Prisonweekly December 4th 2004

For the week of December 4, 2004 / 21 Kislev 5765
Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 37:1 - 40:23
Haftarah: Amos 2:6 - 3:8
The Bible Is Not Always Easy To Understand Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. (Bereshit / Genesis 37:3,4) Joseph is one of the most complex biblical characters. In him we find someone highly attuned spiritually. He knew great favor, opportunity and success, yet was also rejected, persecuted, and oppressed. His great impact on the world of his day was foretold through a series of dreams he had, yet he in no way anticipated the difficult road he would have to face. There is something about Joseph that I find difficult to understand. There seems to be two ways to view his character. I have heard it said on many occasions that he was one of the only people in the Bible of whom we have no account of wrongdoing. Joseph, according to this view, is an all-round good guy, who was extremely spiritual. In fact his godliness was the sole source of his troubles. Other people just couldn't handle such a godly man. Even when his own brothers mistreated him, his heart remained true to God, desiring only their best. More recently, I have heard another way of looking at Joseph. While he was spiritually gifted and favored by his father Jacob and God, he was actually a spoiled brat, who used his place of favor to his advantage. He may have been looking forward to taking revenge on his brothers one day and came close to doing just that when they came to him in Egypt years later looking for food. If God hadn't broken his heart for them the story of the people of Israel may have turned out very differently. I can't provide you with a correct understanding of Joseph. I don't think I need to. In fact I think the lack of clarity we encounter in this and many other Bible stories is intentional. There are two extremes of Bible interpretation. One extreme is to insist that each and every passage must be understood in one particular way. This approach claims that each passage has only one intended meaning. Any discussion regarding a particular passage is an attempt to get to that meaning. Those who hold this view have a tendency to be dogmatic about their interpretations, at times even denying that their understanding of a passage are interpretations at all, claiming that they are simply stating the obvious intention of the passage. The other extreme states that each biblical passage may be interpreted in many different ways. According to this view, it is more important that readers discover what a passage means to them than to determine what the writer of the passage might have intended when it was originally written. For these people the meaning of a passage can change from day to day from circumstance to circumstance. I don't believe the most helpful approach to biblical interpretation is found in either of these two extremes. First, I do believe that the Bible is written with intention. God moved upon human authors to write what he intended. The Bible is not a mystical collection of disjointed spiritual sayings. It is an account of different people's encounters with the God of the universe, and his communication through many of these people. What God said in times past provides us with the basis of understanding of how we are to relate to him and to life in our own day. How the Scriptures are to be understood is not based on our preferences or creative imaginations. We need to understand them based upon what they actually say and mean within their own context. At the same time we need to avoid oversimplifying the Bible. While there are many simple and straightforward passages, there are also others which are very profound and complex. When we encounter a complex passage, it should not put us off, but encourage us to take the time to engage that complexity. Joseph's life was complex and confusing as he struggled to understand what was happening to him. Grappling with the account of his life and its complexity can help us deal with the complexities of our own lives. Life is complex and requires great wisdom. Trying to live through a set of simple life principles isn't adequate. I thank God how the Scriptures manage to capture the essence of life's complexities. As I struggle to understand what God is really saying through his written word, he helps me to face life for what it really is. TorahBytes
- that if we had what someone else has, our lives would beVayeshev (Genesis 37-40) Family Parsha Vayeshev 5765 Sometimes we feel jealous better and happier. But the truth is that God has given each of us just the perfect package of our inner and outer circumstances in life, tailor-made for each individual. The Torah portion this week teaches us about all the damage people can do to themselves and to others when they forget this important secret. From now on let's spend our precious time and energy becoming the best we can be instead of comparing ourselves to others. In our story a kid discovers first-hand the secret of how not to be jealous. "STAGE OF LIFE" 'Why is everyone looking at me like that? Oops! I must have been daydreaming.' I came down to earth and found myself smack in the middle of the school play dress-rehearsal, and it was my line - my turn to speak! I blushed, quickly said the line, and tried to concentrate on the rest of the play. But how would I ever be able to concentrate, when that Sherri Austin had come to school today wearing my boots? How should I feel when I had been dreaming about the shiny two-tone leather boots ever since I saw them in the window of that new shoe store? My mother thought they were way too expensive, but apparently Sherri's didn't, because there they were this morning, right on her little feet... Despite my feelings, the play had to go on, so I tried to pay attention. Somehow I managed to make it through the rest of the first act without muffing any more of my lines, but I certainly wouldn't have won any Academy awards for my performance. And it didn't take a genius to see my heart just wasn't in it. Between acts backstage, my friend, Toni, came over, still dressed in her doctor's costume. "Hey Becky, is everything okay? You just don't seem yourself out there on stage today. You're usually right on cue." I tried to laugh it off, but Toni really looked concerned. "If you must know, I am a little upset." Being the emotional type I am, I started spilling my guts about how jealous I was about Sherri's boots, and I didn't stop until I added, even to my own surprise, how much nicer my life would be if my mother would be more like Sherri's. "Wow, you're really jealous aren't you?" said Toni. "And why shouldn't I be? After all, look at..." I was cut short. "OKAY EVERYONE OUT ON STAGE FOR ACT TWO!" announced Mrs. Hall, the director. We all scrambled to get ready. I buttoned up my farmer costume, gathered my props and was about to jump onto stage, when I bumped into Toni again. Oddly enough, she was handing me her stethoscope prop! "Here Becky, take it. I don't want you to be jealous of me," she said with a funny glint in her eye. "What are you talking about?" "Aren't you jealous that I have one of these and you don't?" "Of course not! Why should I be jealous? You're the one playing the doctor - you need that prop. I'm playing a farmer. What in the world do I need it for? And if I had needed it, Mrs. Hall would have given me one." Toni gave me one of her 'I've got you' smiles, and said, "That's right, you don't need it, and if you did you would have gotten it. And I'm going to tell you a secret: that's just the way it is in life too!" Huh? "Every one of us has our role to play in life. God knows just what 'props' we need to play it. Our possessions, our families, even our looks, are all 'props' God has given us to become the best we can, for who we are meant to be. That's why it makes no sense to get jealous - about boots or anything else, right?" She pecked me on the cheek and ran out on stage. I grabbed my pitchfork prop and my farmer's hat, and shuffled out behind her, my mind buzzing with her words. I guess it really would be dumb to want someone else's props, wouldn't it? In a play, or in life. I went back on stage and decided that it would be a smart thing to focus on my own role in life, and work on making the best use of the 'props' I had, instead of being jealous of somebody else's. Aish.com
Mission Updates: Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, All we do, radio, feeding caring, loving, ministering all we do is for one goal is to reach sinners and get them to the alter of the Father. The Sabbath before last night John gave his life over to Messiah...This last Sabbath after dark. He, my son and I went to the river and John was Baptized! So welcome this new member of the Body of Messiah. Thanksgiving dinner was very good. Mom and her girls made most everything fresh. She had some help with Turkeys and pies from a wonderful couple who live in a town 30 miles away....Man her Cherry pie was GREAT! Thanks so much...Then Ed And Randi donated and cooked a turkey. They also Cooked one for mom and BBQed some deer meat that Friend To Man ministries donated. It was great. Ed and Randi are already out getting the gifts for the people on the Holiday gifts list that the employee's from the Bank where Ed works do for the people the last few years.... We got news that a truck that is bringing the sleeping bags ( handmade ) from a few states away will be in with them on Sunday. Also they are bring in 30 nags of clothing! Amen..... This is good as the blankets shipped to us are gone but one. Ed also got the Bank employee's to donate blankets and some canned foods. Also some coats came with some of the blankets. We are expecting more. We also are in great need of gloves and hats.... While all this is going on the Ministry account is really down to about $20 something. I came home without putting gas in Friday night. Donations are never very good during November and December. So Saints really consider making any kind of donation to help those that can never pay you back and more than likely will never know whom you are. These are the gifts we get blessed the most for. So please pray about it. I pray the Lord touches your hearts as we really need your support now to get through till things pick up in the middle of Jan.2005...This is serious. We are also looking for bookings for radio starting with December 5th. if you have someone you think would want on the program let us know. Tomorrow's program with be really good with Richard Rives....we talk about Too Long in the Sun. A Man who has been fighting a battle with being a Black Muslim or not needs your prayers. I have been ministering to him for some time and he told mom and I that the Lord is pulling him away from their untruths and hate. He took one of the new big print Bibles and says that he is glad to know that someone loves him....