Prisonweekly Torah

Prison Weekly Tevet 8,5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Shalom

Tevet 8,5770

Parashat VaYigash

(Genesis 44:18 - 47:27)
This week's parashah opens with the dramatic confrontation between Judah and the inflexible Egyptian viceroy. The tension builds to a fever pitch, and reaches its stunning climax with the revelation that the viceroy is none other than the long-lost Joseph. An emotional reunion follows, but Joseph's immediate concern is to send a personal message to his father Jacob. This important message has to prove that he, the Egyptian viceroy, is indeed Joseph. Concurrently, it must also alleviate Jacob's inevitable concerns about Joseph's spiritual condition after having lived apart from his family for so many years in the Egyptian den of corruption and immorality. So what message did Joseph choose to send? He chose to remind his father that during their last meeting they had discussed the Torah laws regarding the ritual of the eglah arufah, which is performed when a wayfarer is found murdered on the open road and the assailant is unknown. The Torah (Devarim 21) commands that the elders of the city nearest to the scene of the crime come out and declare, "Our hands did not spill this blood!"

Joseph's knowledge of this private conversation was certainly clear proof of Joseph's identity, but how did it reassure Jacob that his son had maintained his high spiritual levels? Let us take a closer look at the remarkable statement the elders when they visit the scene of the tragic crime. "Our hands did not spill this blood!" Are the elders really suspects in this unsolved murder case? Of course not, says the Talmud (Sotah 45b). The elders were declaring that the wayfarer had not been turned away from their city without being offered food and a proper sendoff on his journey. But is the failure to offer a wayfarer food and a warm sendoff such a terrible thing? Why does the Torah value extending hospitality so highly that the failure to do so is considered "spilling blood"?

The commentaries explain that hospitality is not only meant to satisfy a person's physical needs. It also nourishes his very heart and soul. A wayfarer, separated from the support system of his home and family, inevitably feels forlorn and demoralized. But when he is welcomed into a home with warmth and affection, he once again feels connected and secure. And when he is given a warm sendoff, he is filled with renewed confidence and self-esteem. He holds his head a little higher, his shoulders are squared back, and there is a buoyant spring in his step. Such a person is an unlikely target for the predators that roam the highways. It is the beaten-down traveler who feels isolated and lost that is most vulnerable to attack. The restorative gifts of hospitality can fortify and sustain a person for the long road ahead to an immeasurable degree, and therefore, withholding these gifts is tantamount to "spilling his blood."

Joseph was addressing this concept between the lines of his message to his father. Do not be concerned that I have lost my spiritual bearings, that I have become an immoral Egyptian, he was saying. The spiritual gifts I received in your house during the years of my youth were my suit of armor all these years. They gave me the strength and courage to resist the corruption of Egypt and kept me on the exalted level of a future tribal patriarch of the Jewish people. Remember our discussions about the eglah arufah. Just as the wayfarer is fortified for his journey by a few hours of hospitality, I, too, was fortified for my whole life by my youth in your home. You need not worry. I am the same Joseph you once knew, only a little older.

This is a lesson of critical importance to all of us. We sometimes do not appreciate how profoundly the things we do and say can affect others. Certainly, our children deserve that we bring them up with warmth, sensitivity and strong values. If we do, they will always hold their heads a little higher, because we will have given them the confidence and self-esteem that will nourish them for the rest of their lives. But even in our myriad daily contacts with other people, we can do so much with a helping hand, a kind word, a simple smile. The smallest gesture of warmth and sincere compassion can sometimes penetrate the heart of a lonely wayfarer on the road of life and give him the restorative gifts that will enable him to reach his destination safely.

MISSION UPDATE:

Today we drove over through very harsh winds and blowing snow so we could open for the people. Many have no place to be until night with everything closed, so we are here. Mom is making them Shepard's pie one of my favorite dishes, a real treat to a poor person, and of course I grew up on food such as this. The 23rd was our 24th wedding anniversary, time just fly's when you are having fun right, really time always seemed slow until we had children now a year seems like nothing. My Oldest son is 20 and married with two children and one on the way, my daughter is just turned 18 and moving out and of course she has a fiancée… for the record mom and I got to spend two days alone, wow that was different, first time we have been that alone since we had children! The year now has come and will be gone in a few days, we saw some people that have been long-time homeless get out of the street this year about 60 some through a program called housing first. That was a real blessing, but you see for that number that got out many more came to take their place, These new homeless people are fresh to the street mostly just because of lost jobs. We are praying for a miracle this year (we have many all year long) but this one will help us expand greatly to care for the people 24/7. Really because of the economy this last year I am sure most of you noticed I had to beg all year long, in Fact October we almost had to shut down but the Father kept us open through your kind donations. This is our 11th year and the Lord Yeshua has helped thousands of people in many different ways through this Mission church. We had one of our helpers who really more than a helper I guess you would say as he has been helping us serve food and many other things since almost the first. He got the Bank where he works to sponsor Holiday gifts for the people for several years, which mostly always turned out to be shoes, coats, hats, and gloves. This year he helped fund raise for disadvantaged children which is a great thing, he got to sit in the lobby of a large church with three signs one for the children, one for the Wichita food bank, and a sign for us. People he said just donated without question, he did point out if they knew we were Messianic Jewish then more than likely we would have not gotten much in donations. And that is the reason why it takes so much to get support even on radio or online, many people are deceived into hating anything that is even remotely connected to Jews… Amazing because the Savior Yeshua was, born a Jew, died king of the Jews and will come back as the lion of the tribe of Judah which believers are grafted into….about now most people have stopped reading. We fill a large gap in services no one else fills, whenever someone comes in they really are in shock to what all we really do and the homelike way the place feels, which is the love of Yahweh as Family as this is the way it is supposed to be, Family not putting Yahweh in a box. When I want to help someone or rather the Holy Spirit tells me to I do not have to go to a board of directors to help then I just do it. A Church IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COMMAND a pastor what to do, you see a minister is supposed to be the head congregation Under Messiah, oh well ….. I pray that any of you that can will consider a end of the year donation as mom needs to stock food, paper products (napkins, plates, toilet paper etc) I need to get radio paid also. It would be nice to start the new year with the bills and everything all caught up! No there was no new radio program with week as do to what day it fell on, it is hard for people to be on the air on the 24th as it will next week. I plan on pre recording something for next week.

I know many of you today are remembering Messiah, please remember that we are called to remember him all year long, that spirit of giving that you are doing is something we and you should do all year long as; Matthew 22:34
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Yeshua said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. This does mean being our brother's keepers, not just praying for someone but trying if at all possible to go out of your way, and meet their need as;
James 2:14 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James was just teaching what he was taught be Messiah, that is the end of things we will be judged on how we treat others out of love, yes love, this means sacrifice for others just as Messiah died for us we are to sacrifice to serve him by serving others as: Matthew 25:31 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Will you be in the sheep or the goats? 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. The Word tells us of these things Philippians 2:1 1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And remember he did not ever call us to remember His birth but to remember him in His death as Paul tells us;
1 Corinthians 11:23 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Yeshua the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. I pray you all are safe and healthy and you are ready for what the new year will bring, Remember those that have less than you and truly if you want to serve our Father do so by helping others…Remember we are to know them by their fruits, no one in the Body of Messiah is exempt from helping others, no one in fact Paul tells us how he sold all and gave everything to the poor...
Please lift us in prayer and help if you can, In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I pray you all had a nice holiday and spent time with your families and loved ones. Pastor Dan and I just celebrated our 24th anniversary on the 23rd. We had a very nice two days together as we sent the two boys to thier sister's for a few days. It was very quite around the house almost to quite.

I did manage to get most all of Decembers bills paid I have the funds to pay the rest i am just waiting for checks (I need to order before they can come LOL) so that I can write them and get them in the mail.

The mission was stocked and the newsletter went out last Tuesday. Please pray about supporting these works.

THANKS to all of you who has sent us socks, coats, cloves and warm clothing if you didn't recieve a thank you card let me know. Some of the boxes went to the Mission on the same day they came so I might not of gotten the address off the box to mail you a card.

It's time for Sabbath service so i will close for now stay in outta the cold if possible! We love you all Shalom sisterlinda/family& messiah's branch.

LAST WEEKS TORAH: Miketz"At the end of "Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah –Zechariah 2:14-4:7,Isaiah 66:1-24 & The Brit Hadasha 1Corinthians 2:1-5.

Mikeitz

Genesis 41:1 through 44:17 brings the finale to the story of Joseph and of his salvation of his family from the famine in Israel. Pharaoh has a dream and no one can interpret it. His cupbearer and his baker had their dreams interpreted in prison by Joseph so that tell Pharaoh about him. Joseph is brought before the king and not only interprets the dream, but first reveals what the dream was and then gives the meaning of it. The king of all Egypt and its possessions sees the anointing of G-d upon Joseph and enlists him to oversee the entire kingdom during the tough times predicted in the dream. Joseph, once again, does far and above what anyone could have imagined and he is made the Viceroy or Prime Minister of the empire, second only to Pharaoh. The famine in Canaan forces Jacob to send his remaining sons to Egypt to find food. There, they run into; you guessed it, Joseph. Of course, they haven't seen him in years and he now looks Egyptian, so they do not recognize him, but he knows exactly who they are. Then, in Genesis 42:6, Joseph's dreams come true. His brothers bow to the ground before him. Then, Joseph devises a plan to force his family to be reunited. The remaining chapters detail the plan that will not be fulfilled until next week. This week's lesson is short but sweet. Be aware of those who come to you in your business, and of those to whom you go. Perhaps the connection is for a purpose beyond what either you or they have in mind. Who knows the plans of G-d? Have a happy and blessed Chanukah as you dedicate yourselves again to the G-d of Israel and to His Messiah, Y'shua. Keep praying. Marty

Summary of The Weekly Torah Parshas Miketz

Note: The Shabbos Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person "goes up" to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading.

1st Aliya: The year is 2229 and Yoseph has been in prison for 12 years. Pharaoh has two similar dreams and demands their interpretation. The wine steward remembers Yoseph and his gift for dream interpretation, and Yoseph is rushed into Pharaoh's presence. 2nd Aliya: Yoseph interprets Pharaoh' dream and suggests to him how to best administrate the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine. (The extent of Yoseph's brilliance will first be revealed in next week's Parsha.) 3rd Aliya: Yoseph is appointed viceroy over Egypt, and puts into effect the plan that he had outlined to Pharaoh. He marries the daughter of Potiphar (the daughter of Dina) and has two sons, Menashe and Ephrayim. 4th Aliya: The seven years of famine begin, and the only food available is in Mitzrayim. Yoseph, unrecognized by his brothers, recognizes them when they come to buy food. He accuses them of treachery and imprisons them for three days. 5th Aliya: Yoseph demands that Binyamin be brought to Egypt and keeps Shimon as a hostage. The brothers relate their adventure to Yakov who refuses to send Binyamin. The increasing famine forces Yakov to concede to Yehuda's guarantee that Binyamin will be safe, and the brothers return to Egypt. 6th Aliya: The brothers are reunited with Shimon and invited to eat at the table of Yoseph. All appears to be forgiven and Yoseph sees Binyamin for the first time in 22 years. 7th Aliya: Yoseph hatches his final plot against his brothers. His famed chalice is planted in the Binyamin's saddlebag forcing the brothers to return to Mitzrayim and a confrontation with Yoseph. The year is 2238.

Summary of The Haftorah: Shabbos Chanukah #2 I Kings 7:40 - 50

The Haftorah for the second Shabbos of Chanukah took place approximately 2833 years ago in the year 2928 after creation. In 2924 King Solomon ascended the throne of his father David and began his most ambitious project, the building of the first Bais Hamikdash. The building of the first Temple in Jerusalem involved artisans from all over the ancient world. Foremost among them were craftsmen from Tyre. Hiram, King of Tyre and Solomon had forged a relationship that fulfilled the blessings of Noach to his son Yefes. "And Yefes will dwell in the house of Shem." Hiram was a descendent of Yefes, and his craftsmanship and artistry graced the home that the descendents of Shem, the Jewish people, built. The Haftorah describes the decorative construction that enhanced the beauty of the first Temple as well as the various vessels designed by Hiram's artists for use in the Bais Hamikdash. The story of the construction of the first Bais Hamikdash details a ideal time of world peace and partnership. Shlomo Hamelech had captured the respect, admiration, and wonder of his contemporaries. Pilgrims from all over the ancient world flocked to Jerusalem to see the young king and witness first hand his wisdom and brilliance. Solomon forged alliances with numerous governments increasing the trade and might of Israel. It was a time of great scholarship and peacefulness, a foretaste of the messianic era. At the time of Chanukah, 693 years later, the world scene was much different. Jerusalem had been defiled with pagan worship and Israel was beneath foreign rule. The forces of Judah were miraculously victorious recapturing Jerusalem and rededicating the second Bais Hamikdash. Chanukah celebrates Jewish survival. It is our fervent hope that the light of the Menorah, reminiscent of the Menorah that once stood in the Temple, will once again illuminate the darkness of world strife and hatred with understanding and wisdom. Just as Hiram joined Shlomo in building the Bais Hamikdash and glorifying G-d's name so too will this year herald the coming of Mashiach, the building of the third Temple, and a return to world peace.
The Remez
"It came to pass at the ketz (end) of two full years.." (Miketz 41:1) This verse introduces the story how Joseph was freed from prison, the ketz (end) to his confinement. 1) Joseph's confinement was only physical but not spiritual. Even in jail he retained and guarded his spiritual heritage, the teachings absorbed from his father, and this light overcame the darkness of prison and filled him with hope, joy and delight. The restraints of prison did not really fetter him. Those restraints, therefore, were but a temporary confinement, and immediately upon his release he rose to rule over all of Egypt. The prison-house of Joseph, "a place where the king's prisoners are bound," is an allusion to this world into which the souls of Israel - the "children of YHWH" - are made to descend to become vested in finite bodies in order to observe Torah and mitzvot. The analogy with a prison is noted especially during the time of the galut (exile). Thus we must remember Joseph and the events of his life. We must realize that the very idea of confinement is alien to us, because Hebrew life is essentially unrestricted. The present era of restraints, therefore, is undoubtedly only temporary. It is merely a step toward the ultimate goal of illuminating the world, even in its present state of lowliness and galut, with the light of Torah and mitzvot. The fulfillment of this mission will be followed immediately by the final redemption of Moshiach . "Pharaoh sent and summoned Joseph, and they rushed him from the dungeon .. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you in charge over all the land of Egypt." Joseph's early period in Egypt was filled with difficulties and hardship. First he was a slave in the house of Potiphar, and from there was thrown into a dungeon where he suffered for many years. Yet while in prison there occurred a drastic change: simultaneously with his release from prison he became a ruler! When Joseph interpreted correctly the dreams of Pharaoh, he also solved the riddle of all his troubles to that point; for everything led progressively to his becoming the viceroy without whose permission "no man is to lift a hand or foot in all Egypt." We, too, are presently in the dungeon of a harsh and bitter galut. For many years we have been bound and fettered by the shackles of the galut. We must realize, though, that just as Joseph went from confinement to rulership, so, too, Kol Y'israel will speedily leave the prison of galut and simultaneously ascend to the status of royalty - "children of the King of all kings." The mystery of the "dream of the galut" will be solved and explained at that point. Yisrael Hakohein

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

Prission Weekly Shabbath Kislev 25, 5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:17:00 +0000

The Hebrew month is Kislev these Parashahs are for Shabbath Kislev 25, 5770

Parashahs HaShavuah: Torah Vayeshev "and he settled" Genesis 37:1-40:23               Haftarah Amos 2:6-3:8 & The Brit Hadasha Acts 7:9-16

                Next weeks Parashahs are : Miketz"At the end of "Genesis 41:1-44:17                           Haftarah –Zechariah 2:14-4:7,Isaiah 66:1-24 & The Brit Hadasha 1Corinthians 2:1-5.

WHAT IS CHANUKKAH AND HOW DO WE CELEBRATE IT?

Chanukkah is coming soon - the first night is Yom Reeshone the first day, {Sabbath December 12th.} It's a wonderful family holiday. After we light the candles, we sing Maoz Tzur, eat jelly donuts, tell stories, have quizzes about Hanukah - all in the light of the Hanukah candles. Memories are made up of a collection of precious moments. Hanukah can provide you with many wonderful memories! There are two ways which our enemies have historically sought to destroy us. The first is by physical annihilation; the most recent attempt being the Holocaust. The second is through cultural assimilation. Purim is the annual celebration of our physical survival. Hanukah is the annual celebration of our spiritual survival over the many who would have liked to destroy us through cultural assimilation. In 167 BCE the Syrian-Greek emperor, Antiochus, set out to destroy Judaism by imposing a ban on three mitzvot: The Shabbat, The Sanctifying of the New Month (establishing the first day of the month by testimony of witnesses who saw the new moon) and Brit Mila (entering the Covenant of Abraham through Torah-ordained circumcision). The Shabbat signifies that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe and that His Torah is the blueprint of creation, meaning and values. Sanctifying the New Month determines the day of the Jewish holidays. Without it there would be chaos. For example, if Succot is the 15th of Tishrei, the day it occurs depends upon which day is declared the first of Tishrei. Brit Mila is a sign of our special covenant with the Almighty. All three maintain our cultural integrity and were thus threats to the Greek culture.

Matityahu and his 5 sons, known as the Maccabees, started a revolt and three years later succeeded in evicting the oppressors. The victory was a miracle - on the scale of Israel defeating the combined super-powers of today. Having regained control of the Temple in Jerusalem, they wanted to immediately rededicate it. They needed ritually pure olive oil to re-light the Menorah in the Temple. Only a single cruse of oil was found; enough to burn for just one day. However, they needed oil for eight days until new ritually pure olive oil could be produced. A miracle occurred and the oil burned for eight days. Therefore, we light Hanukah candles (or better yet, lamps with olive oil) for eight days. One the first day, two the second and so forth. The first candle is placed to the far right of the menorah with each additional night's candle being placed to the immediate left. One says three blessings the first night (two blessings each subsequent night) and then lights the candles, starting with the furthermost candle to the left. The menorah should have all candles in a straight line and at the same height. Ashkenazi tradition has each person of the household lighting his own menorah. Sefardi tradition has just one menorah lit per family. The blessings can be found on the back of the Hanukah candle box or in a Siddur, prayer book. The candles may be lit inside the home. It is preferable to light where passersby in the street can see them - to publicize the miracle of Hanukah. In Israel, people light outside in special glass boxes built for a menorah or little glasses with olive oil and wicks. The tradition to eat latkes, potato pancakes, is in memory of the miracle of the oil (latkes are fried in oil). In Israel, the tradition is to eat sufganiot, deep-fried jelly donuts. The traditional game of Hanukah uses a dreidel, a four-sided top with the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hey, Shin (the first letters of "Nes Gadol Haya Sham - A Great Miracle Happened There." In Israel, the last letter is a Pay - for "Poh", "here.") In times of persecution when learning Torah was forbidden, Jews would learn anyway. When the soldiers would investigate, they would pull out the dreidel and pretend that they were gambling. The rules for playing dreidel: Nun -no one wins; Gimmel - spinner takes the pot; Hey - spinner get half the pot; Shin/Pay - spinner matches the pot!

Here's a question to think about: If enough oil was found to burn in the Temple menorah for one day and the oil lasted for eight days, then the miracle was really only for the seven additional days of lighting. Why then do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days and not seven?

Answer: The Baalei Mussar answer that in fact 7 days commemorates the miraculous miracle of oil burning longer than it was supposed to, but the extra day commemorates the miracle of nature – that oil burns at all! That itself is miraculous. We are typically amazed at miracles of the first kind, however there are miracles present in our every day lives. It behooves us to appreciate those miracles as well.

Parshas Vayeishev

Of Grapes and Pastries

Joseph knew he might never have another chance to get out of the dank Egyptian dungeon in which he had languished since being wrongly accused of making advances toward Potiphar's wife. Indeed, he was fortunate to have escaped with his life. One year after his incarceration, he was joined by two illustrious prisoners, the royal baker and the royal cupbearer, both of whom had fallen from favor. One night they both had dreams that called for interpretation. This was Joseph's opportunity, and he had to grasp it.

As we read in this week's Torah portion, Joseph interpreted their dreams correctly, one thing led to another, and he was released from prison. The cupbearer dreamed he saw three bunches of succulent grapes on the vine. He squeezed the grapes into Pharaoh's golden chalice and brought it to him. What did this mean? It meant, explained Joseph, that in three days he would be released and returned to his former position.

The baker had a very similar dream. He saw himself carrying three baskets of bread on his head, and in the top basket, there were also all sorts of fine pastries. Then he saw a bird swoop down and eat the pastries. What did this mean? It meant, explained Joseph, that in three days the baker would be hung from the gallows.

And indeed, both interpretations proved correct.

Why did Joseph present such radically different interpretations of two dreams that were essentially identical?

The commentators point out a subtle difference between the two dreams. The images with which the cupbearer's dream opened were of clusters of gleaming grapes hanging heavily from the vine and fairly bursting with natural juices. The cupbearer reaches out, plucks some of these exquisite grapes and squeezes them into Pharaoh's chalice. Then he offers the wine to the king.

The baker's dream, however, did not open with images of golden wheat stalks swaying in the gentle breeze on amber fields. Nor did it open with sparkling waters coursing through a mountain stream. It opened with basketfuls of the finished product, manufactured by human hands.

Where was an acknowledgment of the origin of all the ingredients that went into those breads and pastries? The cupbearer dreamed of the Almighty's pristine grapes, but the baker dreamed of his own craft, as if everything depended on him. Where was the recognition of the handiwork of the Almighty? Clearly, the baker, unlike the cupbearer, did not deserve a royal pardon.

A great sage was walking with a young disciple along the seashore in a famous and wealthy resort town.

"What do you think of this place?" the sage asked.

"I think it is spectacularly beautiful."

"Indeed? And what exactly do you find beautiful here?"

"Why, everything," the disciple responded excitedly. "The gleaming white yachts in the harbor. The magnificent villas and chateaux on the hillsides. The elegant carriages with their liveried drivers and footmen."

"Ah, my young friend," said the sage, "you are like a blind man. All this superficial beauty obscures the true beauty of this place for people like you. Don't you see the surging sea and the soaring mountains? Don't you see the green valleys, the meadows, the flowers, the butterflies, the birds that sing in the trees? Those are the work of the Creator. Let me see one of your villa builders do something like that!"

In our own lives, living in a modern, technological society, we are easily distracted from the magnificent world the Almighty created for us. We look around and all we see are buildings, cars, telephones, computers, asphalt, concrete, with a little patch of green here and there. In such an environment, it is easy to lose sight of the guiding hand of Hashem and become deluded into believing that people control their own destiny. But that is very superficial attitude. Better that we open our eyes and take a good look at the world around us and the heavens above. How can we not be dwarfed by the immensity of what Hashem has wrought on our behalf? If we engender this recognition in our hearts, we will, like the cupbearer, be worthy of divine blessings and delivery from our oppressors.

Mission Updates: Greetings Saints,

Today was a good day as depending on how you look at it, my heart cried so much as I thought I would run out of money for shoes, the above picture is two pair of shoes one for a man the other for a woman. This was my second trip to wal-mart for shoes today. AND DID THEY NEED SHOES ONE PAIR TALKED WHEN HE WALKED!

