Prisonweekly Feb 19th 2005

Tezavveh For the week of February 19, 2005 / 10 Adar 5765 Torah: Shemot / Exodus 27:20 - 30:10 Haftarah: Ezekiel 43:10-27 The Order of Things When we study Torah we should be very careful not to read into it things that are not there. At the same time there is an abundance of ideas and issues that are not so obvious to the casual reader. I am not referring to what we might call "reading between the lines," where all sorts of concepts may be developed with little or no actual connection to what is actually found in a given passage. One of the ways that we can avoid drawing fanciful conclusions is to always take our ideas back to the Scriptures to see if they are consistent with its overall teaching. I am only bringing this up at this point by way of introduction to this week's topic. The section of the Torah that we are in currently continues the instructions for the structure, furniture and other articles of the special place of worship and sacrifice, which in Hebrew is called the mishkan or in English, the Tabernacle. I want to point out a concept that may not be that obvious at first glance, and that is what may be implied by the order in which God revealed these things. This section of the Torah actually begins with the giving of the Ten Commandments in chapter 20. This is followed by regulations regarding various relational and moral issues. Only then are the details of the mishkan given. For many religious people, ceremony is the foundation of their faith. Issues regarding worship and ritual is what sets them apart from the rest of society. But that is not the biblical order. A right understanding of God and what he has done for us historically and personally comes before anything else. A long list of moral and societal issues immediately follow. Only after that are issues of ceremony listed. I believe that we need to live out our faith in this same order today. We must begin with a right relationship with God. Without that, there is no sense in trying to engage God and participate in any kind of spiritual or religious activity. But then, even before we participate in those activities, we must relate properly to other people. A right relationship with God immediately calls us to live all of life in a godly manner, which includes everything from expressions of intimacy to our business dealings and use of property. Only then can we legitimately express our relationship with God through worship and other expressions of faith. TorahBytes
Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) Family Parsha Tetzaveh 5764 It doesn't take big leaps or dramatic acts to succeed, only continual and consistent effort. This week's Torah portion describes both the continually lit lamp - the Ner Tamid, and the continual offering - the Korban Tamid in the Tabernacle. Both were distinguished by their quality of consistency. We can take a lesson from them and realize that the surefire way to reach our goals is through consistent work.R In our story, a boy learns about the effectiveness of consistency.

"OUT OF THE WOODS"

"Great job, Michael. We're proud of you!" My uncle Jack was all smiles as he pumped my hand. I had just finished my Bar Mitzvah reading, and everyone seemed so happy about how well I did. I smiled back, and winked over at my friend, Steve, who was standing across the room. I wonder if, besides him, any of them realized just how close I came to giving up and not doing it at all? You see, I have a lot of talents. I can run faster than anyone else in my class, and nobody can beat me at checkers. But when it comes to things like reading, especially in Hebrew, let's just say I'm not at the top of the class. The words and letters just seem to jumble and get lost somewhere between my eyes and my tongue. So I would go twice a week to Mr. Frand's house for extra tutoring to learn the special section I was supposed to read out loud for my Bar Mitzvah. He was a nice enough guy, and his wife always served really good homemade cakes and cookies. But I felt like I was getting nowhere, fast, and after a couple lessons I was ready to throw in the towel. Since Mr. Frand lived on the other side of the neighborhood, the fastest way to get there was to cut through the path in the woods behind my house. A lot of times my buddy, Steve, who lived next door to the tutor, would meet me after the lesson and we would either spend the afternoon hanging out at his place, or we'd walk through the woods together to mine. That's what we were doing that day, but I wasn't very good company. That week I had really stumbled through my lesson, and as we hiked along the well-worn path, all I could do was fuss and complain. "That's it, I'm quitting. Lessons or no lessons, I just can't read the thing, and I never will." Steve tried to get me to laugh it off, but then he saw I was serious. "But you only started the lessons a few weeks ago, what do you expect? Do you practice every day?" he asked. "A few weeks, few months, few years ... what difference does it make? With my thick head I'll never get it, so what's the point of practicing? Whenever I try to read, the words come out more tangled up than those thorn bushes over there!" I said bitterly, pointing to the side of the path. We walked a bit more in silence, then Steve turned to me with a funny look. "Mike, I think I have your answer." I didn't know I had asked him a question. "The only way to get through the thorn bushes is to make a path." He seemed excited about his idea, but I had no idea what he was talking about. What?" "Don't you get it? If the woods are so full of brambles and thorn bushes, how come we can walk across it so easily?" I glared at him. My mind was burned out enough from the lesson; what did I need to play 20 questions for? "What kind of question is that? We don't walk through the bushes, we walk down the path." "Ah hah!" he said, "And how did the path get here? Did it just appear out of thin air?" I picked up a rock and lobbed it into a nearby stream. I wasn't sure what he was driving at, but it was actually an interesting question. I thought back about when the two of us first became friends. There really wasn't any path back then. I remembered how hard it was to walk through, and how Steve and I had kept cutting through the same way to get to each other's houses. After a while all that walking, day after day, sort of pushed aside and crushed down a few of the bushes, and smoothed out a path... I think I was starting to get Steve's point. "You're trying to say that by cutting through the same place over and over, we made the path through the thorn bushes, right?" "That's right. Even though each time we walked through it didn't seem to change anything, eventually it added up and we had a path. Same thing here - if you stick to lessons and keep going over them every day, I'm sure you'll..." "I'll cut through the thorn bushes in my head and start to read better, right?" "That's right!" We played a little less that day since I had my lessons to practice. And while it wasn't easy - I had some pretty tough thorns in my head - little by little, I started to read much better, and by the time my Bar Mitzvah rolled around, I was ready. It was a great day and everyone was proud. But no one was happier than me, and my friend, who taught me how by sticking to it, I could get unstuck. Aish.com
Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) Family Parsha Tetzaveh 5765 Sometimes the things that knock us down are exactly the things that lift us up. In this week's portion we learn about the special pure olive oil that was used to light the giant menorah in the tabernacle-synagogue. The pure oil that fueled these special lights only came from the olives after they were knocked down, beaten, crushed, and pressed hard. We can learn a lesson from here that when it comes to us too, the things in our lives that may make us feel crushed and knocked down can, if we look at them right, also bring the best out of us and 'light us up' like never before. In our story, one kid goes to cheer up another, and comes out with a big surprise.

