Parasha Veyeshev & sermon "Watch"

From the Rabbi's Desk

We have small birds, at least two, that come to drink the nectar from the aloe flower blooming on our balcony. We live on the sixth floor and we have often wondered; 'Of all the flowers blooming around us on street level, how these two birds found our aloe blossom amongst all the balconies in our complex of buildings.'

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

So many people in the world live not knowing where their next meal is going to come from or if they will even eat. Yet these two birds managed to zero right in on a sixth-floor balcony which has one blooming aloe flower.

I think we need to take a lesson from the parable Yeshua has given us on how the heavenly Father cares for the birds. In fact, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua, every time we see a bird it should remind us of how much more valuable we are to the Father than birds, and take assurance that He will provide for all our needs.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. 30) And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31) So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Hi Ellen here…Sunday night just before sundown we light the first Chanukah candle. The season of lights is not all about chocolate coins and potato latkes (fried potato pancakes) …oh yes, it is about so much more. I read an article on the month of Kislev and these are some of the thoughts that stayed with me to share with you. In Hebrew kis means pocket and lev means heart. The month of Kislev is a time to reach into the pocket of your hearts and re-examine your desires. I suggest through prayer and quiet moments of sitting at Yeshua's feet that we hold firmly onto those things in our lives that need adjusting; those things that we thought were lost and rekindle our dreams…hold firmly onto the heart of flesh that the Lord replaced our heart of stone with upon receiving Him as our Messiah. In addition, I would ask that the embers of our candles be ignited into a holy fire to light up our lives and be a light to all those around us! No, it is not about greasy pancakes and jelly doughnuts…it is about the Lord!

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;

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR U.S. FRIENDS & FAMILY!

Read Parasha

Watch Parasha commentary

Watch sermon of the week "Trust"

Parasha Vayishlach

From the Rabbi's Desk

Apparently, there are still many things we as Believers need to be delivered from. One of the most blaring, and the one I encounter all too often is, MAKING EXCUSES.

Luke 14:16) Yeshua replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17) At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18) "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'19) "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20) "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' 21) "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry….

Notice that all of the excuses the guests gave were legitimate but all the same they were still excuses. Basically, what they all were saying was they had more important things to do than to go to this banquet. I'm sure they all had good intentions and wanted to go and the scripture implies that once they got what they needed to do out of the way, next time there was a banquet they would go, it was just that this time they had something more important to attend to. So it is today when people make excuses, some are very reasonable, while others are out right foolish but all the same, they are all just excuses.

The excuses the guests gave the host in this parable represent three categories of life's excuses. Most excuses that we give fall into one of these three categories; they are identified in Mark 4:19: 1. The cares of the world. 2. The deceitfulness of riches. 3. The pleasures of life.

Yeshua teaches us; "…let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37). Isiah says; "all we like sheep have gone astray everyone unto his own way." (Isaiah 53:6).

One day we are all going to find ourselves standing before the Lord and we are going to have to give an account for every idle word we have spoken. I pray that when that day comes, we do not find out that we have EXCUSED ourselves right out of the Kingdom of God.

Hi Ellen here…Do you know what your calling is? Each of us is gifted in different areas; some are gifted in many at once and their callings can be for a season. Some may be able to serve in one area for their lifetime and others serve for a shorter time…we are all different. In Romans 12.4-5 the Word says there are many members of the body and all do not have the same function…although one body, many different parts. You have just read a paraphrased version of that Scripture so verse memorization is not one of my gifts! Another thing I would like to mention is that sometimes our "calling" is not something we want to do. I remember when I first became a Believer in Messiah Yeshua my rabbi instructed me to do two things …one was to join the hospital visitation team and the other was to teach the little ones in "Junior Shul." Hospitals, I do not think so, this was one place I did not want to go... I joined anyway. First time out it was difficult to speak and pray for strangers especially those that were in dire situations. God is so good; He took away what I saw and smelt and by the time the hour was over I was elated and could not wait until next time. As for the children, how could I as a brand-new Believer teach anyone anything about Yeshua? Well, I could not at first but the children through their love, playfulness and joy taught me…hallelujah. Take a risk today. Step out in faith and ask the Lord, "what is my calling Abba"?