( us he meant. Otherwise he is alone ) . He says he does not believe all the hatred they put out towards the white race. He wants no part of it. he is thankful for Messiah's Branch because the love that comes forth proves them wrong! I also prayed with a man in a wheel chair that he could find a assessable place. This was just normal things that go on at our small place. We need razors, soaps, and cold remedies. Praise the Lord a couple brought us some medical supplies but we need more. I need a computer or laptop for the mission. Yes I would even need the monitor and printer badly. It would help in many ways one for our needs minister to use for help data and referrals. This is a need not a want. We also need radio support now. The FATHER bless thee and keep thee; The FATHER make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26 In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch Shalom In Yeshua Our messiah, First I want to tell ya all about how wonderful Thanksgiving was even after I missed our 3:30 eat time. We served at 4 pm and everything was great we love our new kitchen it's a lot easier to prepare food now. I even got to kid around with the people a little at one point I stuck my head out the kitchen door an told them "you guys turn that TV down now" they all broke out in laughter we all thought that was funny. Of course they watched football all day and everyone was right at home one big happy FAMILY it was awesome. We served out lots of turkey this year a total of seven turkeys ranging from 13-21 pounds each between both days. We feed close to 90 people at the mission and sent home around 21 go plates. We had 15 pounds of dear roast that was donated by another ministry and cooked by Randa the banker's wife who also smoked two of turkeys making one cajun style. Russ and Sherri smoked two turkeys and Sherri made us two pumpkin and one cherri pie (yea they were like granma's yummy yummy yummy). My niece Amy brought in two Apple pies (store bought she cheated) and a baked turkey. Sarina our needs minister baked a turkey and made a pumpkin pie, I cooked from 7am to serve time 4pm on Thanksgiving and boy was I thankful for Kathy an Lisa I'd never made the eat time of 4 if dad hadn't ask one of our regulars who lived close to take the fresh baked (not canned) sweet potatoes and the green bean casserole to his house a few blocks away to heat the finishing touches you know melt the marshmallows an brown the dried onions that saved me another 20 mins of oven time. There were many homemade dishes I made a chocolate cake an a strawberry cake then I baked the seventh 20.57 pound turkey Friday morning. I took granma a go plate Thursday and she sent an apple pie with me for Friday. Please pray for granma she is not well her diabetes is getting her down on top of an ear infection, bladder infection an a viral infection in her throat, she is on kemo for the cancer that has spread throughout her entire body in her bone marrow which we will know more about when Pastor Dan speaks to her doctors after the Holiday season. All the food was eaten except a small bag of turkey,an a small bowl of tater salad Kathy took home, an a small go plate of dressing an turkey we took home. WHAT A LOVELY THANKSGIVING WE HAD, MANY WERE FED AND GIVEN LOTS OF FAMILY LOVIN AMEN I LOVE MY CALLING. Friday I served out all the sweets, chips and sauce, and a few dozen donuts, Kathy made six dozen egg sandwiches and we served MILK yea MILK wow the Father is SO AWESOME I never mentioned that on last Tuesday Yahweh connected me with Lori who will now be donating dairy products on a regular basis. What a Blessing to be Blessed with Milk, chocolate milk and Juice AMEN what a BLESSING for these people they drank it up believe me. Ok bills you know the same ol- same-ol by the time you get them all PAID they start comin in the mail all over again. These will all come due this week and next , Rent 440 , Internet 19.95 , newsletter 200 to print, 118.40 to mail (the list has grown) and this month the over seas will go at the cost of around 40, we need supplies at the mission ( cups, plates, forks, spoons, paper towels , desert plates, toilet paper, pinesoll , air freshener, disinfectants, ) for a supply of one month this cost around 85.00. The following are not in yet but will be here this week , Electric both storage and Mission, gas , Mission phones we now have two one I carry and pastor Dans that bill will be around 90. We need some expense money to give Sarina for gas in her car she does a lot of running for the mission and is off work right now with her new baby Josiah. The food account has 14 dollars in it, the ministry account has 20 but that will go in the tank tomorrow to get the ministry van back on the road by Tuesday so we need Gas money. I need stamps for the prison weekly that list has also grown so send me stamps if nothing else Pray about helping and be lead by the SPIRIT. Yahweh provides but he uses YOU to do it so all we ask is that you ask Him and let Him guide you. Thanks to all of you who sent money for Thanksgiving you were a Blessing to many. Thanks to all who sent clothing in the mail and Thanks to everyone whom I've forgotten to mention for with out you through Yahweh we can do nothing. Remember the first day of Hanukkah is ten days away! More on the Mission next update Scripture:Zechariah 12:1-10 1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. 7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. 8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27

Prisonweekly November 27th 2004

Va-Yishlah For the week of November 27, 2004 / 14 Kislev 5765 Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 32:4 - 36:43 Haftarah: Hosea 11:7 - 12:12 Holding On "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'" (Bereshit / Genesis 32:24-26) All his life Jacob strove to get the things he wanted. Whatever it took, he succeeded. Finally the day came, when he didn't know what to do. He was about to face his twin brother, Esau, for the first time in about twenty years. Jacob had run away to avoid being killed by Esau, who was enraged by Jacob's deceitful, yet successful, scheme to steal their father's blessing. Now years later, as Jacob was about to face Esau, he was terrified. In his desperation, Jacob asks God for help. And help does come, but in a most unusual way. God himself shows up in human form and wrestles with him Jacob takes on God in a fashion not unlike the way he has faced other challenges in his life: he holds on. We read that God saw that he could not overpower Jacob. Since God is all powerful, you might think this is silly. God could have done to Jacob anything he wished. This is evident by the way God so easily dislocated Jacob's hip by simply touching it. Yet even with the injury Jacob holds on until whoever this person was blessed him. The blessing Jacob received reveals something of what it means that God could not overpower him: "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'" (Bereshit / Genesis 32:28) Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel because he struggled with God and men and overcame. There was something of the way that Jacob struggled with God and people that was commendable. Even when God hurt him, he held on. Not only did he hold on, he continued to pursue God's blessing. This had been the story of his life. Perhaps his understanding of God and life was warped. Certainly his methods of the pursuit of blessings were not good, but pursue them he did. Somehow Jacob knew that the greatest riches of life were in God, and he strove after them with everything he had. Then when he encountered God himself, he held on even though it hurt. Too many of us give up on God and life amidst fear and pain. In Jacob God found someone very different. Most of us don't realize how badly messed up the world is because of sin. We get offended by our troubles and turn to things which are poor substitutes for the blessings of God. Jacob on the other hand held on to God, somehow knowing that he was his only help. To hold on to God is not an easy thing to do. It is easier to give up. Yet to give up is to be lost. To give up is to be cut off from the truth, from life, from eternal rewards. Sometimes it takes everything we have to hold on, but in time we will discover that it is worth it. TorahBytes Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43) Family Parsha Vayishlach 5765 It's important to learn how to keep our cool even when things get hot. Acting rashly or impulsively without thinking things through can lead us to make mistakes we'll later regret. In this week's Torah portion, Jacob chastises two of his sons for acting rashly and putting the family into unnecessary danger, teaching us the value of trying our best to think things through and act sensibly in every situation.In our story, a group of kids find out