I had no socks to give them for their shoes as I am barely going to have gas to get home and back, but the day is spent and I made it through it. Mom is going through some bags of clothing that came from out of town.

I was supposed to try and drop the bus off today to fix the blinkers as someone said drop it off and they would pay for it, I did not get down till after the place closed so I have to drive back over tomorrow to get it done, but I am so thankful.

This month has been so low on donations, but I will keep going as long as people keep coming. Please pray that all the needs are met this week, we have so much on our plate.....my faith says he will use one or some of you to accomplish this.......as normal The Pastor the brokest guy on the block

In His Perfect Peace,
Pastor Dan Catlin

WE PRAY YOU ALL HAVE A VERY WONDERFUL & BLESSED CHANUKKAH

Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah,

Praise be to Yahweh for He is Awesome and cares for ALL the needs of His people and His works! I am going to be able to pay all the bills that are in come Monday when I have time to sit down and get them paid. I also will stock the Mission with pasta and veggies today. We will do the January newsletter and mail it out on the 29th so most of you should recieve it by the first. Can you believe it 2010 already. Wow! Thanks to all who have and will answer the call from Yahweh to provide the much needed support to care for His people. Everything looks good as we come to the close of 2009. Please pray about supporting us as we do the works of our Father. We are faithful that He will supply our needs but first we must make those needs known as the word says "you have not cause you ask not". We only want to Serve Yahweh and we only want want He intends us to have. I must close for as always I have tons of stuff to do to be ready to go feed today. We pray you all a very happy an blessed Chanukkah! shalom sisterlinda/family an Messiah's Branch

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

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

Prison Weekly 18 Kislev, 5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:31:00 +0000

SHALOM

The Hebrew month is Kislev these Parashahs are for Shabbath 18 Kislev, 5770

Parashahs HaShavuah: Torah Vayeshev "and he settled" Genesis 37:1-40:23 Haftarah Amos 2:6-3:8 & The Brit Hadasha Acts 7:9-16

Next weeks Parashahs are : Miketz"At the end of "Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftarah –Zechariah 2:14-4:7,Isaiah 66:1-24 & The Brit Hadasha 1Corinthians 2:1-5.

WHAT IS CHANUKKAH AND HOW DO WE CELEBRATE IT?

Vayishlach
This week's parasha is entitled Vayishlach, which means, "And he sent." In hebrew, its opening statement is much more startling than in the English translations with which we satisfy ourselves. In Hebrew, it opens with these words, "And then Jacob sent angels ahead of him to Esau his brother." We have this mindset that angels are gigantic heavenly beings who are sent only by G-d to accomplish His divine purposes. But the letter to the Jewish believers says, in Hebrew 1:14, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?"   Jacob understood this and so when he encountered the angels of G-d, according to last week's portion in Genesis 32: 2 (verse 1 in most English translations), he sent them on a mission to accomplish G-d's divine plan in the life of he and his estranged brother. In Hebrew, often times the word "angel" is translated into English as "messenger." Sometimes this translation practice removes us from the wonders of G-d. Well, these angels returned to Jacob and told him that Esau was indeed coming toward him and that with him were 400 men. This put fear into the heart of Jacob. Now, consider that this man had just encountered the angels of HaShem and had boldly sent them on a mission and yet when they returned, he was frightened, not of G-d nor of His messengers, but of his brother, a mere man. I believe that we too are often fearful of things which have little sway in our lives while ignoring the fear of the L-rd which is the beginning of all wisdom; or at least it could be if we only understood it.
Jacob took his family and sent them across the river Jabok. He remained alone that night and there he wrestled with a man. But just who was this man? The Rabbis say that he was the guardian angel of Esau and that every nation has such a divine messenger., assigned to cover its charge with protection. But I have a problem with this assignment. You see, in the midst of the struggle, Jacob demands a blessing from this Divine Messenger and the one with whom he is fighting changes his name! And in the explanation of his new name, which is Israel, this messenger explains, ""Your name will no longer be Jacob," He said. "It will be Israel because you have struggled with G-d and with men and have prevailed." Now, Jacob had wrestled with a man all night long, but this man identified Himself as G-d and yet as also a man. Was this a pore-advent of the One whose birth we will soon celebrate? Perhaps it was. In fact, when confronted with Jewish skepticism about the divinity of Y'shua, I point to this example from the Torah in which a man is identified as G-d. Another interesting and oft overlooked little gem in this portion is found in chapter 33 where Esau and Jacob finally meet and find themselves in each others arms, reunited after many years of fear and of hatred that separated them. Jacob gives Esau a huge gift and Esau replies in verse 9, "I Have plenty." But Jacob, sho has wrestled with G-d and been found victorious tells him in verse 11, "'Please take my present that was brought to you, because G-d has been gracious to me and I have everything .' So Jacob urged him until he accepted." Esau had plenty but Israel had everything. Notice too that although his name had been changed already, the text refers to him as Jacob, not as Israel. Interestingly, it is only when he is in the Promised Land that he is referred to as Israel, outside, he is always called Jacob. So this gives us insight into the reason that G-d speaks of Israel and Jacob throughout scripture as He refers to the Jewish people. He speaks to those within the Land and to those of us who are scattered in the Diaspora. There is much more to learn from this portion, but time is short and there is much to do in preparation for the next week. So, please read the teaching about the birth of the One with whom Jacob wrestled and be blessed as you bless those whom G-d places in your path. Perhaps you will entertain angels unaware. Keep praying Marty

Mission Updates; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ^{2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Look up the word charity and you will find it means LOVE Greetings, Today someone emailed me and told me to take the Bus to the shop that they would pay to fix the blinkers! This is a great praise report as we have been driving without, no it is not right to do that but really I felt I had no choice, so I do repent about it. On another note normally we recieve a $75 weekly donation every Wed. It comes by an automatic deduction. We count on this donation every week to get us over there on Friday if nothing else comes in. I also know I have it for shoes or it will even and does buy food ( meat) on some days, it has been our weekly bail out. I pray that the people that donate this are well as it has not came in the week. I am sure that the Father will make it up in another way but please pray for those folks finances as the economy has hit so many and I pray it has not hurt them also. This week on radio we will be talking about the Christians being persecuted around the world and even killed.......
In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin
Messiah's Branch "Prophecy Hour" Radio
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah
Thanksgiving went really well we fed 108 plates and everyone was so full they didn't eat much desert. We recieved a total of fourteen turkeys I baked eleven, Ed smoked two and Sharon baked one, I have three bagged an ready to use in the freezer. We mailed the December newsletter out before Thanksgiving so you all should have them by now. Chanukkah is next week and it begins at dark on the 11th and ends at dark on the 19th. We pray you have a wonderful celebration with your families. The bills really need paid and Yahweh knows what I need to make that happen. All I ask is that you take us to prayer an ask if you are a vessel to help this ministry then follow thru with what Yahweh puts on your heart to do. I know Yahweh will supply our every need an it is only through you He can do it. So Please pray and ask if your to support these works. I must close it is time to go feed Shabbat Shalom sisterlinda}

Quote of the Day

"A person who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
– Albert Einstein

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

Prison Weekly Kislev 4,5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:14:00 +0000

Shalom

May YHWH open our eyes to see where we are in this winnowing process. Here is this week's teaching – There's a Great Winnowing Taking Place.

This week's Torah portion is Toldot, which is B'reshit (Genesis) 25:19-28:9. Haftorah Malachi 1:1-2:7 Brit hadasha Romans 9:6-13

תּוֹלְדֹת Toldot (tole-dote) (generations)

What Would You Sell Your Birthright For? B'reshit [Genesis] 25:19-28:9

30 And Esau said to Ya'aqov, "Feed me, with that red soup, for I am faint." Therefore was his name

called Edom. 31 And Ya'aqov said, "Sell me first your birthright."

32 And Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. And what profit shall the birthright do to me?"

33 And Ya'aqov said, "Swear to me first." And he swore to him. And he sold his birthright to Ya'aqov.

34 And Ya'aqov gave Esau bread and soup of lentils. And he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went

his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

Even though the two sons of Yitzchak were twins, Esau was the firstborn son and as such had the right

to inherit according to the firstborn son. However, he did not really care about his birthright, and one

day when he came in from hunting he was very hungry. Ya'aqov had been cooking some soup, and

seeing an opportunity to gain something that he longed to have, struck a bargain with his brother. His

brother seems to have agreed to this deal with hardly a second thought. Thus the Scripture teaches us

that Esau despised his birthright. It is no wonder that he also later lost the blessing of his father so easily

as well. What this story is really about is the difference between the seen and the unseen. Or, what it means to

walk by faith (unseen) as opposed to walk by sight (seen). In this case, Esau could not see past the

hunger in his own stomach. He wanted to fulfill that base desire as soon as possible, regardless of what

the cost might be later on. This type of mindset is one of the essential attitudes of living in Babylon.

That is, when one craves something so much that the craving becomes the overriding drive in a person's

life, especially to the exclusion of any consideration to the spiritual dimension of his life.

Yochanan Aleph (1st John) 2:16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is

not of the Father, but is of the world.

When it is the base desires of a person that is in control of what he does and how he lives his life, then

that person is locked solidly into a Babylonian way of life. Everything in this present world would have

one to believe that this is the only way to true fulfillment; that is, when one gives to oneself all those

things that pleases him so that he is running from the seeking of one pleasure to another. Such a one as

this is never satisfied and can never be satisfied with what YHWH has blessed him with. They live in a

constant mindset of "If only I had…." But the truth is that even when they get the material possession

which they wrongly believe would make them happy, their thoughts are already fleeting off to the next

thing to rush headlong after. They do this not realizing that they are actually rushing headlong into

judgment. Have you ever considered why there are so many different makes of cars? And why do they need to

change the design of a car every year? Or, consider why it is that they are always coming out with new

movies? Or, why it is that there is a constant influx of new upgrades to computer programs; or, the

drive to have the hottest and newest video game; or, the newest and improved ….? It is because it is the

seeking of these materialistic goods that drives a Babylonian based economy. An economy in which the

people are told that they cannot function without having certain things in their lives; thereby, they are

constantly being admonished to go out and buy this, that, or the other. It is an economy that cannot

sustain itself. Esau was in the pursuit of those things that were transitory and had no lasting value. He wanted what

he could see, and beyond that he gave no thought to his life. Ya'aqov, on the other hand, pursued those

things that he could not see and gave a lot of thought to those things that he could not see. Today let us

consider this carefully as we examine some other passages as well to help us focus in on the difference

between walking by sight and walking by faith.

Luqa (Luke) 14:16-20

16 But He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

17 and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all is now

ready.' 18 "But one by one they all began making excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I

need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'

19 "And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to

have me excused.'

20 "And another said, 'I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.'"

In my house my family often hears me say, "When a person needs an excuse, anything will do." I'm sure

if you think about it you have heard some pretty amazing excuses as to why someone does or does not

do something. Perhaps you have even given some pretty good ones in the past yourself. Yet, we are

taught in the word of YHWH that we are to let our "yes be yes," and our "no be no." Anything beyond

this is evil. Yet, how many of us don't follow this very simple instruction to us?

The bottom line of this passage is this: are we making excuses as to why it is that we cannot follow

YHWH/Yeshua in the manner that He desires for us to follow Him? Do we see our excuses as being

legitimate as those did in the passage above? Is there actually a legitimate excuse for not following

YHWH/Yeshua in the manner that He has commanded us to follow Him? Or, are these excuses just a

disguise for selling one's birthright for a bowl of soup?

Ivrim (Hebrews) 12:16-17

16 lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own

birthright. 17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he

found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears.

There are some decisions that a person makes that simply cannot be undone. There are things in this

life that cannot be reversed. This Esau found out, but only too late. Let us diligently watch over

ourselves and our fellow brethren with love and care to make sure that this type of mindset is not

present in any one of us. Brethren, the time grows ever shorter that we must walk fully with YHWH our

Elohim without reservation or consideration to what this present world thinks or does. It is time that we

stop making excuses as to why we have to work on Shabbat. It is time to stop making excuses as to why

we cannot wear tzitziot (tassels). It is time to stop making excuses as to why we will not keep His whole

Torah! It is time to stop selling our birthright and grab firmly onto that birthright and never let go.

Mishle (Proverbs) 1:24-32

24 Because I have called, and you have refused;I have stretched out my hand, and no man has regarded;

25 But you have neglected all My counsel,And did not want any of My reproof;

26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity;I will mock when your fear comes;

27 When your fear comes as a storm,And your calamity comes on as a whirlwind;When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then will they call upon Me, but I will not answer;They will seek Me diligently, but they shall not find Me; 29 For that they hated knowledge,And did not choose the fear of YHWH;

30 They did not want any of My counsel;They despised all My reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way,And be filled with their own devices.

32 For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them,And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.

YHWH has clearly warned us ahead of time that we need to seek Him when He speaks to us. There may

come a time when He stops speaking to us and leaves us to our own devices. What a sad state a man

would be in if that happens. He would be just like Esau, who even though he sought the blessing of his

father with tears, his own father would not be moved by those tears. Esau despised his birthright and

lost the blessing as well. Likewise, there will be those who attempt to move YHWH with their tears, but

the day of salvation will have passed them by.

Philippians 3:18-19

18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the

enemies of the cross of Mashiach; 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

To sum up this matter of having this type of Babylonian mindset, the final end of such a person is

destruction. We need to take a good honest look at our lives and see where it is that we are living. If we

are living in Babylon with a Babylonian mindset, then it is time that we come out of that mindset and

out of that way of life. It is time that we fully embrace Yeshua as our Mashiach and return to our

Father's house to obey His Torah commandments.

Qorintyah Bet (2nd Corinthians) 6:2 for He says "At an acceptable time I listened to you,

And in a day of salvation did I help you;Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!"

Today is the acceptable time according to YHWH to come fully to Him and to listen to His Voice and obey

Him in all things great and small.

Ivrim (Hebrews) 3:15 While it is said,"Today if you shall hear His voice,Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."

We need to come completely out of the Babylonian way of life in which we have all been raised. We

need to turn fully to YHWH and commit all our ways to Him so that when it is time to separate the sheep

and the goats, we will be standing with the sheep and not standing with the goats; for we would not

desire to hear these words from our Master:

Matithyah (Matthew) 7:22-23

22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by Your name, and by Your

name cast out demons, and by Your name do many mighty works?'

23 And then will I say to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you that work iniquity.'"

To those of us who claim to know Yeshua as our Master, we need to be sure of one thing, that He knows

us! If we want Him to know us, then we had better come to Him on His terms and come to Him in His

name, and not in some substitute name that does not belong to Him. I did not change the verse above

where it reads in most English versions as "Lord, Lord" because it is quite possible that many on that day

will actually use that title. But lest you look down on those who do unknowingly use this title, let us be

sure that we who do call Him "Adonai Yeshua Mashiach", are doing so because we live as if this is true in

our lives each and every day. For the use of His Hebrew name alone does not insure that one is saved

any more that the lack of usage does not insure a lack of salvation. Let us commit our lives to Him

without reservation. Let us adopt the fear of YHWH in our daily living knowing that it is to Him who we

will one day answer for all we have done or not done.

Yochanan (John) 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

Do you know the Voice of your Master?

Do you obey the Voice of your Master?

ABBA YHWH, open our ears that we may hear your Voice and obey You so that You will be our Master,

that we may not sell our birthright for a bowl of soup; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach. Amein.

Shabbat Shalom Zerubbabel ben Emunah

MISSION UPDATES:

Greetings Saints, First I will you about a man whom I prayed for; last week he came to the window of the bus when I was picking people up. He wanted to pray for me so I said okay, after he was done I prayed for him to have an increase in finances. Today he told me after the prayer he walked down the street and got a job for $12 and hour! A real praise report, he said that the Lord had told him I had a real calling on my life and to keep doing what I am doing……..We see miracle prayers like this all the time.I think we can breath now that we have been able to pay up the currant bills including what we owed the food bank. Two weeks ago we were just hours away from actually shutting down for the first time in 10 years. Bills had doubled and then we missed the shut off dates anyone of a number of things could have been shut off at anytime, but at the very last moments our Father saved us, as normal he uses people to do so. So if I missed thanking you saints for donating and saying prayers for us from the bottom of my heart I thank you.This year has been a funny year for finances, mostly we would have to get desperate, with this time being the very worst, then people would bail us out. When we have shut off's and things it always costs more as most of you know, I just pray that people would donate before we get desperate. Right now we have NO money for Thanksgiving, mom told me she might have $30 left after paying the bills, I have gas money and that is it, I am not complaining but we really need to pray in money for Thanksgiving dinner, paper products, Bibles, shoe money, medication money, and the bus to get fixed. Yes I am broke, but a preacher should be the brokest guy around right? I want you to pray that the people of Wichita really look at what we are doing for their poor and see the truth. We do things that no other ministry in this city does for them, we fill a large gap in services and we live 60 miles away. I do not want their thanks I just think Wichita should donate to help their poor, supporting what we have been doing without their support for 10 years. There are good people in this city that would help if somehow they knew what all we do. So take this to prayer, the Father can do anything! So please lift us to prayer and see if you are led to become a monthly supporter or weekly? Anything will help, people do not understand that a $10 a $25, etc donation adds up. And yes you can mail if you so chose. But really consider a donation towards Thanksgiving please do not wait until the last minute.Have a great Sabbath and remember all things come by Faith! RADIO By the way Tom Horn will be doing a program with me that will air on Thanksgiving, it will be a do not miss program!

Proverbs 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Shalom In Yeshua Our Messiah, Wow can you believe thansgiving is next week? I'm going to be blessed this year with my daughters all helping as well as my sister-in-law. I have five turkeys and am praying for another four or five. I should have enough help in the kitchen I just may need a few more deserts made an donated. We are planning a sleepover Thanksgiving if we can get blankets. Please lift us in prayer that we get the person in charge of the blankets to give us another 100 or so the people really need blankets even if we don't have a sleepover. I have been busy this past week trying to get all my ministry work caught up. Kinda hard to do while playing with my grandbabies Haha! I should have the mailing list back to normal and if your getting more than one newsletter a month PLEASE let me know or if your addy is wrong please send me corrections. The bills are all paid up to the 26th and Decembers have begun coming in. I'm tired it's late an today's a feed day so goodnite to you all.

Please pray about being a vessel in these works we love you all Shabbat shalom sisterlinda

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

Prison Weekly Chesvan 14,5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Shalom

These Parsha's are for Chesvan 14,5770

Parashat HaShavuat That's Hebrew for Portion of the week.

Torah is Chai Sarah B'reshit [Genesis] 23:1-25:18‏ Haftorah is 1 Kings 1:1-31 Brit Hadasha is 1Corinthins15:50-57
Chai Sarah

Chai Sarah means the Life of Sarah, yet this portion deals not with her life, but with her death. Sarah died in Hebron and Abraham bought the place of her burial. Today, the wives of Abraham, Isaac and of Jacob are all in this burial cave in Hebron. The place is attended by a handful of devout Jewish men and women surrounded by thousands of Arabs who hate them and try ceaselessly to kill them and to drive them away. Yet, in their faithfulness to honor the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs of faith, they stay. The portion deals more with the finding of a wife for the son borne to Sarah as the next step in the story of the people of Israel. In his old age, Abraham charged his most faithful servant, Eliezer, with the task of finding the right wife for Isaac. He was to go back to the land from which Avram had come, so many years before and find there the one whom the L-rd had created to be his son's wife forever. And so, Eliezer went, planning along the way just how he would know the right one. As he entered the area, he stopped for water and was greeted by Rachel, the one whom G-d had fashioned from the earth to be the wife of Isaac and the second Matriarch of Israel. She responded just as the L-rd had set into Eliezer's heart and her parents had, miraculously, become followers of the Living G-d, even in this place so far away from all that He was doing in Israel. For when Eliezer told them how he had determined that Rachel was to be wed to his master, they replied, "surely this is of HaShem!" You see, G-d can work in places and in ways so far beyond what we think or expect. He is able to prepare our destiny without any help from us at all. We must only seek Him and His way and we will surely find it. The parashah ends with the death of Abraham and of Ishmael. But Isaac was to live on and to raise up a people to follow after G-d with their whole hearts. Or so he wished. Keep praying. Marty

And these are the days of the years of the life of Avraham which he lived; a hundred years and seventy years and five years. And Avraham expired and he died in a good age, mature and satiated and was gathered to his people. (Breishis 25:7-8) In the summary of his life, Avraham is described as having lived an accomplished and satisfying life. How did he do it? What's the secret? It's no secret! It's clearly stated. About Yishmael it is written, "These are the years of the life of Yishamael..." How are living "the days of years of the life" different than living just the "years of the life"? What is the great advantage of living in units of days? It's a nice aphorism, "One day a time!" but how does that translate into daily life? What does it mean to live each day as if it was the only day? We might want to ask ourselves, "How would I behave today if I knew that this was not only my last day but my only day? Reb Avraham, the son of the Vilna Gaon, testifies about his father: "For over fifty years he never slept more than half an hour at a time…Even when his health began to fail, he did not set aside his holy learning. Immediately, he would rise like a lion, in fear and dread of his Creator, wash his hands, and recite his morning blessings with a joy and awe which is beyond description. Afterwards, he would stand on his feet from before midnight until the first light of dawn learning Gemora and Poskim in a beautiful and awesome voice…Whoever heard it was moved with deep feelings of holiness."

Today!

Chayei Sorah 5770

Arriving in Jerusalem, one summer, I immediately made contact with my good friend and study partner, Reb Reuven, and we agreed to get busy the next morning studying an hour or more before Davening. The next morning I made it on time but I was suffering from jet lag, sleeplessness, and exhaustion. I commented to my friend that I don't know how the Vilna Gaon did it. I can't imagine what it means to only sleep at half hour intervals four times per day for the course of a lifetime. He told me, "It's not true!" I insisted I had read an authenticated biography of the Gaon and that it was certainly true that he only slept two hours in total each day. He told me again that it was not true and so I argued my case again only to be countered with the "not true" claim. Eventually Reuven explained and I realized how right he was. He told me, "It's not true that the Vilna Gaon only slept two hours each day! He learned Torah twenty-two hours each day!" I understood that he was not into sleep deprivation as we imagine but rather the sublime joy of learning Torah. If we want a fuller appreciation of what it means to live "a day at a time" we might look retrospectively at the actions of Avraham Avinu at both the beginning and end of last week's Torah Portion. We meet Avraham at the entrance of the tent surveying the horizon for any sight of a guest on the hottest day in history. He acts as-if he had never hosted a soul in all his ninety-nine years. Let's not forget that Avraham was reeling from the surgery of his circumcision, and was reveling in a Divine visitation at that very moment. If anyone ever had an excuse to rest on his laurels it was Avraham. He had already accomplished so much in his life and yet he acted as if yesterday's achievements did not exist. Only today! At the end of that Parsha Avraham demonstrated his willingness to relinquish all future promises of historical greatness embodied in Yitzchok, proving that his focus was not "tomorrow". That can distract a man from what HASHEM wants from him today. Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org

Mission Update: Ezekiel 20:19-20 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.

