Saskatchewan Talmid

Bereshit- "In the Beginning"

2010-10-04T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, my one year project has now gone full circle:
We have completed the entire Torah Cycle, and as we dawn on the new Torah Cycle, we look with anticipation upon the year before us. Again, much thanks is given to Rabbi Jack in Toronto who has faithfully supplied comments for this. Again, I have another post from him and thanks to those who have logged in and read. God's continued grace to you and yours, Brad

"הוכחה ניצחת"
"I Rest My Case"

Parashat HaShavua BeReshit / In The Beginning

This Week's Reading List:
BeReshit / Genesis 1:1-6:8
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 42:5-43:10
Yochanan / John 1:1-5

Bereshit {1:1} In the beginning G-D created the heavens and the earth. {1:2} Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. G-D's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Ever since Darwin came up with his teaching on “The Origin of Species” around 1884, better know today as “The Theory of Evolution” , the understanding of creation has been under fire. The belief in a Creator of the heavens and the earth along with everything that is in them, including man, has been relentlessly contested ever since. Now, even though Darwin’s theory has never been proven correct and even though Darwin himself repudiated his theory on his death bed, “The Theory of Evolution” has managed to survive, prosper and even thrive. It is now being taught almost universally as fact in most public schools around the world.

All of this is despite the fact that Darwin's “Theory of Evolution” is actually a theory in crisis. It is in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we have made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. However, all of this man-revealed evidence is secondary when you consider the amount of prophetic biblical evidence that proclaims that G-d truly is heaven and earth’s Creator. I offer, as evidence, this passage from the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah), the same prophet that prophesied the birth of Yeshua HaMashiach.

Yeshayahu {40:1} “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your G-d. {40:2} “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of HaShem’s hand double for all her sins.” {40:3} A voice is calling, “Clear the way for HaShem in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our G-d.” {40:4} Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; {40:5} Then the glory of HaShem will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of HaShem has spoken. {40:6} A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. {40:7} The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of HaShem blows upon it; surely the people are grass. {40:8} The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our G-d stands forever. {40:9} Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Tzion (Zion), bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Y’huda (Judah), “Here is your G-d!” {40:10} Behold, the L-rd G-D will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. {40:11} Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. {40:12} Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales? {40:13} Who has directed the Spirit of HaShem, or as His counsellor has informed Him? {40:14} With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him of the way of understanding? {40:15} Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. {40:16} Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. {40:17} All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. {40:18} To whom then will you liken G-d? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? {40:19} As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver. {40:20} He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skilful craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter. {40:21} Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? {40:22} It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. {40:23} He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. {40:24} Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble. {40:25} “To whom then will you liken Me that I should be his equal?” says the Holy One. {40:26} Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing. {40:27} Why do you say, O Ya’acov (Jacob), and assert, O Yisrael (Israel), “My way is hidden from HaShem, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my G-d"? {40:28} Do you not know? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, HaShem, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. {40:29} He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. {40:30} Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, {40:31} Yet those who wait for HaShem will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

I rest my case! The “Theory of Evolution” is not only a theory -- it is a form of idolatry. It denies the existence of a Creator and calls His creation pure chance. May G-d have mercy on the souls of those that believe it and teach it!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

V'Zot HaBrachah "And This is the Blessing"

2010-09-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from rabbi Jack. Thank as always, Brad

Parashat HaShavua V'Zot HaBrachah / And This Is The Blessing

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Yohoshua / Joshua 1:1-18
Tesolonikim Alef / 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Devarim {33:29} Happy are you, Yisrael (Israel) : Who is like you, a people saved by HaShem, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you; you shall tread on their high places.

This is quite the prophecy Moshe (Moses) gave to Yisrael prior to his death. I like the part where he says Yisrael’s enemies shall submit themselves to her and that she will tread on their high places (meaning their idolatries). It is amazing how signicant this passage is today, especially considering that Yisrael’s enemies are arming themselves to the teeth and her new greatest enemy (Iran) is coveting nuclear weapons. However, before I get into commenting on this week’s Parasha there are a number of Scriptures I would like to us to read:

Devarim {21:15} If an ish (man) have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers who was hated; {21:16} then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the ben (son) the beloved the firstborn before the ben (son) the hated, who is the firstborn: {21:17} but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the ben the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Shemot (Exodus) {4:22} "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says HaShem, Yisrael is My son, My firstborn...”

So here we have it! Yisrael is HaShem’s firstborn, and just as we read even if the firstborn is from the hated wife he must be acknowledged as the firstborn and, therefore, must still be given the right of a firstborn, which includes, as we find in Scripture, family headship and a double portion of the inheritance.

From the beginning Yisrael has not exactly been a model son. He was conceived to be a representation of the living G-d to the Goyim (Nations), a task which he failed miserably at. Instead he grew up to reject his Father and as a result HaShem disciplined him by scattered him throughout the world and turning his Promise Land into a wasteland.

In 1948, against all odds, Yisrael was reborn into the Promise Land and was repatriated. However, he was reborn as a secular nation and Yisrael is perhaps worse today then he was when he was exiled. Since Yisrael’s inception abortions have killed more Jews than Hitler, gays have the right to marry and are openly parading in Jerusalem. Pig farms have sprung up around the country and pork can be purchased from butcher shops in many major cities. The Dome of the Rock dominates the skyline of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) while a Bahai Temple dominates the skyline of Haifa. Worse yet God has been reduced to tradition. Add to this the fact that Yisrael’s enemies are growing stronger and more numerous and you have what adds up to a not very pretty picture for Yisrael.

Yet we read in this week’s Parasha that Yisrael’s enemies will submit themselves to her and that she shall tread on their idolatrous practices. How can this be, considering the present situation?

I am not going to make any prophetic predictions, but if I would I would predict that Hamas, Hezbullah, Iran and all the other nations that are secretly or openly supporting or helping these nations will not prosper.

Iran, of late, is touting is new weapon dubbing it “the ambassador of death.” However, Yisrael has a more powerful weapon and that is the G-d of Yisrael who happens also to be the G-d of all heaven and earth and He has said:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) {44:2} Thus says HaShem who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you, “Do not fear, O (Ya’acov) Jacob My servant; and you Jeshurun (Jerusalem) whom I have chosen...” {54:17} “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of HaShem, and their vindication is from Me,” declares HaShem.

Yisrael is HaShem’s firstborn, his heritage, His inheritance. As stated above, Yisrael will not be defeated. Nor can Yisrael be replace or disinherited, as many churches and pastors are teaching. Yisrael can not be forgotten or abandoned. G-d’s firstborn son will not be destroyed!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Yom Kippur message

2010-09-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Another message from Rabbi Jack in Toronto. Thanks as always, Brad

Parashat HaShavua Yom Kippur / Day Of Atonement

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 16:1-34
Bamidbar / Numbers 29:7-11
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 57:14-58:14
Romim / Romans 3:21-26

Vayikra {16:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), after the death of the two sons of Aharon (Aaron), when they drew near before HaShem, and died; {16:2} and HaShem said to Moshe, Speak to Aharon your brother, that he does not come at all times into HaKodesh (the holy / the separate) place within the veil, before the Kaporet (Ark-cover) seat which is on the Aron (Ark) ; that he not die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. {16:3} Herewith shall Aharon come into HaKodesh place: with a young bull for a sin-offering, and a ram for an olah (whole burnt) offering.

It is not often that Yom Kippur falls on a Shabbat, but when it does the above Parasha in Vayikra read.

What intrigues me is that this Parasha begins with the death of Aharon’s two sons. What does this have to do with Yom Kippur and its theme as “The Day of Atonement?” Well, I believe that this portion begins with the death of Aharon’s two sons because it is telling us that we all have something to atone for -- the sin of disobedience! This sin of disobedience is what resulted in the deaths of Aharon’s two sons and, sadly, it is not restricted to them alone. We are all disobedient to G-d in some way or another and, therefore, we all need atonement. Disobedience to G-d is idolatry; disobedience is placing self-will ahead of G-d’s Will, and that is a major sin. In fact this is what Scripture has to say about someone who sins:

Yechekiel (Ezekiel) {18:4} "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Is that not what happened to Aharon’s sons, did they not die? With this in mind, this beginning passage in our Parasha really pronounces what our etiquette and our attitude needs to be towards G-d as well as the atonement process so that G-d’s people will not die as a result of their sin:

Vayikra {16:7} He shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting). {16:8} Aharon shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for HaShem, and the other lot for Azazel (goat-of-departure). {16:9} Aharon shall present the goat on which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering. {16:10} But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before HaShem, to make kappar (atonement) for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.