"A LUCKY BREAK"

The van would be turning into the hospital parking lot any minute and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say. When the school social worker first came around looking for volunteers to go visit the sick kids in the local children's hospital I figured I'm a pretty upbeat kind of guy and if I could spend an hour and cheer up one of these poor kids who were stuck in the hospital, why not? But as we got closer, I got more and more nervous. After all, any kid who was so sick he had to be cooped up in long term in a hospital ward was bound to be really down and depressed, how could I possibly say anything that would make him feel better? I and the other volunteers got out of the van, and they told each of us which patient to visit. Mine was a kid named Jonnie Green in room 706. It said on the paper that he had been in a bad car accident and had already been in the hospital for more than three months! Boy, was he bound to be down. I only hoped I wouldn't make him feel any worse. I nervously approached the room, but when I got there, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like the patient wasn't there. There was just some kid sitting there, about my age wearing a sports T-shirt and a baseball cap, laughing out loud as he read a comic book. Must be the guy's brother or another volunteer, I figured. I walked in. "Um, I'm looking for Jonnie Green. Are you also here to visit him?" The kid turned to me with one of the brightest smiles I ever saw. "Yeah," he said with a laugh, "but I get to visit him every day, and nights too!" Huh? I walked closer and started getting confused. Why was this visitor sitting in a wheelchair? "Oh, wait a minute, are you...I mean..." He stuck out his hand, with an I.V. tube sticking out of it, "Jonnie Green, in the flesh. And who do I have the pleasure to be meeting?" I introduced myself and we began to talk. I had prepared a whole 'cheer-up' speech to say, but never got around to it. It seemed Jonnie was also a Patriots fan, and once we got talking football and all sorts of other regular stuff, I would have almost forgot that I was in a hospital room if a nurse or doctor didn't come in every once in a while to give Jonnie a pill or check his blood pressure. "Lunch time Jonnie!" announced a tall nurse as she wheeled in a tray of steaming food. "Should I help you?" "Thanks Sheila," he said with his thousand-watt smile, "but I think I'll be okay, I have a friend here today." He looked at me and smiled. "Um, Gary, do you think you could give me a hand getting to that sink over there?" "Sure, tell me what to do." He handed me his crutches and I held him up by the arm as he slowly made his way across the room. I could hear him groaning in pain with each step, yet the smile never left his face. "Jonnie," I said we walked, "How do you do it? How are you able to keep yourself 'up' and smiling in spite of everything you went through, and are still going through?" He gave me a funny look, as he bent to wash his hands. "You got it all wrong, Gary. I'm like this because of everything I went through." He must have seen the shock on my face, "Please just help me get back over to the wheelchair and I'll explain." "Before the accident I was just a regular kid, and not a very cheerful one either. In fact you could say I was pretty down on life. Then one day we were just out on a family trip and the next thing I knew I woke up in this hospital. I had broken a lot of bones and first I could barely move, or even talk, and the doctors didn't know if I ever would, either. Um, could you please help me lift up the drink, if I do it alone I'll end up wearing it," he laughed. "Like most people, I had been moving my hand without thinking about it all my life and it was no big deal, right? But you know, the first time I was able to move my hand after the accident I felt a high like I had won an Olympic gold medal. I realized what an amazing gift it was to be able to move your hand, or even have one. It's still not 100%, but you should have seen me a couple of months ago." I helped him lift the cup and felt my hand start to tingle as Jonnie continued. "Then I started seeing other things different too. "I used to complain if my mom didn't make exactly the food I liked, but then I discovered what a gift it was to be able to eat anything. You know at first I could only drink a little water, and had to 'eat' everything through this tube in my arm! Now as you can see, I'm up to soup and ice-cream!" "Doin' okay Jonnie?" asked the nurse, popping in head. "Great!" he smiled, "I have excellent help." I blushed as he went on. "I had always been kind of grumpy and a loner at home, but here all the nurses I needed to help me with every little thing made me realize what a gift it was to have other people around who were willing to help." I gulped as I remembered the not-so-nice parting comment I had made to the hard-working serving lady about the lunch in school that day. "I'm not telling you it's been easy, Gary-it hasn't, but in a way this accident has been the best thing that could have happened to me. One thing I do know, at least as far as my attitude goes, I'm way healthier now than before I got here." 'ALL VISITING STUDENTS PLEASE RETURN TO THE MAIN LOBBY' came the announcement crackling over the intercom. The time had flown, and as I looked into this amazing kid's glowing face, I could see that he meant every word he said. We shook hands and made plans to see each other again. I got back out to the van and the social worker turned to me, "Hey Gary, how did the cheer-up visit go?" Aish.com