what can happen when you act impulsively."SEEING THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES"What started out as a fun day of hiking was turning into a grueling ordeal, and as the sun sunk lower in the western sky, Mike and his friends didn't know what they were going to do.It had been a beautiful autumn Sunday morning when the guys set out along the Crystal Mountain hiking trail. The foliage was at its peak, painting the forest's usually pale green leaves bright shades of orange, red, yellow and even purple against the background of the clear blue mountain sky. Mike gazed in wonder at the natural beauty or as he liked to call it, 'God's paintbrush,' while he and his friends followed along the clearly marked hiking trails.Suddenly, Jay, one of the boys at the front of the line, started climbing over the railing and off of the trail. "C'mon guys, let's go check out that valley. I'll bet the view is awesome!"The other kids began to follow."Hey, wait a minute!" Mike called out, concerned. "How are we going to find our way back onto the trail?""What's the big deal?" Jay laughed. "We'll just cut across the valley and meet up with the trail on the other side."Mike didn't think it was a smart idea, after all it was a huge, dense forest and none of them had even brought along a compass. But nobody else seemed bothered, and swept up by the heat of the moment, one guy after the other hopped the fence and bolted after Jay. Not wanting to be left alone, Mike went along with them. Maybe it really would be okay like Jay said.Well Jay had turned out to be only half right. The valley was beautiful. However his plan to reconnect with the trail had proved to be way too optimistic and now after what seemed like hours of aimless wandering through the woods, the boys were sore, lost and tired, - and getting scared. As the hour grew later and the weather chillier, the boys began to face the very unpleasant prospect of having to spend the night lost in the woods without any shelter. Boy did they wish they had stayed on the trail.Finally, they came to a clearing and saw a small shack with a wooden sign carved with the words "Ranger Station" nailed onto it. Mike breathed a sigh of relief. At least if they stayed there, they would eventually get found by a ranger, and if worse came to worse, the unlocked shack would provide enough shelter to get them through the night. Mike put down his heavy pack, grateful that they were finally almost 'out of the woods.'"Come on, let's get moving!" Jay called out."Huh?""It's getting late and we have to keep going!" said Jay, insistently.Was he out of his mind? "Jay, we finally found some 'civilization,' and you want us to just jump right back into the middle of the forest? That's crazy!" Mike said.But Jay, who was clearly in a state of panic, wouldn't hear of it. "We can't just stay here! One way or another, I'm sure we'll find the right trail. Let's go!"One way or another? That doesn't make sense, Mike thought to himself.The other guys stirred, not knowing what to do. A couple of them, who looked as scared as Jay, began to strap on their packs and get ready to move on. Mike knew he had to speak up fast to save his friends from making yet another impulsive and dangerous decision."Now wait a minute, guys. Let's calm down and use our heads. It's almost dark, and we have no idea where to go. Here at least we have shelter and water, and we're in a place where people who can help us are sure to come by. I admit the situation's kind of intense, but panicking and doing something foolish isn't the answer."There was silence as the boy's sensible words hit home. Jay, seeming calmer, spoke up. "Listen, Mike is right. Let's sit tight. By acting impulsively I already got us lost in the woods once, and once is enough."The guys began to settle in, nervous but hopeful. After about an hour they heard a car engine in the distance, and then they saw a pair of headlights cut through the darkness. It was the Ranger patrol!The ATV pulled up, and five very grateful boys jumped in. "You guys don't know how lucky you are!" said the husky Ranger. "I don't think you realize it, but you are very close to the edge of a cliff with a hundred foot sheer drop. Plenty of falling rocks around here, too. You should never have left the trail, but at least you had the sense to stay where you were safe. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if you guys had been wandering around this area in the dark."The kids gulped. It didn't take a lot of imagination to figure out what the man meant. As they rode back, they were grateful they had listened to Mike in the end, and you can bet they would all think a little more carefully about the choices they made - before they made them, from now on. Aish.com Mission Updates: Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, I knew it would happen. This building we moved into is a little bigger so more people are coming. It is great as it is more organized. Does not look like just a big storeroom.....Friday we served 8 dozen egg sandwiches between 1 and 3 PM. Not all these people hung out for the 4:30 meal of Spaghetti sauce with white meat chicken pieces in it. But it was great. We had a full house then also. So many looking for coats, blankets, hats and gloves, and food. You see while we get homeless we also get the very poor who cannot eat and pay rent also. I really need a computer or laptop for the mission and I am sure the Lord will provide. We found a fan that will work in our little Kitchen soon the funds will come from somewhere to buy it, as will the help I will need to install it. Funny the last couple of months we gained over 100 people to our Various lists but donations on the net have slowly diminished. Go figure....Yesterday's radio program was a very good program. You can catch it tomorrow at 6 PM central, then it will go to archives. A very informative program! A must listen to. Our radio program is going to be rebroadcast from a station that contacted me yesterday! below is part of what he sent..Looks like Fridays at 9 PM eastern will be our slot...We broadcast via the internet to radio stations in various locations in the USA and over seas.. Your listeners can hear the broadcasts on our website http://spirit1.us by selecting the "Listen Now" option on the menu. Locally we broadcast on 100.3 FM in Buffalo NY - we also broadcast on 100.3 FM (WEOM) in Thomasville NC. as well as others I get emails from all over the world from people who listen into our broadcasts. We have an audience that is world wide. But we need your help. Pray and see if the Father wishes you to support the radio as it is time to fund raise to pay some more radio time. Saints, we are going into the one of the slowest months for donations we face every year. It generally does not pick up until sometime in January or later. So take it to the Lord to see if He wishes you to help us because we can use your help. We do really need your help now but you ask the Lord. No donation is too small. The FATHER bless thee and keep thee;The FATHER make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26 In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah, What a wonderful new home we have I really love the new place. Everything seems to be in it's own place now and more organized not to mention everyone's jobs are alot easier. Kathy may not have agree with that had you'd asked her Friday but she's fine now. Kathy made 8 dozen egg-cheese sandwiches Friday they served with many dozen fresh donuts. We get our donuts the same day they are made instead of the day before now so they're really yummy. Well Kathy was put through a big test Friday and hurray she past Flying Colors,Thanks Pastor Dan for being there to guide her. She began to prepare for dinner and the stove blew like it did next door all the lights came on but no heat. She panicked and called Pastor Dan in the kitchen "what are we goin do" she sAID HE SAID OK WE CAN DO THIS Thank Yahweh he had Lisa there to help. They made five pounds of spaghetti in electric skillets dumped it all in a big pan then heated greens and carrots in them. The sauce I made with chicken breast instead of hamburger and they put it together in the big cooker not sure what it's called but it holds four turkeys deboned to give ya an idea of how big it is. they made the garlic bread in the micro wave an low-n-behold at 4:30 dinner was ready to serve. We had chicken spaghetti , greens -n- carrots , and garlic bread it was very good.All the bills are paid but the first is rollin around again and rent is 440, the newsletter is 200 to print and 111 to mail, this month the over seas go out that's 40 , the internet is 19.95 and I'm not sure what our bills will be at the Mission. We need blankets, some sleeping bags would be nice with all the wet weather we have and with snow on the way, Men's lg,xlg and xxlg coats, I need postage for the Prison weekly.If any of you could make a pie and bring it by the Mission for Thanksgivining we could still use sweets, Please let me know if you can help. Thanks to all who help these works we love you all Have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING---don't eat to much More on the Mission next update Last weeks answer:Revelation 18:15-24 15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Find this Passage: All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. THE BAKERY After starting a new diet I altered my drive to work to avoid passing my favorite bakery. I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and as I approached, there in the window were a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed: "Lord, it's up to you.... if you want me to have any of those delicious goodies, create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery." And sure enough, He answered my prayer: on the eighth time around the block, there it was! GOD IS SO GOOD!