Seeing as every one of us are sinners and the soul that sins will die, because of HaShem’s justice no human would eventually remain alive on the earth. Therefore, HaShem provided His people with a way of atonement, as we read above.

Two goats were to take our place on Yom Kippur - this special day set aside for atonement. One goat was slaughtered as the required blood atonement for the sins that were committed by the people, it was their death substitute. This was an innocent animal that died in the place of the people. The second goat, called the “Scapegoat,” was sent away into the wilderness and signified that the sins of the people had departed from them and were forgiven, forgotten and banished far away from them. The process is also described to us in this Scripture:

Micah {7:19} He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

So we can now easily see the Yom Kippur process. We are all sinners and deserve to die; however, HaShem provides us with a pathway to atonement. Once the atonement is accomplished He then promises to never remember those sins or hold them against us ever again.

As we move into the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) we see that nothing has changed, the process of atonement is still the same:

Romim (Romans) {6:23} For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of G-d is eternal life through Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) our L-rd.

Shaul (Paul) is explaining in this passage that Yeshua HaMashiach is our Yom Kippur atonement. What a relief and blessing especially considering that there is no longer a Bet HaMikdash (Temple) in which to offer up the two goats.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Ha'Azinu -Give Ear Deut 32:1-52

2010-09-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks as always

Parashat HaShavua Ha'Azinu / Give Ear

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 32:1-52
Hoshea / Hosea 14:2-10
Yoel / Joel 2:11-27
Micha / Micah 7:18-20
Romim / Romans 10:14-11:12

Devarim {32:1} Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak; Let the earth hear the words of my mouth. {32:2} My doctrine shall drop as the rain; My speech shall condense as the dew, As the small rain on the tender grass, As the showers on the herb. {32:3} For I will proclaim the Name of HaShem: Ascribe you greatness to our G-D. {32:4} The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice: A G-D of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He.

Do you think Moshe (Moses) is trying to tell us something here? What an Awesome G-d we serve! Moshe is giving us what I think is the most accurate description anyone could ever give of our G-d. In fact Moshe is saying that the description he is giving of our G-d should be to us as refreshing as rain (something that is very precious in a dry and dusty land like Yisrael (Israel), as vivifying as dew (something Yisrael relies upon for moisture during the dry season) and as welcome as showers on growing herbs.

Why does Moshe start this song with a vivid description of who G-d is? He does this because most people do not truly know their G-d. Many people view G-d, who throughout Scripture is called our Farther, in relation to how they view their earthly father. If, therefore, they had a negative relationship with their earthly father, then this negativity is transferred unto how they view their heavenly Father. Moshe here is clarifying to us that, without a doubt, our heavenly Father is nothing like our earthly father or anyone or anything else that we can possibly imagine – even in our best dreams. The Shaliach (Apostle) Shaul (Paul) express that sentiment exactly when he writes:

Korintim Alef (1 Corinthians) {2:9} However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what G-d has prepared for those who love Him.

If we want to continue on in faith in a world wrought with violence and godlessness, then we have to Ha’azinu (Give Ear) to what Moshe is telling us. The world will try to convince us that there is no G-d. You may even be tempted when you are ill or in some other dire circumstance to say, “If G-d loves me, then why is He allowing this to happen?” However, the fact is that there is a G-d, and He allows things to happen to us for any number of reasons.

Romim (Romans) {11:34} For who has known the mind of the L-rd, or who became His counsellor?

This is the point Moshe is trying to get across to bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel). In last week’s Parasha Moshe told bnei Yisrael that they were going to become an apostate nation, yet here in this weeks Parasha he drives home the fact that no matter what happens to bnei Yisrael in the future that they are to first and foremost remember G-d’s love for them and then they need to remember the following:

Devarim {32:4} The Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice: A G-D of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He.

How many of us need to know this very same thing. G-d is good! He is all the things Moshe described Him to be and more. Yet, how many of us have doubted Him? That doubt is in and of itself sin, which leads us into even more sin. In response to our lack of faith Moshe reminds us of G-d’s justice. Moshe then goes on to give us another accurate description. This description is of bnei Yisrael and really of us as well, and it’s not a very pleasant one.

Devarim {32:5} They have dealt corruptly with Him, they are not His children, it is their blemish; They are a perverse and crooked generation. {32:6} Do you thus repay HaShem, foolish people and unwise? Is not He your 'Ab (Father) who has bought you? He has made you, and established you.

We need to place ourselves into this verse. Why, because we too are a perverse and crooked generation. Instead of repaying HaShem for His love, kindness, generosity and mercy towards us with our obedience, we repay Him with rebellion. Sadly the results for us will be the same as for bnei Yisrael if we rely on ourselves, anyone or anything other than G-d for help.

Devarim {32:37} He will say, Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge; {32:38} Which ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your shomer (guardian). {32:39} See now that I, even I, am He, There is no G-D with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; There is none who can deliver out of My hand.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

L'Shanah Tova

2010-09-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Fall Holiday blessing from Rabbi Jack in Toronto

Did you know there is a special day once a year where HaShem (G-d) requires that a trumpet or shofar (a ram’s horn) be blown? This special day is called "Yom Teruah" (Hebrew for Day of Sounding the Shofar) or it is also known as "Feast of Trumpets". In the Bible in VaYikra / Leviticus 23:23 we read, "HaShem said to Moshe (Moses), "Tell the people of Israel in the 7th month, the 1st of the month (Hebrew month "Tishrei") is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work and bring an offering (BaMidbar / Numbers 29:2-6) made by fire to HaShem."

G-d has special appointed times in the year when He wants to meet with us. G-d gave this commandment (mitzvah) to Moses approximately 4, 000 years ago! How neat that, even to this day, the shofar is still being blown on G-d’s appointed time throughout synagogues and messianic congregations throughout the world! Remember -- we are to rest on this day! It is a Shabbat (a day of rest), so you can clean your room another day!

Apples are dipped in honey and eaten at this time of year to wish for a "sweet new year". Do you know what is sweeter than honey? G-d’s Word! "The rulings of HaShem are true. They are righteous altogether... also sweeter than honey". Psalm 19:9-10. If you really want a sweet new year, try to "eat" G-d’s Word every day!

The common greeting on Rosh HaShana is "L’shana tova" (for a good year). Jewish tradition says, but more importantly the Bible tells us that there is a Book in heaven with the names of those who get to spend eternity with G-d. In Hitgalut it is called "The Lamb’s Book of Life" (Hitgalut / Revelation 20:12). So how do you get your name in this very important Book? Well there is only one way, and it’s all about what’s been done FOR you. G-d gave a beautiful gift to the world and all you have to do is receive this gift. "For G-d so loved the world (that’s you!) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (Yochanan / John 3:16). His name is Yeshua (Jesus) and He is the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sins of the world.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

Parashat HaShavua Nitzavim-VaYelech / You Are Standing-And He Went

2010-09-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

"ניצבים-וילך"
Connection

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks again, Bradley Avi

Parashat HaShavua Nitzavim-VaYelech / You Are Standing-And He Went

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 61:10-63:9
Romim / Romans 7:7-12

Devarim {29:10} You stand this day all of you before HaShem your G-D; your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Yisrael, {29:11} your little ones, your wives, and your sojourner who is in the midst of your camps, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water; {29:12} that you may enter into the brit (covenant) of HaShem your G-D, and into His oath, which HaShem your G-D makes with you this day; {29:13} that He may establish you this day to Himself for a people, and that He may be to you a G-D, as He spoke to you, and as He swore to your avot (fathers), to Avraham (Abraham), to Yitzchak (Isaac), and to Ya'akov (Jacob). {29:14} Neither with you only do I make this brit and this oath, {29:15} but with him who stands here with us this day before HaShem our G-D, and also with him who is not here with us this day {29:16} (for you know how we lived in the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt), and how we came through the midst of the goyim through which you passed; {29:17} and you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them) ; {29:18} lest there should be among youish (man), or ishah (woman), or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from HaShem our G-D, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood;

If you are a Born Again Believer in Yeshua HaMashiach then you are connected to the covenant made by HaShem to Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov. Since you are connected to the covenant you are also connected to the people and the land of Yisrael (Israel). As Believers our home is in Heaven, but our homeland is Yisrael. Why is Yisrael our homeland? It is because Yeshua HaMashiach is going to rule and reign from Yisrael for one thousand years, and we are told that wherever He is we will be also.

Hitgalut (Revelation) {20:6} Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of G-d and of Mashiach and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

It does not matter what country in the world you are now living in. Every time you read the Torah (the first five books of Moshe) and apply it to yourself as applicable in your life today you are reminded of your connection with the covenant, people and land of Yisrael. Yisrael is your homeland! Today you may not be welcome to settle there if you are not Jewish or if you are a Jewish Believer in Yeshua HaMashiach, but that will all change when Mashiach Yeshua returns.

