Yom Terurah Presentation Dance ... by Sarah

Hello Everyone,

Here is a dance that the children did for Yom Terurah (Feast of Trumpets) last night.  They did a fantastic job!  The dance turned out great but there were some "behind the scenes" that meant a lot more to me than the actual dance. 

#1. There was one girl who did not get there when she was supposed to and she had a solo part, so she really needed to be there.  We started praying and about ten minutes before they started, she arrived and we hurried through getting her garmented.  Our prayers were answered.

#2. When you get a lot of children together (eighteen, to be exact!), they have a tendency of wanting to talk and play around until they go out onto the stage.  Last night those children were all calm and, on their own accord, started praying together that the dance would be a blessing to YHWH and to those watching it.

#3. As you will see in the dance, there was a special prop made for this dance.  It was a life size model,  and seconds (or MAYBE a minute max) before they were going to carry this prop onto the stage, they realize that it was basically the same size as the door.   This prop had a major part in the dance, so panic started working on those involved. Instead of allowing panic to take over, they started praying again.  Those carrying the prop decided that there was no time to take the prop around to another door so ... they picked it up and pushed it through the door!  It made it ... and the children's prayers were once again answered.

I believe that the Father loved seeing His children dancing for His Glory ... but I believe that He was even more so blessed that they remembered Him and called on Him in the time on need.

Here is the dance and I hope you enjoy!

SONG: Mercy Seat by Vicki Yohe ... children's dance.

Shabbat Shalom (almost)! ... by Hannah

Shalom Y'all!

Just wanted to share a short video with you, but first a little background ...

Last week we had some very special guests for Shabbat! Josua and Stefanie are from Switzerland and my father met Josua when he was in Israel years ago. They stayed in contact ever since and we all looked forward to when the whole family could meet him. Last year, Josua married a really sweet girl named Stefanie and they were visiting in the States ... so that is how they ended up at our home for last Shabbat!

Anyway, they were telling us about their wedding and were trying to describe the song that was being played as Stefanie walked down the aisle. When they said it was a Hebrew song and was taken from the psalm that said something about "if I forget Jerusalem", I thought I knew what song they were talking about! Our internet was not working properly and they could not pull up the song on youtube, so I got my phone and played my ringtone ... which just happened to be the same song they were talking about, but a slightly different version.

This song is called "Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim" and is taken from Psalm 137:5-6 which says, "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth -- if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy." When Tommy and I were in Israel last year, it was a popular song and we heard it on the radio everywhere and I was so happy when I found it in my ringtone selection!

Eventually the internet came on and we were able to play the version that they had in their wedding ... it is absolutely beautiful and I wanted to share it with you! But ... as I pulled up youtube just now to find the video, I came across another one ... it is the same song but a different video. I couldn't decide between which one to post here so I decided to do both of them. I mean ... can you overdose on Hebrew psalms, pictures and video footage of Israel?!

So here they are: the first one is just pictures and actually cuts the song short a little before the end, but the pictures are great! The second one is video footage of someone walking in Jerusalem.







So which one do you like best?! Hard choice, eh?

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed Shabbat and remember Jerusalem above your chief joy!

(P.S. If you are receiving this through email, you will probably have to go to the blog to see the videos)

Presentation Dances

Shalom Y'all,

I have decided to post the different presentation dances that our family members has participated in at LAMB Fellowship ... starting from Chanukah and then all of the other ones that we have done up to Shavuot.  We took some of the videos and others were taken by a friend.

Chanukah:

SONG: Courageous by Casting Crowns ... Men's dance.

SONG: Lord Bless Us by John Waller ... Children's dance.

SONG: Seven Feast Song by Lenny & Varda ... A LOT of dancers!

 

(This video is not that good but I thought that I would post it anyway.)

SONG: Candlelight by the Maccabeats ... Children's dance.

Purim:

(Here is a children's dance with a little "adult" help.)

SONG: Praise You With A Dance by Casting Crowns.

First Fruits:

SONG: Deliverance by Sue Samuel ... Ladies dance.

Shavuot:

This dance was performed by over 30 children ages 13 and under! They did a great job :)

SONG: Psalm 24 by Sons Of Korah ... Children's Dance.

SONG: Wherever You Go by Rachel Washington ... Ladies Dance.

Well, that is all for now!

We're Still Here! ... by Hannah

For any of you who have been following this blog or visiting it regularly, you may have begun to wonder if these Israelites in exile are still on planet earth! We're still here ... just living life and staying very busy! Our days have been filled with a medley of ...