What do you call someone who puts poison in a person's corn flakes? A cereal killer.
What birds spend all their time on their knees? Birds of pray

Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27

Prison weekly November 20th 2004

Va-Yeze For the week of November 20, 2004 / 7 Kislev 5765 Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 - 14:10 (English: 12:12 – 14:9) Testing God "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God'" (Bereshit / Genesis 28:20,21). This week's portion begins with Jacob's journey to his mother's household in far away Mesopotamia. He is running away from his twin brother Esau, who was waiting for the opportune time to murder him, due to Jacob's deceitful and successful scheme to steal away from their father the blessing of the first born, which by right belonged to Esau. That was not the first time that Jacob strove after Esau's place in the family. In fact this striving began in their mother's womb (Bereshit / Genesis 21:22), was illustrated through how Jacob was clutching at Esau's heel at birth, which is how Jacob got his name (25:26), and was evident in his purchasing of Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew (25:29-34). Getting what he wanted no matter what it took was a way of life for Jacob. This is seen later in his business dealings with his uncle, and years after that when it all comes to a head in his encounter with God as he anticipated his reunion with his brother. Jacob's approach to life is also evident in an earlier recorded encounter with God that prompted his vow quoted above. Jacob was a person who took nothing for granted. He knew what he wanted and strove after it. He didn't seem to be aware of the fact that God has already decided to give him many of the things that he desired. I don't know if his parents ever told him what God had said, or if he didn't believe what they told him. What he knew prior to this encounter we don't know, but it is clear that he did not fully accept what God said to him. Note that he has no doubt that it was indeed God who had spoken to him: "When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.' He was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven'" (28:16,17). Yet this clear revelation was not sufficient for Jacob to enter into the kind of relationship with God that both his father, Isaac and his grandfather Abraham had. As quoted above, he vowed that if God was true to his word to bring him safely back to Canaan, then God would be his God. It might be strange to think that someone could truly believe in the reality of God and not be in right relationship with him. But, in fact, this is far more common that we would care to admit. Many people believe that God exists, while at the same time they neglect to follow him. It is too bad that we tend to lump all so-called believers together by accepting simple acknowledgements of God as true faith. Knowing God is more than accepting his existence, appreciating his attributes, and engaging in spiritual activities such as worship, prayer, and good deeds. Jacob understood that. He was no atheist or agnostic. Though being a self seeking deceptive striver, there was something very real about him. He didn't pretend to be a follower of God. When God himself spoke to him Jacob didn't pretend to have confidence in God when he didn't. But what he did do was promise that if God would really do what he said he would do, then Jacob in turn would give himself wholeheartedly to God. I wonder how many people claim faith in God without ever really testing his reality. I am not referring to cynical challenges from those who have no real desire to know him. I am not suggesting we ask God to bend spoons, send lightening or to perform other kinds of carnival-like spectacular displays to prove himself. What I do mean is that maybe we should be a little more like Jacob. If you are uncertain about who God is, then ask him. He is not trying to hide himself from you. If he answers prayer at all, then certainly that is a prayer he will answer. As he reveals himself, respond with an honest heart. Don't pretend to believe him when you don't. Grapple with what he is saying, until it becomes real to you. Then as he and his word become real, live as if it is real. Only then will he truly be your God. TorahBytes Vayetzei (Genesis 28:10-32:3) Family Parsha Vayetzei 5765 How should we react when things don't go the way we want them to? In this week's Torah portion, our forefather Jacob carefully planned and worked very hard to marry the beautiful Rachel. Despite all this, he ended up getting tricked into first marrying her older sister, Leah. Despite his disappointment, Jacob accepted what happened as being God's will, and though it seemed bad, it ended up being very good, as Leah became the mother of six out of Jacob's 12 sons and played a big part in helping him reach his life's goal of building the Jewish people. We can learn from here a valuable lesson: We should do what we can to make things work out the way we would like them to, but if they don't, we should know that it isn't just a 'bad break,' but rather it is God's way of giving us something good that we didn't even realize we needed. In our story some kids discover that sometimes what seems like a disaster is really a blessing in disguise. "SILVER LININGS" What a disaster! We had been planning this thing for weeks, and now I felt like I was watching all my hard work and careful plans going up in smoke before my very eyes. Unlike a lot of kids I knew, I never went on vacations or did anything exciting during school break. I was so tired of watching all my friends flying off to here and there and coming back all tanned, and full of stories and souvenirs about their great times, when usually all I had at the end of school break was a couple of boring novels under my belt, and maybe a few extra pounds I gained from all the ice cream I ate while reading them. But this year was different. It wasn't easy, but I had convinced my parents to let my sister, Jenny, and I to fly down south and spend the break with our cousins, the Silvers, who lived by a beautiful beach. After about a hundred phone calls and arrangements, Jenny and I finally worked out all the details. I could hardly wait for the school semester to end, to say good-bye to the boring winter blues and trade them in for ten full days of fun in the sun. Everything was going along as planned, until about a week before the trip, when my aunt called. She was so apologetic and said when she told us we could stay with them, she hadn't realized my uncle had already invited friends to come for the very same days. Boy was I disappointed! What rotten luck! I started tearfully unpacking, and I didn't know how I would possibly break the bad news to Jenny. She had worked even harder on arranging the trip and was even more excited than I was. With my own tears barely dry, I slowly walked into Jenny's room, carrying a box of Kleenex. I figured she would need them for her tears once I told her the bad news. But I couldn't believe it the way she took it. Though I could tell she was disappointed, she just took it all in stride and said it must be for the best, and if we were meant to get there, we would. That was the last thing I expected, or wanted to hear. I'm embarrassed to say it, but I kind of got into a big fit and accused her of not being normal - after all, wouldn't any normal person be as upset as I was over something like this? Not wanting to give up, we racked our brains to come up with another plan, and sure enough Jenny came up with a brilliant idea. She remembered from the time we visited our cousins when we were little kids that there was a small motel literally across the street from their condominium complex. The words had barely left her mouth when I jumped on the phone to ask my aunt about it. Success! My aunt thought it was a great idea and said we could sleep at the motel, but spend our days and eat all of our meals with them. She even offered to pay for part of the motel since she felt so bad about the mix up. I teased Jenny about her take-it-or-leave-it attitude, and told her that if you wanted something to happen, you had to make it happen. (I guess I sort of conveniently forgot that the motel was her idea and not mine.) My sister just smiled and said, "Paula, if God wants us to get there, we will. And if not, there is a good reason for that too." I thought she was all wet, but had too much re-packing to do to even bother arguing with her. Things