We are connected with the covenant because we were standing there with bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) when they received the divine covenant from G-d at Mount Sinai as described above. We are connected with the people because either you are Jewish and have a direct connection or as a non-Jew you will be able to one day pick which tribe we want to belong to and receive an inheritance in that tribe:

Yechekiel Ezekiel {47:23} "And it will come about that in the tribe with which the alien stays, there you shall give him his inheritance," declares the L-rd G-D.

Lastly, we are connected with the land because of the passage in Hitgalut 20:6 that states that we will be ruling and reigning with Him for a thousand years I Yerushalyim (Jerusalem).

Devarim {31:28} Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. {31:29} For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because you will do that which is evil in the sight of HaShem, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands. {31:30} Moshe spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Yisrael the words of this shir (song), until they were finished.

I can just feel the pain in Moshe’s heart as he spoke and wrote these words. He was going to die and HaShem allowed him to know that bnei Yisrael (children of Israel) was going to become an apostate nation after his death. Moshe fought long and heard to keep bnei Yisrael on track and I am sure that he spent many sleepless night praying for them and interceding on their behalf with G-d. Now it was over and he was told that everything he did, all the prayers, all the teaching, and all the bargaining with G-d was going to end in bnei Yisrael apostatising. What a discouragement that must have been to him.

Yeshua, known to us as the second Moshe, experienced something very similar with those into whom He poured His life:

Mattityahu (Matthew) {26:31} Then Yeshua said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. ' {26:32} "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." {26:33} But Kefa (Peter) answered and said to Him, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." {26:34} Yeshua said to him, "Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times."

I suppose that this is true when any leader dies or leaves. There is never really a seamless transition of authority; however, Moshe did get to see the advent of Yeshua, the seed of the restoration of Yisrael.

Man fails, but G-d never fails!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Torah Passage Ki Tova "When You Enter"

2010-08-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

Another set of thoughts from Rabbi Jack, Thanks as always, -Brother Bradley Avi

"לתת מתוך הכרת טובה או מאשמה"
"Giving With Gratitude Or Guilt"

Parashat HaShavua Ki Tavo / When You Enter In

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 60:1-22
Ma'asei Talmidim / Acts 7:30-36

Devarim {26:1} It shall be, when you have come in to the land which HaShem your G-D gives you for an inheritance, and possess it, and dwell therein, {26:2} that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that HaShem your G-D gives you; and you shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which HaShem your G-D shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there. {26:3} You shall come to the cohen (priest) who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess this day to HaShem your G-D, that I have come to the land which HaShem swore to our avot (fathers) to give us.” {26:4} The cohen shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before the mitzbe’ach (altar) of HaShem your G-D. {26:5} You shall answer and say before HaShem your G-D, “A Syrian ready to perish was my 'ab (father) ; and he went down into Mitzrayim (Egypt), and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. {26:6} The Mitzrim (Egyptians) dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid on us hard bondage: {26:7} and we cried to HaShem, the G-D of our avot, and HaShem heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression; {26:8} and HaShem brought us forth out of Mitzrayim with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs, and with wonders; {26:9} and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. {26:10} Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, HaShem, has given me.” You shall set it down before HaShem your G-D, and worship before HaShem your G-D:

Is your giving meaningless? Do you give out of guilt or out of gratitude? Sadly, when we give, most of us we give out of guilt. G-d commanded us to give, so we give expecting, of course, to be blessed in return. However, we can see from our Scripture passage this week that we are to give out of gratitude not guilt. It is out of our appreciation for what HaShem has done for us that we are to give, and give generously for that matter.

HaShem has done so much for us. He redeemed us from the slavery of sin to be free to worship Him and follow His commandments through Yeshua HaMashiach. He heard our cries, He saw our tears and He witnessed our sleepless nights. HaShem grieved at how HaSatan’s (the devil’s) oppressed us and He redeemed us with His mighty hand. Yet most of us still tithe because we feel obligated to.

HaShem has brought us into His Kingdom. It is truly a place of blessing. The Kingdom is not somewhere off in our distant future. It is right here, right now living -- within us. We, believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, are the Kingdom of G-d. Therefore, we contain in ourselves the Kingdom qualities, of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the fruits of the Ruach (Spirit), G-d’s Ruach that took up residence inside of us upon salvation. Therefore, G-d’s Kingdom is alive and well living here on earth and we are it.

One day, some time after the return of Yeshua HaMashiach, there will be a judgement of the wicked. Those found to be unworthy will be consigned to a place of spiritual darkness, a place of hopelessness -- a place without G-d. However, those judged to be righteous will be saved and become part of the Kingdom of G-d. At that time the Kingdom will encompass the entire earth. Until that time, however, it is limited to those of us who believe. We owe tremendous gratitude to HaShem for all He has done for us and He has told us in His Word:

Devarim {8:11} Beware lest you forget HaShem your G-D, in not keeping His mitzvoth (commandments), and His chukim (judgements), and His statutes, which I command you this day: {8:12} lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and lived therein; {8:13} and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; {8:14} then your heart be lifted up, and you forget HaShem your G-D, who brought you forth out of the land of Mitzrayim, out of the house of bondage; {8:15} who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, [in which were] fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground where was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint; {8:16} who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your avot did not know; that He might humble you, and that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end: {8:17} and [lest] you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” {8:18} But you shall remember HaShem your G-D, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth; that He may establish His brit (covenant) which he swore to your avot, as at this day.

I think we need to examine our hearts as we bring our tithes and offerings to the L-rd. In fact perhaps we should modify and personalize these portions of Scripture quoted from our Parasha this week and determine to repeat it every time we give. Here is a suggestion:

“I was a debtor in bondage to sin. Sin dealt with me and afflicted me and laid hard bondage on me and I cried to the G-d of our forefathers and HaShem heard my voice and saw my affliction and my toil and oppression and HaShem brought me out of it by the blood of Yeshua HaMashiach shed for me at Calvary. He has brought into a place of joy and peace. Now, I have brought the first fruit of my labour which you, HaShem have given to me, as a token of thanksgiving and appreciation.”

So next time you give unto the HaShem, instead of just throwing you gift into the collection basket or placing it into the Tzadaka Box (as we do here at Melech Yisrael), recite the above as you bring your first fruits to HaShem. What a difference it will make.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

Torah portion Ki Teitzei "When you go out"

2010-08-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Another post from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks as always, Brother

"Delivered From Ourselves"

Parashat HaShavua Ki Teitzei / When You Go Out

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 54:1-10
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 5:1-5

Devarim {21:10} When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and HaShem your G-D delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,...

What an encouraging passage of Scripture! It is encouraging because we are learning that the battle is the L-rd’s! We sing these words in our Messianic congregations. We read these words or ones that are similar time after time in Scripture, where we are told that HaShem fights for Yisrael, defending her and defeating her enemies before her. We experience these words in our own lives when HaShem delivers us out of the hand of enemies that have come against us with the intention of harming us in one way or another. By faith we believe these words – the battle is the L-rd’s!

However, this passage is also ominous because, although the battle is the L-rd’s the victory, in most cases, depends on us! You will recall the incident of the twelve spies; ten of the twelve men sent out by Moshe to spy out the land of Canaan came back with a negative report. They succeeded to turn the hearts of the entire nation away from believing and serving G-d. However, when HaShem struck the spies with a plague and they died, bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) then realized their mistake and they repented and agreed to go in and fight for the land, but it was too late for fighting; worse than that it was too late for them to stop the consequence that would come for their sin of rebellion.

Bamidbar (Numbers) {14:40} In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which HaShem has promised." {14:41} But Moshe (Moses) said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of HaShem, when it will not succeed? {14:42} "Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for HaShem is not among you. {14:43} "For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following HaShem. And HaShem will not be with you."

HaShem will fight our battles for us, and He will deliver up our enemies into our hands; however, we do have some responsibilities toward Him. G-d will do all that He has promised, but we need to participate if we want the victory. We need to be obedient! Obedience unlocks the door to all our blessings.

Devarim {28:1} It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of HaShem your G-D, to observe to do all his mitzvot (commandments) which I command you this day, who HaShem your G-D will set you on high above all the goyim (nations) of the earth: {28:2} and all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of HaShem your G-D. {28:7} HaShem will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you: they shall come out against you one way, and shall flee before you seven ways.