... family activities and traveling ...

     

... visiting with friends and family ...

 

... sunshine and rain ...

  

... puppies, puppies and more puppies ...

    

Last Monday, I had several experiences that spelled I-S-R-A-E-L to me. 

We (most of the family) traveled to KY to pick up a new dog, stopping on the way to meet someone who was buying a puppy. The puppy was a Coton named Espresso and as we were handing him over to his new family in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant, I asked if they had decided on a name for him. His new mommy replied that they thought they would keep the name as Espresso and asked if there was any special Hebrew meaning to it! That opened a discussion about Israeli coffee, Turkish coffee and "cafe eem hell" - coffee with cardamom!

We continued on our way into Kentucky and stopped at Subway for a sandwich. As I was waiting in line to place my order, the gentleman in front of me turned and said, "So is there a lot of Romanian spoken over in Israel?"

I smiled and replied that there are quite a few Romanians in Israel and he agreed, adding that many went there after the second world war. He moved on to pay for his order, after saying that it's too bad we don't teach Romanian here in the States.

I thought briefly about asking what made him think I was knowledgeable about the various nationalities in the Holy Land, but I was pleased that I managed enough self-composition and concealed the surprise that I felt at his question ... I'm sure he thought that I often received inquiries about the percentage of Romanian that is spoken in modern Israel today!!

Later, as we were picking out our new puppy (who is a darling dog, by the way!), we stood in the bathroom/puppy kennel of an older couple who appeared to be Catholic. There were four females to choose from and as we were trying to make our decision, my eye caught the titles of several books on the shelf, including one called "Standing With Israel" and another by Israel-related volume by John Hagee. Very interesting! Especially for the hills of Kentucky!

We are excitedly preparing for Sukkot ... really looking forward to camping out with others from our fellowship. I have been asked to teach the children a dance for the feast and have chosen the Sons of Korah version of Psalm 95. If you aren't familiar with it, check this out ...

We will plan to video the presentation and share it on here. Speaking of dance videos, I believe my sister was working on post with some different ones that we have participated in recently. I'll have to check with her and see about getting that published here. We've just had so much going on lately that I haven't given a whole lot of thought to this blog - sorry :(

One more thing ... I assume that most of you are familiar with the Shining Stars magazine that I publish quarterly. We also have a website - www.shiningstarsmagazine.com and that is what I want to tell you about ...

I have recently created a survey about modesty, in an effort to get people's thoughts and opinions on the topic. If any of you have not seen it, you are invited to participate! It is geared toward a female audience but we are welcoming men's perspectives as well. For more info, you can click here.

Ok ... I'm signing off for now ... many blessings sent your way!

Thoughts on the Torah portion (B'har) By..... T. Man

Shabbat Shalom! It is I the T. Man coming to you this week with the thoughts on the Torah portion. But first of all, I want to apologize for not doing a post last week. I had actually remembered on Friday while at work that it was my turn, but then on my way home from Nashville where I was working (about an hour and a half away from home), my fuel pump decided to give up the ghost! And for those of you who don't know what that means, it means that it quit working, which in turn shut down my truck and I was stranded to a certain degree!

Thankfully my dad was on his way home from work and was able to come and help me. But long story short, I had to drop the gas tank on my truck (the pump is in the tank) on the side of the road and change out the pump and then reinstall the tank! The process was a bit more difficult due to the 15 - 20 gallons of gas that were in the tank! Anyways I was delayed a couple hours, and by the time I got home, I had completely forgotten about doing the post and I didn't remember about it until we were reading it at LAMB (Lighthouse Assembly of Messianic Believers, which is our fellowship). So now I get to try to redeem myself and bring it to you this week!

However before I start, I want to mention a slight change up! Normally when doing a post, I'll have the three different sections listed, the Torah, the Haftorah and the Brit Hadasha. However at LAMB we read the "normal" Torah portion, and then something from one of the historical books and then something in the Brit Hadasha. So instead of giving the reference to the "normal" Haftorah portion, we've decided to go along with what we're doing at LAMB.

Also on a side note, I want to put in a plug for LAMB fellowship! If any of you that read this find yourself wanting a place to fellowship and can make it to middle TN, please come join us. LAMB fellowship is an absolutely wonderful fellowship with a wonderful group of people. I am so thankful to be apart of LAMB again after the many years that we had been away. To find out more info, check out www.lambfellowship.com And now to my thoughts on the Torah!

