traveled and of course all went well, thank You Lord. We also were prayed over by our congregation in Ashkelon, Israel and by individual friends. Although each time of prayer was different the words were similar. The prayers were filled with affirmations of God's miracles, healing and blessings…same thought but different prayers by the saints and we say; "thank You Holy Spirit!"

Anywhere we go we ask the Lord to show us who we should approach and who we should not and again He is faithful. When we arrived at the place we are staying, the Lord gave us Pauline to instruct us and show us how things work, etc. but she is also a Christian and loves Yeshua and we are praying together.

I have written before a personal note about not having a manicure since 2019 due to covid closures and shut downs. My husband gave me a gift for one here in Nairobi. My nail technician is Emma and she is a spirit filled Believer in Yeshua…thank You Lord. Emma shared her testimony as she gave me a manicure and we spoke about Yeshua for the entire time! Thank you all for your prayers as we enter into ministry in Kenya. Blessings to all!

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Vayishlach

From Rabbi Jack...

Hebrews 13:15 "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name."

What a blessing to know that God inhabits the praises of His people, which means, when we praise Him, He's all over us, around us and moving through us! That is a place God likes to be! When the Priest came out of the Temple from burning the incense, everyone knew where he had been and what he had been doing because of the smell of the incense! The aroma told the story. Ever been around or in the home of a smoker? Then you know what I mean. Well, how does God smell us? Put some praise in our prayers, some perseverance and some passion in them and we will be a sweet smell, a pleasing odour to God. That is the lesson of the Altar of Incense.

Revelation {8:3-4} "3)Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4) And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand."

Did you notice what the angel does with our prayers? This other angel, which many Bible scholars believe to be Yeshua functioning in the capacity of our High Priest, takes our incense, our prayers, and He adds to it "much incense" as He places it on the Altar. Whose incense is being added to our incense? Whose prayers are being added to our prayers? It is the intercessory prayers of Messiah Yeshua Himself, He's praying on our behalf along with us!

Hebrews 7:25 "Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

God is storing your prayers and mine in Heaven, and verse 3 says they will be offered to God along with the prayers of Messiah Yeshua for us. How do you smell to God? How is your prayer life?

What we have spoken about here is just the preparation for the opening of that 7th seal. There is an eerie silence in heaven for a half an hour, and then there is awe-inspiring supplication, and all of the prayers of the ages will be answered through God's final judgment, His Will will finally be done on earth as it is in Heaven. It will bring the once-and-for-all vindication of His Holy Name for all eternity!

Hi Ellen here…

I placed an image on my WhatsApp status awhile ago. It was a pleasant picture of an elderly lady and the words read, 'If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how different would our ideals of beauty be.' I thought this very wonderful because as we age our skin may sag but our souls are filled with the love of God, as a Believer of course. Even better than that, when God looks at us He sees His Son! How amazing it would be if we truly put ourselves in His care and surrender to His will and ask Abba, "We want to see what You see." We do not want to see wrinkles and greying hair, we want to see hearts and souls of servants happily and willingly serving the Most High God and His children.

Just writing this I am filled with the love and joy that only comes with abiding in Yeshua. So here is what I think…close your TikTok account full of what the world thinks beauty is…close your eyes to thin girls, muscular guys, newest trends in manicures and hair and sit back and ask Abba… "I want to see what You see. I want to see the beauty of Your Holiness. I Want to see love, joy and peace. I want to see Heaven on earth. Bless you all in Yeshua.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Sermon of the week: "Self Pity"

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Parasha Vayetze (And He Went Out)

From Rabbi Jack...

Revelation {4:4} "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats, I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold."

The identity of these twenty-four elders has been a subject of debate for many centuries. Some theologians believe them to be celestial beings, while others take them to refer to the church. While the text is not perfectly clear on the subject, it does give us some very important clues and if we search God's Word as some search for wealth, we'll find the answers we are looking for.

First, this passage tells us that the elders are clothed in white. Throughout the book of Revelation white is a symbol of salvation. If these elders were celestial beings, they would not need salvation, because unlike us they were not lost in the first place.

The second clue is the crowns they're wearing. These were not Diadem crowns as those worn by kings or celestial beings, rather John called them Stephanos crowns. My Strong's Greek/English dictionary defines Stephanos as: "A mark of royal or (in general) exalted rank; like the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in public games." So, I believe these to be a crown (wreath) which is the reward of righteousness. It is the crown of the overcomers, the crown that will be given to us when we stand before the Lord and our works as Believers are judged.

The third clue is their title. Nowhere in Scripture are celestial beings called Elders. This term is used in Scripture to describe human positions of leadership.

The final clue is the number 24. King David divided the priestly tribe of Levi into twenty-four courses. Each course had their turn serving in the Temple (1 Chronicles 24). The 24 courses represented the whole priesthood.

We, as born-again Believers are called a nation of priests.

1 Peter {2:9} "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

In my estimation, these twenty-four Elders represent the twenty-four courses of Levites King David established, who are now serving the Lord in heaven.

What a thrill to think that one day we who have received Yeshua as our Lord and Savior and are judged righteous, will also be in heaven along with all the saints that have preceded us. But yet my heart is sad, because there are so many people, including friends and family, that still do not recognize Yeshua as their Messiah, God, Lord and Savior and have never had the born-again experience. They sadly may very well end up spending eternity in hell.

Hi Ellen here…

Many years ago Jack and I ministered to a single foster mom. We thought it was so wonderful that she fostered an entire group of siblings so that they would not be separated…BUT her parenting was waning thin so we helped out. We did this with many single moms and noticed one thing that was disturbing. When one is angry or saddened there tends to be words that go out into the atmosphere that are harmful. I too am to blame at times and am asking Abba to change me…but the words went out never to be retrieved again! I remember words like; "You will never amount to anything," which severely causes low self-esteem. I know we have all said this…"Are you crazy!" Who knows what root has been planted in the minds of those receiving such words? Wrong word labels go deeper than a punch or a smack! Other word labels are; "My child has mental health issues." How about; "He, or she, has a learning disability." Here is one that hurts deeply…"You are fat or you are too skinny." Maybe, as the person matures those words that have taken root in the recesses of their minds evolve into their character through acceptance of them, who knows?

When Jack and I prepare to visit doctors, we pray against all wrong word labels that might come against us. I am not saying that we should ignore cancers and viruses, colds and broken bones but I am saying to seek the Lord first. Jack and I have been through them all and have followed treatment protocols but we always ask the Lord to do the impossible as we do the possible. I could go on but there is no need to dwell on all this negativity. My final statement lies in:

Philippians {4.8} "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary (coming soon)

Sermon of the week "Modesty-Overexposure"

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If you are being blessed by the teachings and commentaries, please consider supporting the ministry to Kenya and Israel. In Kenya, we support the needy and the orphans; in Israel we support the elderly poor and new immigrants (Olim). Messenger me for more information.

To Donate click this link: https://paypal.me/kenyamission

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