All this seems quite simple and straight forward, but bnei Yisrael was not able to accomplish this simple task, nor can most of us. Something as simple as obedience turns out to be the hardest thing to accomplish. We have to ask ourselves why? Why is it that, despite the assurance by G-d that He will bless us and deliver all our enemies up to us if we are obedient that we can not be obedient? Is it because we do not want to be blessed? Is it because we are sadistic and enjoy pain and sorrow? I do not think so! So why do we have so much difficulty being obedient? Most people would like to say it is because, “The devil made me do it,” but the fact is that we are the ones to blame. Our own selfishness, our own desire to have our own way and do things our own way; our own craving to satisfy our flesh is what does it.

Romim (Romins) {7:19} For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. {7:20} But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. {7:21} I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. {7:22} For I joyfully concur with the Torah of G-d in the inner man, {7:23} but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the Torah of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. {7:24} Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? {7:25} Thanks be to G-d through Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) our L-rd! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Torah of G-d, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Let us face it; we are our own worst enemies! However, thanks to Yeshua HaMashiach, we have been delivered from ourselves!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

2010-08-11T04:46:00.001-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks as always, -Brother Bradley Avi

"Riches"

Parashat HaShavua Shoftim / Judges

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 51:12-52:12
Yochanan / John 1:19-27

Devarim {17:15} you shall surely set him king over you, whom HaShem your G-D shall choose: one from among your brothers shall you set king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. {17:16} Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitzrayim (Egypt), to the end that he may multiply horses; because HaShem has said to you, You shall henceforth return no more that way. {17:17} Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

I could not help but think of King Shlomo (Solomon) when I read this passage. If this was to be the standard by which a king in Yisrael (Israel) was to live, then Shlomo did everything wrong! Not only did King Shlomo multiply horses from Mitzrayim, but he also multiplied wives and amassed huge quantities of gold and silver.

Malachim Alef (1 Kings) {10:21} And all king Shlomo's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Shlomo. {10:27} And the king made silver to be in Yerushalyim (Jerusalem) as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

It is obvious to see that king Shlomo did everything wrong. The strange thing is that HaShem promised him great wealth. So, if on one hand the king was not to amass great wealth, but on the other hand HaShem promised Shlomo great wealth, then what can we make of this?

Divre Hayamim Bet (2 Chronicles) {1:11} And God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honour, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, {1:12} wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you."

As we know Shlomo’s wealth was one of the things that lead to his ultimate demise. His wealth and lavish life style certainly contributed to his amassing horses from Mitzrayim as well as his accumulation of hundreds of foreign wives, who eventually enticed him into idol worship. Was HaShem, therefore, responsible for Shlomo’s fall from grace? Was it G-d who set him up for that fall?

Mishlei (Proverbs) {26:1} As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

King Shlomo was certainly not a fool. As we know from the Psalmist that a fool is someone who denies that there is a G-d (Tehillim [Psalm] 14:1). Shlomo knew there was a G-d, yet towards the end of his life he acted like a fool in joining in with his wives in the worship of false gods. Although HaShem promised Shlomo wealth, He never gave him permission to use that wealth inappropriately by multiplying horses and wives; this was Shlomo’s own doing. The responsibility, therefore, for Shlomo’s demise rests totally on himself, nor can we say that HaShem set Shlomo up or even tempted him:

Ya’acov (James) {1:13} Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by G-d"; for G-d cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. {1:14} But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. {1:15} Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

So HaShem was not the one that set Shlomo up for his fall from His grace -- this too was Shlomo’s own doing. When Shlomo asked for wisdom and knowledge instead of wealth HaShem gave him wealth and honour as well. For wealth and honour in the hands of someone that has wisdom and knowledge should be totally manageable. Yet as wise and knowledgeable as Shlomo was wealth and honour still got the best of him.

I think that this is a good lesson for us all to learn because many of us think that if we had money, then we would do so much good with it. However, I think we should take our lesson from Shlomo, the wisest man that ever lived. That lesson is that power, wealth and honour -- even in the hands of those with surpassing wisdom and knowledge – corrupts a man! Let us rather learn from another King – Yeshua – who told us:

Mattityahu (Matthew) {8:20} And Yeshua said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." {11:29} "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Re'eh- Behold

2010-08-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

More wisdom from Rabbi Jack, thanks as always, Brother Brad
Parashat HaShavua Re'eh / Behold

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 54:11-55:5
Yochanan Aleph / 1 John 4:1-6

Devarim {13:1} If there arise in the midst of you a navi (prophet), or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, {13:2} and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; {13:3} you shall not listen to the words of that navi, or to that dreamer of dreams: for HaShem your G-D proves you, to know whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul). {13:4} You shall walk after HaShem your G-D, and fear Him, and keep His mitzvot (commandments), and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him. {13:5} That navi, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against HaShem your G-D, who brought you out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt), and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which HaShem your G-D commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.

This is an amazing passage of Scripture. It tells us something important. Actually, it does more than that. It is warning us about something very profound and very serious, something that is extremely relevant to our day. What it is telling us is that not all signs and wonders are from HaShem. Considering the direction that many churches and even some Messianic congregations are taking today, this is a very important warning. Why do I say this? I say it because Believers today are running to and fro, throughout the world, after the latest sign and wonder.

I think we need to be extremely discerning when it comes to signs and wonders. This applies even when that sign or wonder comes to pass, just as our passage of Scripture is saying. The fact that a prophecy, dream, sign or wonder has come to pass does not necessarily mean that it is from G-d. In fact we are warned that certain signs and wonders could come to try and convince us to server other gods.

So why then does HaShem allow signs and wonders that are not from Him? We know that HaShem is in control of everything and that nothing on the earth, under the earth or above the earth, whether in the physical or spiritual, takes place without His knowledge and approval. Well, we are told above that HaShem allows false signs and wonders to take place for the following reason:

Devarim {13:3} you shall not listen to the words of that navi, or to that dreamer of dreams: for HaShem your G-D proves you, to know whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul).

This is quite a sobering statement considering that Toronto, Canada, the city that our congregation is located in, is home to one of the largest “signs and wonders” churches in the world.

So what is HaShem testing in us when He sends us dreamers of dreams, prophets, signs and wonders that are not from Him? He wants to test us to see if we will do the following:

Devarim {13:3b}... whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul). {13:4} You shall walk after HaShem your G-D, and fear Him, and keep His mitzvoth, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him.

What does this mean? It means that we should be extremely reluctant to believe any dream, any prophecy, any sign or wonder coming from someone, or coming from a believing church or Messianic synagogue that does not follow the mitzvoth of HaShem - His Torah!

It goes without saying that HaShem’s mitzvot are outlined in His Torah. Yeshua, as we know, is G-d. As such when He instructed us to follow His commandments, being the composer of the Torah, He was instructing us to follow Torah. Yes, we can not perform those mitzvoth which are dependant on the existence of a Bet HaMikdash (Temple) because one does not exist, nor can we perform those mitzvot that are dependant on us living in HaAretz (The Land) if we are not living in HaAretz, but we are responsible to keep all the rest. I am also one that believes that this is incumbent on both Jewish and non-Jewish Believers alike because that is how HaShem said it was suppose to be.

So next time you encounter a dreamer of dreams, a prophet or signs and wonders emanating from a person who does not say and who’s fruit does not say that they follow or even believe in Torah, they are probably speaking rebellion against HaShem your G-d. Be reluctant to believe them!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Ekev "As a result"

2010-08-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks again, Brother, we do appreciate it. -Bradley

"The Ultimate Result"התוצאה הסופית

Parashat HaShavua Ekev / As a Result

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 49:14-51:3
Romim / Romans 8:31-39

Devarim {8:1} All the mitzvot (commandments) which I command you this day shall you observe to do, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which HaShem swore to your avot (fathers). {8:2} You shall remember all the way which HaShem your G-D has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His mitzvot, or not. {8:3} He humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your avot know; that He might make you know that ish (man) does not live by bread only, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of HaShem does ish live... {8:11} Beware lest you forget HaShem your G-D, in not keeping His mitzvoth, and His chukim (judgments), and His statutes, which I command you this day: {8:16} who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your avot did not know; that He might humble you, and that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end:

I trust you noticed that I skipped a few verses in quoting the above portion from this week’s Parasha. That is because I only wanted to quote verses that were pertinent to our discussion.

What I would like us to see here is that, firstly, HaShem wants us to obey Him and observe all His mitzvot. He has promised that if we keep them we will not only live, but we will prosper, we will multiply and we will also posses the land of our enemies. However, HaShem wants us to remember that even though we may be obedient to His mitzvot, He will find it necessary, from time to time, to humble us in order to test whether our commitment to Him is true. As He said above, He did this humbling by, among other things, causing bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) to hunger and then providing them with the most meager of food (manna), which under normal circumstances seem to physically nor nutritionally satisfy a person. However, this food miraculously does satisfy. In our Scripture passage He said He did this to show that “man does live on bread alone but on every Word which proceeds from the mouth of G-d” .

