Parasha Yitro (Jethro)

From Rabbi...

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Ellen...

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

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

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

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

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Mishpatim (Judgements)

From Rabbi...

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Ellen...

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

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

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Beshalach (When He Let Go)

From Rabbi...

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

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

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

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

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

From Ellen...

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

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

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

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

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon "God's Will Be Done"

Parasha Bo (Go)

From Rabbi...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Ellen...

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

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

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

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

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Sermon "An Incredible Journey"

Parasha Va'era (And I Appeared)

From Rabbi...

We all know that conditions around the world are deteriorating and fast. There was a time when we could put our trust in the government but through all that is going on due to Covid-19 they have proven that they are totally stumped by this virus and as much in the dark as to what to do as any one of us. Once we could trust in the police, the military, the justice system but those too have let us down. We have gotten to the point today where we cannot trust in keeping our jobs or in the economy. What can we trust in today, where can we find a little comfort or solace in this chaotic world? For Believers in Messiah Yeshua and unbelievers as well the only real hope we have for real and sustainable help is in the Lord.

 

Psalm {121:1} "I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]— From where shall my help come? {121:2} My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." (AMP)

 

All that is going on in the world today is not a surprise to God, He is not stumped nor is He in the dark, in fact He is allowing it all to happen. God is preparing those that are truly His for the imminent return of Messiah Yeshua

 

Mark {13: 35} "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. {13:36} If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. {13:37} What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"  

 

From Ellen...

As You know Jack and I follow the Victory Bible Reading Plan. Each year, if you have followed it brings the reader through the entire Word of God. Jack and I, as a married couple. have read the Bible through 30 years together and prior to marriage …even more times. All that said it never ceases to amaze us the illumination that the Holy Spirit delivers on the Word of God. This past week we were reading in the Book of Luke, chapter 4.  I know I have read this specific passage many times before but verses 5 and 6 jumped off the page! I will let you read them right here… "Then the devil, taking Him (Yeshua) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Yeshua, 'All this authority I will give to You, and their glory; "for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'" Wow what an illumination that was to know and understand that the devil himself was given authority to be over all the kingdoms of the earth. That statement the devil made was not just for then but has been carried to this very day! So, stop looking for the anti-Messiah because he has been ruling and reigning from before the time Yeshua walked this earth. What this is saying is our battle has intensified over the centuries and warfare is a part of Believers walk with God.  Do not let your armor tarnish. Do not let your knowledge and understanding of the Word of God diminish. Stand up and take the position the Lord has given you on the enemy's line and fight…fight the good fight and never forget that God is bigger than all this, we are victorious in Him and He rules and reigns over the devil. We know the outcome and we look forward to the Messiah's return…Maranatha Lord Yeshua!

 

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

 

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Sermon: "Immanuel - God With Us"

Parasha Shemot (Names)

From Rabbi..

For decades there has been talk and concern over climate change and as time passes and as we see and experience these changes more and more, governments around the world are uniting in an effort to take the situation into hand. As we have recently seen with the international conference on climate change, they are making agreements, proposals, plans and promises to correct and even reverse the earth's ecological downward spiral.

However, as Believers in Messiah Yeshua and proponents of the Bible as the infallible Word of God, we need to put climate change into its proper biblical perspective.

Genesis {1:28} "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

This was a blessing given to Adam and Eve before they were deceived by Satan and sinned. However, after they sinned things changed and God pronounced the follow curses on them:

Genesis {3:16} To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." {3:17} To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. {3:18} It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. {3:19} By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Notice that God did not only pronounce a curse on Adam and Eve and their future generations, He also cursed the earth, the ground under their feet. Compare these curses with what we are told in Psalm 102:25 and in other passages of Scripture in the Bible, where God ordained the passing away of the earth. Therefore, man's effort to change or reverse what God has cursed, although it may delay the inevitable, in the end it will be an exercise in futility.

Psalm {102:25} In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. {102:26} They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. {102:27} But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

From Ellen...