Mission Updates:Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, Well I really enjoyed tonights' radio program! There was some very good inforamtion come out. You should get the book. He will be back on the air and if you heard him tonight... Saints we really need your help in two area's liek ASAP. One I have to tag the donated ministry van. We tighted the streering so I can get by a short time till I can put a steering geer in. I think it will be a good vanafter a few more things. he Van needs are as listed by importance Tags..This needs done this week or I cannot drive it period. Steering gear front passenger side brake rotor u joints ( could go out any time ) Air conditionor fixed...pump etc this would be a great blessing The newsletter still has not went out and this hurts our support badly. Most people wait until they read the newsletter before donating. The whole van thing set us back this month. But we need badly to get the newsletter out. So please really pray and see if you are to help us out. By the way the donated laptop has problems with the display so it really it did not solve my need of a laptop. So we still need on badly or someone maybe can fix this one????? This is just the way this ministry is the Lord provides as we need it and we need it now as I do not even have gas funds..... The LORD bless thee and keep thee;The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The LORD 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 Friday Kathy made two and a half dozen egg sandwiches and they served many donunts with a varity of milk, ice tea, ice water and hot coffee. We took several dozen donuts to the independant center and the over flow.The carrots, potatoes and greenbeans came in last Tuesday and I never got the chance to speak with Brother Brent but I will be sending him a letter and a check off in the mail tomorrow.The newsletter has not went to print yet and it is almost time for March newsletter so we need the funding for two newletters. If we can get them both to print at the same time I am sure we would get a break in the printing cost that is normally around 200 an issue. pastor Dan has a thirty dollar discount card that he recieved earning points from past purchases. The postage is 118.40 to mail out one months so we will need 236.80 to mail out both issues. The storage electric bill is in due by the eight and it is $97. something. The water bill for the mission came in Friday it is$20.57 due about the same time. The internet,gas,electric and mission phone bills will be coming in this week so we need funding now. The ministry account is at $10.36 and the food account is now down to $261. There is NO GAS money and Pastor Dan has also been ask by the people to do a memorial sometime this week for Nickki Brown. I know Yahweh has it all takin care of we just ask you to pray about it and see if you may be a vessel He has plans of using. Friday we served BBQ baked chicken,mac-cheese,grean beans and bread -n-butter we also had the same for Sabbath meal. Thank you all who help in these Works Please Hold us up in your Prayers More on the Mission next update: Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch
LastWeeks Answer:Hebrews 2:10-1810 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted
Find This Passage: My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

The Island of Trid

Once upon a time, in the middle of the ocean, there was the Island of Trid.It seems that most of the Island of Trid was covered by a large mountain. On this mountain lived a Giant. The Giant did not allow Trids on his mountain. If a Trid dared to climb onto the mountain, the Giant would kick him into the ocean. Trids are notoriously bad swimmers, and frequently drowned when kicked into the ocean.The Trids were a very sexual people, and the population had grown quite large. Every square inch of the island, except the mountain, was crowded with Trids.The Trids spent their days crowded together, dreaming of the open space available on the ever visible mountain. Every few days, a Trid would decide he couldn't stand the crowds any more. He would start to climb the mountain, and the Giant would kick the Trid into the ocean.The Trids were a very depressed people.One day a traveling Rabbi visited the Island of Trid. Despite their overcrowded conditions, the Trids were extremely generous to this man of God.The Rabbi decided to return the favor, and to go plead the Trid's case to the Giant. "Surely the Giant can be convinced to share some of the mountain with you," the Rabbi explained.The Trids were horrified. "Please don't go, Rabbi", the Trids implored. "The Giant will kick you into the ocean, and you will surely drown."The Rabbi was stubborn, and insisted that he talk to the Giant. The Trids sent out every boat they had. They formed a ring around the island, so that they would be able to rescue the Rabbi.The Rabbi started walking towards the mountain. No sign of the Giant.He walked through the foothills, and there was no sign of the Giant.He started up the slopes of the mountain, further than any Trid had ever been. Still no sign of the Giant.Finally he reached the summit of the mountain. There the Giant was waiting for him. The Rabbi asked "Tell me Giant, why have you allowed me to climb to the top of the mountain, without kicking me off the moment I started climbing?"And the Giant replied, "Silly Rabbi, kicks are for Trids!"