My wife and I are very health conscious. We try our best to eat healthy and nutritiously. However, both of us know, without a doubt, that no matter how well we eat and no matter how health conscience we are, without our being obedient to HaShem and His mitzvot, we would not be able to maintain good health. Our health and wellbeing does not depend on bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of G-d.

Today we are told that we must eat balanced healthy meals. Schools are removing Coca Cola and other potentially unhealthy drinks and food from their cafeterias’. However, these same schools have already taken G-d out of the classrooms -- G-d is barred from entering our school (at least the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov that is). What can we conclude then? Well, as HaShem has said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of G-d?” We can conclude, therefore, that man’s efforts to instill healthy eating habits into our schoolchildren will not produce a generation of healthy adults, at least in the long run anyways.

The second thing that I would like us to see is that HaShem sends adversity into our lives so as to humble us. I have noticed, in myself as well, that success is left unchecked then we can become self-serving, self-aggrandizing and snobbish. This can develop to the point where we look down on others and seek out only those people that can further our positions or our careers. Adversity in a person’s life certainly cures this problem. When problems strike you realize that you are not invincible or infallible, but that you are like everyone else in this wicked and perverse world. You are vulnerable and subject to sickness, disease, disasters and problems. Through this knowledge and through the experiencing of any one of these messengers from G-d, humility is produced in us.

The final thing that I would like us to see is that everything HaShem does to us, is done just as the last Scripture I quoted above states, “... that He might prove you, to do you good at your latter end:” haSatan (Satan) tempts us for the purpose that he might do us evil in the latter end. He wants us to fail, mess up and fall away from HaShem, but HaShem tests us so that we might know who we really are. He does it so that we will not be puffed-up, self serving and snobbish. HaShem tests us for the purpose of doing good to us in the latter end. Every time we pass a test and choose G-d’s will over or own we draw closer to HaShem, which will ultimately result in Him blessing us.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Va Etchanan- And I begged

2010-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto,we are always thanksful for your posts. -Bradley Avi

Parashat HaShavua Va'Etchanan / And I Begged

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 40:1-26
Mordechai / Mark 12:28-34

Devarim {5:17} "You shall not murder.

Mattityahu (Matthew) {5:17} "Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to complete. {5:18} "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or kotz (stroke) shall pass away from Torah, until all is accomplished. {5:19} "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these mitzvoth (commandments), and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. {5:20} "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. {5:21} "You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not commit murder” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the Sanhedrin.” {5:22} “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'You good for nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Did you notice things changed slightly with the coming of Yeshua. Instead of the Torah being eliminated it became even stricter! Why, because through the acceptance of Yeshua as our Messiah we became new creations and the fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:31-34 took place in us. The Torah of G-d, through Yeshua, has been internalized in us and as a result Yeshua redefines it for us.

In the Scriptures we just read Yeshua explains that murder is simply the progression down the path of anger. The first stage of murder, Yeshua says, is committed in a person’s heart. It is anger, anger that is directed at anyone. This is where the sin of murder first begins. The second stage of murder, Yeshua goes on to say, is when we say “Raca” to someone. The word “Raca” is to consider someone a good for nothing, a jerk. So the second stage of murder is achieved when our anger becomes contempt. The third stage of murder, Yeshua tells us, is when we call someone a fool. Here we are not only insulting their character, but we are also making a statement about their beliefs and attitude towards G-d. If you want to know why calling someone a fool is such a terrible thing, then check to see what the Book of Mishlei (Proverbs) has to say about a fool. The fourth stage of murder is when we actually take a person’s life.

Now, HaShem declared the physical punishment for the fourth stage of murder to be the physical death of the murderer. While man waits till the physical stage to administer punishment, G-d, in the spiritual realm, has already started administering His punishment right from the first stage -- right at the stage of anger! He doesn't wait for the actual physical manifestation of murder. As far as God is concerned there is no greater punishment than the punishment for murder that has taken place in our hearts.

Do you now understand that God sees anger and physical murder as just varying degrees of the same sin? All the three degrees of anger that I have just explained are considered murder by G-d. This means that all of us are guilty of murder when we are guilty of un-confessed, unrepentant anger in our hearts!

Did you ever get angry at someone because they made a mistake? Then you've committed murder! Husbands, if you were ever angry at your wife because you came home and your dinner wasn't ready, then you committed murder over a meal of spaghetti and meat balls! How about those of you who got angry at a waitress or a taxi driver? How many times have you insulted the integrity of a police officer or a customs officer? Have you made an insulting comment about someone's driving? If you have, then you committed murder! How about you guys who walk around so spiritual at Shul, but when you get home you throw temper tantrums? You have committed murder! How about you who would not talk to your spouse for a week because they forgot your birthday or anniversary? You are a murder! How about those of us who act so pious and then go scream at our children instead of disciplining them according to Scripture? By the way, if you done this last one, then you have also given your children a distorted picture of G-d, so you are worse than a murder! How many of us have murdered the waitress that took too long with our order; or the mechanic who didn't fix our car right; or the person on the other end of the phone; or the doctor who didn't seem to care; or the nurse who didn't do what we wanted the moment we asked? How many of us have murdered our bosses, or our employees? How many of us have murdered our entire family with anger when we come home tired and discouraged after a hard day's work? How many of us have murdered G-d? This is pretty sobering information, is it not?

Do you want to go through life being angry? I am sure you do not! If this is the case, then I am going to offer you a solution. Every time you start getting angry, pray; pray especially for the person you are angry with. Pour your heart and your life into them. Instead of being known as an angry person be known as a prayerful person.

Before we close there is something that I want to point out, so hold on a minute! Even though we are all guilty of the first three stages of murder we all have the opportunity to be pardoned. We do not have to go to the electric chair or spend a day in prison or live eternally in hell. If you are a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach as your L-rd and Saviour, then you only need to confess your sin and ask for forgiveness and the blood shed for you on the tree will set you free. However, if you have never accepted Yeshua as your Messiah and you are guilty of murder, then you have two choices. 1) You can continue suffering the consequences for what you have done, which are already at work in your life or 2) You can accept Yeshua as your Mashiach (Messiah) now and ask for His forgiveness and all of your past sin will be washed away by His atoning blood.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Devarim - Words

2010-07-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, Thanks again, Brad

Parashat HaShavua Devarim / Words

This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 1:1-27
Timoteos Alef / 1 Timothy 3:1-7

Devarim {1:20} I said to you, You are come to the hill-country of the Amorites, which HaShem our G-D gives to us. {1:21} Behold, HaShem your G-D has set the land before you: go up, take possession, as HaShem, the G-D of your avot (fathers), has spoken to you; do not be afraid, neither be dismayed. {1:22} You came near to me everyone of you, and said, Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come. {1:23} The thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one ish (man) for every tribe:

This incident just sticks in my throat. What happened to Moshe’s faith? Did he not learn anything from the incident where he was supposed to speak to the rock instead of striking it? Obviously not! HaShem specifically told him that bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) would conquer the land and that it was a land flowing with milk and honey. So then why on earth would Moshe agree to a suggestion by the masses that he should send spies to confirm what HaShem had already told him? After all this was G-d’s land, it was a good land and they were going to possess it -- end of story!

Devarim {6:1} Do not put HaShem your G-d to the test, as you testedHim at Massah.

Moshe himself told bnei Yisrael not to put G-d to the test, yet here he was putting HaShem to the test. We recall when Zecharyah (Zechariah), Yochanan (John) the immerser’s father, put HaShem to the test. In the Brit Chadasha when Zecharyah was told that he was going to have a son he was also told that he was to call him Yochanan. Zecharyah asked the angel for a sign for confirmation. Zecharyah did not accept what he had been told, even though the word was coming from G-d. He too put HaShem to the test. This angered HaShem and He struck Zecharyah unable to speak, until after the birth of his son.

HaShem has told us many things in His Word. Much of it can be applied directly to our lives, yet many of us second guess Him. We want confirmations, signs and wonders instead of just believing and trusting in what HaShem has said.

Most commentators blame the ten spies for causing bnei Yisrael to be cursed with having to wander around, aimlessly, Bamidbar (in the wilderness) for forty years. In fact, Moshe also put the blame on the people, as we see from this verse:

Devarim {1:26} Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the Mitzvah (Command) of HaShem your G-D: {1:27} and you murmured in your tents, and said, Because HaShem hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt), to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

Notice the “you rebelled,” and the “you murmured.” It is very possible, even probable, that the people would have never rebelled or murmured if Moshe would have just taken bnei Yisrael to the boarder of the Promise Land, trusted HaShem, taken Him at His Word and leads the people into the land. Instead, Moshe put G-d to the test and left himself and the people open to sin. Yes it can be said that fault lies squarely with Moshe.