Shalom In Yeshua our messiah, Well here I am as always pushed for time so this will be short, i have been able to get the food bank paid, get the newsletters out and pay all the Oct. bills. I have most of November paid the next bill due is November 17, i stock the Mission got two cases number 10 cans of veggies.I bought napkins,sugar,eggs,cheese,potatoes, pastas and enough meat for about six meals sp that's three weeks. I bought two 23pound turkeys and am needing help getting everything for our thanksgiving dinner. I will be making home made deserts this year because we are no longer buying from the food bank. Please pray about helping an jast be lead by Yahweh to do His will and His works. have a wonderful Sabbath. Shalom sisterlinda/family & Messiah's Branch

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

Prison Weekly 13 Cheshvan 5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Shalom

13 Cheshvan 5770

Parashat HaShavuat That's Hebrew for Portion of the week

Torah: Bereshit / Lech Lecha "Get yourself" Genesis 12:1-17:27

The Haftarah is Isaiah 40:27-41:16
Legacy -- Of Threads and Shoelaces

To the victor belong the spoils, but sometimes he's just not interested. Abraham was cut from that cloth. He had just won a fierce war against four powerful Mesopotamian kings who had invaded the land of Canaan. After laying waste to the countryside, the Mesopotamians had carried off the population and wealth of Sodom and set off for home, but Abraham gave chase. He routed the invaders and pursued them all the way to Damascus, and in the process, he liberated the captives and recovered the stolen wealth..

The king of Sodom begged Abraham to keep the wealth, but Abraham absolutely refused. "I will not even take a thread or a shoelace nor anything else that is yours," he declared, "so that you should not be able to say, `I enriched Abraham.'"

The Sages of the Talmud greatly admired Abraham's refusal to accept a reward from the king of Sodom. In fact, they point out, because Abraham spurned the strings and shoelaces of Sodom, his descendants were rewarded with the two commandments of the tzitzith fringes and the tefillin straps.

The commentators, however, are puzzled by the connection. They also wonder why Abraham chose to mention these trivial articles. Why wasn't it enough to say that he would take nothing at all? That certainly would have been perfectly clear. Furthermore, why indeed did he refuse to take them?

The answer, they explain, lies in Abraham's attitude toward his great wealth. He never thought he had been blessed with wealth so that he would be able to indulge all his whims and desires. Rather, he saw himself as a caretaker. He believed that the Almighty had entrusted him with all that wealth so that he could spread sweetness and light in the world and draw people closer to Him. He saw his wealth as a sacred trust that extended even to the smallest part of it, because even the most minute things can be used to bring honor to his name.

Abraham, therefore, specifically mentioned threads and shoelaces to show that everything must be seen as a gift from Hashem. And he refused to accept these things from the king of Sodom, because he was concerned that the king would claim the credit for having given these gifts to Abraham, thereby bringing dishonor to the Name of Hashem.

With profound insight, Abraham had discerned the transcendent value of even the smallest things. The Torah, therefore, rewarded his descendants with the tzitzith fringes and the tefillin straps, seemingly insignificant items which play a very exalted role in connecting people to the Creator and bringing them untold Heavenly blessings.

A young man came to a great sage and asked to be accepted as a disciple. The sage took the young man for a stroll through the garden as they discussed various weighty philosophical and ethical issues.

The young man was very astute and intelligent, and he impressed the sage with his sharp questions and insightful observations.

After an hour, they returned from the garden. The sage shook the young man's hand and said, "Farewell and good luck to you."

The young man was stunned. "Do you mean that you will not accept me as your disciple?"

"That is correct."

"But why? Haven't I passed the test? I thought I had made such a good impression on you."

"Young man," said the sage, "when we were walking in the garden you were pulling leaves off the bushes and tossing them on the ground. Why?"

"I don't know," the young man replied. "What does it matter?"

"That exactly is the problem with you. You think the leaves on the bushes don't matter. But they do. Everything has a purpose, and I assure you that those leaves were not put there for you to destroy so casually.."

In our own lives, we live in a society that pursues riches at breakneck speed with barely a backward glance. Everything is expendable and disposable as long as it gets us from one moment to the next. Nonetheless, it is important that every once in a while we pause and take stock. It is important that we see and appreciate the value in all the little things Hashem has placed in the world as part of His divine plan. And in the end, we may even find that focusing on those little things may actually be the most enriching pursuit of all.

Legacy, Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Mission Updates:

Greetings, The biggest problem as I have seen it over the last 10 years in Wichita, Ks and the Homeless is this. There are several agencies that deal with the homeless, add the Christian based ones and you find the general problem. What the very people helping the homeless are the problem? (Okay not all are like this but most) Yes you see every time someone does a study or like the last venture with the rallies etc that led to having a task force on Homelessness, the agencies circle their wagons saying "Oh we can care for everyone" hmm why would they say that when all the beds in the city are taken? There is NO ROOM at the Inn for many and general proof is if they can care for everyone and there are enough beds then why do they have to open an overflow EVERY WINTER? When I first started I was literally accused by one Church lady who feed once a week that I was trying to steal her ministry, Heh I was not even feeding on HER day? At the end of the study by the task force that had people on it that had shelters or fed people, the study said that their was only needed 50 more beds in Wichita a number that could be met by currant agencies. Wow, what an un-truth, again go see how many is in the overflow next month, then tell me how many beds are needed. Even with that not all get inside. The Truth is women are desperate in the city of Wichita I know I see them every day we are open. Yes the men to but it is a shame for a woman abused by her husband has to go live in the street and be preyed on! Yes men and more men than women need beds also; many only need temporary beds and a address so they can get help. A safe place to stay for a few weeks until they can find a job if possible. You will always have the poor among you but that does not mean they are to be ignored. 10 years we have been fighting this battle and I still pray for the money to open a full time shelter or as now I just pray to be able to stay open. With all I do for Wichita I get no support. And of course I will get fallout from these guilt agencies, BUT truth is truth! Pray for the homeless in Wichita and pray for our ministry so we can just stay open……..In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin

Nahum 1:2-3 KJV God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah, wow what a very trying month this has been with trial after trial an ending with the closing of our food bag program. I managed to get the bare minimum paid on all the bills however most all of them had doubled and were on shut off notices that I barely made on the shut off dates. I still need 1239.72 to finish paying the Oct. bills that are either past due now or will be as of Oct 31st. I did get the Mission stocked with everything but go plates, toliet paper, trash bags, vegtables and pastas. I will need to make a trip to Aldi's in the next few weeks to get brownie and cake mixes because we will not be getting the free sweets that we were getting from the foodbank any longer. We still owe a bill of about 550.00 that we need to get paid as well. The local sales paper came Wednesday and ground chuck is on sale for 1.49 a pound it takes 12 - 15 pounds to make a meal depending on what I make. Potatoes are also on sale but i do not recall what they are right now.

We did get word that we will be getting a lot of clothing for the clothes room, I'm just praying that it is winter clothing and not summer. WE NEED COATS! Sleeping bags would also be a plus as there are people still outside. The over flow shelter should open up Sunday we;ll see....Please Pray about supporting these works! We really need your help! Yahwheh knows our needs so we just ask that you seek Him to see where He wants you to help and be lead by Him to do His works. We want nothing we are not suppose to have we just want to be able to serve without all the stressfulness of finanances. We love you all and pray you a very restful and peaceful Shabbat. Shalom sisterlinda/Messiah's Branch

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

Prison Weekly 6 Cheshvan 5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:00 +0000

5 Cheshvan 5770 Torah: Bereshit / Genesis 6:9 - 11:32; Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24
Parashat HaShavuat That's Hebrew for Portion of the week.

This week our Troah portion is called Noach which you probably already figured out is the Hebrew way to say Noah! It is from Genesis 6:9 through11:32, Interestingly, although the opening verses tells of Noah's character, the text begins with "These are the offspring of Noah." This should be an indication to us that we are known by our children, and so should pay very careful attention to how we raise them. But his character is of great importance. The text reveals that "Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation." Now this qualifying phrase has been the root of Rabbinic debate for MANY generations! Does the phrase "in his generation" imply that even though his was so corrupt and debased, Noah's righteousness was to be especially applauded. What if he had lived in a time when he could have had the support of other righteous men and women; how much more righteous would he have been? But, the other side postures that for someone in the generation of total corruption, Noah looked pretty good. He may not have be totally righteous, but in the crown in which he lived, he looked better than the rest. Something to think about, hmmm?

Speaking of something to ponder, here is my offering for this week. How many of each animal did Noah take into the ark? Forget your Sunday School lessons of old and look at the Word of G-d. Read Genesis 7:2, "Of every clean animal take unto you seven pairs." So, the ark must have been even more crowded than we had presumed. But the point I want you to ponder is why this distinction? What was so important to G-d that He made this distinction so important to Noah? First, it was because G-d would require sacrifices made with clean animals when the flood abated. But, more important was the fact that G-d was making provision for Noah and for all of his descendants for the food they would eat. Too many have chosen to ignore G-d's commandment to eat only of the animals that He declares to be clean. I know that Peter saw all sorts of animals and that the Voice of G-d told him to rise and eat. I know that G-d told him not to call unclean what G-d calls clean. But if you read the rest of that story, you see that what G-d was calling clean was the Gentiles to whom Peter was being called, not pork chops and shrimp cocktails! No, G-d made a clear distinction to Noah as He does to us.In chapter 11 we find the story of the Tower of Babel. All the world was of one language and of common purpose. That purpose was, however, to become as G-d; not to serve Him. So G-d confused their languages and set them at enmity with one another. In strife there can come focus on what is really important. G-d establishes mankind in nations with different purposes for His own reasons. He causes one people to rise up against another to accomplish His plan. Throughout history, He has set nations at war with nations. Yet, His heart is for unity for His purpose. How confusing. I believe that the only thing that can unite us is to fall at the Feet of the Messiah.

Only there can we come to the place of oneness that we long for. So, the most important thing that you can do this week is to share your faith with someone who is different than you. Only by shared faith can we come together in the way described in Psalm 133. May this be your quest and mine today and always. Keep praying. Marty

Catastrophes "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month - on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights" (Bereshit / Genesis 7:11,12). The story of the Great Flood is a very important event for scientists who believe the Bible. For them, the flood explains many of the things that other scientists claim could only have happened over long periods of time. While geologists see evidence in the earth of great dramatic changes, observation cannot determine how long it took for these changes to take place. The nature of these changes leaves us with two possibilities. Either they happened over a long period of time, or they were caused by a catastrophe or a series of catastrophes. If we accept the validity of the Scriptures, it is very likely that instead of a long slow process of change over millions of years, it was the catastrophic flood that put the earth in the state in which we find it today. It is important to note that unlike the way this story is told in numerous children's picture books, what happened was not simply a major downpour for 40 days and nights, but as we read at the start, "all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened." This suggests an unleashing of water far greater than a very bad rain storm. Mount St. Helens has been in the news lately after many years. In 1980 half the mountain blew up due to a volcanic eruption. This provided scientists with a modern, first-hand look at the effects of a catastrophe, demonstrating that one catastrophe can do in a few minutes what would normally happen over a very long period of time. Recently we have also seen the catastrophic effects of an unusual number of hurricanes. Towns and villages in some of the most beautiful places on earth were devastated. Thousands of people have died, houses and possessions destroyed. Losses are in the billions of dollars. Those of us not directly affected may have difficulty imagining what it would be like to have our lives either destroyed or radically changed in a moment or within a few hours. A couple of months ago the house of some friends of ours was burnt to the ground. They barely got out with their lives.. They lost just about everything. When we got the tail end of Hurricane Francis a few weeks ago, our city experienced double the record of rain. We didn't expect that we would be facing anything like what others had in the Caribbean or Florida. Most of us didn't. But about 44 homes in one neighborhood, due to a malfunctioning sewer pump, had their basements flooded - some knee deep with raw sewage. Every single thing the sewage touched had to be disposed of. It will take a long time, if ever, for that neighborhood to recover from this catastrophe. Anyone who has any understanding of life knows that catastrophes can come upon us at any time. Yet it seems that most people live much like the people of Noah's day, thinking that no serious danger would ever befall them. Catastrophes cause us to see how fragile and vulnerable we really are. Through them we learn that nothing in this life is indestructible or predictable. How many of us find our security for tomorrow based on the things we possess today - most of which carry no guaranty of being there for us tomorrow. The story of Noah not only reminds us that the world as we know it can be transformed in an instant, but that our only true and lasting security in the whole universe is found in the one who rules over all creation. If we put our trust in him, he will see us through even the most devastating catastrophes.

Mission Updates: This is from last weeks Torah portion as I taught it this week.......

As Satan that ol Devil was receiving his punishment from Yahweh, the woman that he had deceived was even being blessed! Yes blessed you our Father thought it was fitting for the woman's seed to crush that ol Devil. So yes even though woman kind would receive her punishment she was blessed first!

Genesis 3:14 "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.¹⁵And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." WHAT a blessing for woman kind! So yes what an Awesome and wonderful God we serve! Righteous in all things! But beware women, hatred was also placed bewteen you and the Devil.......

In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin

^{Luke 11:33-36 33} "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵ Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. ³⁶ If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light."

Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah, It's been a long but short week for me, we are all still battleing with different symptoms of this or that trying to get ourselfs nursed back to normal an feelimg better. As you all know we went to the food bank for the last time this week due to finances. It breaks our hearts that we had to cut this program because it fed so many. I know in my heart that Yahweh knows best and if this is what is best then so be it. I know HE WILL SUPPLY for HE IS THE ULTIMATE PROVIDER! I am in need of pasta's and vegtables I have meat in the freezers for nine more meals after tomorrow. I bought twelve cases of egg beaters to make our egg sandwhiches and I still get breads, sometimes sweets from another sorce. We need tolit paper, napkins and spoons at the mission i bought 100 pounds of flour and 25 pounds of sugar and i still have plenty of mustad and ketsup but need mayo. I got word Tuesday that we will be recieving a lot of clothing over the next few months but have no idea if it is winter clothing or not. We still need anything that will help keep those who are battleing the outdoors warm. Pastor dan told me Tuesday he was OUT of socks and now itt's time for winter ones so PLEASE pray about helping with these needs.

The bills HELP! HELP! and HELP! nuf said:

Thanks to all of you who have been supporting this ministry this is an expensive work and for those sending one. three, five an ten bucks know that every little bit adds up. Yahweh knows your situation and your heart an He will bless you for doing his will no matter how great or small your gift is. The one dollar you sent may have just bought twelve eggs or helped buy a child a gallon of milk. PLEASE PRAY ABOUT HELPING we love you all good nite have a wonderful Shabbat,Shalom sisterlinda

The Star of David - Defending the Shield

Psalms 18:36;"You have given me Your shield of salvation."

Over the years I have weathered steady criticism by sincere, yet sincerely wrong returning and grafted-in Israelites who have criticised the Star of David as being a pagan symbol. To this end I feel it necessary to add a small entry that explains the origin and meaning of the Star of David to set minds at rest. This symbol is completely in harmony with Scripture and has its origin in the Davidic reign. The "six pointed star" is made up of two inverted superimposed paleo-Hebrew "daleths" (delets), the beginning and ending letter in King David's name."The Magen David ("Shield of David") has six-points, which symbolise that (YHWH) rules over the universe and protects Israel from all six directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down. A similar symbolism is found in reading the 'Shema.' ('Code of Jewish Law' O.C. 61:6)" - Rabbi Shraga Simmons Though King David is believed not to have ever literally worn the symbol in battle, it was latter utilised by his descendants. During the 1^st century Bar Kochba rebellion, Jewish troops equipped themselves with shields in the shape of two overlapping inverted triangles to signify that the Almighty shields them in war. Interestingly Bar Kochba means "son of the star." It is also believed that the Macabees adorned their battle gear with the Magen David and in the 1500s the threatened Jewish community in Prague flew a flag with a six pointed star. Triangle based interlocking designs, as we know from the construction of the pillar of Enoch (aka The Great Pyramid), are the strongest forms of construction known to man. The triangles represent the reciprocal relationship between heaven and a future harmonic world summed up as, "as above, as below." The triangle facing down represents the flow of goodness down from heaven and the triangle facing up represents "good deeds" that will provoke Messiah Yahshua's return. The overall shape of the great Pyramid at Gaza, which was not built by Egyptians at all, was built based on this premise. So the foundation or premise for the Star of David has its origin in the Enochian period. When Yahshua returns it will be as if another pyramid descends from above to form a three dimensional Star of David. The inner core of the Star of David represents the spiritual dimension whilst being surrounded by six equally sized directions. The centre hexagonal shape is the Shabbat, which is balanced by the six weekdays. I have personally seen and photographed, not only the "Star of David," but the "Pentagram (or seal) of Solomon" carved on the arch of the ruined Natsarim Synagogue, which Yahshua taught at, on the shores of the Galilee.

This partially erect structure still stands behind the remains of Kepha's (Peter's) parent's home. Surrounding the Synagogue is also the location of a large crumbling Yeshiva, which is evidence that the fishing community that Yahshua recruited students from was not a collection of poverty stricken fisherman, but that of a flourishing fishing business, whose profits went to constructing the prestigious building that housed the school of Yahshua. This alone is ample evidence that the Star of David and the Pentagram of Solomon was alive and well in Yahshua's day, and not a set of seventeen century afterthoughts that got attributed to Israel's beloved King David or his son. Criticism of the Star of David calls into question the symbol of the early Natsarim (Offshoot Branch Watchmen) movement, which depicts a menorah interlocked with the Star of David and the fish symbol, the latter adopted exclusively by modern-day Christianity. This symbol has been discovered on pottery in the locality of Natsarim communities within Israel. It grieves me that the memory of Jewish soldiers (both ancient and modern) have died in battle trying to uphold this standard and it gets branded as pagan by "Johnny come lately" Ephramites who usually also broadly criticise Rabbinic Judaism, but quite happily help themselves to small portions of it. Flying Chariot Ministries Where Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

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

Prison Weekly 21 Tishrei, 5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Sukkos
The Secret of Perfect Joy
The solemn majesty of Rosh Hashanah has come and gone. The white-clad awe of Yom Kippur has cleansed our hearts and souls and passed into the treasure house of our memories. We are now prepared for our annual outburst of . . . joy! Sukkos, the Time of Our Rejoicing! The Torah tells us to be "only joyous" for seven full days. This joy was realized to its fullest when the Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem was still standing. The streets bursting with throngs of excited people from near and far. The air perfumed by the aroma of the sacrificial offerings and the burning incense. The sounds of music, singing and dancing reverberating through every window and doorway. The spectacle of an exalted people united in a common outpouring of love and gratitude to the Creator of the Universe. At the center of these splendid festivities was the Simchas Beis Hasho'evah, the celebration of the drawing of the water for the nisuch hamayim, the water libation on the altar in the Beis Hamikdash. The Talmud draws a vivid picture of the exultant singing and dancing that accompanied this ritual. It even tells of great and venerable sages juggling and leaping about like young acrobats. Indeed, the Talmud assures us that "whoever did not witness the Simchas Beis Hasho'evah has never seen true joy in his life."

But what was so remarkable about the ritual of the drawing of the water? What made it the most powerful stimulus to joy imaginable? The commentators explain that the Hebrew word for joy, simchah, is related to the word for erasing, machah. Joy is not something that must be generated. It is our natural state. Nevertheless, the pain, sorrows and disappointments of life overlay and obscure our natural joyousness. When we erase these impediments to our happiness, we achieve true joy by default. Still, why indeed is joy our natural state? Because joy is an expression of a perfect existence, of fulfillment to the highest degree possible. The essence of a person is the immortal soul, the neshamah, our spark of the divine. When our souls cleave completely to their Source and Creator, we are in a state of perfect existence, and we experience joy. However, when our sins and misdeeds come between our souls and their Divine Source, we feel the anguish of estrangement, and our joy is extinguished. Consequently, all the commonplace vexations of life become magnified far out of proportion to their true significance in the greater scheme of things. Therefore, in order to achieve true and perfect joy, we must erase the taint from our sublime souls so that they can again cleave perfectly to the Creator. Only then can we achieve fulfillment and the joy that results from it.

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we cleansed and purified our souls. On Sukkos, we are finally capable of cleaving to the Creator and achieving true joy. The water libation symbolized this concept. Water has the property of absolute adaptability. It can attach itself to any shape or form so perfectly that no gaps or crevices are left unfilled. The ritual of pouring the water over the altar in the Beis Hamikdash, therefore, symbolizes the perfect and absolute attachment which the Jewish people have achieved to the Creator through their prayers and repentance during the High Holidays. And perfect attachment leads to perfect joy. If we aspire to that perfect attachment, we can all achieve it, no matter what walk of life we pursue. If we only allow ourselves to be like water, gladly adapting to Hashem's will, we can find the key to true contentment. We must only seek it. And the reward for finding it is a joy unlike any other we have ever known.
Legacy, Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

MB updates:

HAVE A BLESSED FEAST!
Greetings Saints,
Below is a description of the Feast that Starts Dark Friday and runs though the 7^{th day at Dark…..8 days and nights.
We Have celebrated the whole 8 days by bringing in the homeless in the Mission Church all week long day and night you can see those pictures here
http://pictures.messiahsbranch.org/2007/10/feast-of-tabernacles.html
The reason for this is we are required in the Torah to care for the poor, but to a believer we do this naturally as guided by the Holy Spirit.
This last we gave out meat sacks so the poor should have a good week with the meat, bread and sweets we have given them.
Unsure of what we will be doing this feast as do to bills.
Radio was paid on the 30th Amen! Good till the end of the month! But if you feel led to any money sent for radio I will pay to them. Really for this time of year and slow donations I should try and get caught up through January 2010.
I have been feeling in the spirit I need to build something out back, you see out back of this ministry radio and store house is a wonderful yard with trees, grass, etc. I walk out here to be close to the Father, walking with HIM so to speak. I could do it I think for $5,000.
No, right now I will not disclose what it is but ask you to pray these things.
1. If I am to do it, then it will come easy
2. I will have to know the money is specific
Oh yes I have a DVD from the TV program but it has the whole hour program on it, I was only on about 6 minutes. Pray I find a way to cut those minutes out so I can place on u-tube.
This being the first of the month hardly any mail in donations have came so we are late on the mail out newsletter which will hurt us badly this month. Then with the Holidays starting next month donations will be slow….So we really need your prayers if we are to keep helping people, this part of our ministry is in it's 10th year but the economy has almost crushed us……I am serious we need your help, it is very hard you see with being Messianic makes it hard to gain donations, then you have radio that not everyone agrees with.........then you see many people just do NOT want to help the homeless even though we are also helping poor families......
At the bottom of this I placed something for you to read about the Feast, Lift us in prayer, help if you can and have a great Feast!
In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin Messiah's Branch "Prophecy Hour" Radio

Today's Proverb:
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
^{Proverbs 13:3}^/^KJV

^{^{Wednesday October 18, 2004
Today's Psalm:
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
^{Psalm 22:27}^/^KJV

^{^{Wednesday October 18, 2004
Today's Promise:
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
^{Colossians 3:23,24}^/^KJV

^{^{Wednesday October 18, 2004
Today's Verse:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
^{Philippians 2:10,11}
Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah
Well we made it back safely as the Father carried us there and back.
Before we left early Sunday morning the boys checked all the tired and made sure the fluids were full. Everything went well but as soon as we hit Oklahoma the front end started making a clunking noise but only when we used the brakes. We went ahead and picked up the camper in Tulsa then headed on up to Okmulgee. The noise seemed to get louder an sounded like a tierod was gonna break or somethin so we knew we had to try and figure out what was causing the noise before we left. Well tro make a long story short the boys had not tightend the lug nuts on the drivers side tire it was so lose it bought fell off when they jacked up the van. The rubbers on the bars behind the tired were gone and the insides of the tires were wore to the wire. YAHWEH carried us to a safe landing amen. Well we didn't have the tools to fix the rubbers but we had to buy new tires to make it home. All in all the trip was very joyful and we spent time together in joy.
Tonight we come to a close of our feast and I must hurry an close to get ready for service. Thank you all who make our trip possible we could of not went without your support.
The rent, morgage and loan were paid today however we still need the newsletter money and I have shut offs for the 15th on all the electric bills. I totalled the up an they come to 978.48 if I remember correctly I know it was 970 something. Pray about helping us we love you sisterlinda}

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}}}}}}

Prison Weekly Tishri 15,5770

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:28:00 +0000

HAVE A BLESSED FEAST!