Hi Ellen here…Even in Israel, a Jewish state, you can hear Christmas songs in the stores and other public venues. This is not the sound of the birth of a King but a sound of commercial ventures and retail exploitation. We do not have Christmas sales or advertising but in certain neighborhoods little shops spring up to sell artificial trees, garlands and shiny colored ornaments. My point? What is the reason for this season? If the reasons were of thankfulness, blessing, generosity, giving to the needy and most of all the acknowledging of our Messiah Yeshua all would be well…but alas as Noel and Silent Night ring out in the shopping centers, people are living in fear of a virus, children and elderly are hungry and cold, the needy are more needy and the fact that our Messiah should be lifted up, unbelief rages on. Let us hold hands, reach into our hearts and pray for the Lord's will to truly be done here…on earth!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

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Sermon: "Cults - Not So Subtle Deception"

Parasha Commentary

Parasha Vayechi (And He Lived)

From Rabbi ...

Romans 8:28 "God works everything together for good for those that trust in the Lord and are called according to His purposes."

Unlike the rest of humanity Believers in Messiah Yeshua do not live for today. Our lives and our futures are not bound up in the daily events of the world, nor do they depend on what is taking place and reported on by the daily news casts. Our hope is not based on this peace negotiation or that arms agreement; our lives are based on the hope of the promises of God as set forth in His Word, in the Bible. Our hope transcends the natural and extends into the eternal, it does not begin or end with this world but proceeds into and beyond death because of the death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. That is why in this world we can say with confidence, if we are walking with God according to His purposes, that everything that is taking place and that will take place in our lives, even if perceived as bad, God will work out for our good. And because Yeshua lives, we have the eternal hope of life after death. The unsaved do not have this hope. Their lives are bound up in the here and now, they are like ships tossed by the waves with no anchor to bring hope or security to their lives. In fact, their hope is not hope at all because it has no basis, no anchor, it is just wishful thinking.

From Ellen ...

Hi Ellen here…Did you ever not feel "right", I mean like sick but cannot put your finger on the exact symptom? Your head hurts, you have palpitations, there is a pinching between your shoulders…you are not feeling well but not sick enough to call the doctor. What to do? Well, you can start to Google all your ailments, all your feelings and maybe even that strange spot that just appeared on the inside of your forearm. Why not? All those experts that have degrees on their virtual walls must know more and they will be able to diagnose you and then all will be well. Then it happens…as you read you become sicker and sicker and your "self-diagnosis" is a terminal disease and all hope is lost! Have you been there? People now believe Google before they believe the real thing. You can read up on all the symptoms and you become convinced that you are really, really ill! So why do those same people not, maybe even you and me, read the Word of God and take on its characteristics and believe the Creator of the Universe and those who penned His words on paper…We need to believe and walk in all that the Almighty God has told us. Stop leaning on your own understanding; know for sure that He will never leave or forsake you and truly believe as He is we are on this earth!!!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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

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Parasha Commentary

Weekly Sermon: God's Presence

Parasha Vayigash & Sermon of the week "God's Extreme Makeover"

From Rabbi...

Before I became a Believer in Messiah Yeshua as my Lord and Savior, I was involved in the occult. My specialty was psychometry, the ability to divine information about people or events associated with an object they owned solely by touching or being near to it. Friends and associates would come to me seeking to know what their tomorrow held, and I gained the reputation of being a psychic. Of course, upon coming to know the Lord, I recognized that the information I was receiving was from demons and that I was in communication with what the Bible calls familiar spirits. Looking back, it is amazing how much demons know about us and this knowledge of how much they know has helped me in the ministry of deliverance. However, once our lives are committed and bound up in the Lord, demons can not have any influence over us, nor can they judge or condemn us and certainly they no longer have the power to influence our tomorrows.

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua,"

We do not know what tomorrow holds, our lives and our futures are completely in God's hands, or more precisely they are imprinted in the nail holes in His Hands. This alone tells us the extent of God's love for us and leaves us with the confidence that He wants only the best for us and, therefore, our futures are secure. Why then do we need to know our future when God's timing for our lives is perfect? So, instead of trying to figure out what our tomorrows hold, we should say as the psalmist:

Psalm 31:15a "My times are in Your Hands; …"

Glory to God!