This week's Torah portion in called B'har, which means On The Mount. And it can be found in Leviticus 25:1-26:2, The Writings/History - Ruth 1:1-2:23, and the Brit Hadasha - Luke 4:14-5:26.

After reading it over, I have decided to comment on the the portion in Ruth instead of the Torah like I normally do, so I encourage you to go read it for yourself!

I think that this story in Ruth is one of my favorites, because it goes to show that no matter what your background is, you can join yourself to Israel if you are willing to live according to how YHVH wants you to live! One of the things that stood out to me was the example of Yeshua that we can see throughout this passage.

First we see Ruth leaving her old life behind and embracing her new life with such zeal. Then we see her working/serving her mother in-law and we see Boaz who, in my opinion, is a representation of Yeshua ... not only does he allow Ruth to work/serve in his fields, but he also tells her not to leave or else she might be molested and he supplies her with grain so that she can provide for Naomi and herself. Now think of Yeshua - does He not protect us, His children, from the evils of the world? And does He not supply our every need? Even in discrete ways sometimes just as Boaz did with Ruth!

And then the best part of all, THE WEDDING!!!! In the end we see Boaz marrying Ruth whom he has been watching over and providing for her. Although Scripture doesn't say it I would have to believe that the time of their wedding was in the time frame of the fall Feast, judging by the harvest! In the end of days are we, the bridegroom of Yeshua, not also going to have a WEDDING???!!!! To the best of my understanding, it is going to take place around the time of the fall Feast! It is almost mind boggling to see and understand all of the similarities between the story of Boaz and Ruth, and the story of Yeshua and us, His bride!

Anyway, that is what stood out to me in this portion. I hope that each and every one of you will read this whole portion for yourself and glean (no pun intended) the many details that I didn't mention. Also feel free to share your thoughts with me, if I am mistaken in anything I say, I want to be corrected. Just because I comment on a certain Torah portion, it doesn't mean that I'm perfect ... as I'm sure many of y'all know! It simply means that I'm gonna try to do my best to give you my thoughts on this particular Torah portion.

Once again Shabbat Shalom and I hope you have a blessed week.
Shalom, T. Man

Thoughts on the Torah (Acharei Mot and K'doshim) ... by Hannah

It was my turn to write last week ... but it was so busy that I didn't really get a chance to study and write. Sorry about that! I don't think this week was any less busy, but there was one thing that jumped out at me in this portion and I just wanted to share it. I think that it can revolutionize the way that we live our lives.


"Then YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'I am YHWH your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am YHWH your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am YHWH." Leviticus 18:1-5

"And you shall be holy to Me, for I YHWH am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." Leviticus 20:26

I think the question that each of us needs to ask is ... "why am I doing what I am doing?" This can apply in numerous situations, from something "important" like a major life-changing decision, to something "small" like a choice of clothing or entertainment. Are we taking our cues from those around us, or from the judgments and ordinances that YHWH has given us?

I am reminded of Jeremiah 10:2, which says, "Thus saith YHWH, Learn not the way of the heathen ..." Are we being influenced by the traditions and standards of the heathen culture that surrounds us, or are we patterning our lives on His instructions and commandments?

I know this is a short post, but I want to challenge each of you to ask yourself that question. In the end, it is His standards that are going to matter and that is what we are going to be judged by. Most (if not all) of us have access to His Word and we can learn how He wants us to live our lives, even though that may look so different from the rest of the world sometimes! I pray that He gives us each the strength and boldness to walk in His commandments that we may live ... 

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love YHWH your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which YHWH swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Thoughts on the Torah Portion ... by Sarah

Shalom Y'all,

This is Sarah.  I hope that you all had good Passover and week of Unleavened Bread.  Our week was wonderful and we were truly blessed.  OK, now lets get on with this week's portion.

Torah: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Brit Chadasha: Acts 10:1-48

In Exodus Chapter 33:12-23, it is talking about Moses praying for YHWH's presence. As I was reading though it I was thinking, "This is a prayer we all should pray".

 

"... Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people ..."  Exodus 33:13

And then, what did YHWH say? 

 

"... And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest ..."

May it be so with us as well.  May we walk and talk with Him and listen to Him and grow in Him.  May He be our life and our strength and may we never ever walk away from Him.

In chapter 34, verses 1 though 9, it is talking about YHWH re-writing the 10 commandments of the tablets. Anyway, that has always been interesting to me how He wrote them with His finger.  I watched a movie one time of Him writing the 10 commandments and even though that may not have been the exact way it happened ... it was really neat to think about.  I wonder what Moses thought when it was happening?!?