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 Vayishlach

Audio of Vayishlach

Video of Vayishlach

Video of weekly sermon "We Are The Tool"

Parasha Vayetze & Sermons

From The Rabbi's Desk

I wish I could say that I do not have a care in the world but the fact is I do! So many things weigh heavily on our lives and mine is no exception. Yes, even though I repeat the Scripture; "Cast your burden on the Lord" (Psalm 55:22), to myself regularly, the pressures of life at times still weigh me down.

One of the heaviest burdens that a person can carry is SHAME and GUILT. Many of us, even though we are Believers in Messiah Yeshua and have been forgiven, redeemed and cleansed of our past sin, still condemn ourselves. As a result, some of these sins pop-up in our minds every now and then and cause us to feel shame and guilt. Let me tell you this; Messiah Yeshua, (God in Human Form) did not come upon the earth to save us so that we would remain guilt ridden, in fact He is our Passover "Guilt" (in Hebrew "Asham") offering. That is why the Apostle Paul could say:

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua, 2) because through Messiah Yeshua the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

When Yeshua died on the cross for us He took upon Himself both our shame and our guilt. Now that we have made Him our Lord and Savior, He has taken away all those burdens from us. Therefore, if we insist on carrying our old burdens of shame and guilt, we have to take them back from Yeshua because we both cannot bear the same sins. So, either He carries them or we carry them. If He carries them, we cannot carry them, if we carry them, He cannot carry them. However, if we carry them, it is proof that we have not turned our lives totally over to Him.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for us."

Who would you rather have to carry your anxiety, shame and guilt, God our you?

Hi Ellen here…You all know how I like to talk about the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit…well there is more. Each morning after Jack and I read the Bible Reading Plan we listen to a teaching from a reputable source, a short teaching which then allows us to study and meditate on the Lord and His Word into prayer. I heard something so profound and marvelous that I had to share it with you. There is more that the Lord has for us in His Word so do not limit yourself. In 1 Peter 1.5-7 it says this "…But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness LOVE." That is what it is all about …bottom line…no thrills, chills or vibrations…just LOVE!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

CLICK the link below to see the YOUTUBE SERMON OF THE WEEK:

"The True Worshiper"

https://youtu.be/AGHm9GynmgM

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Listen to Parasha

Watch Parasha Teaching

Watch "The True Worshipper"

Parasha Toldot

From The Rabbi's Desk

What is it in your life that is holding you up, bogging you down and stopping you from serving the Lord with all of your heart, soul and resources?

As Ellen and I are going through some health challenges, God has been impressing upon us that nothing we possess is really ours. We look around at our lives and see all the wonderful things that God has blessed us with, but which in reality are not ours. Yes, we worked, and worked hard for everything we have, but were it not for God giving us the strength, wisdom, health and life itself, we would not have anything, not even the food we eat or the ability to eat it. Nothing is really ours; everything is just on loan to us for a season. As temporary earth dwellers, we are not taking any of it with us into heaven when it is time to go, and those who do not know Yeshua as their Lord and Savior, are not taking any of it with them into hell. In fact, what they hold so precious, hoard and guard so passionately may hasten their going to hell.

Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Look around you right now, what do you see that is precious to you, that you would hate to lose, have stolen, give away or give up; material things, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a pet, looks and so on, and realize that none of them are leaving this earth with you when you pass. So, give them up! I do not mean that you have to physically give anything away but you do have to give them all up in your mind and heart because no one can be tied materially to the earth and expect to receive true and lasting spiritual abundance from God, which is the only things that we will be taking with us into heaven.