were looking up - until a couple of hours later when my aunt called back. It seemed the motel was all booked up! I was sure this time Jenny would get as down about it as I was, but again she just shrugged and said, "If God isn't letting us take this vacation after trying so hard, there must be a good reason." I just rolled my eyes and went back to my room to have a good cry. Winter break arrived and I was getting ready for ten days of absolute boredom - all my friends had packed up and gone south to the sun, and here we were, stuck at home again. A couple of days later Jenny and I were sitting in the kitchen having lunch, and I was in the middle of telling her how all wet she and her 'everything's for the best' philosophy was, when the phone rang. Jenny picked it up. It was Tanya, one of the kids in our class who had taken off on vacation. I assumed she was calling from down south to gloat about how good a time she was having. "Really?" Jenny said. "That's too bad." My ears perked up. "Hurricane warning... Airport was closed?" Hey what was going on? Jenny hung up the phone and shook her head. "You're not going to believe it," she said. Turns out that a big unexpected storm had totally closed up that part of the southern coast. All our friends who flew there just had to turn around and fly right back home - if they were lucky. If they couldn't fly back in time, they got stuck spending their break far away from home in the middle of a hurricane! Talk about being 'all wet!' Boy, I never felt happier to be home, safe and dry in my life. I looked at Jenny and she at me with a look that said it all. She had really been right all along; the whole time I thought God was trying to stop us from having a good time, He was really stopping us from getting into an annoying and maybe even dangerous mess! I think from now on I'm going to try to be a little more like my smart sister, and not get upset so fast if things don't turn out the way I think they should, because you really never know. Aish.com Mission Updates:Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, We have been waiting for this for well...9 months...Sarina is now our needs minister. She takes care of clothing, getting donuts and many other things.. She has been a very quick work with the Lord as she came out of an abusive marriage..The baby is from her husband...But all children come from the Lord! So got any baby things you wish to send? She could also use newborn on up in diapers. Sarina works but is taking off 3 months with her new baby so things are very tight for her and her new BOY..Oh His Name is Josiah. Mom can tell you all about it.....in her update this week.. We are still trying to get Thanksgiving together. More bills. Now the gas company says because we moved next door we need a $200 deposit..We never had one before. Pray that either the money comes to pay this or mom can talk them out of it.....But I am sure most all the Mission bills are due but rent......Blankets I have 10 and that's it. They will go I am sure tomorrow. We also need coats, hats, gloves, and cold remedies...Also stuff like sutifed? you know head cold stuff.....Tooth brushes, tooth paste, soaps, razor's..etc. We have blessed many people with big print Bibles...what a blessing these leatherflex covered Bibles KJV are...We can buy them KJV at Sam's Warehouse for $13 I thing it is...... Now I am in need of a system to set up at the Mission......computer or laptop ( laptop would help with outside ministry needs other than the mission )....printer...scanner... Anyway keep us in your prayers. Please pray for the people we minister to as this is the front line as Bro. David Eells said. You can catch Sunday's replay tomorrow at 6 PM central if you choose or wait for it to go to the archives..The Program is with Bro. David a man of Faith. Just tune go to our radio page...... The FATHER bless thee and keep thee;The FATHER make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26 In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch Shalom in Yeshua Our Messiah, Kathy only had to made one dozen egg-n- cheese sandwhiches Friday as we had a family bring in some turkey salad and there was also some Turkey balogna in the fridge that she served. Together we made chili served over mexican sphagetti that was very good served with bread-n- butter. We managed to get a reguler fan in our kitchen but we really need an exhaust fan. All the bills are paid for now but new one will be coming in the next two weeks. For the Mission we will have two of everything our final bills from 803 and our new bills for 801. Westar our electric company called yesterday an left a message saying they will charge our account a 200 dollar deposite i called and they said because it was a new account and commercial they had to charge a deposite. i told the lady we had been there four years and they never charged us a deposite at 803 why now and why so much. A supervisor is suppose to call me back but you know how they are we will more than likely have to pay it. Sarina had her (our) baby Sunday @ 4:55 PM I posted a few pics to this email if you don't get them and would like to see our Beautiful Newest Member of Messiah's Branch email me I will send them to you as attachments. The one of the baby he was only twenty minutes old and as I started talking to him he looked right at me an smiled it was awesome. Sarina named him Josiah Lauren Lemay (not sure of the spelling) he wieght 7 lbs 14 ozs and was 21 inches long such a BEAUTIFUL baby looks just like his mommy. We are in need of all warm things, blankets, sleeping bags etc.... we could use more monthly supporters as everything seems to keep going up (except wages). Thanks to everyone who helped out this month and I'm still needing HELP WITH THANKSGIVING more on the Mission next update Last weeks answer:Luke 6:6-10 6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. Find this Passage:The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Carnival Cruise We at Carnival Cruise Lines are not forgetting that a lot of entertainers promised to leave the country if George W. Bush were to be reelected President.With that in mind, we have a Special Offer for those who still want to keep their promise!Attention: Alec Baldwin, Rosie O'Donnell and her "wife", Ed Asner, Janneane Garafalo, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Franken, Michael Moore, Cher, Phil Donahue, Rob Reiner(apparently still a "meathead"), Barbara Streisand, Jane Fonda, and the entire staffs of the LA and NY Times and anyone else who made that promise, please dispose of all US assets and report to Florida for the sailing of the Funship Cruise, "Elation," which has been commissioned to take you to your new vacation homes in Afghanistan.You may opt to be dropped off in Somalia or Iraq or some similar sunny location.The Florida Supreme Court will sponsor a Farewell Parade in your honor through Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties prior to your cruise. Please pack for an extended stay... at least FOUR MORE YEARS. Note: Since you advocate strict gun control, you may not bring any.Staffing your voyage is Bill Clinton as captain, John Edwards as cruise director, and Gray Davis, as Purser (the guy in charge of managing the money). "Teh-RAY-sah" Heinz Kerry hopefully will be shoved somewhere below decks away from the media.Monica Lewinsky will be the "Cigar and Cigarette Girl". Entertainment will be provided by the Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen, and movies will be shown each evening by Michael Moore. John Kerry will be our Life Guard based on his past experience of pulling people out of the water. He is also in charge of games and has eliminated "shuffleboard" in favor of his new game he calls "waffleboard". Be sure to pack your flip flops as you will need them while playing. Ted Kennedy will double as Bartender and back-up Life Guard. He only qualifies as back-up Life Guard since his experience in rescuing people from drowning has not been too successful. Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will provide inspirational services, and Al Franken will give inspirational talks each afternoon.If you have any questions about making arrangements for your homes, friends and loved ones, please contact Senator Hillary Clinton. Her "village" can raise your children while you're gone, and she can watch over all your money and your furnishings until you return."Bon Voyage!" Is this a great country or what? It's called Freedom of Speech.

Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27

Prison Weekly November 13th 204

Toledot For the week of November 13, 2004 / 29 Heshvan 5765 Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 25:19 - 28:9 Haftarah: 1 Samuel 20:18-42 Where Do You Get Your Water? "Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD . There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well" (Bereshit / Genesis 26:25). We all know that water is so essential to our survival. Without it, we die. Those of us who live in water-rich areas, have little understanding of what much of the world goes though in its search for fresh, clean water. The land of Israel both in ancient and modern times understands this. The water situation there is so delicate. Rain is rarely in abundance and the geography doesn't allow for many large natural reservoirs. Israel's forefathers, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, lived a nomadic existence, dwelling in tents and moving from place to place in search of pasture for their livestock. One of the things that determined if they could stay in a certain place was whether or not they could dig or access a decent well. This week's portion describes Isaac's struggle to find a good place to settle. A famine led them to Philistine territory. The Philistines were jealous of Isaac's prosperity and would stop up his wells, or argue over the access to certain wells, thus forcing him to keep moving. At each place they would either redig one of the wells of Isaac’s father Abraham, or dig a new well. Wherever they went, their lives depended on finding water. Wells had to be dug. If they did not find water, they could not stay. The need for water drove them. It doesn't take long to be overcome by thirst. It doesn't take that long to die for lack of water. So they kept moving. And so they kept digging. Our desires drive us. They drive us to find refreshment. Deeper than our drive for water is our drive to find refreshment for our souls. Most of the time we don't notice this drive, because we so naturally dig wells to satisfy this thirst. We move from activity to activity seeking to satisfy our internal thirsts. We douse ourselves with all sorts of things hoping to find relief from our desperation. Many of us don't stop dousing ourselves with the distractions of entertainment, the pursuit of money, or the gratification of our flesh to realize how thirsty we are. And if for one reason one of our wells runs dry, we quickly seek to dig another one in the hope we will finally find something to relieve our thirst. Yeshua spoke about this very thing at the location of one of the patriarchal wells, one that belonged to Isaac's son, Jacob (See John 4). He spoke of a water that would quench the thirst of our souls. Drinking from his messianic well would not only quench our thirst, but make us a source of tremendous refreshment to others. And yet how many of us continue to find refreshment from other wells? It doesn't help that there are so many wells offering us satisfaction all around us today. We are not only distracted by these false sources of refreshment, we just about drown ourselves in them. When was the last time you stopped and took a good long drink of the water that only comes from God through Yeshua? Could it be that you have tried, but you are just too saturated by the water of other wells? Maybe you are someone who has never even tasted God's life giving water. The good news is that not only is there plenty for everyone, his well never runs dry. TorahBytes Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Family Parsha Toldot 5765 When people get into a conflict, it may seem the only way out is to fight it out. But the Torah teaches us there is a better way. Unlike his warlike brother, Esau, our forefather Jacob's way was to use his mouth and try to talk things out and settle them peacefully whenever possible. We, his descendants, can learn from him that our real strength is often found not in our fists, but our words. In our story, a couple of kids discover there's more than one way to settle the score. "HANDS DOWN" "Don't forget - three o'clock sharp, in the park, and be ready to fight!" said Marc, with steam nearly coming out of his ears. "Don't worry," answered an equally angry looking Larry, "I'll be there! I'll see you then, unless you chicken out that, that is!" The two boys, despite being in the same class, were not exactly what you would call the best of friends. Everything one of them would do would just annoy the daylights out of the other. To say they rubbed each other the wrong way was an understatement. Trouble had been brewing between them for a long time now, and they were finally going to fight it out, once and for all. The 'rules' they made up were to fight bare-fisted, and each of them could bring along one friend to lend a hand. Marc knew just the guy to ask, and if he agreed to come, he was sure he would have the fight won, before it even started... Big Jake Howard wasn't just big - he was HUGE. The kid just seemed to be made out of iron, and his hands looked like they were wearing baseball gloves, even when they weren't. He also happened to be one of Marc's best friends. He was sure that one look at Big Jake would be enough to sink Larry six feet into the ground. He walked over to Big Jake, who was just coming out of class. "Hey Marc, how's it going? I just learned something really interesting about Jacob and Esau." This was hardly the time for a history lesson, and Marc cut the boy off and started to tell him every good reason why Larry deserved to be crushed and pulverized. "So, will you come, buddy. Will you help me out?" Big Jake scratched his head a moment, cracked his giant knuckles, and said, "If you need my help, then why not?" Marc couldn't stop smiling. With Big Jake at his side, it was all over before it even started. The two of them got to the park. Marc sneered when he saw Larry in the distance, and saw that he had had brought with him a kid named 'Shark.' He was pretty tough kid, but compared to Jake, the 'Shark' was just a goldfish. The combatants eyed each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally Larry lifted his fist to hit Marc, but he had barely begun to move when Jake, with lightening speed, flashed out one of his giant hands and grabbed Larry by the collar, dangling him mid-air like a little puppy. Marc took it as his signal to make his move, but just as he raised his fist, he suddenly felt himself swinging high in the air. "What in the...?" He looked up and realized Jake had lifted him up with his other hand. Meanwhile, 'Shark' had swum off in the other direction, not waiting around to become the third layer in Big Jake's 'people sandwich.' The two swinging boys squirmed around for a couple of minutes and then gave up, realizing there was no way they were getting down until Jake put them down. "Hey Jake," said Marc, "C'mon man, what's going on? Didn't you come here to help me settle things with this kid?" Jake smiled, "That's right. You guys are going to settle things right here and now." "So put us down and let us fight it out!" demanded Larry from his perch. Jake shook his big head. "Listen guys, I'm gonna put you down, but you're not going to fight it out. You're going to talk it out." With that, he plunked the two boys down on a bench, and gave them a look that made sure they would listen. "As I was saying to you before, Marc, today I learned about how Jacob, our forefather was different from Esau. Esau would settle things with his fists, but Jacob believed in using his mouth, and making peace by talking things out. Now we are Jacob's descendants - and even though I could easily let these big hands of mine do my talking, I don't, because it's not the right way. And neither should you. Now let's sit down and talk this thing out until it's solved. Deal?" Marc looked at Larry, and Larry looked at Marc. They both looked at Jake and knew the big guy was right. With the big guy's help, the two of them started talking things out, and were surprised to realize that once they tried to really communicate, they could work out most of the problems between them without fighting. From then on, Larry and Marc got along much better, all thanks to the big guy with the strong hands who taught them a way to use their mouths, and be even stronger. Aish.com Mission Updates: Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, To start with we had some very wonderful big print Bibles come today. 48 I think the count is. I have not taken them all out of the 4 boxes. These will be a treasure to those whom receive them. I know the Lord will bless the place these came from! Cold set in for the first time really in Wichita, Kansas. We have a few blankets left..but they will be gone as soon as we open on Friday. We hope to be in our new place come next Tuesday. We will see. One of our Family who lives out of town is going to help us with the sink. I first thought I could put it in myself but after he showed up yesterday and showed me what had to be done. We are cutting in to metal pipes which will have to be brazed.... So I conceded that I needed to wait on him to do it. I will met with him Thursday at 4:30 PM to go over what needs to be done and what it will cost. I have had this old metal sink which set out in the yard for the last maybe 10 years. I thought it was no good. But I was told we can use it. Of course it needs all the parts to it and a counter top. We also have to put shelves up and various other things. We could still use your support as besides the cost of fixing the kitchen, shelves, paying electric, gas, water on two places for however long it takes to transfer things, we need support for Thanksgiving Dinner! Mom got a $85 donation by pay pal for food this is a start! We need coats and blankets badly. The cold is just here and it's going to be a very rough winter for the Homeless. I think it will be very wet and cold/snowy. I need cold remedies right now...Decongestants..money for silver rods to make colloidal silver. If you have a source for rods send us some