The last part of chapter 34 (verses 18 though 26) are talking about the feast that we just went through.

Now, the Haftarah is the portion about the dry bones.  My father has said that he is thinking about writing a song on that portion and calling it "Shake, Rattle and Roll" :)  Seriously, I think one of the most important verses for me and my family (and hopefully for you) is in verse 11 where it says that these are the bones for the whole house of Israel  ... not for the Jewsih people only, but for those of us who have been brought in to the Commonwelath of Israel, as it says in Ephesians 2:11-13.  We no longer refer to ourselves as "gentiles" because the Scriptures say we were "once gentiles" ... meaning that in the past we were gentiles, but now we are no longer gentiles.  Now, through the blood of the Messiah, we are part of the "Whole House of Israel".  Halleluyah!

 

The passage in Acts, gives us an example of this when we see Cornelius, a gentile, being filled with the Spirit.  In light of all these Scriptures, I have to see him ... and us ... as being one is is "from the gentiles", but he, and we are gentiles no longer.

 

I hope you all seek to find things for yourself in these portions and let YHWH show you His wonders.

Shabbat Shalom, ~Sarah

Chag Pesach Sameach!

With busy weekend ahead of us, I don't know that Sarah will have time to share about the Torah portion tomorrow, so I just wanted to wish all of you a wonderful and very blessed feast of Passover, Firstfruits and Unleavened Bread! And I wanted to share this little video that made its rounds last year (just in case you haven't seen it) ...

Thoughts on the Torah Portion (Tzav)...By Tommy

Shabbat Shalom!

It is I, the T. Man that brings this week's post to you! And it is with a glad heart that I do it.

The name of this weeks portion is: Tzav, which means: Command. And can be found in Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36, Malachi 3:4-18, Mark 7:31 - 8:38.

First of all I need to admit that I have had very little time to even look over this Torah portion and to come up with something to write and for that I apologize. Yet on the other hand it might help you to go and read it for your self if you haven't already!

Normally when I do a post, I concentrate on just the actual Torah portion itself and don't really get into the Haftarah/Prophets or the Brit Chadasha (New Testament). However after reading through the Leviticus portion, nothing really caught my attention that I thought was a big enough thing to write about. I'm not saying that it's not worth reading, I'm just saying that that portion did not do a whole lot for me, although I hope that you will get something out of it and if you do, I'd love for you to share it with me! So I moved on into Malachi and as I'm reading, a thought struck me and I realized that this passage is a past, present and future passage!

From verse 6 to verse 15, it talks about about people that disobey YHVH, whether that be in actions or words ... and then justify it as if it was not an issue. In this passage however it deals specifically on tithe, and robbing YHVH of it and this is where the thought came in: "Why is there such an emphasis on tithe and giving to YHVH"? I mean its not like He needs our money! So why the emphasis?

I personally think that it is a way for YHVH to mold and shape us into His image and to break our pride. And to help us learn to trust Him to supply our needs. I know that it is sometimes very tempting when funds are tight, to think "hmmm, I tithed last week and I really need the money this week so I'm sure it will be fine for me to keep it".

NO it's NOT, you are then stealing from YHVH and according to this passage, things are not going to go well for you. I hope and pray that this is making sense. I had no idea that this is what I'd be sharing with you and I feel as though I might not be making a whole lot of sense, so if I'm not, forget what I've said and just read the portion for yourself.

I hope that each and every one of you are not the ones described in verses 6 through 15, however I pray that we are like those in verses 16 through 18, "Then those who feared YHVH spoke with one another. YHVH paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared YHVH and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says YHVH of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves Elohim and one who does not serve him."

Once again I encourage you to go and read it for yourself, since I feel that I have not been able to bring it to you like I should. I will try and do better next time. Until then though, have a wonderful Shabbat and a blessed week.

Shabbat Shalom. T. Man

Thoughts On The Torah Portion (Vayikra) ... by Hannah

(Disclaimer: I had great intentions of getting this posted earlier today but we've been preparing for the United In Worship conference that is being held at our fellowship this weekend. It's after 11pm and we just got home from a wonderful time of worship and teaching. By the way, if you've never danced to Ani Ma'anim live with Jonathan Settel ... you're really missing out!)

Torah: Leviticus 1:1 - 6:7
Haftarah: 45:16 - 46:18
Brit Chadasha: Mark 7:1-30

My time to write is limited and frankly, what I learned from this Torah portion is not extremely complicated! I just want to touch on that, as I don't really have time to get into the Haftarah and Brit Chadasha.

