Shalom
The Hebrew month is Cheshvan these Parashahs
are for Shabbath Cheshvan 17, 5769
I'm sorry I didn't write you last week I just ran out of time I love you sisterlinda
Last Weeks Parashahs: Torah Lech' Lecha "get yourself" Genesis 12:1-17:27 Haftarah Isaiah 40:27-41:16 Brit Hadasha Romans 4:1-25
This weeks Torah Parashah is Vayeira "and he appeared " Gen. 18.1-22.24 Haftarah II Kings 4:1-37 Brit Hadasha II Peter 2:4-11
Next Weeks Parashahs: Chayei Sarah " Life of Sarah " Genesis 23:1-25:18 The Haftarah I Kings 1:1-31 Brit Hadasha I Corinthians15: 50-57
The Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, "My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on--seeing that you have come your servant's way." They replied, "Do as you have said." Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!" Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree as they ate. They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he replied, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!" Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah had stopped having the periods of women. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment—with my husband so old?" Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?' Is anything too wondrous for the Lord? I will return to you at the time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." Sarah lied, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was frightened. But He replied, "You did laugh."
The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom, Abraham walking with them to see them off. Now the Lord had said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him." Then the Lord said, "The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note." The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" And the Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not destroy if I find forty-five there." But he spoke to Him again, and said, "What if forty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it, for the sake of the forty." And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten."
When the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham, He departed; and Abraham returned to his place. The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and, bowing low with his face to the ground, he said, "Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant's house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be on your way early." But they said, "No, we will spend the night in the square." But he urged them strongly, so they turned his way and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople, the men of Sodom, young and old—all the people to the last man—gathered about the house. And they shouted to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them." So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind him, and said, "I beg you, my friends, do not commit such a wrong. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof." But they said, "Stand back! The fellow," they said, "came here as an alien, and already he acts the ruler! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward to break the door. But the men stretched out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the people who were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.
Then the men said to Lot, "Whom else have you here? Sons-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else that you have in the city—bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place; because the outcry against them before the Lord has become so great that the Lord has sent us to destroy it." So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law as one who jests. As dawn broke, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away because of the iniquity of the city." Still he delayed. So the men seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and his two daughters—in the Lord's mercy on him—and brought him out and left him outside the city. When they had brought them outside, one said, "Flee for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, lest you be swept away." But Lot said to them, "Oh no, my lord! You have been so gracious to your servant, and have already shown me so much kindness in order to save my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Look, that town there is near enough to flee to; it is such a little place! Let me flee there—it is such a little place—and let my life be saved." He replied, "Very well, I will grant you this favor too, and I will not annihilate the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, flee there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Hence the town came to be called Zoar. As the sun rose upon the earth and Lot entered Zoar, the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous fire from the Lord out of heaven. He annihilated those cities and the entire Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground. Lot's wife looked back, and she thereupon turned into a pillar of salt. Next morning, Abraham hurried to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and, looking down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the Plain, he saw the smoke of the land rising like the smoke of a kiln.
Thus it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain and annihilated the cities where Lot dwelt, God was mindful of Abraham and removed Lot from the midst of the upheaval. Lot went up from Zoar and settled in the hill country with his two daughters, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar; and he and his two daughters lived in a cave. And the older one said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to consort with us in the way of all the world. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may maintain life through our father." That night they made their father drink wine, and the older one went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. The next day the older one said to the younger, "See, I lay with Father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go and lie with him, that we may maintain life through our father." That night also they made their father drink wine, and the younger one went and lay with him; he did not know when she lay down or when she rose.
Thus the two daughters of Lot came to be with child by their father. The older one bore a son and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. And the younger also bore a son, and she called him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.
Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was sojourning in Gerar, Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "You are to die because of the woman that you have taken, for she is a married woman." Now Abimelech had not approached her. He said, "O Lord, will You slay people even though innocent? He himself said to me, 'She is my sister!' And she also said, 'He is my brother.' When I did this, my heart was blameless and my hands were clean." And God said to him in the dream, "I knew that you did this with a blameless heart, and so I kept you from sinning against Me. That was why I did not let you touch her. Therefore, restore the man's wife—since he is a prophet, he will intercede for you—to save your life. If you fail to restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours." Early next morning, Abimelech called his servants and told them all that had happened; and the men were greatly frightened. Then Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? What wrong have I done that you should bring so great a guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done to me things that ought not to be done. What, then," Abimelech demanded of Abraham, "was your purpose in doing this thing?" "I thought," said Abraham, "surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. And besides, she is in truth my sister, my father's daughter though not my mother's; and she became my wife. So when God made me wander from my father's house, I said to her, 'Let this be the kindness that you shall do me: whatever place we come to, say there of me: He is my brother.'" Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored his wife Sarah to him. And Abimelech said, "Here, my land is before you; settle wherever you please." And to Sarah he said, "I herewith give your brother a thousand pieces of silver; this will serve you as vindication before all who are with you, and you are cleared before everyone." Abraham then prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his slave girls, so that they bore children; for the Lord had closed fast every womb of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.