As a leader I take the lesson I have received from Parasha Devarim very seriously. I study HaShem’s Word, reading it from cover to cover, once each year. I familiarize myself with everything HaShem has said and everything He has promised and then, to the best of my ability, I stand on His Word -- even when prompted by others to put Him to the test.

There is no guarantee that bnei Yisrael would have accepted Moshe’s final word to believe HaShem and therefore follow him into the Land, a land that was theirs for the taking; they may have rebelled anyway. But we will never know now will we?

How much wandering have we all done because of our not trusting HaShem’s Word? How many times has this lack of trust / faith resulted in us putting HaShem to the test? Sometimes I wonder how my life would have been different if I had totally, at all times, taken HaShem at His Word, but then again I will never know, will I!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Matot-Masei: Tribes-Journey

2010-07-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks again, Rabbi Jack-
"האם זה באמת יכול להחשב כעבודה"
"Can It Really Be Classified As Work"

Parashat HaShavua Matot-Masei / Tribes-Journeys

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 30:2-36:13
Yirmiyahu / Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4
Piliphim / Philippines 1:12-16
Yaacov / James 4:1-12

Bamidbar {31:21} El'azar the cohen (priest) said to the men of war who went to the battle, This is the statute of the Torah which HaShem has commanded Moshe: {31:22} however the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, {31:23} everything that may abide the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be tahor (ritually clean) ; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that does not withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water. {31:24} You shall wash your clothes on hash'vi‘i (the seventh) day, and you shall be tahor; and afterward you shall come into the camp.

Hello all you legalists out there -- did you read this? HaShem told the men who went to war to wash their clothes on the seventh day. This means that the seventh day could have very easily fallen on a Shabbat – a war ends on Sunday means there needs to be a wash on the Shabbat! How can that be? How could G-d tell us in His Word not to work on the Shabbat and then turn around and instruct these men of war to wash their clothes on the seventh day -- even if it may fall on the Shabbat? The answer is very simple and Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) gave us the answer in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant).

Mordechai (Mark) {2:27} And He was saying to them, "The Shabbat was made for man, and not man for the Shabbat.

What this verse is saying is that we were not made to serve Shabbat; Shabbat was made to serve us. Shabbat was to be a mandatory day off. This was something unheard off in the pagan world.

HaShem is not legalistic; He is a compassionate, loving, caring and understanding G-d. These men of war in our Parasha had just finished fighting a battle on behalf of HaShem. We are not told exactly how many days the battle was raging, it probably went on for days, nor are we told what day the battle ended. The warriors were no doubt tired, they were weary. I am sure that, once the battle was won and everything was over, they all wanted nothing more than to go home to their respective families. However, before they could enter the camp they had to fulfill the command of G-d. They had to fulfill the commandment to remain outside of the camp for seven days and on the seventh day they were to purify themselves and wash their cloths. After doing all of this they could enter the camp. As I said above, it is totally possible that the seventh day would fall on the Shabbat. If it had, was HaShem, the compassionate G-d, going to make these men wait an extra day before being allowed to go home to their families? I think not! He would allow the men to wash their clothes, even though it was a Shabbat, presumably so that they could re-enter the camp and rejoin their families without any further delay.

Mordechai {3:4} And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Shabbat to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.

Obviously it is lawful to do good on the Shabbat. So, even though these men had to fulfill their required seven days outside the camp, reuniting these men of war with their loved ones after they had experienced the horrors of battle was clearly something that is good and, therefore, lawful -- even if it meant washing their clothes on the Shabbat.

Some people need to take a good hard look at themselves and the man made rules

they impose on themselves and other people. In certain areas of Torah and under certain conditions HaShem may not be as dogmatic or as harsh as we may think or make Him out to be.

While I do not know if any of these men of war were in the laundry business during their regular 9-5 jobs, I am sure that, for the ones who were married, it was their wives’ who did the laundry and not them when they went home. So, can what they were asked to do if it fell on the Shabbat really be classified as work? Seems not!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Phinehas- Number 25:10-30:1

2010-06-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks again, brother.

Parashat HaShavua Pinchas / Phinehas

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 25:10-30:1
Yermiyahu / Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
Yochanan / John 2:13-20

Bamidbar {27:1} Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, ben (son of) Hepher, ben Gilead, ben Machir, ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Yoseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noach, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. {27:2} They stood before Moshe, and before El'azar the cohen (priest), and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), saying, {27:3} Our 'av (father) died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against HaShem in the company of Korach: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. {27:4} Why should the name of our 'av be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our 'av. {27:5} Moshe brought their cause before HaShem. {27:6} HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, {27:7} The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their av-'s brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their 'av to pass to them. {27:8} You shall speak to bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), saying, If an ish (man) die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

Of all the Scriptures in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) this one passage of Scripture has great significance when it come to Yeshua HaMashiach and his physical right to be king in Yisrael. How is that possible seeing as this passage of Scripture deals with the daughters of Zelophehad and the distribution of his inheritance during the time of Moshe? Zelophehad’s daughters, being women, were going to be disenfranchised from any inheritance because the inheritance and distribution of the land was to pass thought the sons and not through the daughters. Zelophehad died without a son, but he did have five daughters.

So how does this passage of Scripture have any significance to Yeshua HaMashiach? When we consider that the inheritance passed only through the son then the significance is great indeed. It all starts with Yeshua HaMashiach’s genealogy given to us by Uri (Luke).

Uri kept to strict Jewish laws in tracing the genealogy of Yeshua. In order for him to do that he could not mention the names of any women, not even Miriam, Yeshua’s mother. This is despite the fact that it was through her lineage that he was tracing the kingly line of Yeshua. Uri did not skip names in giving us his genealogy either, another strich Jewish law. Uri in his genealogy showed that Yeshua could be king because He was of the house of David, but not of King Jechoniah’s lineage upon which there was a curse.

Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) {22:28} Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? {22:29} O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of HaShem. {22:30} Thus say HaShem, Write this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Uri began his gospel with the virgin birth. He told us that Yeshua was supposedly the son of Yosef, but he was really the grandson of Heli. The fact is that Heli was the father of Miriam, but Yosef was not Yeshua’s father. Uri wanted to trace Yeshua’s genealogy through Miriam so he associated Him with Miriam’s father. In writings of the first and second centuries, rabbis commonly referred to Yeshua as “the son of Heli.” It is also not unknown in Jewish history to trace a man’s origin through his wife. That is what Uri was doing in his genealogy. He was tracing Yeshua’s lineage through Miriam, as Yosef’s wife; seeing as Yosef was not Yeshua’s father. Two Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) examples of this method are found in Ezra 2:60-61, and Nehemiah 7:63. So it is not something unusual, even according to biblical standards.

What we found in Uri’s genealogy was the potential that Heli died and left only his daughter Miriam as his heir, and that he did not have a son. If this is true, then we can see from our Parasha this week that Miriam was allowed to receive her father’s inheritance. In addition, Miriam would have fulfilled the other Torah requirement of female inheritance by marrying one from her own tribe:

Bamidbar {36:6} This is the thing which HaShem does command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them be married to whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their av shall they be married. {36:7} So shall no inheritance of bnei Yisrael remove from tribe to tribe; for bnei Yisrael shall cleave everyone to the inheritance of the tribe of his avot (fathers).

Both Miriam and Yosef were from the tribe of Y’hudah (Judah). This would have enabled her to pass on the inheritance of the Davidic lineage from her father to her Son. Therefore, Yeshua had legal right to be the physical King of Yisrael through his mother, Miriam. HaShem had prepared the way for Yeshua HaMashiach to be the eternal Melech Yisrael (King of Israel).

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Balak- Numbers 19:1-25:9

2010-06-29T04:04:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto. Thanks again, Rabbi Jack.

"Aviod Being Cursed"

Parashat HaShavua Balak / Balak

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 19:1-25:9
Mikhah / Micah 5:6-6:8
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 1:20-31

Bamidbar {22:2} Balak ben (son of) Zippor saw all that Yisrael (Israel) had done to the Amorites. {22:3} Moav was so afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moav was distressed because of bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel). {22:4} Moav said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Balak ben Zippor was king of Moav at that time. {22:5} He sent messengers to Bilaam ben B'or, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the bnei (children) of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Mitzrayim: behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they abide over against me. {22:6} Please come now, therefore, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

Bamidbar {23:7} He took up his parable, and said, From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Moav from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Ya'akov, Come, defy Yisrael. {23:8} How shall I curse, whom G-D has not cursed?