In these first chapters of Leviticus, we read about the variety of different sacrifices that were required. So the question arises ... why the sacrifices? Why did YHWH give such detailed instructions and set up such an intricate sacrificial system?

I believe that it all comes down to His desire to be with His people. In order for that to happen, His people had to be cleansed and sanctified. He is a jealous God and does not share His glory with any other. When we read throughout the Torah (and also in the dedication of Solomon's Temple), it is after everything is perfected according to the order that He has given, that His shekinah glory descends.

So of course, I'm trying to be practical here and figure how this applies to our lives today. We have Yeshua the Messiah who was the ultimate sacrifice and through His blood, we are cleansed and reunited with the Almighty. We do not offer animal sacrifices for forgiveness of sins any longer. But ... what do we need to do in our lives for His glory to fill us and His presence to be a part of us? It is obvious through reading the Torah, YHWH is very particular in the way that we are to love and serve and worship Him ... essentially, He is particular about the way that we live our lives. When we do it His way, we bear His fruit.

Yeshua's words in John 15 comes to mind. Verses 2 and 4 read, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit ... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

I think we need to seriously examine the fruit in our lives and if we're not bearing fruit, we need to see what changes need to be made and what areas of our life we need to line up with His word, so that His Spirit can fill us and His glory shines through us. Amen!

"Wait ... let's pray!" ... by Hannah

(Pictures are courtesy of my younger siblings who had fun ice-sculpting - or rather, frost-sculpting!)

It was several weeks ago. My mother and I had to run errands and as we were heading home from our last stop, my car stopped working. This wasn't the first time we had mechanical difficulties with my little five-speed Ford Escort, but it was the first time that I backed out of a parking spot and simply could not get the car to go into first gear. After wrestling with the stick shift for a few minutes, I managed to back into another parking spot (thankfully, I still had reverse!).

A lady in the parking lot saw what was happening and came over to offer us a ride home. I tried to get the car to work a couple more times and called Tommy (who is the family mechanic). We finally decided to leave the car in the parking lot and gratefully accepted the ride home. The lady had lived in this area all her life and it was a pleasure to make her acquaintenance. When Abba and Tommy got home from work and went to check out the car, it was working perfectly. Tommy drove it home without a problem and I think that he and Abba had serious doubts about my being unable to get it into first gear. Tommy informed me, "You just have to pop it into gear, fast!" I explained that I had been trying to pop it for all I was worth it and it wouldn't budge!!

So with the family mechanic having pronounced the car in working condition, we accepted his decision. After all, it's hard to fix a problem when you can't diagnose it! Two days later, Ruthie and I had to run errands in a different town, further away. We weren't completely convinced about the car working properly, so Ima (mother) and us children stopped to pray whether we should take it or our 12mpg van. Everyone felt a peace that the car was fine, so we started off. By the time we reached "town", a heavy thunderstorm was brewing. As I made the first stop to pick up goat feed, I noticed that the gears were sticking. By the time I had left the first stop and proceeded to the second stop (Kroger), I had to literally coast into the parking lot, because I could not get the car into first gear. It was in neutral and the only thing I could do was get into reverse. I parked it and we went inside to do our grocery shopping. (If I recall correctly, I also made a phone call to Tommy to inform him that "this car is not working!"

All this time, I am just picturing us getting stuck in an intersection, unable to get the car into gear, in the midst of almost-rush-hour traffic and thunderstorm! On the other hand, Ruthie is so relaxed and saying, "What's the big deal! If we get stuck, we get stuck. It's an adventure! Why are you worrying and so uptight?!"

After about 45 minutes in the store, we came out with all our groceries and waded through the river that was running across the parking lot :)  I started the car and tried to put it in first gear. Nothing. It wouldn't budge. I turned off the engine and reached for my phone to call home and figure out what to do ... and Ruthie says, "Wait! Don't call anyone yet. Let's pray about it!"

And my response, edged with a little frustration, was, "Ruthie, I've been praying the whole time that it would work and it's not. What else do you want to do?"

"Well, let's just pray about it again!"

"Ruthie, I've already prayed ... oh whatever! If you want to pray, go right ahead!"

So she prayed that the car would start working and then I prayed, albeit a little disgruntled and not exactly in faith or expectation that the prayer would be answered. When we finished, I turned on the car and moved the stick shift to first gear as smooth as butter. I couldn't believe it. I went through all the gears and they all worked perfectly! Still hardly believing it, I called Ima and said, "Ummm ... we came out of the store and the car was not working. Then we prayed and the car started working. Do you think it's safe to drive home?!"

