I Know…

Shalom Friends,

This is a beautiful song by Shilo ben Hod called “I Know”. One of the lyrics in this song, says that “You’ve kept every word You’ve spoken”. When I hear this I think of the prophecy found in the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 31.

31 “”Here, the days are coming,” says ADONAI, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra’el and with the house of Y’hudah.

32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them,” says ADONAI.

33 “For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says ADONAI: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, ‘Know ADONAI’; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.”

The God of Israel made a new covenant with his people, whereby our Messiah, Yeshua / Jesus died for our sins, once. As Paul sums this up in Hebrews chapter 9 verses 26 to 28: “But as it is, he has appeared once at the end of the ages in order to do away with sin through the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ Just as human beings have to die once, but after this comes judgment, ²⁸ so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,^[c] will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to deliver those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Let’s pray everyday for Yeshua / Jesus to return… soon!

Following Yeshua / Jesus in Jerusalem

In Matthew 21, we read about the event where Yeshua entered Jerusalem, fulfilling messianic prophecies as written in Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Psalms. In verse 12, Yeshua chased out the people doing business near the temple: 

12 Yeshua entered the Temple grounds and drove out those who were doing business there, both the merchants and their customers. He upset the desks of the money-changers and knocked over the benches of those who were selling pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It has been written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’[e] But you are making it into a den of robbers!”

Imagine what it would have been like to witness these events back in those days two thousand years ago.   I’ve recently found two interesting videos on the history of the temple mount and Jerusalem during the time of Yeshua; and I wanted to share these with you. Enjoy!

Wake UP and Clean UP!

Shalom Friends,

In Romans 13:11 -14 CJB, Shaul / Paul pointed out how we should live in these final days. That is to get ready, to stay ready and not waste our time thinking about nonsense:

¹¹ Besides all this, you know at what point of history we stand; so it is high time for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; for the final deliverance is nearer than when we first came to trust. ¹² The night is almost over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and arm ourselves with the weapons of light. ¹³ Let us live properly, as people do in the daytime — not partying and getting drunk, not engaging in sexual immorality and other excesses, not quarrelling and being jealous. ¹⁴ Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.

Rabbi Lawrence Hirsh discusses what it means to be prepared and staying prepared in a teaching series called “practising Righteousness”.

May you have a peaceful and blessed week!

Expose the Truth

Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

אָמַר לוֹ יֵשׁוּעַ: “אֲנִי הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַחַיִּים. אֵין אִישׁ בָּא אֶל הָאָב אֶלָּא דַּרְכִּי.
הַבְּשׂוֹרָה עַל־פִּי יוֹחָנָן פֶּרֶק יד

YOU alone are GOD!

שבת שלום!

“Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim”

Happy Hanukkah! If you do a google search for where Hanukkah is mentioned in the Hebrew bible, you’ll find that it isn’t actually mentioned. The only reference is found in the New Testament in John Chapter 10:

^“Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, ²³ and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo’s Colonnade. ²⁴ So the Judeans surrounded him and said to him, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us publicly!” ²⁵ Yeshua answered them, “I have already told you, and you don’t trust me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf, ²⁶ but the reason you don’t trust is that you are not included among my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice, I recognize them, they follow me, ²⁸ and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely never be destroyed, and no one will snatch them from my hands. ²⁹ My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them from the Father’s hands. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” John 10:22 (Complete Jewish Bible).

As the Covid pandemic continues around the world, with raising inflation, rumors of wars, climate change issues and so forth, it just seems that these challenging times just continue and are the new normal. However, we should remember that our only anchor in this world of instability is our faith in our Messiah. It’s not always easy, but let’s reflect on these words spoken by Yeshua in John 16: 28 and 33 (CJB):

²⁸ “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.” ³³ “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris (problems). But be brave! I have conquered the world!”

Be brave!

Shabbat Shalom!

Have no fear; I will help you

Shabbat Shalom!

 “But you, Isra’el, my servant; Ya’akov, whom I have chosen, descendants of Avraham my friend, 9 I have taken you from the ends of the earth, summoned you from its most distant parts and said to you, ‘You are my servant’ – I have chosen you, not rejected you. 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you; don’t be distressed, for I am your God. I give you strength, I give you help, I support you with my victorious right hand. 11 All those who were angry with you will be disgraced, put to shame; those who fought against you will be destroyed, brought to nothing. 12 You will seek them but not find them, those who contended with you; yes, those who made war with you will be brought to nothing, nothing at all. 13 For I, ADONAI, your God, say to you, as I hold your right hand, ‘Have no fear; I will help you. 14 Have no fear, Ya’akov, you worm, you men of Isra’el!’ I will help you,” says ADONAI; “Your redeemer is the Holy One of Isra’el. 

Isaiah 41: 8-14 CJB

“It won’t come near you”

You who live in the shelter of ‘Elyon,
who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai,
² who say to Adonai, “My refuge! My fortress!
My God, in whom I trust!” —
³ he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter
and from the plague of calamities;
⁴ he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his truth is a shield and protection.

⁵ You will not fear the terrors of night
or the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ or the plague that roams in the dark,
or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand;
but it won’t come near you.
⁸ Only keep your eyes open,
and you will see how the wicked are punished.

Psalm 91:1-8 CJB

The Rock of Israel

Shilo ben Hod released new Hebrew worship songs recently, and these are some of my favourites: the Rock of Israel and Yeshua, Saviour. The second song called Yeshua, Saviour is based on Psalm 121. I hope you enjoy these and remember Yeshua’s words in Matthew 5:11 – 20:

11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. 13 “You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on. 14 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven. 17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! 

Lessons on Prayer from the Life of Sarah

Shalom Friends,

Last Shabbat, Rabbi Lawrence Hirsh from the Beit HaMashiach Congregation, discussed one of the most fundamental principles of prayer, that is to pray in the name of Yeshua, our Messiah. This principle to pray in the name of a person also appears in Genesis 24:12 and is also practiced in Orthodox Judaism. Please note that we, as believers in Yeshua the Messiah, pray in the name of Yeshua, because Yeshua indicated that in Matthew 28:18 CJB “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And further in John 14:6  Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. Lawrence also reflect on principles about prayer from both her life.

May Yeshua protect us during these strange times.

The Two Coronas

Shalom friends,

I hope you are doing well, under the circumstances of coronavirus, social distancing and self isolation measures imposed by various governments all over the planet. I saw a thought provoking video by Chaim Goldman where he discusses the 2 crowns of 2 Jewish Messiahs (Mashiach ben yosef / משיח בן־יוסף and Mashiach ben David / משיח בן דוד ) which we believe the roles Yeshua the Messiah has fulfilled as the suffering Servant (Isaiah Chapter 53) and will fulfill when he returns which I believe will be sooner rather than later, [and not because of the current pandemic]. 

May ADONAI, the God of Israel in the name of Yeshua / ישוע Mashiach continue to bless and protect you and your family during these times.

Unclean Spirit plus 7 returns

Shalom friends,

 

In Matthew 12:43-45(CJB) we read about Yeshua’s teaching on the return of the unclean spirits. The verses are below. I found an interesting video explaining this teaching and how it relates to this current status of the world we live in.

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry country seeking rest and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says to itself, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house standing empty, swept clean and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they come and live there — so that in the end, the person is worse off than he was before. This is how it will be for this wicked generation.”

I hope you have a blessed and wonderful new week – Shavua Tov!