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

Prisonweekly FEB 12th 2005

Terumah For the week of February 12, 2005 / 3 Adar 5765 Torah: Shemot / Exodus 25:1 - 27:19 Haftarah: 1 Melachim / 1 Kings 5:26 - 6:13 Worship "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." (Shemot / Exodus 25:8,9) One of the central themes of the Torah is its sacrificial system, including the regulations governing the sacrifices themselves and everything that goes with them. I might be right in thinking that most people who read the Scriptures on a regular basis have little to no understanding of the sacrificial system. I believe that this is largely due to the cultural distance most of us have to such concepts. Not only do most of us have no experience with these kinds of sacrifices, more and more people today have little or no understanding of agriculture. It is perhaps the fact that most of us have been raised in cities far away from farms and farming that has created one of the biggest cultural gaps between our day and biblical culture. The people of Bible days had more in common with our great-grandparents than they do with us. It wasn't that long ago that most of the world lived in rural settings and had a least some meaningful experience with agriculture. That means we need to put more effort into trying to understand what the biblical sacrificial system was all about. For not only are we confronted with foreign spiritual concepts, the whole context in which the sacrificial system was established is foreign to us. When the community of Israel was set up in the wilderness, the location of religious ceremony was literally placed in the center. The rituals prescribed by God became part of the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual cycles of life. There was very little of Israel's culture that was unaffected by their religious ceremonies, and there was little of their ceremonies that was not associated with a sacrifice of some kind. At its most basic level, the rituals caused the people to acknowledge God in the midst of everything else in life. It would be next to impossible to live a day without being reminded of the God who delivered them from bondage in Egypt. Whether it was an act of worship just because of who God is, the opportunity to thank him for a particular thing he did for the community or for an individual, dealing with a misdeed against a fellow human being, issues of public health, or most other things, God would become the focus of their thinking and doing. We have been spending the past few weeks looking at the theme of freedom through the experience of the people of Israel - first in their deliverance from Egypt, and now as they begin their wilderness experience. We have seen how freedom is both an event and a process. Just as God dramatically and decisively delivered the people of Israel from slavery, so he desires to free us from our own bondage. But this freedom is just the beginning. Just as Israel was to go through years of preparation before they entered the Promised Land, so we too, once we have been set free, begin a life of preparation for what God has in store for us one day. The centrality of the religious ceremonies within the culture of ancient Israel reminds us how worship of God is essential to true freedom. To be free from oppressive forces is just the beginning. If we don't then live life according to reality, we will remain lost wandering in the fog of confusion. Worship of God helps us to understand the true order in the universe, including what our place in that universe really is. It is important to note – and it is underscored by this week's portion – that when we consider the worship of God – God never intended that we worship him any way we see fit. We need to worship him according to his revelation. It is through the Scriptures that we can understand who it is we are worshipping and how we are to worship him. This is what we will continue to look at in the weeks ahead. TorahBytes
Trumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19) Family Parsha Trumah 5765 In this week's Torah portion we learn that the holy ark which held within it the tablets of the Ten Commandments was covered with pure gold -- not only on its outside, which could be seen, but on its inside as well. Our sages teach us that we can learn from here that we, too, should strive to keep our 'insides' -- our personal behavior -- consistent with our 'outsides' -- the ideals we talk about and express to others.
In our story a couple of kids learn a lesson from an old coin about insides and outsides.