The Lord took note of Sarah as He had promised, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken. Abraham gave his newborn son, whom Sarah had borne him, the name of Isaac. And when his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter; everyone who hears will laugh with me." And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham That Sarah would suckle children! Yet I have borne a son in his old age." The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing. She said to Abraham, "Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned a son of his. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed over the boy or your slave; whatever Sarah tells you, do as she says, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you. As for the son of the slave-woman, I will make a nation of him, too, for he is your seed."
Early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them over her shoulder, together with the child, and sent her away. And she wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water was gone from the skin, she left the child under one of the bushes, and went and sat down at a distance, a bowshot away; for she thought, "Let me not look on as the child dies." And sitting thus afar, she burst into tears. God heard the cry of the boy, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the cry of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him." Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and let the boy drink. God was with the boy and he grew up; he dwelt in the wilderness and became a bowman. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.At that time Abimelech and Phicol, chief of his troops, said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything that you do. Therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my kith and kin, but will deal with me and with the land in which you have sojourned as loyally as I have dealt with you." And Abraham said, "I swear it."
Then Abraham reproached Abimelech for the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. But Abimelech said, "I do not know who did this; you did not tell me, nor have I heard of it until today." Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a pact. Abraham then set seven ewes of the flock by themselves, and Abimelech said to Abraham, "What mean these seven ewes which you have set apart?" He replied, "You are to accept these seven ewes from me as proof that I dug this well." Hence that place was called Beer-sheba, for there the two of them swore an oath.
When they had concluded the pact at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, chief of his troops, departed and returned to the land of the Philistines. [Abraham] planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and invoked there the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines a long time. Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, "Abraham," and he answered, "Here I am." And He said, "Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you." So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his servants, "You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked off together. Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he answered, "Yes, my son." And he said, "Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering, my son." And the two of them walked on together.
They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. Then an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven: "Abraham! Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me." When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. And Abraham named that site Adonai-yireh, whence the present saying, "On the mount of the Lord there is vision." The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By Myself I swear, the Lord declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one, I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command." Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beer-sheba; and Abraham stayed in Beer-sheba. Some time later, Abraham was told, "Milcah too has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz the first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram; and Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel"--Bethuel being the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore children: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
From Parshat VaYera. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission
Mission updates:
Proverbs 19:44Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
Hebrews 10:2626For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The Lord will judge His people." 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." 39But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace,
For the last few years a local bank's employee's have had a holiday gift program where most of the homeless that come to our place get their winter coat and or winter shoes or work boots. I checked with the man who get's this done and he said he would know for sure on Tuesday but it really looked like a no they would not do it this year. I need coats very badly new or used! So if you buy I need mostly large and extra large coats and few medium. How many could I use? As many as I can get! Right now I am setting a goal for 50 but could use a 100. Just like we have I think 50 hats and gloves coming but we could use a 100. So do not think you have to get 10 coats etc just if you can get one or two or even used. It will bless someone! Send them to 230 west 4th street, Florence, Ks 66851, Messiah's Branch. We had some funds come this week for Turkeys and some of the bills, so I am really thankful for that. Radio could still use some support $200. I need to buy things like deodorants, soaps, tooth paste, hair brushes, combs, tooth brushes, etc....these things are thing you could send if you wanted to buy something, we need these all the time. I need cold pills, cough syrups ( Nyquil works) IB profrin, etc. Generally I do to the every thing for a $1 store and get these.
We do need your help in all areas so please lift this to prayer and see if you are led to help.