We know from reading the entire parasha, parasha Balak, that even though greedy Bilaam tried as hard as he could, he was unable to curse bnei Yisrael. In fact as we see from verse 8 above he conceded that he was unable to curse whom HaShem had blessed. I think this is a lesson everyone of us should learn and understand. Satan is not in control of who gets cursed and who does not! Obviously HaShem is in complete control of who is blessed and who is cursed. The fact is that Satan can not do anything without G-d’s prior approval. If you think for a minute that anyone can put a curse on a born-again child of G-d any time they want, then you are greatly mistaken.

Sadly, in the years I have been a Messianic leader I have encountered people who have claimed that a curse had been placed on them. Now certainly you can be cursed and under certain conditions a curse can be placed upon a person, but only, as I said, under certain conditions. What are those conditions? The first and most obvious one is if you are not a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach and you have not made Him your L-rd and Saviour. The second is if you are a Believer in Yeshua HaMashiach and you have intentionally or inadvertently sinned without repenting.

There is only one of two camps that a person can be in -- either in G-d’s camp or in Satan’s camp! Satan is the ruler of the powers and principalities of the earth. In other words, he controls the world system as we know it today. That is why there is so much evil on the earth.

At the fall of man, when Adam and Eve disobeyed G-d, sin entered into the world and with sin humankind became slaves to Satan, the lord of sin. G-d, who can not look upon sin because he himself is sinless, therefore, turned His back on mankind and man was no longer under G-d’s protection – they were cursed. The korban (draw near offering / sacrifice) system, as inaugurated by G-d, and outlined in the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus), remedied that situation with the use of substitutionary offerings. Through confession and repentance, a man’s sin was transferred to a sinless animal and that animal’s blood was shed instead of the sinners.

Vayikra {17:11} For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the mitzbe’ach (altar) to make Kapparah (Atonement) for your nef'shim (souls) : for it is the blood that makes Kapparah by reason the life.

This korban system was a shadow of the korban that eventually G-d Himself provided by coming to earth as a human being. Only G-d could fulfill the requirements of His own law of sin equals death by dying on our behalf. Whoever, therefore, receives and associates himself with what HaShem has done for us, by receiving Yeshua HaMashiach as the Lamb of G-d who takes away our sins, becomes a child of G-d and, therefore, is under His control and protection.

Bnei Yisrael was covered by the korban system while on the plains of Moab. So long as they remained in a state of confession and repentance they were under HaShem’s protection and, therefore, unable to be cursed. However, as soon as they entered into the realm of sin, as we will see in next week’s Parasha, HaShem’s protection was lifted from them and they entered into Satanic territory where HaShem allowed them to be cursed. This resulted in thousands dying. Pay attention and learn from the following passage of Scripture:

Shmuel Alef (1 Samuel) {18:9} And Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. {18:10} Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from G-d came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul's hand.

King Saul had been a believer and was, therefore, under the protection of HaShem but as soon as he sinned that protection was lifted and he was under the influence of Satan. Notice the underlined portion of the verse. The evil spirit was from G-d. That tells us, as I said before, that Satan can not do anything without being allowed to by G-d. And G-d will not allow Satan to curse a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach so long as they remain in a state of confession and repentance.

How can you avoid being cursed? Receive Yeshua HaMashiach as your L-rd and Saviour, then live a life of confession and repentance and be transformed from a sinner into a saint.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
Visit our Webpage @ www.cmy.on.ca / cmy@ca.inter.net

Parashat HaShavua Chukat- Numbers 19:1-22:1

2010-06-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

Another devotional thought from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks again, -Brad
Parashat HaShavua Chukat / Statute

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 19:1-22:1
Shoftim / Judges 11:1-33
Yochanan / John 3:10-21

Bamidbar {20:1} Bnei Yisrael (The children of Israel), even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. {20:2} There was no water for the congregation: and they assembled themselves together against Moshe (Moses) and against Aharon (Aaron). {20:3} The people strove with Moshe, and spoke, saying, Would that we had died when our brothers died before HaShem! {20:4} Why have you brought the assembly of HaShem into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? {20:5} Why have you made us to come up out of Mitzrayim (Egypt), to bring us in to this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Hold on a minute; are not these the same bnei Yisrael that, when offered to enter the Promise Land by Moshe (a land flowing with milk and honey, a land from were they were shown a bunch of grapes that had to be carried on a pole between two men), refused to enter. So how come they are now accusing Moshe and Aharon of taking them to this place of desolation and holding Moshe and Aharon responsible for the assembly being stuck in the wilderness. These people had the opportunity to enter into the good and prosperous land HaShem had offered them, but they rebelled and refused to enter. Yes, they rejected the occasion to enjoy an abundance of figs, vines and pomegranates because they were told by a few negative people about the scary giants that occupied the land.

When you think about it not much has changed in the Promise Land over the last five thousand years. It is still a scary place. Even though Yisrael occupies most of the land there are still pockets of the enemy that were never driven out.

Bamidbar {33:55} But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those who you let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land in which you dwell. {33:56} It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you.

Certainly this passage of Scripture is as true today as it was the day that it was written. The inhabitants of the land are vexing Yisrael; they are a thorn in their side and pricks in their eyes -- today. Yisrael is as surrounded by enemies today as she was thousands of years ago. So not only is she being threatened from within, but also from without. The only real solution, the solution HaShem proposed, which is to expel them, is unthinkable today. Well, that is only true if Yisrael wants to be in sink with the rest of the secular world, and she most definitely does. However, G-d’s Word is true and we read and hear the results of Yisrael’s disobedience daily, over and over again, in the media.

What is even more disturbing is that most Jewish people who are living in the Diaspora, a number that exceeds those living in the land, when asked if they would immigrate to Yisrael say something that sounds all to familiar, “It is too dangerous there. I do not what my children to go to the army. It is surrounded by hostile nations,” and so on. What are they in fact saying? It is the same thing that was said more than five thousand years ago, “We will not go in because there are giants in the land!”

In addition Yisrael as a nation is also extremely secular. They have a form of religion, but they deny the power thereof. Religion to most Israelis is tradition and not a relationship with their G-d.

Shoftim (Judges) {2:21} I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Yehoshua (Joshua) left when he died, {2:22} in order to test Yisrael by them, whether they will keep the way of HaShem to walk in it as their fathers did, or not." {2:23} So HaShem allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not give them into the hand of Yehoshua.

I think we could all agree that, up until now, bnei Yisrael have failed their test.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
Visit our Webpage @ www.cmy.on.ca / cmy@ca.inter.net
272 Ranee Ave Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A-1N6, Tel: 416-785-7612
An ever changing Messianic Jewish website
till King Mashiach Yeshua comes back!!!

The Brick Testament version of Korah's Rebellion

2010-06-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Very cleaver people took Lego pieces and made a version of many popular Bible stories. In case you haven't see this, you can find Korah's Rebellion at:

http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_wilderness/the_second_rebellion/nm16_01-02.html

Kinda cute, and a different way to share a Bible story. God's grace to you and yours, Brad

Korah Numbers 16:1-18:32

2010-06-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, thanks again, Brad
"כובד המשר"
The Weight Of The Position

Parashat HaShavua Korach / Korah

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 16:1-18:32
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 66:1-24
Romim / Romans 13:1-7

Bamidbar {18:1} HaShem said to Aharon (Aaron), You and your sons and your avot' (father’s) house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. {18:2} Your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your 'ab (father), bring you near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you: but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony. {18:3} They shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent: only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you. {18:4} They shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), for all the service of the Tent: and a Ger (Stranger) shall not come near to you. {18:5} You shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be wrath no more on bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel).

This passage contains some very serious instructions! So serious in fact that I think we should look at the passage again:

Bamidbar {18:1} HaShem said to Aharon, You and your sons and your avot' house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

Do you understand what this means? It means that everything that went on in the Tabernacle was the responsibility of Aharon and his sons, they were held accountable. That means that all the korbanot (draw near offerings) brought by the people, all the confessing and repenting that takes place, all the procedures involved in running the Tabernacle, everything that happens, everything that is done and everything that is taught by either Aharon, his sons, even unto those in his father’s house (the Levites) was their responsibility. To put in it in plain terms, if in any way anyone messed up, said the wrong things, taught the wrong things or did the wrong things they would be held accountable even unto their father’s house. We saw an example of what the consequences of accountability were when Aharon’s sons Nadab and Abihu messed up and died. I do not know about you, but this would make me want to think twice before taking on the responsibility of being a priest.