"COIN FLIP"

"...So for all of the reasons I have stated, we have an obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves, and by doing so make the world a better place. Thank you." "Fantastic!" clapped Robert. "If I were your teacher, I would definitely give you an A plus." Janet smiled. She had been working hard all week preparing her speech for social studies class and now with it due the next day, she tried it out by practicing it on her brother. "Well, thanks for listening. I'm really happy you liked it. I only hope Mrs. Kaplan will be just as impressed tomorrow," Janet said as she wrapped a rubber band around her index cards and got ready go out and catch the last few rays of the sunny winter afternoon. "Hey, just a second Jan. Now that I helped you out with your project, maybe you can also help me out with mine." "No problem, Rob. What is your speech about?" "I'm not giving any speech," Rob said as he walked over to his desk drawer and pulled out a big red coffee can with some words taped onto it. "Our class is doing a different kind of a project. We're all collecting money for local charities. I'm collecting for the Jewish orphanage in town, and..." "Oh, wow. What a nice thing to do," Janet remarked. "So you want me to listen to the pitch you're going to give people and tell you what I think, right?" Robert shuffled on his feet. "Well, yes and no. I was a little scared to ask you, but after hearing your speech about helping the unfortunate, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping the cause by donating some money yourself." Rob opened up the top of the can waiting for Janet's response. Janet scrunched up her face and said, "Gee, Rob, like I said -- it really is a great thing to do, but um, you know right now I really don't have any money to spare." "But it's for a really good cause," her brother persisted. "And didn't you just spend the last ten minutes talking about how important charity is?" "Well, um, that's true," Janet said uncomfortably. "It is really important -- in theory. But right now, you know I'm really saving all my money for a new cartridge for my Gameboy, plus I need to save up to buy some new sweaters..." Rob didn't really buy it, but he saw he wasn't going to get anywhere. "Okay, Jan, don't sweat it. Maybe at least you can help me count the money I've collected until now so I can write it down?" Janet breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure Rob, no problem." The kids poured out the coins and bills out onto the table and began to count. "Hey Rob, look at this!" Janet said excitedly, holding up a scratched up coin. "Yeah it's a quarter, so what?" "No, it's not just any quarter. This is a real silver quarter like they used to make." "So?" Nowadays our quarters are silvery only on the outside; inside they're just some cheap copper and other stuff, see?" she said, holding another quarter sideways. "But these old quarters are solid silver inside and out, so they're worth much more." Robert shrugged. Then an idea hit him and he smiled. "So, Janet," he said "you're telling me that this coin is more valuable because it's real on the inside, and not just on the surface where everybody sees?" "Exactly." "So shouldn't we be the same way?" "Huh?" "I mean while it's nice to talk about doing a good deed on the outside, 'in theory', isn't it worth much more when we actually do it, on the inside as well?" He smiled as he picked up his collection can and gave it a shake. Janet blushed as she got the point -- giving speeches about charity and then refusing to give it was like being one of those 'fake' kind of quarters - silver only on the outside. "Okay, you've got me," she said as she dug into her pouch and pulled out a dollar bill. "I guess waiting another day or so for my Gameboy is better than being phony and playing games with myself." Aish.com
Mission Updates:Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, Well I feel like I have been blessed. I have guest lined up for radio till next month. Well I do need someone for next Thursday. I shall not be moved from the work the LORD has blessed us with!This Thursday On spirt1 it will be real good with Michael Boldea. Dumtru Duduman's grandson whom is caring for the ministry since his grandfather's death. Looking real forward to this Sunday's program with "Patrick Heron Author of Nephilim" .. www.nephilimapocalypse.com .. I would bet I will have hardly enough time to get out what all I would wish to get from this man, I will have to get the book! Radio is a wonderful blessing to get to be able to do. So many email me and talk about how the Lord has shown people with different views some of the things that are coming. No all do not agree one with another and I do not agree with every view or beliefs but what comes out is for a reason. Our radio is like our ministry one of Faith. We sell nothing so we have to rely on the Lord to put it on someone's heart for radio support. So pray about it. If you are blessed by the radio then consider supporting it. It does cost to get on the air.......Yes the Lord provides for this ministry as the need arises. Still working on the Donated van and it does need a few things. I think it needs u joints among other things. But once we have these things done it will get us by for a while. The last one was about two years. Oh yes we need a heater fan very badly..It's about to lock up. So pray about helping out with the van....But really I am thankful for it and not complaining just as all used things needs some love and care.......I am going to work on the mail out newsletter the next few days. I have no money to mail or print but a $30 off card from the printing place. I just pray the money comes by Friday. Food account seems okay right now but I am praying a sale for meat comes soon.... Here are some of the needs today! Computer ( my studio computer needs sent to get fixed and I cannot do it without something to use for radio. The laptop is out seeing if it can be fixed or not) Clothing ...men's and women's but we need more men's Winter coats anykind..I found some cheap online, even if you could only buy a couple it would help... coat..large and extra large please, maybe a few mediums. You can find them various styles of military coats...and prices. Yes we can use food donations all the time. We give out food boxes as we have extra