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
Deuteronomy 7:9 - Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Shalom in Yeshua Messiah Sorry I didn't get an update out last week time just slipped away from me. I look forward to Thanksgiving next week I now have nine Turkeys to cook an two more someone is smoking for me. I think we are going to be over packed this year because we have trippled in the amount of plates we serve. We need coats badly so please pray about helping to provide for those who are in need. I paid most of November bills but still have six more that need to paid. The newsletter will go out today it should of went Tuesday but I had trouble with the lables. Anyone wanting to help with Thanksgiving please email me or call me and let me know what you want to bring ( 316-648-4963). I will be going over Wednesday and spending the night so I can make homemade pies (requested by dad) instead of getting ready made ones from the food bank. Well time has gone by again and I need to get this done so I can go feed so I have to close for now. Thank you all who have helpped this ministry please pray about your continued support and just do as Yahweh leads you. Thanks again and have a very blessed week Shalom sisterlinda
Trivia Questions:
1. When Abraham saw the three strangers, he ran out to meet them. What did he do next?
2. What might we find strange about the meal he served his guests?3. Why was God "surprised" when Sarah laughed upon hearing that she would have a child? What did He say to Abraham?
4. God said He was going to do something before destroying all the people of Sodom and Gemorrah, even before Abraham began negotiating with Him about their destruction. What was it?
5. When the people of Sodom tried to kill the two strangers, what did Lot offer to do to protect his guests? Why didn't it seem strange to Lot?
6. What did the angels do to the mob that tried to break into Lot's home?
7. Lot was prepared to take his wife and daughters out of Sodom to save their lives. When he told his sons-in-law of the coming destruction, what was their reaction?
8. Lot was afraid to leave Sodom and go to the mountains so he asked God if he could go somewhere else. Where was Lot when he asked God the question?
9. After Lot and his daughters went to the mountains, the daughters took turns getting him drunk. Why? What were they thinking, and what was the fallacy in their thinking?
10. What are the names of the sons Lot's daughters had by him?
11. How did Abraham justify telling Avimelech that Sarah was his sister?
12. When Abraham went to sacrifice Yitzhak, who went on the journey?
The Parashah this week is called Vayeira which means "And He appeared" which refers to the appearance of HaShem to Abraham while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. Actually, three men appeared to him, but the Rabbis insist that they were angels in the form of mere men. Abraham immediately instructed his servants to prepare a feast of a roasted calf for his guests while he entertained them and gave them cheese to eat. This in itself counters the traditional Rabbinic injunction not to eat dairy and meat together; after all, if Abraham could serve this combination to angels, certainly it is okay for mere mortals! Oh well, that's another lesson not for today.One of these messengers told Abraham that his wife Sarah would have a child within the year. Sarah, listening at the tent, laughed! But the birth of a promised son was not the actual reason for their coming. it was to warn Abraham of the soon destruction of Sodom, the city wherein dwelt his nephew, Lot. Abraham negotiated with them until it was agreed that for the sake of only ten men, the city would be spared. Alas, even these were not to be found. But the really important verse in the parashah is one that is easily overlooked. Genesis 18:33 declares, "As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham HaShem departed, and Abraham returned to his place." While living in Israel, I was often confronted by Orthodox Jews who had a really hard time with the issue of the divinity of Y'shua. Yes, they admitted He could be the Messiah, but that He was in no way divine. They postured that to believe so was to create another G-d. This one verse from Vayeira was part of my answer.
If HaShem could appear to Abraham as a man; if He could wrestle with Jacob in a dream as a man, why then, I ask, could He not appear to an entire generation as the Man, Y'shua? None had an answer, but none were convinced yet either. Please keep praying!After the birth of Isaac, life in the camp was not all it should have been. Abraham's two sons were always fighting each other; this was a sign of generations to come, still at war to this very day. But, Sarah had enough and insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out of the camp. And so they left. But HaShem found them in the desert and the Angel of the L-rd saved them from death and promised to make of him a great nation.But, later in the text, we read of another greater test. In chapter 22, HaShem tested Abraham once again. "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." You see, Abraham, once again had to trust G-d to lead him in the way he should go. And, once again, our hero passed the test. Notice too that G-d tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, his only son. But, you say, Abraham had two sons. Yes, but G-d only deals with what is of Him, not what we do on our own. He had given Abraham Isaac and it was what G-d had given that He required be returned to Himself. In verse 8 Abraham prophesied of the coming Messiah. He declared that G-d will prepare for Himself a lamb. In the thicket, they found not a lamb, but a ram; the lamb was yet to come in over a thousand years as the One who would remove our sin forever.
Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach
Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah &Mark 9:23,10:27
" THE Truth will set you FREE" Y