The car worked perfectly on the drive home and has been running well ever since. We're still not sure what the problem was, although Tommy did discover that it needed some transmission fluid. In thinking back over the whole situation, I had to wonder why my prayers that would work weren't answered in the timing that I wanted, but when Ruthie and I prayed together - there was immediate change. Maybe it was just a lesson to me to not lose heart and to be willing to keep asking. The parable in Luke 18 comes to mind ... the first verse says, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"

So there is my testimony! Prayer does work and even when it doesn't happen in the timing or the way that you want it to, I encourage all of you to "pray again" and if possible, get someone to join you in it. Our Father in heaven is waiting for us to call on Him and when we do that, believing that He hears us and will answer, amazing things happen. In fact, I can assure that amazing things happen even if we aren't fully believing. It happened for me.

Let me leave you with this ... "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:7-11

Thoughts On The Torah Portion (Vayakhel) ... by Sarah

Shabbat Shalom!  This is Sarah.  I am sorry that no one posted about the Torah portion last week.  It was my turn and so it was my fault :)  Thankfully H and T forgave me and gave me another chance ... I'm just joking.  Truthfully, we had a very busy preparation-day last week and we had guests over and by 11pm or so ... I was not really wanting to write anything.

My portion this week is called Vayakhel/Pekudei | ויקהל/פקודי | "He gathered/Countings " and it is taken from: Exodus 35:1 - 40:38.  The Haftarah and Brit Chadasha are Ezekiel 36:16-38 and Mark 6:14-29/John 6:1-71.

I am going to focus on basically two, well, actually three things from the Torah portion.

First, from Exodus 35:10 to about the end of chapter 38, it is talking about the articles being made for the Tabernacle and the different things that had to be made and how to make them.  Anyway, I got to thinking, if we are believers then we are Temples/Tabernacles for YHWH to dwell in.  People think that you except Yeshua and then go on with life, which is true ... but there are also other things that have to be done. We have to fill our Temples/Tabernacles with something ... with articles, that is the Fruits of the Spirit, which are:

• Love
• Joy 
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Faith
• Meekness
• Temperance

We have to fill our Temples/Tabernacles with these articles.  Accepting Yeshua into your heart is wonderful, amazing and exciting, but we do not want to have a empty house for Him to live in ... that would be like having guests over and not having any furniture or food to share with them.

Second, Exodus 39:1-31 is talking about the priestly garments.  YHWH gave instructions on how the garments were to be made for the priest.  He has also given us garments/armor that we are to wear. Ephesians 6:13-18 says:


Therefore take up the whole armor of YHWH, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Third, Exodus 40:34-38 is talking about the cloud of YHWH settling over the tabernacle. As I think about the Bride of Messiah, I KNOW that we need to work on our garments/armor and the "articles" in our midst.  We have a lot to do to become the Bride of Messiah, let's not waste our time of betrothal in foolishness, but let us prepare to be the best bride. After that ... we will see Yeshua coming in the clouds (Mark 13:26) to gather us up.

May we all work on fulfilling our part of the Body of Messiah.  Love and Shabbat Shalom, ~Sarah

Thoughts on the Torah Portion (Tetzave) ... by ...

... the one and only T man. It is I, Thomas W, who has the pleasure of bringing this week's Torah portion: Tetzeva which means You Shall Command. This is found in Exodus 27:20 - 30:10, 1 Samuel 15:1-34 and the Brit Chadasha; Mark 4:35 - 5:43. There are the references ... I hope that you will go read it for yourself if you haven't already.

Once again I find myself here on the computer wondering what to write about :) And in all honesty I had completely forgotten that I had the Torah Portion this week until a sweet older sis said "Hey don't forget, you have the Torah this week!" So then the scramble began and here I am! To tell the truth, I have not even gone over the Haftarah or the Brit Chadasha for this week, but I have done the Torah so that's what I'm gonna focus on.

As I started to read the portion, I wondered what I could get out a portion that just talked about how the priests were supposed to have their garments and how some of the sacrifices were suppose to be done. Now please don't get me wrong, I believe that all of that is very important but I was thinking that it did not really apply to us at this point in time. On one hand it does not, yet on the other hand it does. If that makes any sense?

As I read through it, the thing that I kept noticing was how meticulous YHVH is in the way He wants His Priest to be before they can serve Him. Everything had to be a certain way or else the presence of YHVH would not descend upon the Tabernacle. And that's what got me thinking, if YHVH is so meticulous about how things/people need to be before they can serve Him, should not we ourselves be meticulous about what He wants? In other words, if we say that we serve YHVH, should we not make sure that we are serving Him the way He wants us to, instead of the way we want to?