food. Hats, gloves and warm socks are still a need. Hygiene things, toothbrushes, tooth paste, deodorant, blankets, they need what you need. right now I need cough medications, syrups, pills, IB profern you name the cold season is still here! Yes I am trying to provide for many people...So consider helping today. We only make it because the Father uses some of you so please pray about a donation today to help the very needy! Here are some new programs in the archives...enjoy...if you are blessed by these then pray about supporting what we give to the world freely! Feb, 6, 2005 Living in Babylon w/ Chris Patton Jan. 30, 2005 Bad Environment, Earth Changes, or Planet X? w/ John J.R. Moore Feb. 03, 2005 The Danger of Illegal Aliens in the USA! w/ James F. Linzey, D.D., Chaplain, The LORD bless thee and keep thee;The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The LORD 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 four and a half dozen egg-n- cheese sandwhiches Friday and I had her make spaghetti, green beans an bread -n- butter for supper. We served many donuts with coffee, ice tea, ice water and a variety of milks throughout the day. We also had spahgetti and garlic bread sticks for our Sabbath Dinner. I was able to pay the internet and the electric but the gas that is due tomorrow is still unpaid $114. something. The newsletter still needs to be printed $200 and mailed $118.40. The ministry account is empty, the food account still has $536.00. I'm looking for meat sales, it's nice to have the funds available so when a sale comes around I can stock the freezer. I'll also need to buy eggs again next week and I'll have to pay New Life for veggies once they come in could be as early as Monday. New life brought us 61 # 10 cans of different kinds of beans, greens and fruit but we are still waiting on carrots,green beans, potatoes,tomatoes an tomatoe sauce. The meat didn't turn out to be something I am interested in so I will continue to buy fresh meat from the grocery stores. I did get 70 pounds of chicken breast but I won't know if it is useable until tomorrow night. It looks to be freezer burnt I won't know for sure till I thaw some out. We need your support so Please pray about your part in this ministry. Right now we need warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, lg, xlg an xxlg coats, stocking hats, gloves, medicines for colds, stomache aches, headaches, basic over the counter stuff just remember that everything you need these people need no gift is to large or small an there is ALWAYS a need for everything, if you feel you are suppose to send something don't think twice about it just send it there is more than likely someone waiting on just that at Messiah's Branch or they will be sent shortly by our Father for it. We just bought 30 more large print KJV bibles and Pastor Dan had a case with eleven at the storage house he took into the Mission last week. Believe it or not we are already down to around thirteen left. The people have spread the word among those on the street that Messiah's Branch will give them a very nice Large print KJV bible an we have them coming and asking for them now PRAISE YAHWEH> His word is being SPREAD & READ!!!This ministry is run by Faith and we believe that EVERYTHING will come when needed as it always does. Yahweh will never fail us he WILL PROVIDE the NEEDS we just ask that you all pray about it and be lead by Him to do your part in these works. Stay in His Word and Have a Very Blessed Day -WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT -Prisoners DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SUPPORTING US we are here for you ! More on the Mission Next update
Last weeks Answer: Isaiah 52:1-12 1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.
Find This Passage: For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
He Gave His Only Son There was once a big turntable bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day, the bridge sat with the length running up and down the river parallel with the banks allowing ships to pass freely on both sides of the bridge. But, at certain times of the day, a certain train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river allowing the train to cross. A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place when the train crossed. One evening when the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train's light. He stepped to the controls and waited until the train was at a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but to his horror, he found that the locking control didn't work. If the bridge was not locked securely into position, it would wobble back and forth and the ends when the train came to it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the shack with the bridge turned across the river and hurried to the other side of the river where there was a lever which he could use to operate the lock manually. He could hear the rumble of the train now and leaned back-ward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. Many lives depended upon this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the other direction, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first instinct was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close. The tiny feet would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left the lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety, but he realized he could not get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train or his son must die. He took just a moment to make his decision. The train sped swiftly and safely on its way and no one on board was even aware of the tiny, broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of a sobbing man still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They didn't see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked to tell his wife how he had sacrificed their son. Now, if you can comprehend the emotions which went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Heavenly Father when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? And how does it feel when we speed along life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ? When was the last time you thanked Him for the sacrifice of His Son? (Author Unknown) John 3:16 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved

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

Prisonweekly Feb 5th 2005

Mishpatim For the week of February 5, 2005 / 26 Shevat 5765 Torah: Shemot / Exodus 21:1 - 24:18 Haftarah: Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25, 26 The Essence of True Freedom "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him." (Shemot / Exodus 23:20, 21). Over the past few weeks, we have begun to look at the topic of freedom. The story of the deliverance of the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt is a wonderful illustration of the dynamics of experiencing true freedom. We have noted already how Israel's liberation was only the beginning of a great journey ahead. Last week we looked at the giving of the Ten Commandments. We saw how understanding God's standards brings us to a healthy place of humility, as we come to grips with our moral and spiritual deficiencies. Our inability to fully live according to God's standards does not mean that they have no relevance to our lives. Our sins should drive us to dependency upon God and his provision for those sins. At the same time we need to accept that God has provided good parameters in which to live. There are some faulty notions today regarding freedom. Some believe that freedom is found only when we throw off all controls and boundaries. Rules are understood to be restrictive, thus preventing us from truly being who we are meant to be. Yet the Scriptures and the experience of life prove otherwise. Good rules, limits, boundaries, and controls are absolutely necessary in enabling us to live healthy and productive lives. Just doing whatever we feel like doing whenever we feel like doing it is destructive for both ourselves and those around us. Rules are bad when they are coldly applied indiscriminately for their own sake. This is what Yeshua ran up against with many of the religious leaders of his day. He was not against God's commands, in fact his interpretation of the commandments were at times stricter than what was generally understood. At the same time he would take the religious leaders to task when their interpretations of the commandments became an end in and of themselves, disregarding both God's intentions and the welfare of the people they were to lead. This week's portion reveals an essential dynamic in what living free really is all about. Following the giving of the ten commandments God revealed to Moses further life regulations. God provided the people of Israel directives for every aspect of life, including relationships with one another, situations involving personal injury, property, social issues and justice, and community events. Living according to these directives would help to ensure a healthy and prosperous society. But God did not only give the people a set of rules to live by. He also promised that his very presence would be with them to guide them in their journey. This is the difference between just having a religion and being in relationship with the God of the Universe. After so many years of being controlled by an oppressive system, they were now called to live in freedom – a true freedom which combined healthy living with the dynamic of daily being guided by their Creator. This is what God provides us today in Yeshua. Like the people of Israel long ago, we have his written word, which speaks into every aspect of life. The Bible is God's instruction book in which God reveals how life is supposed to work. We would be foolish to ignore its details. In addition we also have God's Spirit to help us understand his written word and to guide us in this life. We are not left to ourselves to figure out God's revelation nor in the making of life's decisions. God wants to walk with us as we grow in our knowledge of him and life. This is the essence of true freedom. TorahBytes
Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24) Family Parsha Mishpatim 5765 While we should treat everyone with respect, when it comes to our parents, the people who gave us our very lives, we have to go out of our way and treat them extra respectfully. The Torah portion this week tells us how important it is to treat our parents right. In our story, a roll of the dice gets a kid to start looking at his parents with a different eye.
"THE BILLIONAIRE"
"You just landed on my hotel, buddy. Fork over 500 bucks!" Hal grinned while his friend, Steve, reluctantly counted out the Monopoly money and flipped it onto his friend's ever-growing pile. "I don't get it," said Steve, "if you are over my house, why do I have to keep paying you rent?" The boys laughed. "Hey, where are those drinks already?" yelled Steve into the kitchen. He turned to his friend, "Service is really slow around here. You know I'd fire the waitress, but she owns the place, hah, hah!" Hal squirmed uncomfortably. He had been having a great time playing at Steve's house, but really didn't feel comfortable about the disrespectful way his friend spoke to, and about, his parents. It just didn't seem right. He wanted to say something to him about it, but just didn't know how. Just then Steve's mom walked in, smiling, with two tall icy Cokes. "Wow, thanks a lot Mrs. Hacker." Said Hal, while Steve just grabbed his drink without even looking while muttering something it being 'about time' under his breath. They played on. Steve rolled the dice and moved his game piece. Take a card from the 'Chance' pile. He lifted up the card, and broke into an ear-to-ear grin. "'Your rich uncle leaves you an inheritance; take all the money from the pot!' That's it, I'm on the come-back trail!" As he grabbed the money, Hal got an idea. "Lucky roll buddy. You mind if I ask you a question?" "Ask away," he said, sipping his drink. How would you feel if some rich billionaire really did give you a lot of money like that?" "Are you kidding? He'd be my best friend in the world!" Hal went on. "And what if, besides all that, he also took care of all your needs for years? How would you treat such a person?" "What is there to talk about? I'd treat him like a king, who wouldn't?" Hal nodded. "And what would you say about someone who got such a deal, and still bad-mouthed the one who gave it to him?" "I'd say he was the most ungrateful jerk in the world!" Hal took a deep breath. "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure. What are you driving at anyway?" "I'm saying that we all do have such people in our lives - our parents. They take care of us, and give us what we need..." Steve started turning red. "Hey, cut it out. Besides, my old folks never gave me a billion dollars." "They gave you your life, which is worth more than a billion dollars. And if you don't think so, ask anyone if he'll trade. I'm not trying to put you down, buddy; I'm just saying you're not acting the way you yourself just said a person should." Steve was quiet. There was some truth in what Hal was saying. He even saw how hard his parents worked to take care of his baby sister, getting up at night, changing diapers. He realized that they had probably done the same for him when he was a baby too - not to mention everything since... "How's the game going, boys? Here's something to snack on while you play." Mrs. Hacker smiled as she put a big bowl of chips on the table next to them, and turned to walk out. "Um, mom," said Steve, hesitantly. The woman turned around. "What's the matter, did I forget something?" "Um, no Mom ... I did. Hal reminded me that I forgot to say thank you for the drinks. And also thank you for the chips - and for everything." Steve's mom broke into a big smile. "You are quite welcome! And you," she said looking at Hal, "are welcome to come back here anytime!" The guys went on with the game, and no matter who was going to win, Hal felt great that he had taken the 'chance' and helped his friend come out a winner in the game of life. Aish.com