if you are so led. I want it available to all the homeless. To some I am the only doctor they will see...and you guessed it I am no real doctor...but I do what I can. The Power steering pump is going out on the ministry van. So this needs addressed now. Sometimes I can hardly turn the wheel and it is not low on fluid when I checked. I will have my son recheck today... Then there is underbridge Barry. He no longer is in a shelter and back under the brideg. he looked terrible yesterday...You see he has cancer and they say a very short time to live. I pray he does not dies alone under the bridge......he comes for comfort from the Lord...can you imagine dying alone cold like that? Well please pray for this ministry and those we help. Yes we have gotten a good start this month. Bills are being paid etc. But we also still need help with gas and the other things I spoke of. This is not about me or my family, we yes it is about my family as we treat all the poor who come in as family. We show them the Love of The Father. My sister said yesterday looking at the new place next door " I do not understand how you do so much with so little in such a small place. I would go nut trying to do it long before now." You see there is hardily walking room in the place. The New place will be better but still very crowded but it will be a wonderful thing for the people and us..So pray about being a part of this minister. How? Well Prayer first always first. Then they need what you need. Socks, underwear, razor's, blankets, etc..Got an old coat or blanket around? Send it. It will help. Even one pair of socks will bless someone. Yesterday I had no old shoes so I spent $10 from what came to pay pal Sunday and went to Wal-Mart and got him a pair of shoes. if you feel led we have many who could use some shoes so $10 plus tax will buy someone a pair of tennis shoes. Matthew 6:3 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.The FATHER bless thee and keep thee;The FATHER make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26 In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah, Kathy made five dozen egg-n-cheese sandwiches Friday that were served with dozens of fresh donuts, coffee,ice tea and ice water throughout the day. Together we made hamburger rice,greenbeans mix'd with sliced potatoes and chocolate cake in celebration of Richard (our helper at the Mission) and Buba (Joshua our son who turned 10) birthdays that were both Sunday the 7th. We served it with bread-n-butter and hot peppers for dinner. We had a few donations of clothes come in an a donation to buy 100 tapes and 100 CD's for the radio ministry. We did manage to get most of the Mission moved into our new building but now we are waiting on our landlord to get the carpet patched where he tore down the walls before we can finish with moving. The newsletters has been mailed and the bills have all been paid except the internet 19.95 due on the 10th that we would really like to have changed to a cable service instead of the dial up. The cost to make the change is 60.00. The storage eletric just came in and it is 17.00 something due sometime around the first of December. I don't have it here in front of me so I'm not sure of the exact amount or due date. The ministry accounts are all near empty again so please pray about making a one time donation or being a much needed monthly supporter. We have very few blankets so we need blankets as well as mens coats lg, xlg, an xxlg. The new place is in need of a few more things as well. I would like to have a counter top built with shelfing below it so we have more space to work and more storage for our kitchen items. I have a small table in there now but we need more storage space if we can get the materials to build this then it would fix my problem. Pray adout it, we need to install an exhaust fan and we need the funding to purchase this also. The food account is in need of funds for the Thanksgiving feast. We need both turkeys and sweets donated. If some of you can help me out with the cooking I would be OH SO THANKFUL. It looks like I may be able to get Thursday and Saturday both off which is great for me because I have to work Wednesday night 10pm to 6am then feed both Thursday and Friday. If any of you want to help with cooking a dish for this feast just email me and we can work out details Thank you all in advance. More on the Mission next update have a blessed week : Last Weeks answers:Ezekiel 20:18-26 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. Find this passage: And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. Think God can't use you??... The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember... Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, Mary Magdalene was, well you know, The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer, ...AND Lazarus was dead! No more excuses now...God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27

Prison Weekly November 6th 2004

Hayyei Sarah For the week of November 6, 2004 / 22 Heshvan 5765 Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 23:1 - 25:18 Haftarah: 1 Melachim / Kings 1:1-31 Go with the Miracle "Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac" (Bereshit / Genesis 25:5). Several years ago, we had the opportunity to take a much needed sabbatical. This opportunity required moving cities. We had been leasing a house at the time, the owner of which had been renting it out for many years while working overseas. They were in the process of returning to Canada and were anxious to move back into their house. But due to our lease agreement, we had the right to stay. When the opportunity for our sabbatical arose, I called the owner and asked if she and her husband would be interested in allowing us to break the lease. I was delighted when she immediately said, "Yes." But the next day, she called back, and said that she changed her mind. As it turned out, her own landlord would not allow her out of her lease, so understandably she could not allow us out of our ours. We had already gone through a lot of emotional turmoil over the decision to leave. Now we faced more turmoil as we tried to make the situation work. We tried subletting, but we had no takers. We even attempted the Moses approach – "Let my people go!" But that didn't work either. After much prayer and effort we decided to set a deadline, after which, if it wouldn’t work out to break the lease, we would stay put and wait for the lease period to expire many months later. Yet I still believed in my heart that it was God who had created this opportunity for us, and that, for some reason, it was important for us to leave at that time, not later. When the day of the deadline arrived I read with my family the passage in the Bible where Yeshua teaches about faith moving mountains. I strongly believed that we were facing one of those mountains. So I called a friend and together we went to pray in front of the apartment building where our landlady was living. We prayed that God would move the mountain. The mountain being the lease in this case. Nothing happened. Our deadline came and went. So we accepted that we would have to wait and leave seven months later. Exactly one week later the phone rang. It was our landlady. Her own landlord had told her that she could break her lease for a sum of money. She told me that if we would cover it, we could go. At that time however, we were not in a position to pay anything near that amount. So I had to tell her, "No," and hung up. Within ten minutes she phoned again. She wanted to know if we would be interested in breaking the lease for free? My legs almost gave way when she said that. I told her I would call her back. You may wonder why didn't I say "Yes" right away? It was because of how the events played out. After praying and trying so hard to do this thing, we had been stuck. Then after we decided to stay, should we not stick to our decision? So I called a friend and told him all that had transpired. After listening patiently, he said, "Sounds like a miracle. I would go with the miracle." My friend wasn't saying that we should accept the offer simply because the turn of events were so unusual. He was saying that he saw God's hand in it. He felt that it is preferable to do what God is involved in no matter how strange it might seem to us. Isn't that what the story of the Bible is all about? In its pages we encounter people who preferred to go with God and his workings than to live life according to what most people would view as normal and natural. We read at the start, "Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac." Isaac was Abraham's miracle baby. He had other children. Most people are aware of Ishmael, but not that aware about the children he had through his second wife after Sarah died. If you read the context of this quote, you will see that Abraham cared for his entire household even though at the end of his life his entire inheritance was given to the miracle baby. It was essential that the legacy given to Abraham by God was passed on to Isaac, for it would be through Isaac's descendants that the power and presence of God would be revealed to the whole world. Through a miracle birth came a miracle nation, who would be called to follow the God of miracles. It would be a challenge through the centuries to go with the miracle instead of doing the more popular, so-called normal thing. The same challenge is upon us today. When God invades our lives, offering us the choice between doing the logical, more natural thing or going with the miracle, what will we do? Torahbytes Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18) Family Parsha Chayei Sarah 5765 It is important to be kind, but what if being kind in one way will end up causing us to be dishonest in another?This week's Torah Portion teaches that for kindness to be real, it also has to go hand in hand with truthfulness and integrity (Genesis, 24:27,49). It's a challenging but worthwhile goal to learn how be kind, yet remain committed to truth at the same time. In our story, some kids work out