Greetings Saints, Below is a description of the Feast that Starts Dark Friday and runs though the 7^{th day at Dark…..8 days and nights.
We Have celebrated the whole 8 days by bringing in the homeless in the Mission Church all week long day and night you can see those pictures here
http://pictures.messiahsbranch.org/2007/10/feast-of-tabernacles.html
The reason for this is we are required in the Torah to care for the poor, but to a believer we do this naturally as guided by the Holy Spirit.
This last we gave out meat sacks so the poor should have a good week with the meat, bread and sweets we have given them.
Unsure of what we will be doing this feast as do to bills.
Radio was paid on the 30th Amen! Good till the end of the month! But if you feel led to any money sent for radio I will pay to them. Really for this time of year and slow donations I should try and get caught up through January 2010.
I have been feeling in the spirit I need to build something out back, you see out back of this ministry radio and store house is a wonderful yard with trees, grass, etc. I walk out here to be close to the Father, walking with HIM so to speak. I could do it I think for $5,000.
No, right now I will not disclose what it is but ask you to pray these things.
1. If I am to do it, then it will come easy
2. I will have to know the money is specific
Oh yes I have a DVD from the TV program but it has the whole hour program on it, I was only on about 6 minutes. Pray I find a way to cut those minutes out so I can place on u-tube.
This being the first of the month hardly any mail in donations have came so we are late on the mail out newsletter which will hurt us badly this month. Then with the Holidays starting next month donations will be slow….So we really need your prayers if we are to keep helping people, this part of our ministry is in it's 10th year but the economy has almost crushed us……I am serious we need your help, it is very hard you see with being Messianic makes it hard to gain donations, then you have radio that not everyone agrees with.........then you see many people just do NOT want to help the homeless even though we are also helping poor families......
At the bottom of this I placed something for you to read about the Feast, Lift us in prayer, help if you can and have a great Feast!}

^{In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin
Sukkot begins Friday evening, Oct. 2nd, 2009.
Browse our collection of short films, inspiring essays, family activities, recipes, greeting cards,}

^{Following on the heels of the High Holidays is Sukkot, a seven-day festival (8 days in the Diaspora) characterized by the outdoor Sukkah-huts that we sit in, and the "Four Species" of plants waved together each day.
Sukkot is a holiday of immense joy, where we express our complete trust in God, and celebrate our confidence in having received a "good judgment" for the coming year.
Throughout the week of Sukkot, we eat, sleep and socialize in a Sukkah, reminding us that:
The Israelites lived in huts during the 40 years of wandering in the desert.
God is our ultimate protection -- just as He protected the Israelites in the desert with the Clouds of Glory (Exodus 13:21).
The Four Species
On Sukkot, we are commanded to wave the Four Species, each noted for its special beauty:
Esrog – the citron, a fragrant fruit with a thick, white rind. It is often picked from the tree while green, and then ripens to a bright yellow.
Lulav – the palm branch, which is defined in beauty by having a straight shape and leaves tightly bound.
Hadas – the myrtle branch, which has a beautiful plated pattern of three leaves coming out from the same point in the branch.
Arava – the willow branch, which should have oblong leaves with a smooth edge.
We bind all the branches together -- two willows on the left, one palm branch in the center, and three myrtles on the right. We then lift them together with the Esrog and shake it in all directions, as a symbol of God's mastery over all Creation.
The Four Species are waved each day (except for Shabbat) in the synagogue, during the recitation of the Hallel prayers of praise. Hallel is followed by Hoshanot, where everyone circles a Torah scroll held on the Bima.
It is a special tradition to "beautify" this mitzvah by getting the nicest species available. At the very least, there are specific requirements to be valid for the mitzvah. Since the details are many and technical, it is not recommended to search through the forest on your own for these species! (Particularly the Esrog, which can easily be confused with a lemon.) Purchase a complete set from a reliable distributor; your local Jewish bookstore should have a "Four Species Set" with a rabbinical seal certifying their validity.
The Sukkah Hut
Building your own Sukkah is a great activity to share with your family and friends. The Sukkah must be at least 27 inches by 27 inches square. It can be built in a yard, apartment balcony, or even on the back of an elephant.
Your Sukkah needs at least two complete walls and a small part of a third wall. The walls can be of any material, as long as they are sturdy enough to withstand a normal wind. The walls should be at least 38 inches high (96 cm), but not higher than 30 feet (9.6 m).
You don't have to build walls especially for the Sukkah; you can use the side of a building, or even a hedge of bushes. And if you can find an area that is already enclosed by 2 or 3 walls, then your job will be that much easier!
The roof material (S'chach) must be made from material that grows from the ground -- i.e. branches or leaves (but not metal). If you're using unfinished boards, they cannot be wider than 15 inches. Also, the material must be presently detached from the ground. This means that nothing can be overhanging your Sukkah – not a tree, a gutter, air-conditioning unit, etc.
The roof must be sufficiently covered so that it gives more shade than sun during the daytime, yet it should be sufficiently open so that the stars are visible through the roof at night. The roof material can only be added after the requisite number of walls are in place.
Since the Sukkah is designated as your "home" for the next seven days, it is customary to decorate it nicely. Many people hang fruits and flowers from the ceiling, and tape posters of Jerusalem and other Jewish themes on the walls.
It is also traditional to "welcome" the seven shepherds of Israel (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moshe, Aaron, Joseph and David) as guests (ushpizin) into one's Sukkah throughout the festival.
More Sukkot Traditions
It is a special mitzvah to rejoice on Sukkot. To this end, the intermediate days of Sukkot are marked by celebrations called Simchat Beit HaSho'eva, commemorating the water libations that were offered during Sukkot in the Holy Temple.
Sukkot is closely connected to "water," as it is the day of universal judgment with regard to the blessings of rain and irrigation for the coming year.
Sukkot is also a time of universal blessing for all peoples -- symbolized by the 70 additional offerings brought in the Temple, corresponding to the 70 nations of the world.
The Book of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, is read on Shabbat during Sukkot. The theme of Ecclesiastes is the folly of pursuing temporal pleasures of this world, as opposed to more eternal spiritual pursuits. Indeed, the Sukkah's flimsy construction reminds us that material possessions are transient.
The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabba, which features seven circuits around the bima, with the Four Species in hand. The procession culminates with the beating of the willow branch. Hoshana Rabba is known as the day of the final sealing of judgment which began on Rosh Hashana. On Hoshana Rabba, some have the custom to read the Book of Deuteronomy and stay up all night studying Torah.
Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Immediately following Sukkot is one more holiday called Shmini Atzeret, literally the "Eighth Day of Assembly." This is a time to cease the busy activity of the holiday season and simply savor the special relationship with the Almighty before heading out into the long winter season. It is a separate holiday from Sukkot, meaning that the She'hecheyanu blessing is recited, and the obligation to sit in the Sukkah does not apply. The next day is Simchat Torah, which celebrates the completion -- and new beginning -- of the annual Torah reading cycle. In the synagogue, all the Torah scrolls are taken out of the Ark, and the congregation dances "seven circuits" amidst great joy and song.
On Simchat Torah, Yizkor is recited in the synagogue.
In Israel, Simchat Torah is held the same day as Shmini Atzeret.
Wishing you a joyful Sukkot!
1 JOHN 2:1-11 1: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2>: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.3>: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4>: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5>: But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6>: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7>: Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8>: Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9>: He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11>: But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Mission Updates: Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah
I'm so excited to be entering into a week long feast with like minded people and to grow even closer to Yeshua. I do not want to burden any of you with begging for more money for this and that so i will just make you aware of what I need and leave the rest up to you. I ask that you pray about helping this ministry and be lead by Yahweh to do his will.

Past due bills as of 9/30/2009 $970.08
October Newsletter Approx. $400 needs to go out next Friday
Bills that are in and due beginning 10/05 thru 10/18 $891.90
Food bank bill $291.25

Thak you all for all you do Be Blessed and have a wonderful Sukkot
Love sisterlinda/family and Messiah's Branch}

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

Prison Weekly Elul 23,5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Shalom

This weeks Parshas are for Sabbath Elul 23, 5769

Torah Nitsavim " you are standing " / Va Yelech "And he went" Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30 Haftarah Isaiah 61:10-63:9 Brit Hadasha Romans 10:1-13 & Hosea 14:2-10

Next Weeks Readings are Torah Ha'azinu " Give ear" Deuteronomy 32:1-52 Haftarah Isaiah55:6-56:8 Brit Hadasha IISamuel 22:1-5 & Romans 10:14-11:12

Nitsavim " you are standing "

For this Mitzvah that I command you today- it is not foreign to you nor is it distant. It is not in the heaven (for you) to say, "Who can ascend to the heaven for us to take it for us?" Nor is it across the sea (for you) to say, "Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us to take it for us so that we can listen to it and perform it?" Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and in your heart –to perform it." (Devarim 30:11-14) What is that Mitzvah that we would think we need to climb the heavens or cross the oceans to fulfill? The verse doesn't say explicitly what it is. The Ramban says that it's talking about the Mitzvah of Teshuvah (repentance) while Rashi claims that it is in reference to the Mitzvah of learning Torah- both the Oral and the Written. Which is it? Why is left obscure? How is the Torah so close and ready to be performed for one who never had a Torah education? Why is the order offered- "in your mouth", "in your heart", "to perform it"? Why is the sequence 1- speech then 2-thought and then 3-action? Many moons ago I was just an all-American guy, a recent college grad living and working in the big city, New York. For some mystical reason I found myself in a small mid-town Synagogue on Saturday mornings regardless of where I had been on Friday night. Sitting in the back of the Shul I would read the archaic, "thy", "thou"- Old English style translations of the Hertz Chumash and the Birnbaum Siddur. I never knew what page we were on. It didn't matter much. I stood and sat when everyone else did. The words tickled my mind even in translation. I often glared at the Hebrew side of the page longingly like Moses looking into the promised-land. I knew something major must be lost in translation.

One weekday night back at my Manhattan apartment I turned on the desk lamp and with trepidation opened a Chumash to page one and started to read in Hebrew for the first time since my Bar Mitzvah. The words crawled out slowly from my mouth and by the time I had finished the first verse I was experiencing an unusual phenomenon. My heart was pounding so wildly I suspected that it may be a medical emergency. It was not at all painful but rather curiously pleasant. I didn't understand what had happened to me that night till years later when I was already a Yeshiva student. One of our regular Friday afternoon rituals was to go with a group of guys to the local nursing home to sing and wish Gooooood Shabboooooos to the elderly folks. There was one woman there who was not so old. She was a stroke victim and unable to express herself except for a few desperate grunts. The nurse tried to wave me away from paying attention to her claiming she was just a bitter but I sensed she was trying to tell me something. It was frustrating for her. I knew that her boys came to visit her at lunch time so I positioned her near to the elevator bank. She then carried on more frantically than before. In spite of the nurse I persisted and somehow figured out that the face of her watch had slipped downward on her frail wrist so I turned it upright. She began to cry and laugh with joy like a weepy Shofar. Someone had finally and for once understood what she was trying to say. Soon afterwards, I was able to relate that incident back to my encounter with the words, Breishis…Bara…Elochim" and the sublimely emotional response that awakened within me. I realized that for the duration of thousands of movies, ball games, and poetry of the highest order my Neshama had been waiting patiently for me to say those words, words of Torah. That simple exercise of reading triggered an inner ovation. I was intrigued to know more and eventually to do more. It all started with words of Torah, "the mouth", which opened up new thought avenues in "the heart" before being born into action, which is better than being forever lost in translation DvarTorah, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.

Nitzavim

"You are standing, today, all of you, before HaShem, your G-d..." So does this portion open and so is it named, "Standing." It is a short parashah, and one that I will deal with briefly before we explore the second reading for this Shabbat, Vayeilech. This portion details the blessings for our obedience and the curse that will befall those who walk away from His ways. Deuteronomy 30: 11-14 gives us hope. It says, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ' Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." Carol and I have had the privilege of bringing two Torah scrolls from Israel for Messianic congregations in America. For one of them, I ordered a custom made cover. When I entered the shop of the rabbi who makes these wonderful dressings, I immediately saw just what I wanted. It was an incredible flame that nearly danced on the velvet cover. He asked if I knew what it said. Perplexed, I said, it is the Fire of HaShem. He nodded and asked again if I could read it. Only then were the Hebrew letters clear to me. The fire was created by the very word of the L-rd. It said, "Torat HaShem t'meemah." This is from this week's parashah, "The commandment is not too difficult."

Our hope is in obedience to the word of the L-rd. Dear friends, because the Spirit of G-d dwells within us, we can walk in obedience. Those who have rejected the Son cannot obey the Father; yet for so long, we have run away from obedience as we cling to the promise of the Son. The Son did only what He saw the Father doing, and that, beloved is Torah. Rabbi Marty

Mission Update:

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Shalom In Yeshua Our Messiah

Wow we are nearing another NEW YEAR ! ("they sure seem to wiz bye now days") We just harvested a big ol bag of Giant jalapenos and they are hot. We got a few bananna pepers and lots of cherry tomatoes but the tags must of been switch at the store this year cause we only wound up with three big tomatoe plants. I plan on canning the pepers next Tuesday at the mission. Sunday I plan on making our third batch of fried squash, green tomatoe and cucumbers.

Most of the bills are paid and I just got another 200 for the Food bank leaving 599.that needs to be paid before we continue with the meat bags. We are only planning to do the meat bags the Last Wednesday of each month unless we recieve the funding to do more. The Mission electric was due on the 8th and it is 347. something so by Tuesday I expect to get another bill in the mail that will be double that or more. Coming due the 15th I have 457.00 worth of bills so PLEASE pray about sending even a small tithe or offering to help do these works. If EVERYONE on our various list would commit to five bucks a month we wouldn't have to continually ask you for support and help. We NEED you to be WILLING VESSELS for THIS MINISTRY for us to be able to do these works.

We thank all who do help an we love you all we pray you have a very restful Sabbath an now I must go it is time for our Sabbath Service.

Love sisterlinda / Messiah's Branch

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



Prison weekly Sabbath Elul 1,5769‏

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:08:00 +0000

SHALOM

This Weeks Readings are Torah Shoftim " Judges" Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 Haftarah Isaiah 51:12-52:12 Brit Hadasha  John 1:19-27 Next Weeks Readings are Torah Ki Tetse " When you Go out " Deuteronomy 21:10- 25:19 Haftarah Isaiah 54:1-10 & Brit Hadasha 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

When you go out to battle against your enemy, and you see horse and chariot - a people more numerous than you - you shall not fear them, for HASHEM, your G-d, is with you, Who brought you up from the Land of Egypt. It shall be that when you draw near to the war, the Kohen shall approach and speak to the people. He shall say to them, "Hear O' Israel, you are coming near to the battle against your enemies; let you heart not be faint; do not panic, do not be broken before them. For HASHEM your G-d is the One Who goes with you to fight for you with your enemies." Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, "Who is the man who has built a new house and not inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in war and another man will inaugurate it. And who is the man who has planted a vineyard and has not redeemed it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in war and another man will redeem it. And who is the man who has betrothed a woman and not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in war and another man will marry her." The officers shall continue speaking to the people and say, "Who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, and let him not melt the heart of his fellows, like his heart." (Devarim 20: 1-8)

One section here has three different cases of those who had initiated a house, or a field, or a marriage and not yet benefited from the fruits of their efforts and the fourth category is listed separately; those who are afraid. The stated concern is that their sense of fear will spread and dishearten others and therefore they are sent home. Our sages tell us that the root of this fear is due to his even slightest of sins. The reason for his exemption is that since fear is contagious, he will affect and infect others. Who then was left to fight the war? The story is told and from reliable sources that a group of Maskilim, western intellects that presumed they were already too sophisticated for the Torah, made a play to mock the Torah and its contemporary sages. They portrayed the scene described above of a large band of troops ready for war and receiving their final marching orders from the Kohen. As he announced each separate exemption the numbers of soldiers on the stage continuously depleted until after the ones fearful were given their chance to exit and then only two elderly men were left standing alone, and those two men were the Vilna Gaon and the Shagas Aryeh.

An alarming report about their irreverent representation of Torah was delivered to Reb Chaim of Brisk. He remained surprisingly undisturbed responding that "what they showed on that stage was not at all absurd but rather completely correct. They only failed to include one important detail and that is with those two sages they won the war." How?
When Daniel entered the lions' den it was the lions that were afraid of his G-dly presence. Similarly, when the children of Yaakov exited from Schem the verse testifies, "They set out and, and there fell a G-dly terror on the cities which were around them, so they did not pursue Yaakov's sons." (Breishis 35:5) Why was it necessary to mention that it was the "G-dly terror that kept the surrounding enemies at bay? Shimon and Levi had just flexed their militant muscles! That probably contributed more to their exposure to danger. It certainly wasn't their saving grace. However, when the "G-dly Image" is intact and untainted the oppositional forces are more scared of us than we of them. We are told to not be afraid of "them"-the enemy, but rather to be fearful of countermanding HASHEM. When we fear G-d, they fear us, because either way fear is contagious. Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam

Greetings, Is this little girl just as precious as can be? Yesterday when I saw her I went into my off and found this hand made doll with a long dress, I then snuck up on her and pull the doll out Walking closer and closer with the doll in from of me her eyes got bigger and bigger. Finally when close she reached out and basically snatched the doll from me. She and her mother were very happy and pleased. Ha I beat my wife to it as she generally gets to give things like this to the children. Mom my wife told her that when she comes next week for food she will giver one also. Oh yes mom gave her a huge tray of cookies.......Many people different stories, one man got laid off from Cessna them lost everything including his wife, it is so hard just not to cry all day long as I know so much more is coming to the people. If you have a job praise His mighty name.We had put it before the Father to stop this or at least cut back to just on day, them when someone heard this the Spirit hit them and now next week the food is provided for. Again we still need to raise $700 to pay up the rest of our bill but I believe by faith it will come.One woman with 2 children came in all beat from her husband, that was Tuesday, mom made her a food box up and Harvey and I tracked her down as she had already left. Overjoyed to say the least as in her house she had nothing…..I could go on with story after story........This is a worthy cause is it not? Please pray about supporting what the Lord Yeshua is having us do……

Scriputre for this week

2 Timothy 3:12

12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ¹³But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ¹⁴But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Very Important to note here is that He points out that Timothy whose mother and Grandmother were boths Jews, had the HOLY SCRIPTURES from his youth, Paul would only refer to what most would call the Old Testement as the HOLY SCRIPTURES. The Only thing we know of his Dad is that he was Greek, and there was no New Testement written yet.....My point Paul said all is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.....pray about it...... In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan

Glatians 5:16-25 16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18: But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Shalom in Yeshua Our Mssiah

I can't believe that it is Friday again past time for service and i'm just now getting to the computer for my update. Glory to Yahweh He Is In Control!

As this Sabbath draws near I look back at the many blessing that were recieved this week alone. Tomorrow marks our ONE Year anniversary for being in the food bank and making Meat bags to feed the POOR. Over the past several weeks i have been pulling steaks and savings for a BBQ with the people to celebrate. I had planned to ask my sister in law to get a band to play while we cooked but it just kept slipping my mind again and again. She works in advertising and promotions so I knew she could get one with enough notice but I never remembered to ask.

This past Tuesday I ask her and the first thing she said was "on this short notice". After thinking a minute she said let me call kathy maybe she can play accustic.

To make a long story short she said yes but the rest of her band had day jobs so the would be working the time we were wanting them to play.

Tuesday she told me that another member would be coming and then today a third member took off work just to come play for us. I didn't get much listening in because i had to be on the run doing everything and in the kitchen cookin the rest of the meal. Alll in all we had a wonderful PACKED time and served seven an a half egg & cheese sandwhiches. One case of chips, three trays of cookies, one tray of assorted sweets thirteen trays of pumkin tarts and 154 steak dinners.

ALL PAISE AND GLORY TO YAHWEH AMEN

I have ALL the bills PAID as of today except a few that are in for September. I will deposite 600 tonight on the way home to pay our bill at the food bank leaving 766 due the total was 1366. somthin after wednesday when we made 107 meat sacks.

pRAY ABOUT SUPPORTING THIS WORK I GOTTA GO TIME FOR SERVICE.

LOVE YOU ALL sisterlinda

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

Prison Weekly Sabbath Av 24,5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Av These Parashahs HaShavuah are for Sabbath Av 24, 5769

Torah Re'eh "see" Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 Haftarah Isaiah 54:11-55:5

Brit Hadasha 1 John 4:1-6 Next weeks Shoftim "Judges" Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

Signs From Heaven

If a prophet appears, or a person has a vision and performs a sign or something wondrous, and after the sign or wonder he told you about he says "Let us pursue other gods which you have never known and serve them!" do not listen to the words of the prophet, or the one who dreamed the vision, because God, your God tests you, to see if you really love God, your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Devarim 13:2-4) The other day, on the way to shul to doven Shacharis, I turned to Heaven, and half-jokingly called out, "Dear God, give me a sign!" I say half-jokingly, because I did it in a tone of voice and dramatically like I used to see people do in the movies, as if I was merely mimicking them, just joking around — since we Jews don't really ask God for signs like that, or at least make decisions based upon them — something I could do in the streets where I live at 4:45 am. As for the other half, the serious part, my request didn't come from nowhere; inside, I really wanted some kind of sign that I am on the right track by Heaven. I have been putting a lot of energy into the concepts I have been pushing over the years, which were recently summed in three projects, two books and one audio CD: Geulah b'Rachamim, The Equation of Life / The 13 Principles of Jewish History, and Survival In 10 Easy Steps. In the course of four weeks, I had been interviewed four times on the radio (Israel National Radio), about these three projects, as well as on Internet T.V. (Tuesday Night Live). According to the feedback, the interviews had gone quite well, thank God, and as far as I was concerned, I had been given an excellent opportunity to clearly make my point, and I felt that I had. However, in spite of all the listeners who supposedly tune in for such programs, there wasn't an explosion of book or CD sales after. There were some, b"H, but not nearly enough to make a difference to my financial picture, at a time that it has already been directly affected by all that is going on today in the world. The interviews were a lot of great, free adverstising, but they did not amount to much as far as sales were concerned.
Nevertheless, I really felt that a lot of good was done. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people around the world who listen to INR's programming, heard what I had to say. Who knows the effect it will have on some of them? How many people get a chance to sanctify the Name of God in such a public way, which I had tried very hard to do. Sales, or no sales, I was happy with the outcome, b"H.