From Ellen...

I don't know about you, but I ask the Lord all of the time…SHOW YOURSELF LORD – I NEED TO SEE TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF YOUR POWER IN OUR LIVES!!! You notice I said in "OUR" lives; whenever I pray I pray as my husband and I are one. All that said, I want to share a miracle with you this week. You may not get the impact from it that we did but I am sure you will enjoy our experience. In the storage room at our apartment, we have lots of stuff. Little by little we weed out this and that. My bicycle of almost 45 years was really in the way of easy access. It was a good one and we kept it in usable condition, but we had only one. This would mean that we could not have outings together on one bicycle, so its time was over. We inflated the tires and wiped it down and it was good to go…but go where? Jack and I prayed at home, and we were led to leave it "Canada House". This is like a halfway house for new immigrants, they reside there until their language classes are finished and they can rent an apartment. We pulled up to their entrance but there was not anyone around, so we were going to leave it at their dumpster site for someone to retrieve it. As we were about to unload Jack prayed, "Lord, send the perfect person for this bike…". Out of a cluster of trees walks a young boy with a bicycle on his tee shirt. We beckoned for him to come over and in our broken Hebrew we asked if he would have this, pointing to the bike in our trunk. He said ken (yes in Hebrew), took the bike, squeezed the tires and rode off. Thank You Lord for tangible evidence of your Holy Spirit in our lives!

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

https://weeklyparasha02.blogspot.com/

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Parasha Commentary

Sermon of the week "God's Extreme Makeover"

Parasha Miketz & Sermon "CHANUKAH 25th OF KISLEV"

From the Rabbi's Desk

When I was a child there were no microwave ovens and of course there was no such thing as internet and email. If you wanted to warm something up in my youth, you had to heat-up the oven, place whatever you wanted to warm in it and wait and wait and wait. If you wanted to search a certain subject for a school paper, you had to go to the library and take hours searching through an encyclopedia. Mail communication had to be done through the post office and even local mail deliveries took weeks to arrive at their destinations.

In today's modern technologically advanced world waiting thirty seconds for something to warm in the microwave seems like forever. Is it any wonder then, that we get anxious and impatient when God does not answer our prayers within our expected time frame! Sadly, some people get so impatient they go as far as to give up on the Lord and end up backsliding (falling away).

The Lord warned Judah, the Southern Kingdom after backsliding Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was sent into exile of their impending destruction, yet He waited 150 years before sending in the Babylonians.

Acts 1:11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Yeshua has promised us that He will return to claim those that have committed their lives to Him, yet over two thousand years have passed since His ascension and still no sign of Him. Sadly, some Believers have given up hope of Him ever returning, as they watch the world spiral lower and lower into sin and evil. However, the Apostle Peter warned us that this would happen:

2 Peter 3:3 "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4) They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

Not one of God's promises have ever failed and if we are faithful to commit our way to Him, we will yet see Him return, coming in His Glory.

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Hi Ellen here…How do you act when it comes to a test? I remember when I was in school, the higher grades, I would wait until the last minute then cram, cram and cram some more until it was time for the test…wow did that become an exhausting experience. As I grew, I tried to change but with no success…I remember being totally exhausted in the exercise of trying to change, so I thought; 'why be so tired twice' and so I returned to cramming. Years later and only through the grace of Almighty God, I received the free gift of salvation. I did not have to cram for it, in fact it just happened, I wasn't tired and wow, those carnal and negative habits started to fall off like dried leaves in the autumn…God is so good! So, what is the moral of my little story? Do not dwell on who you were yesterday or on who you are today but look ahead, look straight ahead and receive the free gift of God that is given not by works but by faith!!!

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;

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Sermon of the Week "Chanukah"

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!

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

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

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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"?

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

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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!

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

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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