Mission Updates:Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace,
Just wanted to let you all know we had a 1987 Ford full size van donated. Right now my son is working on the "drag link' as the ball joints in it are out. It also need the air conditioner fixed, but at least it can. It's a Ford and I really like it. I will try and pray in eth money for the air conditioner before summer. Our prayers is that it is ready for tomorrow. Since the funeral we have been still getting more and more people. Friday when we opened early there were already 30 people out side waiting to come in out of the cold. The Hats, gloves and socks went over very big. I did not have enough gloves and socks to go around. I keep getting asked for coats and I have none..We can get green army field jackets online for $5 a piece..These would be a great blessing. Women and men can wear this over their clothing large and extra large needed! Saints these would be a great help!... We had a very good radio program last night with John J.R. Moore. You should all visit his web site. I think I may have some surprise guests on our radio programs....I am working on them now. Pray about it. Well more later...Oh yes anyone know how to work on a laptop? It seems this dell one that was donated the screen does not work right. I have to turn it off and on several times to get the colors right. Then it locked up just before radio. I almost did not have enough time to go get my phone numbers for the program....It was Like two minutes of six when I got to the storehouse were I do radio.......but enough time and we had really good program. Pray about supporting the various out reaches and radio as led by the Lord! The LORD bless thee and keep thee;The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;The LORD 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 Greetings In Yeshua Our Messiah Kathy made seven dozen egg and cheese sandwiches and they served many dozen donuts with coffee,ice tea, water and various types of milk. The place was packed elbow to elbow, I counted fourty six people before I said the Sabbath prayer and lite the Sabbath candles at 4:30 right before supper, that's not even counting the twelve of us.I made meat loaf and Special cake for Manny's fourth birthday with the people. It was chocolate on bottom, strawberry on Top and Vanilla frosting it came out really good. I had Kathy make corn on the cob,mac-n-tomatoes and hot buttered rolls every bit was eaten. I baked our Sabbath dinner meat loaf at 4:30 while we served the people their supper. I made the children chicken strips and mac-n cheese ours was very good also. So many new faces coming with so many needs. We need coats badly large and x-large both men an womens ,there is a bigger need for mens. We had an offer for blankets Friday and many were given out. The person who gave them is suppose to be bringing many more. We were given a 1987 Ford Econoline Van for the ministry. A 1000 donation also came that inabled us to do the needed repairs so we can take care of the people. We had to have new tires put on, the stering tightened up and a few other minor things I'm not really sure what all it needed. It's a pretty good van runs good and Pastor Dan had no trouble driving it home. The ball joints were pretty bad but I think they will have that fix today. I'm not really sure what all needs to be done to it but I'm sure Yahweh has it all taken care of.We had 650 come for food, prision, Bibles and gas Praise Yahweh. I still haven't heard from New life on the food but I mailed an order through snail mail so Prayerefully I'll hear soon. The electric and gas still need to be paid, the internet bill came yesterday it's 19.95 due Feb 10th. I believe Dan has the money for the newsletter but I'm not sure because I don't know much about the cost for all the repairs and changes being made with the ministry transportation.Please pray about supporting these works and Many Thanks to all who Help These Works. May you all have a Blessed Day Shalom More on the Mission Next Update:
Last Weeks Answer: Ephesians 6:10-24 KJV 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Find This Passage: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.
Who's Your Daddy A number of years ago a seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, Tennessee where they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife: "I hope he doesn't come over here." But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. "Where are you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice. "Oklahoma," they answered. "Great to have you here in Tennessee," the stranger said. "What do you do for a living?" "I teach at a seminary," he replied. "Oh, you teach preachers how to preach? Well, I've got a really great story for you." And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple. "See that mountain over there?" (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up,because every place he went, he was always asked the same question: 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store,people would ask the same question, "Who's your daddy?" He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, "Who's your daddy?" But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, "Son, who's your daddy?" The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. By now, everyone knew the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?' This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy... 'Wait a minute!' he said, 'I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.' With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said: 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.' With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them, 'I'm a Child of God.' The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, "Isn't that a great story?" The professor responded that it really was a great story! As the man turned to leave, he said, "You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of
God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!" And he walked away. The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, "Do you know who that man was who just left who was sitting at our table?" The waitress grinned and said, "Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's the former governor of Tennessee!" by Dr. Fred Craddock Seminary professor of homiletics at Emory University in Atlanta
Shalom sisterlinda Messiah's Branch Mark 9:23,10:27