Yeah, but God runs the world, including, and especially, the economy. He supports every last one of us, even the people who don't believe in Him, so how much more so the people who do. There are secular people out there, writing books that are becoming overnight bestsellers, making them into millionaires, and in one case, a billionaire, and they are doing little to rectify the world, other than keeping people from cheating or killing each other for a couple of hours at a time. So, why not thousands of dollars for those who are directly working on tikun olam — world rectification?
Are you with me God, or aren't You? a little voice inside me said that morning on the way to doven, and it seemed to emerge in a real voice that, only half-jokingly, called out, "Dear God, give me a sign!" Everyone can use a little Divine encouragement every once in a while. The day before, when I had gone to INR's site to download the latest interview (for my own records) about my most recent book, "The Equation of Life," I was pleased to see that they had summarized the interview correctly. They had emphasized that the number 11 is the key to the equation, and to life in general, since it represents, Kabbalistically, Godly knowledge that allows a person to see Creation as God does, and make the best of out of life. Indeed, the entire interview had been about the meaning of this number, and how it even refers back to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and to the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, by Flight 11, buildings that were, themselves, in the shape of the number 11. This is why the number 11, like the numbers 25 and 36, the other parts of the equation, has become so prominent in my life and why, when it shows up in uncanny ways during the course of my day, it catches my attention.
In other words, to put it succinctly, I have "eleven on the brain."

Back to the story. Anyhow, later that morning, after Shacharis, I was on the bus headed for Jerusalem, perusing my e-mails on my iPhone. One of the first was a forwarded e-mail from my mother, a story about a woman and her children who miraculously survived a car crash because, the story wants you to believe, their deceased husband/father came back to earth to look after them, as he had promised he would just before he died a year earlier. It was a very nice story, whose main point was that angels take on different forms, one of which is called "friends," to which the story referred to as "angels without wings." As the story concludes about the importance of friends in one's life, and how Heaven looks out for us, it also "promises" that later that night, the reader will hear some good news about something he or she has been waiting to find out about, and even predicts the time it will occur: 11:11 pm. I couldn't help but be moved by the incident. It had not been a long time since I had asked God for some kind of sign, just a couple of hours, and the story of Heavenly help, plus the seemingly random time chosen by the author of the story that just happened to be the most important number to me at that time, certainly seemed like a sign of sorts. I mean, what were the odds, especially when we do not believe in coincidences at all (Chullin 7b)? You think that story is interesting? I have even more incredible ones than that, but they take too long to tell, and you might not believe me anyhow. Or, maybe you will, when you recall similar stories that have happened to you in the past, when things happened, right on cue, and you felt as if Heaven was communicating directly with you, telling you something, giving you a message of some sort, either to direct you, or just to reassure you. We call that Hashgochah Pratis, or Divine Providence, personalized Divine Providence. It doesn't have to be that the result is so amazing, and it may change absolutely nothing. At 11:11 that night, I was already getting ready for bed, and to my knowledge, no one called me at that time or told me anything significant that had to do with anything I was waiting to hear about.

In fact, what makes Hashgochah Pratis — which, of course, can be incredibly miraculous and life-saving — so significant is the timing. A large thing at the right time can go largely unnoticed or unappreciated, whereas a small thing at the right time can make all the difference in the world to a person, because of what it represents at that moment in time. The question is, what if I am wrong? What if I read into something meaning that did not exist? What if I was just fooling myself, taking encouragement where it wasn't given? Don't people do that all that time? Isn't that what this week's parshah is warning against? History has been full of delusional people and false prophets; do I make myself one of them, God forbid, when I take that story, and the "11:11" as some kind of Divine sign? It depends. It depends upon what the signs mean to you, and what they make you do. If you are unsure about what you are doing as far as its right or wrong, from a Torah perspective, you can't use signs to help you to decide. It is so easy to misread a sign, if it is indeed a sign in the first place, and that is not the way a Torah Jew is supposed to work. We do not plan to do something, or to not do something, on the basis of what we consider to be a Divine sign. Rather, we make decisions based upon halachah. If we can't figure out right or wrong based upon halachah on our own, then we have rabbis who can help us do that, allowing us to choose a course of action that pleases God as well. Getting Da'as Torah on any issue, if the rabbi is knowledgeable enough and has fear of God, is, on some level, like asking Heaven itself, as far as your own culpability is concerned. However, it is not a guarantee of success, as far as achieving palpable results. Sometimes, doing the right thing in life amounts to making great efforts in this world, for which we are duly rewarded in the next world, but not necessarily in this world, and sometimes, specifically not in this world, in order to maximize our reward in the next one. From Heaven's point of view, "A is truly for effort." As a result, we humans can get down on ourselves. Being successoriented, especially when it comes to physical and immediate results, it is hard for us to pay into a pot that we cannot see or feel, but simply believe in. Especially after being raised in the Western world, in which "A" is for visible success, it is hard to live with none, or very little, especially when we "see" reasons why, even according to God's plan for Creation, to achieve some as well.

"How much more could I be effective," says the Rosh HaYeshivah, "if only our funding was more forthcoming!" "How many more people could I help," says the expert, "if I didn't have to worry so much about making a living!" "How many more people could I save," says the philanthropist, "if I only had more funds to give!" It's true, at least as far as we are concered. However, God takes into a account a lot more people and issues than we do when deciding how much physical success we can achieve, and does what's best for everyone involved, even though it doesn't seem that way to us. Indeed, sometimes it feels as if He has turned against us, has given up on us, even though we know that what we are doing is the right thing to do, at least as much as we can know it. It can, and often becomes, very disheartening. "Okay," the voice inside the believer may say at times. "I appreciate that everything you do is for the good, even if it is a good that I can't relate to. However," the voice continues, "it would be nice to hear from You once in a while, just to know that You are with me, especially at the times that it seems that You are not. A little sign, God, perhaps?" To such a request, God is only too happy to respond, and in a positive way. He built us; He knows our need for encouragement, and how much more He can get out of us, in terms of using our potential, if He gives it to us. So, usually He does, at just the right moment, and in just the right day, to give us just the right lift, to go on with our good work. It's His way of saying: "Yes, my child, I am with You even now, even when it seems just the contrary. I see your despair, and desire to give up. I sense your confusion. This little sign, this act of Hashgochah Pratis, is just for you, to encourage you on, so that you will not abandon your course of action, and will stay with it until the time that I can grant you visible success, or at least as much eternal reward as you can achieve." Nothing false about that.

Mission Updates:

Greetings, Winter is coming fast, at our home in Florence we heat out with wood, as my son was gone to Utah and a few other things we have not gotten any wood cut yet, however I have a homeless man who we have helped many times wants to give us about 7 cords of wood Amen. That will save us a bunch of money as my old house if I just heat off natural gas it costs $300 to $400 a month to heat. My problem is that while I have a truck and a way to borrow a trailer I do not have the gas for the trip to another city to pick this up and it must be done this weekend....so please help me pray in the $150 I will need to make the trips to this other city to pick the wood up this week. Also we are unsure if we can give out all the meat we normally do on Wed this week as we have no money, please pray something comes through....

Lift us in prayer, help if you can

In His Perfect Peace,
Pastor Dan Catlin
Messiah's Branch "Prophecy Hour" Radio

1 John 3:16 ¹⁶Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

Shalom In Yeshua Messiah,

What a Blessed week we have had. I was able to pay off all the bills that were in so far and I am working on gettin Thank You cards out but time just keeps slippin away from me. We had hail damage to the central air unit next door and wirh the insurance we were able to buy a 1988 Ford F150 extened cab ( a truck finally) and a 1989 Chevy van with 135000 miles both run really good and they have fairly good tires. The Chevy Lumina went to a family in need and was such a blessing for them.

I have right at 400 for the food bill that is 1144.58 and food bag day is next week. Please pray about supporting this program so many are blessed with the meat and It will break our hearts if we have to strop that outreach but Yahweh is in Contro and I am believing Him to send me tha full amount to take with me to the food bank when I go. Buba made meat ball subs today because it's his last day to come serve he starts school this coming Tuesday and is very excited to go because his first hour is guitar. As you can see I am pushed for time I need to take this to print and get back here for Sabbath service. I made some strawberry Sabbath bread and can't wait to see how it came out. PLEASE Pray and ask our Father if you are one He chooses to support $$$$$$$ this ministries needs and just be lead to do His will. WE Want NO MORE THAN WHAT HE WANTS US TO HAVE! We love you all have a wonderful Sabbath sisterlinda/family & Messiah's Branch

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"

Prison Weekly Av 8, 5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Av These Parashahs HaShavuah are for Sabbath Av 8, 5769

The Haftorah Parashah HaShavuah is Yeshaya (Isaiah) 49:14-51:3

Ekev

Ekev is an interesting Hebrew word which is the title of this week's Parashah (Torah reading portion) it means both "when" and "heel." Its first use is the qualifying expression to receiving all that G-d has in store for us. The portion for this week is found in Deuteronomy 7:12 through 11:25 and it contains some profound truth. "When you listen to these judgements and keep and do them, that the L-rd your G-d will keep His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers." It seems that we cannot escape the reality that our walking in His blessing is dependent upon our walking in His way. And that leads us to ponder the second use of the word ekev, heel. It refers to where we place our feet and about this, the Master of the world is adamant. We must follow His path and no other. Chapter eight opens with these instructions, ""All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the L-rd swore to give to your forefathers. You shall remember all the way which the L-rd your G-d has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. The next couple of verses give a humorous insight. It shows us how G-d allowed Israel to have no new clothes for forty years as discipline! And we often feel deprived if we do not have the very latest fashion!

There is so much to learn from this portion; I love it!! In 8:7-8, the L-rd tells of what are called the Seven Species unique to the Land. They are, wheat, barley, vines (grapes) and figs, pomegranates, olives and honey. Wait a minute; honey is not a plant! But oh it is!!! You see, the honey referred to here is the nectar that is squeezed from dates, which grow better in Israel than anywhere on the earth!

Verse 10 of this chapter is the basis of the Jewish practice of saying Grace after meals. It cautions us "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land which He has given you. The very next verse, once again takes us back to the issue of obedience. You just cannot escape it, can you?

Then, in 11:18-21, you may read part of what is written on the scroll in every Mezuzah, placed on the doorpost of Jewish homes everywhere. This scripture is also in the little boxes that Jewish men bind to their arms and heads as they pray. But, in closing this Parasha, the L-rd returns to His oft-repeated theme of the connection between obedience and blessing.

"For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love the L-rd your G-d, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him, then the L-rd will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea. "No man will be able to stand before you; the L-rd your G-d will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you. And so, He closes with this reference to "ekev", but this time, meaning "heel;" It is clear that when we walk in His way, doing His will, He will direct our steps into place of blessing and security. That is where I want my heel to be; how about you?
Keep praying Moshe

Mission Updates:Greetings,

There has been one thing after another today! Someone went off yelling at me and everyone else, when you looked in His eyes he looked like a Demon.

Another man had a heart attack and while I prayed him to calm that was a trip to the hospital…..

Just seems the air is so thick you could cut it with knife!

I had the newsletter money walk in today but no other donations came over the net. Mom got a couple of hundred in the mail which helped, but the mission electricity is $378 and about to double, shut off will be right behind, the mission phone is $ almost $400…..and I need to pay the food bill $1,100. These are the biggest problems.

As yesterday I fell that a change is coming a blessing if you will as this seems to always happen first to test our faith and resolve.

Yes we need prayers, intersession, those in the spirit know what I am talking about.

Please lift us to prayer and help if you can,

In His Perfect Peace,
Pastor Dan Catlin
Messiah's Branch "Prophecy Hour" Radio
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

Shalom In Yeshua Messiah

Well as you all know i missed doing an update last week I'm Sorry :( I promise to try an get my updates done early in the week instead of rushing to get it out on friday. We had a very good week for donations and right now i have all the bills due paid to the 10th which is Monday. What I have left for August right now is 783.36 I am so relieved to have been able to pay all those bills that was wieghing me down. I haven't had any computer time for weeks now and it still needs catching up and I have plans of getting it done this next week as my kitchen is on the final stage of being finished. HERRAY :) I have a kitch noe instead of a hallway. It is sooooo much nicer and four or five people can stand in there instead one or two bumping elbows.
The mission need EVERYTHING so Please pray about supporting these works. the newsletter will go out today PRAISE BE TO YAHWEH! This minisrty has been running on faith since 1992 when ELCM was birthed.

Im planning a steak feed for the people August 21st and all the steaks will come fro the FOOD BANK in which I still need to pay and the bill right now is 1000.23. I did place an order for Tuesday at 3pm of things to help in preparing mealsand if we don't ad to it it will be 219.00. All the tags are due the end of this month so i need 224.75 to get the renewed. well I must close for now i have to do my page for the newsletter and time is slipping away. I plan to get you my update by Thursday from now on so I'm not so rushed on Fridays. We love you all please keep us in your prayers and help if an where you can the NEEDS are NEVERENDING!!!!!!!

Have a Blessed Sabbath

Luv sisterlinda/family and Messiah's Branch

Your Duck is Dead

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."
The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.
"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.
He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom.   He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.
A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$ 150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"
The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150

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

Prison Weekly for Sabbath Av 4, 5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:35:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Av

These Parashah HaShavuah are for Sabbath Av 4, 5769

The Parashah HaShavuah for Torah is Devarim "Words" Deuteronomy 1:1 -3:22    Haftarah Isaiah 1:1-27 & Brit Hadasha 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Next weeks are Torah Vaetchanan "And I pleaded" Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11 Haftarah Isaiah 40:1-26 & Brit Hadasha   Mark 12:28-34

Devarim

This week's portion begins the book of Deuteronomy, which in Hebrew is called Devarim which means words. It is an account of the words spoken by Moses to the people of Israel. In this portion, Moses tells the people, "HaShem spoke to me" and he recounts these words as he understood them. The use of the words devar and devarim instead of the more common word, amer implies that these words are in the form of a rebuke or a caution lest the people succumb to the ways of the Canaanites. Moses reminded them of their many sins and of their rebellion since leaving Egypt. If the people could sin when they were daily experiencing the miracles of provision and the Presence of the Shekinah of G-d, surely once they settled in the Land of Promise, they would be easily tempted to do more of the same.

You know, we are so much like the Israelites. We see the Hand of G-d working in our lives day by day, yet we rebel and we sin. We are given an inheritance by G-d and we are commissioned to bring light to dark places, yet we shrink back and we go our own ways instead of following G-d with our whole heart and our entire beings. For this, G-d brings a rebuke; as He did to Israel, so He does to us. Sometimes, that rebuke is in a harsh sermon from your pastor; sometimes He instructs me to be strong with you. But, through it all, He allows you to choose. As He did to Israel, He is doing with you.

Moses recounts for Israel their journey. He reminds them of the appointment of judges; and of sending the spies. Next week, we will talk much about the spies. He reminds them of the conflict they had with Esau at Seir, which is Petra. He reminds them of the Moabites who would remain their enemies forever. Yet, it was through a Moabite woman that G-d gave birth to Jesse who was the father of David, the ancestor of the Messiah! G-d can use even our enemies for our good. Maybe that is why He commands us to bless those who are against us.

Then, Moses recounts the victories that G-d had given them against Sihon and Og. Finally, he recounts the inheritance of Rueben, Gad and half of Manasseh, which would be on the Eastern side of the River Jordan. Moses remembered and recounted every step of the journey in the Wilderness of forty years. And even as he told this story, I am sure that he told it with tears in his eyes. he was remembering a journey that had taken the lives of 599,998 men who had left Egypt with him. He was, I am sure, remembering the good times as well as the conflicts that he had dealt with along the way. Yet, as the children of Israel drew near to their inheritance, it would be without Moses an in this, surely he was terribly sad. Yet, he was faithful to remind the Israelites of their past so that they would not repeat it. He would have no part in their future, but he did not abandon his people.

Your pastor is probably such a person; I hope he or she is. Pastors give their lives for those whom the L-rd has placed in their care. Too often we take advantage of them, talk and about them, or just refuse to listen to them. As Israel treated Moses, so we too often treat our leaders! Perhaps this is a good time to reflect upon your relationship with your pastor and to uplift him or her. Perhaps this is a call to you to head the word of the L-rd that G-d places in their mouth for your good. Perhaps you are to heed carefully those whom G-d places in your life to teach you and to minister to you; your pastor, an evangelist, or maybe just some Jewish guy who sends you an email every week.

Shabbat shalom. Keep praying. Marty

Greetings Saints,

Yesterday was sure a late day, let me tell you about it. Upon arriving in Wichita mom, Joshua, and a man who volunteered to help us went to the food bank. There they had to load three pallets of frozen meat on the bus. Packing this is a real trick but without the bus we could not do this. The night before I prayed on the way home that they would have some ice cream or something special to give the people as they waited in line for food. (Last night the line started at 5 PM and went to almost 10 PM) Anyway at the food bank after she had loaded food one of the food workers said he had to go clean the cooler out before he went home, he had a pallet of Ice cream he needed to move around. Mom jumped right on it and bargained for the pallet at 3 cents a pound, cost was about $18 and change for the ice cream, the whole food bank bill for yesterday was $425 I think mom said. We pay monthly so right now our bill is roughly $800 with next Wed to give food sacks away also.

Meanwhile I am back at the place with our long-time helper Tammy getting ready for the people. Tammy did get some help from a new Messiah's Branch church member Ruth. This was around 3 PM. And yes people had already started arriving and were sitting out back to help unload the bus, this would also give the helpers a early place in line. (First when we start we always find the disabled people first and they get theirs taken care of before anyone else. We did about 16 plus their helpers) I was in my office when I realized mom was back so I went to check on them and right in my way was all this Ice cream, there were ice-bars chocolate covered, half gallons of cookie doe, and many others kinds with No place to put it. Yes we have little freezer space in an upright freezer but this was out of this world.

Two of our helpers started taking it door to door at the three very low budget motels across the street, and still had to do a whole city block in order to get the ice cream down to a manageable level. Yes we gave it out to people in line over the day as well as cookies and other treats. (thank you Ruth for helping me with this) Some people were in line with very small children for hours! Mom waits until you come to the door and asks "how many are you feeding at home and does the bags accordingly" She has to stay right there filling bags like last night from 5PM till 10 PM, a very big job. Tammy checks the people off the list and runs the door as well as coordinates things, and Thank the Lord Yeshua for her as she does so much and is homeless herself! During the day I prayed with people worked keeping the crowd in order inside and out. I had a visit from the police when mom first got back, he was nice someone reported we had a break in? We tried to get him to take some ice cream to no avail.

He was amazed at what all we do wand where the money comes from, he was really amazed at the first aid I do. Oh well a new officer to the beat! But really everyone first time are amazed at the level of care we give and where the money comes from, Yahweh myself included! About 8:30 Pm we had a woman come in crying here eyes out, her husband was about to get out of jail for beating on here and all yes all not one shelter would take her and her two children in. A woman fond her a place with one of here many daughters till the first of the month. I prayed with her and gave her food and two gallons of milk as well as $20 cash. The whole day was a day of joy and sadness with some many people hurting like the one lady our last person in line was so thankful for the food and what the lord Yeshua was doing she washed all the tables off and got down on her knees and washed wood work for the Lord! Amen. Mom just walked in a and told me she is doing an update today, she is worried over roughly $385 in electric bills and $365 in other bills that the money has to be here before the 31^st of July. By then we also will need roughly $1,100 for the food bank and $200 for radio….among other things. One day the father will make us not have to beg so much, but that is the way of things now. He does provide though the people on this list and our mailoyt newsletter, of course though radio..... Say on the way in we listened how cheap you can get a new car with the cash for clunkers deal from the government, I turned down the radio and told mom, would we really want a car that will have to (we do not have money for a new car nor have ever..)make our great grandchildren pay for? I mean that's the truth the rebates from the government will be paid by them, Maybe if you use that rebate a person should let their grandchildren pick the car out as they will be paying for in some cases half of it…….

Oh yes we left the Mission Church around 12 AM ........Anyway again we really need your prayers, oh yes I decide not to let the pain of falling off the ladder win and have just got up in spite of it, no victory today Satan. Lift us in prayer and please help if you can,

In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin

Shalom in Yeshua Messiah

Here I am late again but as my mother use to say better late than never. I can't believe all the things we have goin on. First I want to talk about the pain in the pocket book we all have known as bills. I managed to pay a big chunk of July's bills but I have three electric bills coming due July 31st totaling 503.57. I also have phone bills totaling 235.66 the Mission (due July 31)and home (due today July 24. Then there is the Mission Electric (I just paid 272.40) it came today and is due Aug 7th another 365.66. This is because the walk in fridge needs repairs. I think it is running all the time. If anyone in our area works with refrigeration and can HELP PLEASE Pray about helping to get it fixed so the electric bill won't keep rising higher an higher each month. After these I have roughly 465.00 worth of bills left that needs paid by July 31st.

We made 128 meat bags and boxes Wednesday with a total cost of $420.37 making the food bank bill 738.03 an we go again this coming Wednesday. Pray about supporting
the food bags they are a real Blessing to many families. We fed 128 people this week enough meat for at the least seven meals and it is all done on faith that the bill will be paid when the month ends. As I was getting my bill and getting ready to leave the food bank Bob ask me if I wanted a pallet of ice cream. I knew I had to get it because on our way over Pastor Dan said a little prayer asking for ice cream to hand out to the people while they waited on their bags. I had so much ice cream I pulled all the meat I had in both freezers and filled them with ice cream. I had my helpers call people they knew to come get ice cream and a couple went door to door at all three motels across the street them door to door to houses until we had it all given away. It was so much fun and WELL worth the 17.99 it cost to pick up at the food bank.