For instance, what if Moses had said "You know what? I thing Aaron's garments would look and sound better if we made it with two bells and the two pomegranates and so on instead of doing one and then another and then another"? Not only would the presence of YHVH not descended, Moses would most likely have gotten himself killed because he had changed the word of YHVH.

So in closing, I put a challenge out to myself and you. (Yes I know that's backwards, I'm suppose to put you first, but I know that I need this challenge just as much as anyone if not more so). So here it is, I challenge us to examine our lives each day and ask the Father "Am I living my life according to the plan that YOU have laid out in your word for me? Am I serving YOU the way I should be?" He will show you/me if we are truly willing to hear His voice. I pray that we are.

Once again I hope that you will read this portion for yourself, even the Haftarah and the Brit Chadasha which unfortunately I was not able to cover, although I plan to go and read them soon :)

I would love to hear from y'all, if I've said something that you do not think is correct, please don't hesitate to let me know. And if you agree with me that's even better! Either way if you feel led, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Keep pressing forward and serving Him that is more then worthy of our service.

Shabbat Shalom.

The T. man over and out 3...2...1...

Thoughts On The Torah Portion (Terumah) ... by Hannah

I had decided what I was going to write about earlier this week, but somehow I never got to it yesterday ... sorry this is late!

The Torah this week is Exodus 25:1-27:19, the Haftarah is 1 Kings 5:12-6:13 and Brit Chadasha is Matthew 5:33-37, Hebrew 9:1-10.

When I started reading the Torah earlier this week, I realized that we're getting into that section that can be difficult reading. It's sometimes hard to not let your mind wander when you're reading details about the Tabernacle and sacrificial system - things that we have a hard time understanding and that really do not seem to relate to us.

So as I was reading about how the Tabernacle was supposed to be built and all the details and instructions, this one thought kept running in my head ... YHWH cares about the smallest details ... He cares about the outward appearance ... and He gave specific instructions about how we are to serve and worship Him. 

If He was so specific in His instructions about how He wanted His people to serve and worship Him, don't you think He cares about the other aspects of the way that we live our lives? If He gave such detailed information about how He wanted the outward appearance of the Tabernacle and the priests to be, don't you think that He cares about our appearance?

1 Peter 2:5 says "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Yeshua Messiah." And in verses 9-10, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

He is talking to us. It seems like many people take the position that anything goes ... it's only the heart that matters ... anyone can serve God anyway they want to ... God doesn't care about rules anymore ... etc etc. Through reading these passages like the Torah portion this week, we see that YHWH does not have a "anything goes" mindset. Think about what happened when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire (Leviticus 10) or when Uzza reached out to catch the ark of the covenant as it was about to fall (1 Chronicles 13). Instant death for disobedience.

YHWH is a merciful God but He is also a jealous God (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, to mention a few). He does care about how we serve and worship Him. We need to not take cues from everything and everyone around us (culture, society, friends, family, even fellow believers) ... but to turn to His Word for the standard of righteous living. He is the only One we're going to answer to on Judgement Day ... let's make sure that we are living our lives the way that He wants us to.

Volunteering With PJTN - Pictures At The Opryland Hotel ... by Hannah

This past Sunday (February 19th), we had the privilege of volunteering at the Prayer and Action event hosted by Proclaiming Justice To The Nations at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. We have been able to do this each year since 2008, but normally it has only been a few of us. This year we planned to take the whole family, but Mama was not feeling well so all the rest of us went.

We went early so that Tommy and Sam could help with unloading and setting up equipment ... and Abba took us girls to Bass Pro Shop for a little while :)  We came back and walked around Opryland for a bit (that place is HUGE!) and we got something to eat. We also took lots of pictures!

Lydia, in front of one of the many fountains.

Pretending to throw Lydia in!

It is really beautiful there.

Left to right: me, Abigail, Lydia, Sarah, Ruthie

Someone offered to take the picture so that Abba could join us.

Ruthie and Abba

Abigail and Abba

The river in the Opryland

Left to right: Ruthie, Abigail, Lydia, Sarah, me ... another one of the many fountains!

After wandering around for awhile, we went to help with setting up. It was about 5pm and the event was supposed to start at 8:30pm. Abba was responsible for escorting Bishop Choby to and from the event.

Here are Sam and Lydia with them.