Hi Ellen here…Do you get convicted when you read the Word? I know, not all Scripture is intended for that, because there are so many Scriptures of blessings, instruction, illumination, history and much more…but there are those times when we are wavering in thought and deed and bam, a Scripture just opens our eyes and churns in our innermost parts. Well just think on this…when we do err, God in Heaven knows; when we move from faith in Him, He knows; when we sneer at a person or a situation, He knows; when we are called into an opportunity that might take us out of our comfort zone and we walk away, He knows; when someone is hungry and we do not feed them, He knows; when we are called to prayer and we turn away, He knows. God is the Word and the Word is God. Are you convicted now?

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

Watch sermon

Read Parasha

Listen to Parasha

Parasha Chayei Sarah

From The Rabbi's Desk

As Believers in Messiah Yeshua we all want to, or at least should want to, serve the Lord with sincerity. However, today with our hectic lives and the expectations placed on us by family, work and life in general, sometimes what we do for God falls short of what He expects in relation to our motive. Therefore, we need to check ourselves and ask if the things we are doing for God are to satisfy our own consciences, our own need to be needed, our pride and guilt or are our works truly motivated to glorify God in every way and in everything we do for Him? Motive is the best indicator of the quality of our service towards God. Anything short of being motivated to do things solely for His Glory, will ultimately not withstand the test of fire when we stand before Him in heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13) their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.

Our ministry, our work needs to always point and direct people to God and not to ourselves. Too much of what is done today, which is said to be for the glory of God, is as much or perhaps even more, being done for our own recognition, for our own fleshly desires and sadly, in some cases, for our own profit.

Ellen and I have had to stop watching certain Messianic (Christian) television shows because just about every guest interviewed had their own formula of prayer and other areas of improving our relationship with God, which of course they printed in their latest book and were promoting for sale. Is that what serving the Lord has become, selling our latest book, we sure hope not! Everything we need to know about prayer and life in general is already available to us in printed form. I think it is time for committed Believers to stop following their favorite human author and start following the author of life for direction!

Let me say that if there is anything Ellen and I write or teach which does not point to or glorify God, we repent of it right now! We want our motivation to withstand the heat of the Lord's fire and we pray that each one reading this piece wants the same. TO GOD BE ALL GLORY HONOR AND PRAISE!

Hi Ellen here…This is a crazy weird time in our history but as long as we hold onto the hem of our Messiah's garment and not let go, we will be ok. One of the things that really makes me sad is that family and friends, those we love and hold dear in our hearts, are living in a parallel universe; some are Believers and others are not. I, as a Believer seem somewhat naïve in thinking that if you are a Believer, a committed follower of Yeshua haMashaich, then following conspiracy theories and watching all kinds of anti and pro videos, reading the latest and the greatest news articles about the "jab" (the vaccine) and berating government officials instead of praying for them…seems a little disjointed. My husband and I pray about everything we do and every step we take and we know the outcome is of the Lord, whether it looks good to us or not so good. These past many months we have lost so many good friends in and out of the Messianic community to this so-called nonexistent virus, with preexisting health issues and others down right healthy strong men and women. What we want to do is love…love like our Abba in heaven loves and not judge or be judged. We have all made our own choices through God's grace and free will and we also reap the benefits and suffer the consequences of those choices but in the end, God will work everything out for His glory and our benefit. Bless the Lord all my soul and all that is within me bless His holy Name, bless the Lord all my soul and forget not all His benefits, Who heals our diseases and forgives our iniquities, bless the Lord (Psalm 103).

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

Listen to Parasha

Watch "God Can Preserve And Protect"

Listen to "Tree of Good and Evil"

Parasha Vayera

From The Rabbi's Desk

As of late Ellen and I have been taking nightly walks around our neighborhood. The other day while walking I tripped on uneven sidewalk pavers, not once but several times. I am in the habit of looking forward when I walk so Ellen has to remind me to look down and watch where I am walking, not only because of uneven pavers but also so I do not step in dog poop.