We are finally working on my kitchen, our son Daniel is building me cabinets out of different scrap materials I've brought home the flooring we bought about four months ago but at last the work has begun. The garden has finally started producing fruits but none are ready to harvest yet. I did get four cucumbers last week and there is lots of tomatoes an a few peppers coming on. I was able to get a couple sacks full of tomatoes and a couple boxes of cucumbers someone brought in to the food bank while I was there and I served them today for dinner Yummy. Well I'm out of time so I will close for now until next week

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

WE LOVE YOU

sisterlinda

" THE Truth will set you FREE"  Y

prison weekly Sabbath Tamuz 19,5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Tamuz

These Readings are for Sabbath Tamuz 19 , 5769

This Weeks Torah Parsha is "Pinchas" Numbers 25:10-30:1

Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:46 - 19:21 Brit Hadasha John 2:13-22

Next weeks Torah is Mattot/Masey "Tribes/Stages" Numbers 30:2-36:13

Haftarah is Jeremiah 1:1-2:28,3:4 Brit Hadasha is James 4:1-12

Yahweh told Moshe, "Pinchas — Peh-YUDNun- Ches-Samech — the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the priest, stopped My anger towards the Children of Israel because he was zealous on My behalf, which prevented Me from destroying them because of jealousy. (Bamidbar 25:11)

When God changed Avraham's name, He added a letter that wasn't there before, a Heh, transforming his name from "Avram" to "Avraham," a very significant change. Likewise, when God changed the name of his wife, Sarai, to Sarah, the letter Yud was removed and replaced with another letter, also a Heh. And, as the Midrash explains, when Moshe Rabbeinu changed Hoshea's name to Yehoshua in advance of the mission to spy the land, it was the "leftover" Yud was from Sarai's name that was added to make the transformation. In each case, the change of name was quite noticeable, especially the one from Ya'akov to Yisroel. However, when Pinchas received his Yud, nothing really changed at all, at least far as the name was concerned. It was still pronounced the same way, because the Yud had always been there, phonetically-speaking. It had been audible, though not visible, and as a result of Pinchas' heroic act of zealousness, it became revealed as well, and that is extremely significant. If ever the expression, "good things come in small packages" applied, it is to the letter Yud, the smallest letter in the Aleph-Bais, and the only one not to be a composite of other letters (for example, an Aleph is comprised of two Yuds and a Vav). And, apparently, the one letter that represents the soul of a person, as the Talmud seems to indicate: Rebi Yehudah bar Rebi Eloy elucidated: The Holy One, Blessed is He, created two worlds, one with a Heh and one with a Yud. I do not know if the World-to-Come was created with a Yud and this world with a Heh, or if this world was with a Yud and the World-to-Come was with a Heh. However, it says, "These are the generations of Heaven and Earth in the creating of them (behibar-am) …" (Bereishis 2:4); don't read "behibar'am" (i.e., in the creating of them) but "b'HEH bar'am" (i.e., with a Heh they were created). Thus we see that this world was created with a Heh, and the World-to-Come was created with a Yud. (Menachos 29b)

Hence, we learn, the letter Yud represents the eternal reality of the World-to-Come. Indeed, explains the Maharal, it is precisely the simplicity of the Yud that makes it so fitting a symbol of the sublime world of Divine unity, Olam HaBah (Haggadah Shel Pesach). Hence, Yud represents the number 10, the number of Divine perfection, and the number of sefiros in any complete spiritual reality, called a partzuf. Therefore, the Yud represents the essence of who we are, the spiritual force that makes each and every one of us unique, and which drives us to accomplish in life. The more meaningful our accomplishments are, the more of the Yud within us we reveal, and by definition, that results in a greater portion in the World-to-Come. What Pinchas did that fateful day through his act of zealousness, we are all trying to do, each of us in our own way, each of us on our own level, whether a Yud becomes visible in our name as a result, or not. The entire point of Torah and mitzvos is to do that which causes our own personal Yud to emerge, bringing more completion and Godliness to our being. We can't help but become better, more dignified, more spiritually-complete individuals. Hence, when Pinchas emerged from his act of zealousness, having revealed the Yud from within the depths of his being, and therefore, from within his "depths" of his name as well, he became a kohen, not as a reward, but as a consequence of his enhanced state of holiness. In fact, this is what it means to be a kohen, as their holy and set-apart Temple lifestyle indicated:

to live on the plane of the next world while still functioning in this world; to live on the level of the Yud. However, when one draws more of the spiritual reality of the Yud into the physical reality of the body, just as Pinchas' physical name was enhanced, so too is one's body enhanced. The body cannot help but become more spiritual as well, and an even better kli — vessel — for the soul, the reality of Yud in this world. Consequently, not only did Pinchas become a kohen, but he morphed into a different person altogether, one of the greatest prophets to ever live: Thus we find that four levels were in Pinchas. The first was that of the Nefesh of Pinchas with which he was born, a single soul even though it was the combination of two drops, one from Yosef and one from Yisro. The second level was the Nefesh of Nadav and Avihu, which came b'sod ibur and was also called "one soul," as is known from the Zohar: Nadav and Avihu were two limbs of one body (Acharei Mos 57b). The third was a Nefesh called "Eliyahu HaTishbi" from the root of Gad, and the fourth level was "Eliyahu" from the root of Binyomin. (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 32)

This is why, you may have noticed, that Eliyahu's parents are never mentioned anywhere: he had none. Rather, his soul, both of them, descended from Heaven and entered the body of Pinchas as a result of his act of zealousness, and this transformed him into Eliyahu HaNavi. Though Pinchas seems to disappear from history after the Torah comes to a close, the truth is, he remained quite alive and quite well, until he finally ascended to Heaven during Achav's time on a fiery chariot, a very dramatic end for a very dramatic life. He went from earth to Heaven without having to pass through death. However, for a brief period, Pinchas-Eliyahu, faltered. For a brief period of time, the Yud of Pinchas did not remain revealed, at least not as much as it had previously: Later in history, when the incident of the daughter of Yiftach HaGiladi occurred, they (Eliyahu and Yiftach) were both punished. For, as Chazal say, Yiftach was a judge and he did not want to come to Eliyahu to cancel his vow, and, Eliyahu did not want to come to him, for he said, "The one who is suffering must come to the doctor" and thus between the two of them the daughter of Yiftach went. Yiftach, who was directly involved in the incident was punished, and as a result everywhere he went he lost limbs, as it says, "They buried him in the cities of Gilad" (Shoftim 12:7) — in the plural. Eliyahu was punished by the departure of the Shechinah, as Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 60:3) on the verse, "And Pinchas the son Elazar had been the supervisor over them in former times, for God was with him. (I Divrei HaYomim 9:20), which is talking about Pinchas. Thus, it seems, that he had been the "supervisor" over them, but no longer.

After the Nefesh of Nadav and Avihu, that had been in him b'ibur, was removed from him, it later reincarnated into Shmuel HaNavi, as we will explain. This is the sod of what Chazal say: The Vav of "Brisi Shalom" (Bamidbar 25:12) is cut. They also say in the Zohar (Acharei Mos), that the Yud of "Pinchas" is small (Bamidbar 25:11). Thus, in the incident with Zimri he merited the souls of Nadav and Avihu, as mentioned in the Zohar (Pinchas 217a), but he lost them as a result of the sin from the daughter of Yiftach. This is why the Vav is cut, to represent the sefirah of Yesod, which is called "Brisi Shalom." It was actually "cut" when he lost the Shechinah and the souls of Nadav and Avihu … (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 32)

However, the story has a happy ending, with a bit of history and some soul-travel in-between:
When prophecy returned to him it was after he was called "Eliyahu HaTishbi," and after Shmuel had died so that Nadav and Avihu could return to him during the incident of Mt. Carmel. (Ibid.)
Ever since then, Eliyahu HaNavi has made guests appearances throughout history, attending each bris, and house-hopping Leil Seder. And, on some occasions, he returns in the guise of a person to test us, to work some kind of miracle on behalf of some worthy person, or in a story like this one: Rebi Yehoshua ben Levi met Eliyahu standing at the entrance of the cave of Rebi Shimon bar Yochai and asked him … "When will Moshiach appear?" He answered, "Go and ask Moshiach himself."
"But where can he be found?"
"At the gate of Rome."
"And by what sign [can I recognize him]?"
"He is among the poor people afflicted with wounds. They open the bandages of all their wounds at one time, adjust and dress them. He opens, adjusts, and dresses one wound at time, for the reason that when he might be called there should be no delay."
I went to him, and said, "Peace be upon you, my master and teacher," and he answered, "Peace be with you, Bar Levi."
I asked him, "When will the master appear?"
He answered, "Today."

I then went back to Eliyahu and asked regarding all that Moshiach said, and told him that he said, "Peace be with you, Bar Levi." Eliyahu then said, "I can assure you and your father a share in the World-to-Come." "But he made a fool of me," I told Eliyahu, "because he said that he would come today." Eliyahu answered and said, "The expression 'today' means the same as it does in the verse, 'Today, if you will listen to His voice'" (Tehillim 95:7)." (Sanhedrin 98a) For, that is his final job, at least on this side of history. It will be Eliyahu, once Pinchas, who will herald the arrival of Moshiach himself, as the Final Redemption unfolds. By allowing his Yud to surface, he became part of a different reality, of a different time period, even though he remained in ours. His reality was that of Yemos HaMoshiach and onward, and therefore, he will merit to usher in that period of time, which is much closer than most think. However, his final known role in the history of the Jewish people will be far more illustrious, as the Arizal explains:

In the "End of Days" in the generation of Moshiach, Moshe will return to teach Torah to Israel and will still be of "uncircumcised lips." However, Eliyahu, who will "chai" — live — will be his interpreter, and this is the sod of the verse, "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon HaKohen" (Bamidbar 25:11). This is as it is written, "If [one is drawn] to scoffers, he will scoff" (Mishlei 4:37): when they will need a translator for Moshe, Eliyahu who will be "chai" will translate and be Moshe's interpreter. (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 36) In other words, on our side of history, it was Aharon HaKohen who had the great merit of being Moshe Rabbeinu's interpreter. However, in Yemos HaMoshiach, when Moshe Rabbeinu (in the body of Moshiach Ben Dovid) will resume his role as teacher of all Israel once again, it will be "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon HaKohen," as Eliyahu HaNavi will assume the coveted role. As I said, when it comes to the letter Yud, big things truly come in small packages.

Mission Update: Romans 11:31-33
^{31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah
I can't believe it's been over a month since I have written an update. Time just seems to be going faster and faster an there just isn't enough time in a day. I seem to be busy all the time but have so much I need to do it seems I never get anything done. I did manage to get most of the bills paid but they have already started piling up again and I'm sure most of you can relate. I paid up the food bank last Tuesday 1100.00 an at the same time Dan picked up a load that ran 318.00, the people are blessed. Please pray about being a supporter to these works the needs are NEVER ending. We have had more children coming of all ages but mostly babies and toddlers. I estimate by looking at the bills that just came in yesterday and today I need about 1200 to get them paid. It looks like the electric has more than doubled what it had been in the previous months I need right at 800 just to pay the electric bills. I believe radio has been paid but I may be wrong as Pastor Dan takes care of that. Pray about helping and be lead by Yahweh for these are His works and we need your support to keep doing them. I must close for now we are running late and we need to get on the road to go care for the people. Have a very blessed Sabbath we love you Shalom sisterlinda
Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach
Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah
&Mark 9:23,10:27
" THE Truth will set you FREE"}

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

prison sivan 28 5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Sivan this Portion is for sabbath Sivan 28,5769

Shelach "To Send"
This week's Torah portion is from Leviticus 13:1 through 15:41 and deals with Moses sending forth the spies into the land promised by G-d to Israel. In the selection process, we find something of an anomoly when considered in light of the present popular teaching among many Christian Zionists and a few Messianic leaders in the issue of Two Houses. Their posture is that since the mother of Ephriam was a Gentile and since Ephriam was among those tribes of the north taken into captivity, they became what many call "The Lost Tribes of Israel.' Furthermore, they surmise that those of you who are not physically descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and whose heart is stirred with passion toward Israel are indeed from among those lost ones and are part of the tribe of Ephriam, because your mother is a Gentile.With this entire position, I take great exception. So much so that I have written a book entitled Arise O Clan of Judah in which I show the reader that this position is untenable and, in fact, contrary to Biblical teaching. I will not fully develop this today, since the book is 76 pages long, but I will at least touch on one easily identified point. In Leviticus 13: 6 we see that from the tribe of Ephraim, Moses selected Hoshea ben (son of) Nun, whom he called "Joshua." From the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunah was selected. In the book of Joshua, in chapter 1, G-d clearly confirms the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with Joshua. Joshua was a Jewish man who inheirited the Land of Promise just as his forefathers had done.Caleb, on the other hand is of suspicious lineage. In Numbers 32:11 & 12, we read, 'Because they did not follow Me completely, none of the men 20 years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did follow the Lord completely.' This should rouse your interest enough to explore who were the Kenizzites. The first mention of them is found in Genesis 15:19 as G-d described the land which He was giving Abram. The Kenizzites lived in the land before it was given to Israel. Caleb, you see, was not a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but he was counted among the tribe of Judah.Those who teach this "Two House" theory claim the Gentiles who are "connected" to Israel are of the tribe of Ephriam; G-d shows us that in Biblical times, they were counted among the tribe of Judah. You, being a wild olive branch, have been grafted into the tree that is Israel, so you may partake of all of the promises and the blessings that G-d is providing to His people. We are a tree of twelve branches. There are some who would teach that you may figure out which tribe you are grafted into and those who have it all figured out. But the word of G-d says that your grafting is because of your faith in Y'shua, who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. You, like Caleb before you, are counted among the tribe of Judah and none other.

This weeks Haftorah is Joshua 2:1-24 the Brit Hadashah Parashah is Hebrews 3:7-19

Next weeks Parashaha are "Korach" Numbers 16:1-18:32

Haftarah 1Samuel 11:14-12:22 & Brit Hadasha Romans 13:1-7
Mission Updates:Greetings saints, We went to the food bank today with no intent of picking up food for to give out, problem was they sorted some out special for us so we took it. Yes we still have to pay 16 cents a pound. The Bill is around $600 now I think and it needs pried very soon. The child above is an example of the many children we get and whom your money helps. Also radio is coming due, so really I need to at the very least pray in a $1000 to get us by until the newsletter people donate. I feel soon The LORD Yahweh will surprise everyone and completely fund this ministry as we are in His will and the work increases daily! You know many people have told me if everyone that listens to radio and or is on your email list and donated $20 a month or week the bill would be paid. The results of asking for people to do that generally lowers the donations? Go figure? But they are right it would take care of the people…….right now it takes about $3700 to $5,000 sometimes more to do what we do depending on what comes in in other donations. But this is as of June our 3rd year in this building and 9 years in this part of the LORD's ministry. We have been doing a mail out tract and newsletter for 168 monthly issues, started the PNS service wow about 1998 or earlier. Did short-wave from 2001 till almost 2004 when I got on American Voice radio. And I was ordained many years ago from more than one ministry not that those matter as what does matter is that "I am called of the Lord Yeshua!" We have battled many demons, such as a 12 year old boy who wanted to kill his mother, exposed a cult, helped many other ministries, fed thousands, clothed thousands, doctored many, prayed with so many I could not could, give out thousands of large print Bibles, and led many to salavation, seen many, many healing and miracles that they seem commonplace. I guess my point is that the work from day one just seems to increase, the more we beleive in Him by faith the more He uses us, makes me wonder where all the other people of Faith are to do the Work? Oh Well Lord Yeshua just add some more work I am here till I drop and after.......Poeple once saved are supposed to become servants of the most High God.......and the safest place to be is in His will......To work for Him all you have to do is submit yourself under Messiah and he will use you. Enough of my rambling as I am need to help…..and this folks is what it's all about.

THE ANT & THE CONTACT LENS
Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens . "Great", she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry..." She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge... But it just wasn't there. She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is… Please help me." Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it! The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You.." I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will." God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him....I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)

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

hank-williams-jr-red-white-and-pink-slip-blues.

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:57:00 +0000
http://www.clevver.com/music/video/233590/hank-williams-jr-red-white-and-pink-slip-blues.html

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

Prison Weekly 13 Sivan 5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Shalom

I'm so sorry I have not written or put together your Torah reading for so long i have been so busy with family and remolding i just haven't had time for computer. I have emails dating clear back to march 22nd that i have not ever read. i will do my very best to get you your your parsha's on time from now on. love eternally sisterlinda Messiah Branch

The Hebrew month is 13 Sivan 5769

Torah Portion Naso Numbers 4:21-7:89 Haftorah Judges 13:2-25

Next weeks Parashat Beha'alotcha Torah Portion: Numbers 8:1 - 12:16,

Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7

Parshas Naso Do Your Thing

By Rabbi Raymond Beyda

"And Moshe counted them – according to the word of G-d – as he was commanded." (Bemidbar, 3:15)
After the census of the tribes was completed Hashem commanded Moshe to do a count of the elite tribe of Levi. In this case the infants from 30 days old and up were included, whereas with the other tribes only males from 20 years to 60 years old were included.
This crated a problem for a man like Moshe who feared any violation of proper modesty. The Midrash relates (as quoted by Rashi zt'l), a conversation between Moshe and Hashem.
"How can I enter the tent to count the infants when women who recently gave birth are living? It is not the modest way of our Torah." "You go to the entrance of the tent – and I will contribute my part", was the answer from our Creator. And so Moshe did as he was told and when he stood by the doorway a Heavenly voice rang out and informed him the number of eligible members of that household. Miraculous assistance from Heaven! The question is: If Hashem was going to tell Moshe the number why send him on the tedious mission of going from tent to tent to count? Why not just give him the tally? The answer is that Hashem wanted to teach Moshe an important principal in service to Him. When a difficult task – or even one that seems impossible – confronts a person one should not give up and walk away. Instead a person should do all that he can and pray that Hashem will do the rest. When the daughter of Par-oh went to bathe by the river and saw a basket floating on the water she stretched out he arm to pull the basket to safety. The floating basket was much too far for her to reach and yet she tried to reach it. The impossible became possible when Hashem stretched her arm the distance necessary to retrieve Moshe the baby in the basket. She did all that was humanly possible and then Heavenly assistance – and quite miraculous assistance at that – kicked in to complete the task. You might find it difficult to learn Torah, or perhaps extending your budget to include charity seems impossible. Maybe you have an idea for a chesed institution or an educational venture for those in need. Don't assume it is impossible. Start the process. Do your thing. Add some prayer and watch it happen. All Hashem expects is that you do your thing. If you do to the maximum – He will do His.
Shabbat Shalom
Greetings Saints,
Yes it is Monday and time to do a mission update, as I write my son and Scott (my next door neighbor, member of MB, and helper at church) are putting the bus back together from putting a water pump on it.
I am praying to get the parts for brakes (I need for sure back brakes as I have to pump them to stop) which really would not cost much but money is so very tight as with most of the people out there.
Speaking of money and or donations, we are so really blessed as on person I talked to on the phone said, " Most of the time people do not do what you do unless they have a large congregation", very correct but you see while we never seem to be caught but the Father uses various people from all over to get His work done, that by far is a miracle.
In Fact the picture above is the oil that leaked from the doorway for days until we had to replace the board, and no it did not come from the other side as it was dry on the back side. Wipe it off it would just keep coming back, so yes I am very confirmed that we are in the Lord Yeshua's will doing what we do. In fact I carry anointing oil in my pocket around so when asked for prayer I use it for people to be healed etc. We have seen so many miracles that we just consider them a normal thing.
We do have an atvantage we do get many little children like the one that came in last week, I think they are new people across the street from us. They came in witha three month old wanting baby food, we were happy to provide..
We need to make an order from the food bank as it is the first of the month we need to rasie a money for this.
So as saved person are you a blessings to others? You are supposed to be, instant in prayer I mean if I am in a check out line and someone asked for a prayer I generally pray right then and there as the Word says;
Romans 12:1
^{1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.} 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
As I strive to do what the Word says I am happy to that which I am called to do, I know I am far from perfect but still fear Yahweh and know I am in His will. So yes The Father uses many people to do what we are called to do, I am thankful for these people who listen to Him and support His work, this work going on 9 years.
Yes there are many needs, like know I ma in bad need of a computer for my wife another computer to do her work. Hers is so slow and freezes up, she deserves better I pray.
No I have not mailed a newsletter out this month, nor paid many of the bills which my wife says is due.
So lift us in prayer, help if you can.
In His Perfect Peace,
Pastor Dan Catlin

Mission Update:Philippians 4:6,7 careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah, wow I really can't believe it's been so long since i wrote I have been so busy wirh family, the Mission, yard and remolding. It's hard to do things with so little money. I'm redoing my kitchen and most of my cabinets will be from scrap woods I'v been picking up off the steet city wide clean ups. i think it will look really nice once i get it in and painted.

The newsletter will go out Tuesday and radio is paid for a few weeks. Most of the bills will be paid today if not all I just need time to make out the checks and see where I'm at. I don't think I'll be abld to pay the food bill it's 490.00 something anmd we pick up another 100.00 worth of stuf Tuesday. PRAY ABOUT SUPPORTING THIS MINISTRY !

I will do my best to write you a nice update the firsty of the week but for now i must close to get this out before Sabbath service Love you all keep us in pray and remember to support us in any way you can every LITTLE BIT HELPS an A LOT OF LITTLE BITS GO A LONG WAY!

SHALOM SISTERLINDA, FAMILY, MESSIAH'S BRANCH

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"

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

Prison Weekly Behar Leviticus 25:1-26:2

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Im Sorry I haven't written in so long I will do my best to stay caught up I've has So moch going on I just don't have enough time. Please forgive me hear are the last two wekkly torah Parasha's

Behar Leviticus 25:1-26:2
To choose, elect, decide for; to be selected

This week's parasha is called Behar which means "to choose or to be selected" and it is from Leviticus 25:1-26:2. Within it, we find the instruction regarding the Shemittah, or the Sabbatical Year and about Yovel, the Year of Jubilee. Many sing songs declaring that this is the year of Jubilee and much is made of determining just when that year truly is. But, honestly, we don't know! There are too many discrepancies in the calendar to firmly establish when this glorious year will come. I believe that this year and every year is a year of Jubilee for those who rejoice in Messiah.

We read in Leviticus 25:17 & 18, "So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your G-d; for I am the L-rd your G-d. You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land." This is certainly a word for each day we awaken and in it is the promise of G-d to give us security in our obedience. I know that this is not too popular a position to take, especially in these days of grace, but it is still the word of the L-rd that IF we walk in His ways, THEN, He will provide everything we need.

Verse 35 of the same chapter instructs us, '"Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you." This is the basis of the practice among Jews that if someone comes to you with their hand open, it is the responsibility of one with provision to fill it. Many of you have heard the story of the day I was sitting at a table outside waiting for some friends to join me for lunch. I saw a large "Babushkah" (a Russian big older lady) waddling toward me. When she got to my table, she plopped down across from me to commiserate about how, since her husband had died, her diabetes had almost crippled her and she could only walk so far before her feet would swell so much that every step was in pain. Then, in the next breathe, she asked, "So, do you have a car?" As soon as I admitted my good fortune, she instructed me to go get it so I could take her home! "It's not so far, but I just can't make it on my own." She did not bother to ask me if I would take her; she had made it plain that she was a widow and she was in need. So, she assumed that I would do whatever I could to help her. And I did!

Verse 55, toward the end of this passage, reminds us of who we are and of who G-d is: "the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the L-rd your G-d." No matter if you are a son or daughter of Israel or if you are a child of the Nations, you are one in Messiah and so we are all grafted branches who have all been brought out of the Egypt of sin, to be the servants of the Most High G-d. You have been selected by Him; choose to walk in His way. Keep praying Marty

Forty-Nine Days, Eleven Hours

It's really a matter of simple arithmetic. Seven times seven is fortynine. Add one, and you get fifty. A young schoolchild shouldn't have any problems making this easy calculation. Yet it would appear that the Torah does not trust us to get the answer right. In this weeks portion, we are introduced to the mitzvah of counting the Omer, the seven-week countdown from the second day of Passover until the festival of Shavuos (Leviticus 23:15-16): "And you shall count for yourselves," the Torah commands, "from the morrow of the day of rest . . . there should be seven complete weeks. Until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days." Why does the Torah find it necessary to do the arithmetic for us? Don't we know that the day after a full seven weeks is the fiftieth day? The commentators offer a homiletic explanation. Let us take a closer look at the counting of the Omer. On an elementary level, we count the Omer to build up our excitement and anticipation for the festival of Shavuos, which celebrates the Giving of the Torah. On the mystical level, however, the preparation is far more profound. During these seven weeks, we are meant to climb the ladder of elevation, to refine and improve our inner selves so that we will receive the Torah with purity of soul. Each day, each week brings us higher and higher until we reach the final goal.

But what if you are distracted by the disturbances of life and arrive at Shavuos having counted the days but not having done the introspective work? Should you lose heart and become despondent?