The meeting went well, lasting from 8:30pm to just after 10pm. The keynote speakers were Itamar Marcus from Palestinian Media Watch and Joseph Farah from World Net Daily.

One of the highlights of the event is getting to see Rabbi Gerald Meister. We met him back in 2004 or 2005 and got to see him while we were in Israel. Rabbi Meister used to work in the Foreign Relations department for the Israeli government.

Left to right: Abba, Sam, Abigail, Tommy, Ruthie, me, Sarah, Lydia ... with Rabbi Meister in the middle.

After cleaning things up, we were interviewed by a reporter from JooTube who was very intrigued by our family and lifestyle. He filmed us and asked a huge variety of questions ... I'll let you know if he posts it. I'm concerned about how it will turn out - we probably looked like we were about to fall asleep (it was about 11pm)!

Rabbi Meister had been using an electric wheelchair/scooter and when he left, Abba brought it back to put it away. After everything was cleaned up and everyone was leaving (about 12am), we started walking to take the scooter back where it belonged. The meeting was held about as far away from where the scooter belonged as you could get it, so it was quite a walk.

Sam and Lydia got to ride the scooter back ... and had the time of their lives!

Abigail, posing in one of the fancy mirrors.

Artwork in the ceiling.

It was a long night :)

Waiting for Tommy to bring the van to the entrance ... Ruthie, me, Sarah.

Guess what happens at 12:30am when Sam and Lydia are riding an electric scooter through Opryland?!

Thought on the Torah Portion... by Sarah

Shabbat Shalom!  This is Sarah and I have the Mishpatim | משפטים | "Judgments " Torah portion!  I was about to say how it seems like it was just last week that I wrote and how time flies, when I glanced over the last post and I realized Tommy had said the same thing!

Once again, I have a wonderful, beautiful portion that shows YHWH's love and care for His people, the children of Israel.  My portion is:
Torah: Exodus 21:1 through 24:18
Prophets: 2 Kings 11:17 through 12:17
Gospel: Luke 7:1 through 8:3

I will not be able to cover all of those portions in this post so I hope that each of you will go through and read them for yourself.  But I will get started with some of the things that stood out to me. 

This Torah portion is talking about the different laws and or commandments of the land. 

• The law concerning slaves,
• violence,
• property,
• restitution,
• social and religious laws,
• justice for all,
• sabbatical year and Sabbath,
• the annual festivals,
• the conquest of Canaan promised
• the blood of the covenant
• and then Moses on the mountain with YHWH.

First... in chapter 21:1-11 of Exodus it is talking about a servant and the things concerning that.  It was saying that if a man bought a Hebrew slave, how he must serve him 6 years and then he has a choice whether to go free or not.  It reminded me of our relationship with Yeshua.  We were bought with a price.  We have the choice whether to serve him or not.  If we choose to give Him our life and serve Him, then He has pierced our heart with His life and we now are his servants forever.  If we choose not to serve Him than He will have still paid a price for us and we would go out with all of our sin with us.

Second...  Exodus 23:9 says, "Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." 
I think that most of us can relate to this.  I have noticed over the years how if a new person comes to someone's congregation, the youth may be greeted, but it does not seem to be often that the new person is "welcomed" by the youth of the congregation and spent time with.  Please do not hear that I am trying to put ANYONE down for I have been in both places my self... the stranger and the youth of the congregation.  It is somewhat hard to welcome someone you do not know and to make them enjoy their time, BUT... have you thought about what it is like when you are a stranger at some place?  If you do not know anyone, it can be pretty lonely. 
So, what should we do about it?  When I see a new girl[s] at our congregation I have started to go up to them and introduce myself to them and converse with them.  Believe me, they will not feel lonely and you will feel a lot better.

Third... Exodus 23:25 says, "And ye shall serve YHWH your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."
This kind of stood out to me when I read it.  Most of us have probably not seen starvation and no water (all though there are some people who do), but most of us have faced sickness.  Do you think that maybe we are not serving YHWH with our whole heart?  Maybe we had some fear?  I do not know, I just thought that it was an interesting thought.

Fourth... Exodus 23:13 "And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth."
This verse reminded me of the verse from Deuteronomy 4:24, "For YHWH your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."  I also thought that is was neat how this portion in the Torah lined up with the prophets portion (2 Kings 11:17 though 12:17) because it is talking about Jehoiada making a covenant with YHWH and them going into Baal's house and breaking it down ... breaking down the altars and the images and they even slew Baal's priest Mattan.

I hope you have a great Shabbat.  Blessings, ~Sarah