Today, as I was contemplating what to write I was reminded of my stumbling walk and what Ellen said to me. It made me think; our walk as Believers in Messiah Yeshua is also riddled with hazards, all kinds of obstacles that can trip us up, all kinds of unpleasant things that we can step into. That is why we are warned so often in Scripture by the Apostles to: "Walk in the newness of life" (Romans 6:4); "Walk worthy of the calling" (Ephesians 4:1). The Apostle Peter says, referring to our walk and calling: "For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Messiah Yeshua." (2 Peter1:10-11).

However, it is not only how we walk but where we walk that is also important. With what I hear on the nightly news, I would not dream of walking on a dark street in downtown Chicago.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6) If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

Darkness is sin, the light is truth. Therefore, we are not to walk in darkness; our walk must stick to areas of light and truth. If we do we will avoid the obstacles and hazards of life and we will not stumble into darkness.

Hi Ellen here…STOP trying to figure things out! If we truly have our eyes on the Lord, we will feel foolish if we do not STOP trying to figure things out because He already has…easier said than done, right? I am writing this short note not to you out there but to myself. I am overly analytical and sometimes too controlling but today as I was making cookies the word that came into my mind was worse than all the above. I'm sure you are on the edge of your seats to discover the word…well sit back and hear the word…it is PRIDE! I need to give up my pride every moment of every day. It is pride that motivates us to be analytical and controlling and more…do you have to be right? Do you have to have the answer? Is all peace and joy out the window when you cannot figure things out? Our God Most High is a mysterious God but He wants it that way so we depend on Him and not ourselves. Let us pray today together for our Abba in heaven to deliver us from the pride in our lives and purpose to rely on Him for all the answers.

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

Watch sermon on YouTube!

Read Parasha

Listen to Parasha

Parasha Lech Lecha & Sermon "These Three Kings"

From The Rabbi's Desk

2 Corinthians 4:7 "Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us." (GNT)

The spiritual treasure that the apostle is talking about here is not Messiah Yeshua, it is not the grace of God, although these are both treasures, it is the Gospel. Buried inside of every Believer in Messiah Yeshua is a treasure trove of truth more precious than gems, silver or gold. Yes, even though we are frail human beings, this treasure, if mined and dug up from within us, can impart life to a dying world. I can liken it to the clay pots Gideon's army carried with them into battle against the Midianites. Under each clay pot they hid a lit candle (Judges 7:16-22). It was not until they cracked the pots that the light was exposed. The same principle applies to us. If we, who are like common clay pots, do not dig and unearth the spiritual treasure within us, the light of the Gospel will not shine forth.

Proverbs 2:3 " indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4) and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5) then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God."

The question is; "How do we extract this spiritual treasure that is within us?" Miners need tools in order to dig for treasure hidden in the earth and so do we. Our tools, however, are not mechanical, they are: reading God's Word and applying it to our lives, having a disciplined prayer life and unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us allowing Him to rule our lives. If we do these things then the Gospel of salvation through Messiah Yeshua will be unearthed in us and we will exhibit, through our lives and witness, the supreme power of God to save the lost.

Hi Ellen here…There are many sayings in the English language that hold validity to their intention. Let us look at two and apply them to our walk in faith. "Practice makes perfect" and "Fake it till you make it" …When I was a brand-new Believer, the person who led me in prayer to receive Yeshua into my heart said not to worry about being ignorant of the things of God, she said…" Fake it till you make it". I attended a Bible study and remained silent because of my lack of wisdom. Funny enough the man who led the study would ask me a question now and then and I would be silent and he would remark that silence was wisdom. Little did he know my silence was due to my unfamiliarity with the Word of God. Over time I began to feel uncomfortable with the "fake it make it" thing so I began to study with those more learned than myself. In conjunction I regularly attended a congregation so as to fellowship with like-minded Believers. This was great and led me on the path of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Now a bit more seasoned I practice, practice, practice and more practice the jewels found in the Word, the characteristics of our Messiah and still try to remain silent when appropriate. Well, I'm not perfect yet but I look forward to the day when I hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant".