The Torah reassures us that all is not lost. Even if you waited until the eleventh hour, it is still not too late. You may have missed the opportunity to climb the fifty steps to perfection in the methodical, laborious and reliable step-by-step process. But you need not despair. You can still make the leap in one glorious bound. If you can generate within yourself one burst of transcendent inspiration, you can be catapulted right to the top of the fifty-step ladder in one day, in one exhilarating moment. This is what the Torah is telling you. "Until the morrow of the
seventh week, you shall count fifty days." You can still accomplish a complete fifty-day count on the morrow of the seventh week. It will just take more effort. A young man who lived with his parents left on an extended business trip which kept him away from home for over a month.
The first morning after his return, his mother came into the kitchen in the morning to find that her son had prepared a lavish breakfast for her. The table was exquisitely laid and covered with platters of the choicest foods. A large bouquet of flowers stood in the center. The mother smiled with delight. "What's the occasion?" she asked. "Is it the anniversary of some special event? What's going on?"
"Mother," said the young man, "it is my honor and privilege to serve you breakfast every day. But since I've been away for over a month, let me at least make up for it with one special breakfast."

In our own lives, we are sometimes inclined to think that life has passed us by, that we have squandered away the opportunities for spiritual growth that came our way. If only we could live our lives over again, we tell ourselves, how differently we would do things. If only we could avoid all those foolish mistakes we made, how much better off we would be. All this is probably true, but it no cause for throwing up our hands in defeat. As long as we live, we have the ability to make a great leap that will transform who and what we are, a great leap that will bring us right into the loving embrace of the Almighty.

Last weeks TORAH Parasha

Emer A Saying Leviticus 21:1 through 24:23

Last week's portion of scripture is one with a lot of depth. It comes from Leviticus 21:1 through 24:23. It opens with detailed instructions to the Priest regarding his holiness. The previous reading in the regular cycle dealt with the holiness of the nation; this week is for you and for me. For we are the Priests unto the L-rd, and more is expected of us than of those who merely travel with us and are, perhaps like Nabal. I will teach you more about this issue at another time, but for now, suffice to accept that these are foolish followers of the G-d of Israel who do not do what He commands, but are at least accepted among those who do. Probably your church is filled with such as these; I pray that you are not among them.

Chapter 23 deals with the "times of the L-rd." Not the Jewish holidays, but appointed times established by G-d for His people to observe throughout their generations. That means forever! The first one given is the Sabbath. Although most people consider Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement the most holy day among these, most Orthodox Jews would correctly identify Shabbat a the most sacred of all days. You see, G-d commands us to come into His Presence in the place chosen by Him three times a year, to observe seven annual appointments, He comes to where we live each week. The first song sung in traditional Jewish homes to welcome the Sabbath invites the Bride of Sabbath into our homes and to welcome the angels of G-d to grace our table with their presence as He comes among us.

Then begins the list of the annual times in which we are called to remember and to observe His appointed times. I know that many feel that since these are not taught by Jesus that they are not for us. Oh, dear ones, Jesus taught at each of these i\in such a way as to establish their priority for us forever. The first is the Passover, then Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. These three comprise the first pilgrimage time in ancient Israel and are referred to as "The Passover." It was at Passover that Y'shua revealed Himself to be our Passover Lamb. He was buried at the beginning of Unleaved Bread so He could come forth from the earth on First Fruits and be seen as the Bread of Life.

From the Sabbath of Passover, we are commanded to count for ourselves seven Sabbaths and the day after the seventh Sabbath is the Feast of Weeks. Today, it is called Pentecost because in Greek that means count fifty. On Pentecost, Jewish people gather from the time the third star appears in the sky until it is fully light the next day to remember the giving of the Torah on Sinai. They read and discuss the text all night. So it was that in Jerusalem one Pentecost night, as the third star appeared, and the day of Pentecost fully came, that the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit came and filled 120 Jews who were gathered as they did every year and continue to do to this day. You see, they were trying to uncover the deepest meaning of the text, but without the Spirit of G-d, it is impossible to discern the ways of G-d. So, at the appointed time, G-d gave them His Spirit to lead them into all of the truth of His word. This day is the second pilgrimage for all of Israel. Beloved, if G-d expected all of Israel to go up to Jerusalem three times a year, why would we think that He would not expect us to at least observe His appointed times in our homes and in our communities? These are appointments made by G-d Himself and He says that they are for His people to keep forever.

Then comes summer; there are no Feasts during this time. It is the time to be laboring in the fields. So it is that we are now in those days. Now, the fields are ripe unto harvest, but the laborers are few. Now, we must work while it is day for soon the night will come when no man may work. It is interesting to note that it is in this part of Leviticus 23, in verse 22 that we read, "When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the L-rd your G-d." You see this deals with how we are to treat those who have less than we do as we are going about the work to which the L-rd has set our hands.

Then, in verse2 23-26, He tells us of a time yet to be fulfilled. It is called the Yom Teruach, or the Day of the Blowing of the Shofar. Today it is best known as Rosh HaShannah, or the Feast of Trumpets. It is the day that signals the end of our labor and the gathering together of G-d's people for His appointed time of rest. It begins ten days of Awe in which all of Israel comes to be reconciled with one another, for we are taught that the Day of Atonement only reconciles us with G-d and that only if we have nothing against our brother. Just as Jesus taught that if you come to the altar and remember anything that separates you from another, you are to leave your offering and go to him before you may become in right standing with G-d. So, when will the L-rd return? No one knows, but we do know that it will be announced with the blowing of the Great Shofar and that soon thereafter will come a time of standing before G-d in judgment. Sounds like this Fall Festival time to me.

Then, after five days we begin the Feast of Tabernacles. This is the time of remembering Israel dwelling in the very Presence of G-d for forty years. Not for one moment did they stray from His Presence lest they die. And so we dwell in booths for seven days as a reminder of the booths in which Israel dwelt. The roof of these portable dwellings is made of thatch so that the Presence of G-d may be seen if in fact it returns during these days. These three fall festivals are together called Tabernacles and are the final pilgrimage required of all Israel each year. Will G-d reveal Himself during this time of year at some time in the future? Well, G-d does nothing except according to His times and these are the appointed times of the L-rd. It was at this time of year that Jesus was transfigured before three of his closest friends. At the time when all of Israel expects the Radiant glory of G-d to be revealed again, it was as the Son of G-d shone like the Shekiniah Glory pillar of fire that led them for forty years and the Cloud of G-d then appeared and from it came the Voice of G-d Himself! These three saw the revelation of the first fulfillment of this desire of Israel. Will we see it again?

Only time and the favor of G-d will tell the answer of this question. In the meantime, I choose not to miss an appointment with the One who led Israel and the One who leads me. What about you?
Shabbat shalom.Keep praying.

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

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:09:00 +0000

The Hebrew month in Nissan These Parashahs are for Nissan 24, 5769

Parashahs HaShava are Torah Sh'mini "eight" Leviticus 9:1-11:47 Haftarah II Samuel 6:1-7:17

& Brit Hadashah Acts 10:9-22,34,35 Next Weeks Parashahs are Tazriah " She bears seed " Leviticus 12-13:59

Haftarah II Kings 4:42-5:19 & Brit Hadashah Matthew 8:1-4

Torah Portion of the Week Shemini Leviticus 9:1- 11:47 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron: "Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the Lord. And speak to the Israelites, saying: Take a he-goat for a sin offering; a calf and a lamb, yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering; and an ox and a ram for an offering of well-being to sacrifice before the Lord; and a meal offering with oil mixed in. For today the Lord will appear to you." They brought to the front of the Tent of Meeting the things that Moses had commanded, and the whole community came forward and stood before the Lord. Moses said: "This is what the Lord has commanded that you do, that the Presence of the Lord may appear to you." Then Moses said to Aaron: "Come forward to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering, making expiation for yourself and for the people; and sacrifice the people's offering and make expiation for them, as the Lord has commanded." Aaron came forward to the altar and slaughtered his calf of sin offering. Aaron's sons brought the blood to him; he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. The fat, the kidneys, and the protuberance of the liver from the sin offering he turned into smoke on the altar--as the Lord had commanded Moses; and the flesh and the skin were consumed in fire outside the camp. Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. Aaron's sons passed the blood to him, and he dashed it against all sides of the altar. They passed the burnt offering to him in sections, as well as the head, and he turned it into smoke on the altar. He washed the entrails and the legs, and turned them into smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. Next he brought forward the people's offering. He took the goat for the people's sin offering, and slaughtered it, and presented it as a sin offering like the previous one. He brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it according to regulation. He then brought forward the meal offering and, taking a handful of it, he turned it into smoke on the altar--in addition to the burnt offering of the morning. He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the people's sacrifice of well-being. Aaron's sons passed the blood to him--which he dashed against every side of the altar--and the fat parts of the ox and the ram: the broad tail, the covering [fat], the kidneys, and the protuberances of the livers. They laid these fat parts over the breasts; and Aaron turned the fat parts into smoke on the altar, and elevated the breasts and the right thighs as an elevation offering before the Lord--as Moses had commanded. Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being. Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.

Now Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people." And Aaron was silent. Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp." They came forward and carried them out of the camp by their tunics, as Moses had ordered. And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the whole community. But your kinsmen, all the house of Israel, shall bewail the burning that the Lord has wrought. And so do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you." And they did as Moses had bidden. And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: Drink no wine or other intoxicant, you or your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die. This is a law for all time throughout the ages, for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean; and you must teach the Israelites all the laws which the Lord has imparted to them through Moses. Moses spoke to Aaron and to his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: Take the meal offering that is left over from the Lord's offerings by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. You shall eat it in the sacred precinct, inasmuch as it is your due, and that of your children, from the Lord's offerings by fire; for so I have been commanded. But the breast of elevation offering and the thigh of gift offering you, and your sons and daughters with you, may eat in any clean place, for they have been assigned as a due to you and your children from the Israelites' sacrifices of well-being.

Together with the fat of fire offering, they must present the thigh of gift offering and the breast of elevation offering, which are to be elevated as an elevation offering before the Lord, and which are to be your due and that of your children with you for all time--as the Lord has commanded. Then Moses inquired about the goat of sin offering, and it had already been burned! He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and said, "Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred area? For it is most holy, and He has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to make expiation for them before the Lord. Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded." And Aaron spoke to Moses, "See, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! Had I eaten sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?" And when Moses heard this, he approved. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: Speak to the Israelite people thus: These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has true hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and that chews the cud--such you may eat. The following, however, of those that either chew the cud or have true hoofs, you shall not eat: the camel--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the daman--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; the hare--although it chews the cud, it has no true hoofs: it is unclean for you; and the swine--although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales--these you may eat. But anything in the seas or in the streams that has no fins and scales, among all the swarming things of the water and among all the other living creatures that are in the water--they are an abomination for you and an abomination for you they shall remain: you shall not eat of their flesh and you shall abominate their carcasses. Everything in water that has no fins and scales shall be an abomination for you. The following you shall abominate among the birds--they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture; the kite, falcons of every variety; all varieties of raven; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull; hawks of every variety; the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl; the white owl, the pelican, and the bustard; the stork; herons of every variety; the hoopoe, and the bat. All winged swarming things that walk on fours shall be an abomination for you. But these you may eat among all the winged swarming things that walk on fours: all that have, above their feet, jointed legs to leap with on the ground--of these you may eat the following: locusts of every variety; all varieties of bald locust; crickets of every variety; and all varieties of grasshopper. But all other winged swarming things that have four legs shall be an abomination for you. And the following shall make you unclean--whoever touches their carcasses shall be unclean until evening, and whoever carries the carcasses of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening--every animal that has true hoofs but without clefts through the hoofs, or that does not chew the cud. They are unclean for you; whoever touches them shall be unclean. Also all animals that walk on paws, among those that walk on fours, are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses shall be unclean until evening. And anyone who carries their carcasses shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening. They are unclean for you. The following shall be unclean for you from among the things that swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and great lizards of every variety; the gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. Those are for you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. And anything on which one of them falls when dead shall be unclean: be it any article of wood, or a cloth, or a skin, or a sack--any such article that can be put to use shall be dipped in water, and it shall remain unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. And if any of those falls into an earthen vessel, everything inside it shall be unclean and [the vessel] itself you shall break. As to any food that may be eaten, it shall become unclean if it came in contact with water; as to any liquid that may be drunk, it shall become unclean if it was inside any vessel. Everything on which the carcass of any of them falls shall be unclean: an oven or stove shall be smashed. They are unclean and unclean they shall remain for you. However, a spring or cistern in which water is collected shall be clean, but whoever touches such a carcass in it shall be unclean. If such a carcass falls upon seed grain that is to be sown, it is clean; but if water is put on the seed and any part of a carcass falls upon it, it shall be unclean for you.

If an animal that you may eat has died, anyone who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening; anyone who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening; and anyone who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening. All the things that swarm upon the earth are an abomination; they shall not be eaten. You shall not eat, among all things that swarm upon the earth, anything that crawls on its belly, or anything that walks on fours, or anything that has many legs; for they are an abomination. You shall not draw abomination upon yourselves through anything that swarms; you shall not make yourselves unclean therewith and thus become unclean. For I the Lord am your God: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean through any swarming thing that moves upon the earth. For I the Lord am He who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy. These are the instructions concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in water, and all creatures that swarm on earth, for distinguishing between the unclean and the clean, between the living things that may be eaten and the living things that may not be eaten.
Shemini Leviticus 9:1- 11:47
Concluding the 7 days of inauguration for the Mishkan (Portable Sanctuary), Aaron, the High Priest, brings sacrifices for himself and the entire nation. Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aaron, bring an incense offering on their own initiative, and are consumed by a heavenly fire (perhaps the only time when someone did something wrong and was immediately hit by "lightning").
The Cohanim are commanded not to serve while intoxicated. The inaugural service is completed. God then specifies the species which are kosher to eat: mammals (those that have cloven hoofs and chew their cud), fish (those with fins and scales), birds (certain non-predators), and certain species of locusts. The portion concludes with the laws of spiritual defilement from contact with the carcasses of certain animals.
by Rabbi Kalman Packouz
Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
The Torah states: "And Moshe said to Aaron, 'go close to the altar'" (Leviticus 9:7).
Why did Moshe need to tell Aaron to move close to the altar?
Rashi cites Toras Kohanim that Aaron was afraid to go close to the altar out of embarrassment (he felt unworthy of doing the service after his involvement in making the Golden Calf). Moshe then said to him, "Why are you embarrassed? For this reason you were chosen."
Rabbi Yitzhak of Volozhin explains that Aaron's humility about feeling unworthy is exactly the trait which made him worthy for the position of High Priest of the Jewish people. "This is exactly what makes you worthy of being the High Priest," replied Moshe. The attribute of humility is so precious that it is the reason you were chosen to be the High Pries. (footnote to Ruach Chaim 4:1)
When you try to accomplish in spiritual matters as a leader or teacher - or as a parent - you might say to yourself, "I realize how little I know. I am aware of my faults. How can I possibly serve in this position?" As long as you are sincere in your efforts and are aware of your deficiencies, your humility is exactly the trait that makes you fit for the job. A person with true humility will learn from others, he will ask questions when he has doubts, and will be open to criticism. Never allow humility to stop you from worthy accomplishments.

Shemini
The parashah this Shabbat is called Shemini, which means eighth. It is from Leviticus 9:1- 11:47 and in it, the first verse begins, "It was on the eighth day." Now, we all know that the eighth day is also the first day of the week, and so it is appropriate that Aaron was consecrated on this day. You see, for seven days, only Moses, the Father of the Faith, performed all of the required duties in the Tabernacle. On the eighth day, he consecrated Aaron and from that time forward, only Aaron or one of his sons, all called Kohanim or Priests, would minister to the L-rd.
In like manner, it was on the first day of the week that Y'shua rose from the grave to become our High Priest forever. Until that time, the Heavenly Father performed all that was required, but now, we who are spiritual descendents of the Great High Priest, heirs and joint heirs with Him; now we minister to Him and through Him, to all of those around us.
According to chapter 9 verses 22-24, having finished the first day's sacrificial service, Aaron raised his hands and blessed all of the people; then he and Moses did the same and the glory of the L-rd appeared to the entire people. When the power of the Father is united with the outstretched hands of His Anointed One, the Glory of G-d appears. The Hebrew word for "anointed one" is Moshiach, which is translated as Messiah. A very interesting note is that this parasha contains the exact half-way point in the Torah. In the beginning of 0:16, we read, Moses inquired insistently and it is this that is the very center of the entire Torah. written in Hebrew. This should indicate that we too should inquire insistently as we read the Holy Word of G-d. We must not just read through the Bible in a year, but we must seek insistently what the L-rd is telling us at every reading. Chapter 11 deals with the instructions of kashrut, what is clean for food and what is not. G-d is clear in His instruction that by doing as He instructs in this matter, we are elevated in the way of holiness. People often ask me about this issue. "Are Gentile Christians obligated to keep "kosher?" My answer is that all Christians are obligated to be obedient to the commandments of G-d. Will eating a ham sandwich or a shrimp cocktail separate you from G-d? no, His grace is sufficient to cover all of our sins. Is it sin to eat what G-d says not to eat? Y'shua instructed His closest friends, "If you love Me, you will do My commandments. "But this is Old Testament Law" and we are not under the Law, but under grace!" often answers the questioner. "What about the vision that Peter had when G-d told him to eat of every un-kosher animal known to man?" they continue.
You are right, we are not under the authority of the Law; but under obligation to live by the grace of G-d. Paul wrote, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? G-d forbid!" For is we are bond servants to Messiah, then we are obligated to do as He instructs. And I believe that the Son and the Father are One; whatever is required by the Father is likewise required by the Son. The difference in the Torah in ancient times and the Torah today is that under the Torah, the penalty of sin is death. Now, under grace, the penalty of sin is death, but Y'shua has already died to pay this price. Baruch HaShem!!! (Praise the L-rd). But beloved, should this give us license to sin? What about the sheet from heaven? Read the rest of the text. It is clear to Peter that the vision was to indicate that he could go to the home of the Gentile who had sent for him. Later, it reminded him and he told about it in Jerusalem to validate his claim that these Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit, just like "we" did. I bless G-d for the vision of the sheet filled with every kind of unclean food. Without it, you would probably not be a part of the Family of the Faithful, but it in no way made invalid G-d's instruction regarding that which is holy and that which is profane. Should you refrain from eating these foods? According to every health expert in the world, eating any of the forbidden foods will reduce your life span and bring nothing healthy into your body. Carol and I are trying to do whatever it takes to maintain our lives and to live in health, so we mostly eat as G-d instructed and He blesses us according to His promise to do so. Do we slip up sometimes? Of course! His grace is sufficient and we can count on that! But do not ignore the cautionary word of Proverbs 28:9. In Hebrew, it says, "If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination." Keep praying Rabbi Marty

Mission UpDates:

Joshua 24:15 15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah,
Well it's been a wonderful week as it comes to an end with the beginning of Shabbat just hours away. I'm so very thankful for all the appointed times given to us from the Father. As I was doing the books earlier in the week I was amazed at all the food we are providing for the poor. Last month we made 435 food bags (the last 100 fell on April 1st because we made the change to wednesday). This past Tuesday we made 129 food bags.

I just paid the food bank 800.00 so we should be caught up there til next wednesday. The newsletter went out the day before passover so you should have recieved it by now. I've paid almost all the March bills however I still have right around 900.00 worth of them that still need to be paid.

Today I'll be making a roast dinner and we more than likly will feed 70 to 90 people. Please pray about supporting the Mission every little bit helps. NOTHING is to great or small for ALL is needed. What ever Yahweh puts upon your heart to give please give freely as you will be blessed for doing His work and being within His will.

I gotta go time is running short so until next week Shalom love sisterlinda

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

Prison weekly for Shabbat Nissan 17, 5767

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Shalom

the Hebrew month is Nissan and this is your newsletter for Nissan 17, 5767

Here Comes The Sun by Rabbi Reuven Spolter

Mark your calendar for Judaism's once-in-28-year special event.

The fact that you're reading this article is a minor miracle. Think of all the things that needed to fall into place: the computer, the hard drive, the labyrinth of the Internet, the web browser -- even the electrical power driving it all. There is incredible complexity built into the simple act of reading this article. And yet, we sit before these machines every day without giving them a moment's thought. Until they stop working. When that blue screen appears and the computer freezes, we hold our breath hoping that nothing has failed, that we haven't lost weeks of hard work. Only when we reset the computer and it functions properly again, do we let out a sigh of relief, return to work... and take it all for granted again.
The Talmud (Brachot 59b) teaches:

He who sees the sun at its season, the moon at its strength, the stars in their paths, and the constellations in their order, recites "Blessed is the One Who performs the act of creation." And when does this happen? Abaye says: Every 28 years, when the cycle returns and the season of Nissan falls in Saturn, on the fourth day of the week.

On April 8, 2009, the eve of Passover, Jews around the world will rise early, gaze at the sun and recite the least-frequently-recited blessing in Judaism: Birkat HaChama, the blessing on the sun. We recite this blessing once every 28 years, and it's coming to your neighborhood very soon. Assuming, of course, that the sun rises that fateful Wednesday the same way it has every day until now...

How-to Ideally, one should recite the blessing as early as possible, and with as large a group as possible. Practically speaking, this means that people will get up early and pray Shacharit right at sunrise, and immediately after recite the blessing: (Incidentally, this is the same blessing said upon seeing other natural phenomena such as awe-inspiring mountains, deserts, lightning, earthquakes, hurricanes, astronomical phenomena and impressive bodies of water.) Preferably, the blessing should be said by the third hour of the day. Adjusting for daylight savings time, this time is 9:42 a.m. in New York City, and 9:30 a.m. in Jerusalem. If necessary, the blessing can still be said up until midday (12:57 p.m. in New York and 12:41 in Jerusalem).The blessing should be said where you can see the ball of the sun, or at least the silhouette of the sun behind a cloud. If it is a cloudy day and you cannot see the sun, you should say the blessing without including God's holy name. According to the Mishnah Berurah (229:8), there are a number of other prayers to say that morning, in the following order:

Psalm 148, The blessing of "Oseh Ma'aseh Breishit"

"Kel Adone..." until "Chayot Hakodesh" (part of the first blessing of Shema on Shabbat morning)

Psalm 19, "Aleynu" Kaddish (in the presence of a minyan)

If you're going to gather a large group, be careful: In 1897, during the McKinley administration, when hundreds of Jews gathered on the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side to bless the sun, the attending rabbi was arrested for holding a public meeting without a permit. (New York Times, "Hebrew Festival Marred," April 8, 1897)

Do the Math On the Jewish calendar, Creation took place 5,769 years ago. Why recite this blessing now? Why only once every 28 years? And how can this blessing help us grow closer to God in our daily lives? In order to understand Birkat HaChama, a bit of astronomy is necessary. The Torah teaches that on the fourth day of creation -- that very first Wednesday of world history -- God created the sun (Genesis 1:16). A solar year is 365 1/4 days long -- i.e. 52 complete weeks, plus 1 1/4 days left over. That means each year, the sun returns to its starting point 1 1/4 days later in the week. The sun resets to its original starting point -- at the first hour of Wednesday morning -- only once every 28 years. (Do the math.)We recite the blessing, "Who performs the act of creation," because as we watch the sun rise that morning, we're witnessing the sun aligned at precisely the same spot -- and on the same day and same hour -- where it stood at the beginning of time. This represents the completion of another cycle of creation, as the solar system resets, renews, and begins again.