a way to bring together two opposites.PERFECT HARMONY Good music can make you feel like you're flying high. And that's just how me and the other kids in our after-school choral group were feeling as our voices blended together in beautiful harmony, when a knock on the rehearsal room door brought us back down to earth. I reluctantly walked over to open the door, hoping that our singing hadn't disturbed one of the teachers or anything, and was relieved to see that it was just Jill, one of the kids from our class. "I'm really sorry to interrupt you guys" she said, "but the singing just sounded so nice, so I, um, wondered if I could maybe join up with the group, too. I'm not a pro or anything, but I do really love singing." Jill was our friend, and a really nice kid, so we figured it wouldn't hurt to let her try. After all, one more talented voice could only add to the harmony, right? We gave her a short piece of music to sing as sort of a try-out, and I don't know quite how to describe it, but the kid's singing voice sounded something like a cross between a cat getting its tail stepped on and fingernails scraping a blackboard. I mean she was awful! We struggled to keep ourselves from laughing as she squealed and screeched her way through the musical piece. She came to a crashing stop at the final note. "Um... thank you very much, Jill," I managed to say with a straight face. "We'll let you know our decision by tomorrow." The door had hardly closed behind her when our once harmonious group burst out into a very un-harmonious debate. "Forget it. ForGET it!" said Hilary, one of our best soloists. "Face it, the kid can't sing to save her life. If we let her in the group, it's all over." Some of the kids nodded in agreement and it seemed the girl's fate was sealed, until Leah, another star singer, spoke up. "Okay, it may be true that she's not the best singer in the world, but she is our friend, and that's what counts. It would be so mean to not let her join us, and she'll feel so hurt. I say let her in. It won't be so terrible, and who knows, maybe she'll get better at it." Some of the kids mumbled in agreement. But Hillary and her crowd weren't buying. "Friend or no friend, the truth is the truth. And I'm sorry to say the truth is she CANNOT sing. She will destroy the music if she sings with us - not to mention make a fool out of herself. If you decide to take her in, then I quit!" "And I say," Leah responded, "that this whole group isn't worth anything if it is going to turn us into a bunch of snobs who don't care about people's feelings! If we don't take her in, then I quit." I knew I had to think fast or else this group that we've all been working on so hard for so long was going to split in half and sink to the bottom of the ocean. But what could I say? Hillary was right - it wouldn't work for Jill to join us. But Leah was also right - rejecting her would be very hurtful. Then, with all the stomping and shouting going on, one of the equipment racks got pushed and a tambourine fell to the floor. I felt like it fell from heaven because it gave me just the idea I needed, and maybe the only chance to save the group. "Whoa, time out!" I whistled. Everyone got quiet, suddenly remembering I was the group leader after all. "How about we let Jill into the group..." Hillary started stomping off, "Hey, Hilary, let me finish!" Hillary stopped, waiting to hear the rest of my idea. "We let Jill into the group, but not as a singer, but as a tambourine player..." The kids were buzzing as I went on. "We had talked about wanting to add a little percussion to the singing, and this way we can keep our group and also keep our friend. What do you say?" Well no one was walking off now, and in fact everyone was smiling, so I knew my idea was a hit. I called up Jill that night and explained to her how the group had enough singers for the time being, but how we all wanted her to be part of us, and would love to have her join us as the tambourine player. She was fine with that, and admitted that she liked listening to choral music more than actually singing herself, and this would be perfect. At the next rehearsal our voices soared higher than ever and everyone realized that we had finally reached perfect harmony in more ways than one. Aish.com Mission Updates: Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace,Today was pretty packed. For brunch Kathy made 9 dozen egg sandwiches. That does not include the mini tootsie rolls, little debbi cakes and donuts they had. then we turned around and made 38 plates of food at 4:30 of chicken and noodles, corn, peaches and bread and butter....Over the course of the day it's safe to say we had 70 people through. You see not all stay for dinner and not all that come for dinner at 4:30 were there for brunch.......The Lord is working on the landlord you see he said today that we are storing up treasures in heaven. He is very reluctant to mess with something the Lord is doing. He wants to work with us to put us in the end building. He says he will have to raise the rent...but mom has not talked to him yet. She will on Friday. At any rate the place next door looks like it could be a good thing. It does not have a kitchen but one of the little rooms could be made into one. He will put in the 220 volts for the stove. But I want to put a sink in and a few other things and make it a real kitchen. This will have to be done before we move in. I found help to do it tonight but we will need materials money. Things for shelves, a sink and other things. So the move to do it right and make things better will cost every bit of $1000 to $1500..But if we do move with this landlord, I do not think we will have to worry about being kicked out again...as we have had this hanging over us for years. There really is no question of moving in. Only for mom to get him to keep the rent under $400...he wants $440.....We can barley afford $400. We pay the rent and the ministry pays the bills. Speaking of which are now do. Today we had the blankets come in. We passed out about half of them I did not count. They were and are needed badly. It was a blessing to them. So pray about helping right now, pray about it and do as you are led by the Lord! The FATHER bless thee and keep thee;The FATHER make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The FATHER lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26 In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch Shalom In Yeshua Our Messiah, Messiah's Branch is MOVING from 803 w Maple to 801 w Maple Next door Praise Yeshua He is IN CONTROL Friday Kathy and Bootsie (LindaII our daughter) made 7 dozen egg and cheese sandwiches. We served chips and sauce, dozens of donuts, coffee, ice tea and ice water throuh out the day. I made pinto beans ( I cheated and used #10 cans) seasoned with garlic, onions, onion soup mix and imatation bacon bits (these are kosher bits made without pork). I made corn bread which started to burn because we have never used this oven and the regulator for the oven temp control dosen't work. I kept telling Kathy somethings burning and she'd say just the bottom of the oven. Well after the smell got stronger I pulled out the cake pan of cornbread and sure enough the bottom was black and the top liguid. to make a long story short I salavaged those two pans and turned the oven from 400 to 275 then the last two pans came out perfect. I made greens mixed with carrots and we served it all with hot pepers, onions and butter. We know by FAITH that Yahweh will Provide the needs for His work. Here we are just making His vessels aware of those needs and asking you to Pray about being used to fulfill them. There is NO money in any of the ministry accounts at present, we need your help now, just pray about it then do as led from the Father. Thank you all who support us in all these works without you as vessels we can not complete these WORKS. The electric bill $113.something is due this Friday. Monday I will be calling the electric company to have the power turned on in our new building next door @ 801. I will need the power in both buildings until all the remolding in both are complete. The electric that is on at 803 needs to be paid by the 5th when it is due please pray about helping with this. The newsletter is due to go out we need printing cost and postage $ 300.00 The internet is 19.95 and the gas is 29.47 both due by the 5th. The rent, water and phone bill have been paid for October. November rent is also paid. THANKSGIVING is around the corner we NEED donations for this dinner. It takes around $ 200 to make this dinner plus 5 turkeys at least 18 pounds each. The sweets are the most expensive to make. We feed on Thanksgivings (70 plus people)then we serve the meal left overs on Friday for dinner. I relly need help this year as I don't think grandma will be up to much. If any of you can make something and let me know it will sure help me as I may even have to work 3rd shift the Wednesday before (Linda II turns 13) 10pm to 6am cook all day for the Mission then back to work 10pm to 6am then be back at the Mission by noon on Friday. I will need all the help I can get but by FAITH I know my Father will carry me He always does. email me if you can help with some of the cooking it's all in His hands. More on the Mission next update: Have a very blessed day Today we had $1,295 come in todays mail total from three sources. The Bills will get paid and the newsletter will go out. I will have to go over the Bills with her and such. But just at a glance this will be about $700 or more but we will be all caught up. So I pray the Father to bless those that donated and those who helped pray this in....Again please keep us in mind when you pray as this is the most needed thing....Interceed in prayer for us.....pray about being part of this ministry....Last Weeks Answer:Luke 11:27-36 27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Find This Passage: But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27

Prisonweekly Torah: Prison weekly Oct 30th 2004

Prisonweekly Torah: Prison weekly Oct 30th 2004