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE SERMON OF THE WEEK:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/78ox0ro1j38c0nj/These%20Three%20Kings.m4a?dl=0

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

Read Parasha

Parasha audio coming soon!

These Three Kings

Parasha Noach & Sermon "Teach Us To Pray"

From the Rabbi's Desk

We as humans are a driven race! Every year people line up to climb Mt. Everest, for what purpose; just to climb back down and say they did it! Think about all the time, effort and money that went into sending astronauts to the moon, for what purpose; just so as to beat the Russians there and to say we did it! How about all the space exploration going on now, for what purpose; just to say we did it? Is it because we are a driven race and have to explore and accomplish things just to say that we did them? Man has gone to the extreme and has taken life threatening risks at great expense for little or no reward, other than to go up and then come down just to say that they did it. Yet, when it comes to reading the Bible and discovering Messiah Yeshua through it, which when we do, rewards a person with eternal life with God in heaven, they do not want to do it! There is no greater height, there is no more rewarding journey, there is no greater thrill than perusing after the knowledge of God. That is because there are no limits to what we can learn and there is no end to what we can apply to our lives from the study of God and the Bible.

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

I have been studying the Word of God going on forty years, yet I have still not ascended high enough nor have I journeyed far enough to glean all the truths and insights His Word contains. This should be our passionate purpose; this is what we should be driven to do as humans, because unlike all the thrills the world and space have to offer, we will not come back empty after doing it!

Hi Ellen here…We have all heard the truism: "Let go and let God", easier said than done – right! When you are struggling with something…something that is stealing your peace and eventually allowing a breach in your faith and you leave being under God's authority and come under the authority of the evil one…watch out as everything around you will fall apart. Been there? I have! Thank our Lord in heaven who has given us the Holy Spirit to convict us, give us a nudge, pick us up and direct us in the right direction. He whispers in our ear "…let go…let God." It takes practice so do not waste too much time or energy but "shema" the voice of the Lord. Remember "…it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31.8

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

Listen to Parasha

Listen to "Teach Us To Pray"

Parasha B'resheet & Sermon "The Sukkot Journey"

From the Rabbi's Desk

We all face pressures in our daily lives; time pressures, work pressures, school pressures, marriage pressures, financial pressures and on and on. How do we as Believers in Messiah Yeshua overcome all this external pressure?

Submarines can dive to incredible depths, where the external pressure has the capability of crushing the hull and destroying the sub and its crew. The hull of a submarine must be able to withstand the force created by the outside water pressure while maintaining the inside air pressure but that is not the case with us.

Psalm 118:5-6 "I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

Simplistically put, the psalmist is saying that the pressure on the inside of us has to exceed the pressure being exerted on us from the outside. He concludes that as long as the Lord is our life on our inside, we will not implode and will be able to withstand the pressures imposed on us from the outside. Yeshua told us:

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Divine power gives us everything we need to withstand all the pressures of life. As Peter put it:

2 Peter 1:3 "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Amen

Hi Ellen here…"But Yeshua said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9.62) …Oy vey, very sobering so I decided to pray and seek more about this Scripture. Of course, its context is in what a true disciple of Yeshua should be and we all in the faith desire to be just that. The above Scripture was the NKJ translation; I looked at the LBT which says, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." There you go…DISTRACTED! How many times have you purposed in your heart and in your mind to do what the Lord is leading you to do, mainly praying, reading the Word, attending fellowship, getting on that all too needed prayer chain and so much more. Maybe you have a Martha inclination instead of a Mary…oops that's me…God is here to help! "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1Corithians 15.58 NIV) …AMEN!

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

Listen to Parasha

Listen to "The Sukkot Journey"