Spiritual Significance The blessing on the sun reminds us to pause and wonder at the miraculous marvel of Creation. One of the great things about the sun -- its reliability -- also presents a great spiritual problem. It rises and sets every day, like clockwork, without fail. So we begin to take it for granted, and assume that just like it's always there, it always will be. Nothing can be further from the truth. Every morning during Shacharit, we describe God as "He who illuminates the earth... and in His goodness renews daily, perpetually the act of Creation." While the sun rises each day, it rises because God actively causes it and all of nature to function according to His divine and infinite will. In the harried rush of our busy lives, we allow ourselves to forget God's role in the majesty of Creation. We take Him for granted, precisely because He's always there, running the world in the background. The sun provides so many miraculous benefits: Vitamin D and warmth for our bodies, photosynthesis that supports all life, and (according to the journal, Nature) more solar energy in one hour than all of mankind uses in one year. And all with great precision: Were the sun located just a bit further away or a bit closer than its distance of 92,960,000 miles, life on planet Earth would cease to exist. As we recite the blessing on the sun, we contemplate the majesty of God's Universal Reset, appreciating God's amazing work that allows us to serve Him, as the sun rises, each and every day. So... Twitter your friends and mark your calendar for the morning of April 8. Twenty-eight years from now, you'll probably be sitting with your grandchildren, reminiscing about where you were when you said the blessing on the sun in 2009.

Good 'Till the Last Drop

In each and every generation a person is obligated to see himself as if he went out of Egypt, as it says, "And you should tell your child on that day, 'Because of this HASHEM did for me when I went out of Egypt!' Not our ancestors alone did the Holy One blessed is He redeem but even us he redeemed with them!" (The Haggada) There's an open contradiction in this statement. I'm not the first one to notice it. On the one hand each individual in every generation has an obligation to see themselves as if they had gone out of Egypt and then immediately the Haggada tells us that we too actually were redeemed when our ancestors exited Egypt 3321 years ago. Which is it? Is it "as if" like some imaginary morality play we perform or is it real and true? The Maharal from Prague offers the answer but it needs a little explaining. The "as if" goes on the individual while the "actual" refers to the group. I once asked a group of high school students that had just finished a unit in history, "Who's the most important person in human history?" and "What is the most important moment of human history?" After guessing Avraham, Moshe, and Dovid, I finally let them know...it is...Label Lam! They were shocked. Most of them had never heard of me. I told them I would prove it. There can be no more reliable proof than an open statement from the Sages of the Talmud. When a witness is about to give testimony in a life and death trial he is strongly reminded about the hazardous consequences of his words. They ask him, "Why was "man" created singular?" He could have been created as a couple, or a gaggle, or a corporation. The answer the witness is told is: "A person has an obligation to say, 'the whole world was created for me!'". When Adam opened his eyes he beheld a universe of trees and breezes and rays of golden light, constructed with precision for his for his benefit. That's not only true of Adam the first man but every individual subsequently has the same obligation to see himself as the centerpiece of human history. I told those students that if you ask your parents, "Who's the most important person in Jewish history?" and then you tell'm, "Label Lam" then you didn't understood the message. Everyone has to say himself! I am only an actor in your morality play. So what is the most important moment in Jewish history? You guessed it! THIS moment!

This is all included in a statement by Hillel, "If I am not for me who will be for me, and if I am only for myself then what am I and if not now, then when?!" Hillel says that nobody else can play my unique part in history but me and nobody can make me want to realize that role but me. However, if my part is only about me or for my sake then I am no longer suffering an identity crisis, (WHO am I?) but rather, a humanity crisis (WHAT am I?). The reason I'm obligated to develop my SELF is for the good of the aggregate. We need the help of and we have to act on behalf of the entirety of humanity over many the millennium.

How does "if not now, when?!" fit in here? Is it simply a nice rhetorical device? "Seize the day! No time like the present!" Actually, the first two parts tell us that there are no extra actors in the play of history and everyone fits perfectly into the plot, adding color and texture to the living fabric of life. The third part tells us that there are also no extra or repeat moments. Twice daily we say in our prayers, "He renews with His kindliness all day the act of creation." Each moment the world is being recreated and affirmed by The Almighty no less than the first moment of creation. So too when we are seated around the Pesach Seder, we are obligated to imagine that the entire exodus from Egypt was all because of me. "Because of this HASHEM did all this for me…" He had me in mind at that time that I would be seated here in the 21st century munching Matzos. By imagining it so we weave our way into the fabric of Jewish history and destiny. Ultimately it's about being an important part of the entirety of Israel, from its very beginning and Maxwell House Haggada in hand, good 'till the last drop. DvarTorah, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.

The Sandwich of the Future

"A reminder of the Bais HaMikdosh, like Hillel. So Hillel did at the time the Bais HaMikdosh existed. He used to fold together Matza and Maror and eat them together, to fulfill that which it says 'and eat it with matza and bitter herbs.'"

After eating Matza and Maror separately during the Seder, we have the step of Korech. For Korech, we make a sandwich of sorts from the matza and the maror, and prior to eating this sandwich, we recite the above pronouncement. The Minchas Yitzchok notes that the verse we recite does not appear to correspond with our actions on this evening. In the pronouncement, we are recalling a practice that Hillel observed when the Bais HaMikdosh existed. This practice is based on the literal reading of a verse. One might assume that the verse quoted concerns the consumption of the Korbon Pesach, the Paschal offering. However, that is not the case. That verse states "And they shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it (Shmos 12:8)." The verse quoted in the pronouncement comes from the portion of the Torah that discusses Pesach Sheni. What is Pesach Sheni? One who was ritually unclean, ta'mai, was not allowed to bring and partake of the Korban Pesach. In Bamidbar 9:6-8, we find that a group of people approached Moshe and Aharon at the time the first Korbon Pesach was brought after the exodus. They, because of the fact they were ritually unclean from contact with a corpse, were not able to bring the offering. This group asked Moshe and Aharon "Why are we being prevented to bring the offering with the rest of Israel, in the proper time?' The response from Moshe was " Stand and hear what Hashem has commanded you." Then, the Torah relates the laws concerning Pesach Sheni, an opportunity for all those who missed bringing the Korban Pesach in the proper time through no fault of their own, to bring this offering, and fulfill this special mitzvah. In regards to this commandment, the Torah states "The fourteenth day of the second month at evening they shall keep it, and eat it with matza and bitter herbs." Why, when the Hagada discusses Korech, does it link Hillel's custom to a verse describing the offering brought on Pesach Sheni, as opposed to the Korbon Pesach itself?

The Belzer Rebbe answers that the text we recite as part of Korech is actually not a mere pronouncement – it is more of a request, a prayer. If we are sitting at a Seder and have made it through the liturgy, practices and customs of the evening, and arrived at Korech, it means we do not have a Bais HaMikdosh and we are still in exile. It means yet another year in which we were not able to bring our own Korbon Pesach has passed. Yet, missing bringing the Korbon Pesach in its proper time does not mean all is lost. The Torah allows for a make-up date: Pesach Sheni. At the very time we recall a practice of one of our great sages from the days of the existence of the Bais HaMikdosh, a practice we can only perform on this night as a reminder of the days of old, we recall that we can still perform the practice, as described in the Torah, this year. How can that be? If our exile ends, Moshiach comes, we have a Bais HaMikdosh – we still have the opportunity Pesach Sheni provides! It is for that reason we link the practice of Hillel to Pesach Sheni: we "pray" that we have the opportunity to eat this sandwich again, very soon, in the coming month, when we bring our "make-up" Korbon Pesach on Pesach Sheni.

The Minchas Yitzchok notes that the pronouncement begins with the statement that this "sandwich" is being consumed as a reminder of the Bais HaMikdosh. While having such a reminder is appropriate – and there are indeed other times during the Seder when we recall those days – it seems unusual that we recall a custom of Hillel specifically for this recollection. We eat the Afikoman – the matzo after the meal – as a specific reminder of the Korbon Pesach, and therefore, it would seem, the Bais HaMikdosh as well. Yet, we have Korech, and we state that it is specifically Korech that is done as remembrance of the Bais HaMikdosh. Why is that the case? The Talmud (Bava Metzia 85b) relates that "Eliyahu used to frequent Rebbi's academy. One day , it was the New Moon, he was waiting for him, but he [Eliyahu] failed to come. Rebbi said to him [the next day]: Why did you delay? He replied: [I had to wait] until I awoke Avraham, washed his hands, and he prayed and I put him to rest again; likewise to Yitzchak and Yaakov. "But why not awake them together?" I feared that they would grow strong in prayer and bring Moshiach before his time."

The power of the merits of our forefathers, united, is awesomely strong. It is so strong that it could end our exile. Mazta, the Shel"a writes, reminds us of Avraham. Both are linked to the concept of protection and observance of mitzvos. The Torah (Shmos 12:17) tells us that "matzos" are watched, guarded. Avraham is described as "VaYishmor mishmarti," "He protected My charge (Bereshis 26:5)." The Korbon Pesach reminds us of Yitzchok. Before blessing his sons, Yitzchok requested of Esav "go now to the flock, and fetch me from there two good kids of the goats (Bereshis 27:9)." Why did he want two goats? Rashi explains that one was for the Korbon Pesach. Maror reminds us of Yaakov. The Medrash (Bereshis Rabba 84:3) tell us that the verse in Iyov (3:26) "I had no tranquility I had no rest, nor was I quiet; yet trouble came" refers to Yaakov, who related to Pharaoh the bitterness of his life by stating that "few and evil have been the days of the years of my life (Shmos 47:9)." Korech combines elements that are representative of our forefathers. Not only are they representative, but we join the elements together, to further represent the special power that exists when the forefathers are united. It is because of this allusion that Korech was selected to be the reminder of the Bais HaMikdosh. It is specifically this practice, one that was performed in the days of the Bais HaMikdosh and therefore reminiscent of the days which we miss. The components thereof are also an allusion to the end of exile for which we long. Korech is not merely a reminder of days of old. It is a wish for what we desire from the days to come.

Mission Updates: Greetings, Today I am very excited, as this is my most favorite week of the whole year. Passover is this week and it is time for a big Passover meal! Messiah replaced himself as the Passover lamb of Yahweh and told us to do this in remembrance of Him! If you have never attended a Passover Seder you should do so. Many Christians do so as they are getting back to their Hebrew roots of their faith. As with all feasts we make sure the poor have their portion so we will give out food sacks to the poor Wednesday afternoon, as we make ready for the Passover meal!But saints, we really need your help mom just told me that the bills are about to double. She is up late trying to make ends meet. The donations have not yet caught up with the extra food we give out and the increase in meals fed. The April maail out newsletter will go out tomorrow a week late so it will be a couple of weeks before a response.So please consider a one time donation to help us out? In the mean time also help us pray in more monthly supporters. Being Messianic it really is hard to get donations. If we were main stream Christians I feel we could get more support. I do as I am led by Yahweh, this means with radio and everything, many time it is not what most people want to hear but I do what I do to please Him and not the world.So lift us up in prayer and help if you possibly can….And you saints have a great Passover! In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin
Messiah's Branch "Prophecy Hour" Radio

I'll write an update next week I had one ready and the cyber space ate it so much for that hugh................love ya sisterlinda

An Obituary printed in the London Times........ Interesting and sadly rather true.

'Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
Common Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights

I Want It Now

Someone Else Is To Blame

I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

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

Prison Weekly Nissan 10, 5769

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonweeklyTorah) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:08:00 +0000

Shalom

The Hebrew month in Nissan These Parashahs are for Nissan 10, 5769

Torah Tsav "Command" Leviticus 6:8-8:36 Haftorah Jeremiah 7:21-8:3 Brit Hadashah Hebrews 8:1-6

Passover begining Wednesday April 8th at dark thenThursday at dark the week of un-leaven bread begins

Next Weeks Parashahs are Torah Sh'mini "eight" Leviticus 9:1-11:47 Haftarah II Samuel 6:1-7:17

& Brit Hadashah Acts 10:9-22,34,35

Financial Advice by Rabbi Chaim Dovid Green
"And G-d spoke to Moshe saying: 'Command Aharon and his children as follows, This is the law of the (completely) burnt offering...'" (Leviticus 6:1-2). The medieval commentator, Rashi, explains that the expression "command" used here is intended to exhort the Kohanim (dedicated servants of G-d) to act. Why do they need encouragement here? It is because there is a loss of money in the fulfillment of this commandment, and in that case there is an extra need for encouragement. What loss of money is there in this particular commandment? One explanation is that since this is a completely burnt offering, the Kohanim receive no share of it, and they will prefer to involve themselves in bringing the offerings in which they do receive a share. Others explain that the fact that there was an obligation to keep a fire going all night on the altar regardless of the need, involved seeming unnecessary use of the wood, and a "waste" of money.
The overall point is that there is a level of human nature which needs to be addressed when doing the right thing involves divesting oneself of, or losing anticipated funds. The Sfas Emes, a 19th century Chassidic leader and luminary, explained as follows. These words are said regarding the generations of Jews living through the Diaspora. So many were up against anti-Semites who held the Jews back from making a living and made it extremely difficult for them to observe the commandments, due to poverty and preoccupation with eking out a living. The Torah is strongly encouraging them to persevere. I'm no sage, but I think the same can be said about the generation we are living in as well. So many of us in the Western world are living in such relative comfort that we have become preoccupied with our "toys," and maintaining our financial security, to the exclusion of pursuit of spiritual growth - Torah learning, and Mitzvah observance. We all feel disappointed by the failure of our material and physical pleasures to provide us with a sustained contentment, but we delude ourselves into just taking a larger dose. We are barking up the wrong tree. By and large, the people who the Sfas Emes was speaking to understood that Torah, and service of G-d, was their source of strength and spirituality. We, who live in the generations of relative luxury, are now challenged to recognize the same. Let us remember the words of Rabbi Yossi Ben Kisma (Chapters of the Fathers 6:9) "for when a person leaves this world, nothing accompanies him - not silver and gold, or priceless stones and pearls, - but Torah (learning) and good deeds alone." Let us not look to the "new gods" which society has created for itself, but let us rediscover the true source of happiness and lasting worth - Torah learning, and observance of its commandments. Good Shabbos!

MISSION UPDATES:

I pray this points you to the Safe Place......
Greetings, First I am glad to see you saints sharing as this is what this list is for, so I guess I should share something.Roughly 14 years ago I started a mail out news letter, it was really to answer with one letter to many people that mailed me. No not email. I was into the End-time things so to speak for a few years before this, really I knew we were in the time of the end when I came out of the world some 19 years ago.These people all felt that they were in the Time of the End, most all listened to short-wave programs and talk radio on AM or FM. Yes they felt just as most of you do right now that trouble was days or months away. Later I will go into what we thought then compared to now. I will say this is the first time a president made me feel like I do now, not saying others did not upset me.About 15 years ago I met Stan Johnson of the Prophecy Club. At first he was the only person really having large meetings with 300 or people at a time about the end-times. Of course when I met him he was only doing meetings in Topeka. Ks.At the height of things the Prophecy Club was on 25 TV stations, 80 radio stations and having meetings in 40 cities a month. Now I am not saying this to brag on Stan or the PC just bear with me.Early on the Father told me to help the PC all I could and our ministry would prosper and grow, he also told me not to worry about the differences in the way I believed and Stan, just leave Stan to Him.
By the way Stan was pre-trib rapture, but grew out of it by 2000 So I helped as a volunteer at the door of these meetings and early on even went and helped pick out articles for the PC newsletter. At one time that newsletter went out to over 100,000 people. From 1993 to 2000 at these meetings there were 7,000 people came to Christ/Messiah and 20,000 rededications. About 1994 I started my own mail out newsletter, the first people I mailed to was from a little booklet by "Brother Ben" called the Seventh Week Magazine, he lives in Texas in the wilderness where he has led others to prepare. The prophecy club grew very fast drawing all kinds of people in, most was from middles class Christians but man were from preparedness groups, people who listened to Short-wave, militia's, ex military, FBI agents ( they are people to and worried about the end times, on of Stan's biggest speaks was an ex Agent in charge as they call them) people from all walks of life with one thing in common they new the time we are in. And let us not forget the main stream Christians in 40 cities that heard the PC on christain radio driving back and forth to work etc.
The only real problem that arose as I saw it was the meetings could get discredited fast if material like from White supremacists was allowed to be given out. So at a Wichita meeting Stan decided to stop all material but PC material to be given out. Some did not think this was fair but really it was the only fair way as no one had time to stop people at the doors and read their stuff etc….So no one got to pass out anything. Stan did however let me put my newsletter next to his and give them out at the meetings. You see he read mine and knew the materials I was putting out and really I think the Father told Him to allow it. So then our newsletter was Called "The Christian Biker Tract" and went out to many people. I was able to meet the guests personally and talked with many who were first un-known until Stan made them Known, a few of this are Al-Cuppet ex-chair -man joint chief of staffs, Dumitru Duduman ( of course Michael Boldea his Grandson ) Col. Jim Ammerman, Michael Rhood, Prophet Tom Deckard, Texe Marrs, the list goes on. Meeting these people and giving them Newsletters with also an introduction from Stan later helped as it made my newsletter credible as well as helped me make contacts which even now help this ministry. It is sad that many of the Guest speakers seemed to forget that Stan helped them get started.
The Prophecy Club has I think 236 end-time DVD's from over the years. I have to hand it to Stan he keeps going under much pressure as now with the internet people who do not agree with some of his guests idea's or even Stan, now try to make him out to be a False prophet because their idea's do not agree with his and many are really still jealous of the things he did. But that is the way things are people have their own idea's and if you do not agree then they try to make you out to be the bad guy instead of doing the research, and in most cases these people have not even read the whole Bible, but again this is not the point of this now article that was a short note. By the way many people were very jealous of the PC and said all kinds of bad things because Stan would not let them come to meetings and promote their ministries. We would hear all the time this person or that person was going to replace the PC and no one ever did what the PC did, they are still around and going through a transformation as Stan and the PC is still growing.
At the door meeting people I was able to grow my mailing list with people that were living in places of preparation. I know of people in the rocky mountains the Lord Yeshua called out to prepare a place for the many coming up out of California burnt, men, women, and children. Places are there and all over I assure you, even indside of cities Yahweh has placed people help you and lead you out. So I can tell you may think you have no place to be but if you are right with The Lord Yeshua He will lead you when the time comes.
I guess I should add to this that many people downed Stan for asking a donation to get into the meetings, but how else could you pay for rooms in major motels as all meetings places were clean and not dumps. Go try and book a room to have a meeting with 300 people and see how much it costs. Yes he sold tapes and now DVD's but if you do not sell them how are you going to make them? Who pays for it all? Stan always took the money and put it back in radio and the ministry, I know this personally. And for the record these people that down Stan just do not agree with him or his speakers or try to make a name off for themselves by putting Him down.
Okay back to the point of this, so now I am at the year 2009 and the various contacts I have made from our newsletter ( Now called The Prophetic News Service, by Messiah's Branch) and the net has did nothing but increase with now people all over the world in-the Know like Dr. Stephan Houston who was a counter-terrorism specialist and special advisor to the post 9/11 National Center for Intelligence and Counter-terrorism (NCIC) in Washington DC and also British Intelligence 2001-2005. Before the President of the United States or HRH Queen Elizabeth made any state visits abroad, Houston was consulted for travel safety because of his knowledge of global terrorism. And first and foremost he is a minister of the gospel in the Untied Kingdom. So yes I can tell you from a very informed point of view that if you are right and have that special relationship with the Lord Yeshua then in the time of trouble he will give you refuge.

Let me relate a vision by Dumitru Duduman from the Hand of help web site:

The Vision Of The Mountain June 1989
While I was in Wisconsin at a pastor's home, during a time of fasting and prayer, a sadness flooded me. I went into my room and began to pray in tongues. Suddenly, a huge mountain appeared before me. Half of the mountain flourished with green trees, and the other half was barren and desolate. Then I heard a big explosion, and a powerful voice said, "California is burning! California is burning!Climb to the to of the mountain! There you will be safe!" I was desperate because my family was not with me, but in California. So I began to call for them. I Saw California engulfed in flames. I began to climb the mountain, and when I looked back, I saw my wife dragging my three grandsons by the hand. "Get up here faster so you won't burn!" I shouted. Then I saw my daughter helping her husband along, because he was afraid of falling. "Tell them not to look back," the voice called. I yelled his instructions to them, and told them to hurry so they wouldn't catch on fire. Finally, all of us were on the top of the mountain. "look down." the voice said. Looking down, I saw fire bursting out of the ground, while trees and houses disintegrated before my eyes. People were screaming in agony and pain. I saw some of them trying to climb up the mountain, but most of them weren't able to. Then, two men dressed in white appeared. One of them said in a loud voice,"Do you see how California is burning? This is how it will happen." Trembling with fear, I reappeared in the pastor's backyard. Flames were erupting out of the ground, so I began to scream, "Get out of the house and climb up the mountain so you won't burn! America is burning!" Running out of the house, they screamed, "save us, Jesus!"
Confused, I saw the two men dressed in white appearing again. One of them said, "see what I have shown you? This is how will happen. The mountain that you see before you is Jesus Christ. Those who live a holy life will be saved. When the attack comes and the country burns, only those who's names are written in the book of Life will be saved. Remember to tell everybody what I have shown you." When the vision ended, I told my pastor what happened and called my family right away. "Is there any fire? Has anything happened?" I asked. Hearing that nothing happened, I was overjoyed. By standing on the mountain, we will be saved. Excepted from: Dreams and Visions From God
Copyright © 1994, 1996, 2000
The Mountain is Yeshua……So get right with him otherwise all the preparedness in the world will not help you! The safest place to be is in the will of the Lord Yeshua, if you have that relationship he will lead you to where you need to be and the place you need to be is not in a state of fear but of a sound mind a place of love. Sure I have a bug-out bags for my family but I did not make them as I could not afford them, someone sent them without me asking.
I can tell you only of one safe place to be and that is in His will! Once there He will lead you to how to prepare which may be nothing as Someone else may have made the place for you, only he knows for sure.So this is why I do what I do, it is the Lord Yeshua's will to Love one another, care for one another, to love Him first and hate sin. I know I am in His will and no matter what trial I go through I know He is in control as my Old friend brother Ben sang in a old end-time song "He's In Control".
I better go I will say more later, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and may the LORD our God, Father KING of the UNIVERSE,in Yeshua Ha Mesciah's Name bless and keep you, and His face shine Upon you, is Gracious to you; And Gives you Peace, Pastor Dan

Ecclesiastes 1:9

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Shalom In Yeshua our Messiah,

Well we desided to do the food bags on Wednesday's instead of Tuesday's for many reasons. Shorten the work load and wait time for the bags being two of the main concerns. Pray for us that we will continue this work as it is very needed and so many families are being blessed.

I had one person ask me well sisterlinda can't some of those people help you out for the word say's if you work not you eat not. Well yea the word does say that but it also say's to care for those who hunger. If someone ask you for something and you have it your suppose to give it..... anyway Pray about supporting the food bag program.

The newsletter should go out this week or at the very latest next Tuesday. The funding is on the way for Yahweh is in Control and He is the Provider for ALL His works. Bills are coming in like wild fire but donations are not coming in as fast. The past two day's nothing came in so please pray about supporting us.

I can't believe how time flys it's now 5am so I better get this printed so I can go catch a few hours sleep before heading into Wichita to feed.

love sisterlinda

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