The fact is, however, that this heavy duty of responsibility still applies to congregational leaders today, and I do not mean only the rabbi, but rather everyone in leadership.

Ya’acov (James) {3:1} Let not many of you become teachers, my brothers, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

This sure sounds similar to what we just read above. The same heavy responsibility that was placed upon Aharon and his family has been extended in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) upon everyone in any position of leadership.

I can tell you that I consider this responsibility every time I do something here at Congregation Melech Yisrael. That could be the reason that sometimes people may find me harsh or uncompromising. I feel that if I am going to be the one held responsible and accountable, then I am going to be the one to make the decision. Of course I never make any significant decision alone, but always consult with the other leadership of the congregation and get them involved in the decision making process. The accountability and responsibility, therefore, is divided amongst us. However, I do admit that I fight hard for what is right and what is biblical. Sadly I know and I have come across many unscrupulous congregational leaders who abuse their positions and I shudder at the thought of the consequences that they are going to have to face. For instance consider this passage:

Mattityahu (Matthew) {5:18} “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. {5:19} Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The Law Yeshua is talking about is the Torah. The smallest of the Hebrew letter, also know as a tittle, or stroke that He is talking about is the yod and kotz (horn). Kotz refers to the small thorn-like point that juts out of a letter.

Well, as we know all heaven and earth has not passed away, as of yet anyway, and we know that will not happen until after the millennium age of Mashiach.

Hitgalut (Revelation) {21:1} And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

I find it kind of scary when I consider all the churches and all the pastors who teach and preach that we are no longer under the Torah “Law” .

Ivrim (Hebrews) {13:17} Obey your leaders, and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
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till King Mashiach Yeshua comes back!!!
Shalom Shalom

A Guaranteed catastrophic failure-1st text

2010-06-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is a rough draft of a text I had put together. It it in many respects a deconstructive piece of the church at the first part of the 21 Century and at other points it is a testimonial of Chistian work/ministry. For some this may be vitally helpful, for others this maybe silly or worthless, but please accept this in the spirit it was given, as an attempt for one Child of God to share concerns about the institution which has been so important to us for this many years. God's grace to you and yours, -Brother Bradley Avi

It happened nearly 2000 years ago on an obscure piece of land lost among the Great Roman Empire. A relatively unknown, not profoundly well travelled, not well educated man began to speak in the desert. He was called Yocanhan, and being of a priestly family he was performing a ritual called a mikvah, on those who came. This Mikvah (ritual bath) was two fold. It identified their desire to start a new life and to bear fruit in showing that they have repentant (turned away) from their former (evil) behaviour. It also prepared them for what was to come, in similar manner to the way the children of Israel did when they washed themselves and their clothes before they saw their God on Mt Sinai. These people were preparing to see their God.
So, in practical terms… what did Yocanhan (who we know as John the Baptist) recommend? What was he telling people to do?
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…
And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do?
And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.
And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do?
And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you.
And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.

For a number of days now, I have felt a deeper and deeper impression that we missed the boat. I feel that God told us what we should do, as disciples, and then we chose a completely different path. This path is one which has moral social standing. It has public and private perks. It is orderly, acceptable and doesn’t infringe on our lives. In short, my greatest fear is that in mass we have rejected the radical things Jesus said and replaced them with a different gospel.
Please allow my to show you what I see. Imagine, if you can, that you are seeing some of these things for the very first time. One of the most difficult items of any such critique is that our familiarity to the modern church often keeps us from looking very closely. We don’t often look when we think we already know. However, this process of careful scrutiny I think is necessary to bring clarity. Try to pretend, you just don’t know.
See, if it is possible, when you examine the truth and expectations of Jesus for his disciples how they conform or contrast this with what you see today.

The present Situation
Every Sunday morning, well dressed, predominately middle class people in acceptable homes and all the signs of personal wealth and (order), drive to large structures and file in from roughly 9:00am to noon. It is a pleasant enough place. The “church building” is often bright and cheery. The lobby is comfortable and usually allows for mingling. Much smiles and hand shaking happens there, perhaps a few welcoming hugs. There is brightly coloured booklets and flyers intended to advertise one program or another or perhaps to provide some level of education. It is well kept. There are often flowers in every season. There may be beautiful art work, or stained glass. The sanctuary
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is intended to inspire a hush as one enters in, or at least a feeling of reverence.
The session opens with a lively song, or perhaps with a welcome message from a very friendly person at the front. He/she demands little from you, often inviting you to “enjoy”. And what is not to enjoy? The music, whether you know the songs or not, are easy to pick up on. There may be a special music number. There may be some stories to inspire. Sometimes a multimedia presentation. Somewhere, there is what is called an offering, that goes to help the expenses of the “church”. Finally, there is some sort of main message. Generally, this is given by the pastor (the key leader) of the “local church”. It is a teaching generally designed to take something from the Bible, or a church teaching and bring it down to be understood and enjoyed at the most common level. It is often interspersed with comedy and engaging stories (programmed within every 10 minutes or less). The message is generally not allowed to go very long. It would be rare to find someone “preach” for even 30 minutes. A form of personal application ends the message and some sort of “wrap up” happens. Generally, this is a song, but there can be other ways. The group is dismissed and they walk out of the sanctuary and mingle a bit before they head for home.
The people who are there, as I mentioned, tend to represent the middle class, neither too far to affluence nor to poverty. They tend to be moral, conservative values, family people. The “church” is their social organization. They are pious. Generally, they do believe what they say. They have high regard for their church and varying degrees of church loyalty. They see their church as a worship center (a place to collectively worship their God). The church is an education center. Aside from main church services, they often have Sunday School-electives, perhaps a Sunday evening worship, weekly Bible studies of various sorts for different target groups, perhaps a mid-week service and a youth program (activities targeting teen, perhaps Jr. High and College age depending on the size and structure of the church). This church may support some sort of “mission work”. A lot of this is overseas stuff. Somewhere in the church is often a poster or wall telling who “their missionaries” are and where they are working. If there have been any resent updates (a letter) from the missionary, it will be posted there. The church may or may not be denominational. If it is a part of a denomination, then there will be some effort to affirm that their “denomination” is the most true, right, best representation of God in the world today. If not, then the church will often glory in the fact that they are “more Biblical” and aren’t a part of any of those denominations.
The pastor(s) are polite and professional. They are generally trained at a vocational institute. They have various degrees from a Bible certificate to a doctorate, generally based on size of the church. In an average church (under 200 people) or denominational church a Masters degree is standard. Other church leaders will come from various backgrounds, and will do this work on a volunteer basis. If they fill a teaching role they are often given very specific courses to teach so that they don’t veer too far off track. Generally, teachers like this, since it saves them preparation time, while allowing them to still teach a good class.
The overall impression that is meant to be conveyed is safety and security. It is non-offensive. It is orderly and controlled. A set course on almost any Biblical area is
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observed and although some small variances are tolerated, there is very little wiggle room outside those small opinions.
I don’t want to say there are no other church models. There really are. There are the mega churches (usually at least several hundred people attending). They are all of the template just described, but with far more expertise. Their programs are bigger, better attended and their budgets are much larger. They are run much more like a “nice” corporation. Order is even more important there.
There are also, what is generally considered small town churches (or church plants) which allow for a bit more flexibility. They may have to abandon programs that are not well attended . They may start some programs sooner then would match their size based on interest or resources; however, they typically have at their core (template) all the same values, but just not the ability to do them as effectively due to the constraints of budget, manpower, and/or desire.
I love this institution. Let me say this again. I love this institution. I was raised in this environment. I was trained to be a pastor. I served in various roles in various churches. I understand and embrace this experience. I have over the years hoped too much for it’s effectiveness. I, for example, have been under the false belief (as all pastors are taught) that people are there for the message (the preaching). Everything is a rising experience for the best part which is the message that God has given to His people. This message that I, the pastor, would share with my flock.
Further, I have laboured with the expectation that the church is outside of traditional institutions. It won’t run like a club, or a business. There is no need for diplomacy, we are the people of God. I have convinced myself that God’s work (of which I called the church) will continue forever, even in the face of church closures and splits. I have believed that long time members will be spiritually full grown. I have also believed that all God’s people will embrace a local church. These beliefs constantly fly in the face of my experience. I have, in resent years, found many people reject that structure and institute, while still passionately embracing God.

A new design
I sincerely believe that we are on the edge of a turning wheel. I think we are about to enter another rotation, one which is far different historically then we have seen in the past. I think the old model of church is over. In fact, it was probably over years ago, but we within the church tend to reject this concept of finality and still embrace ancient “orderly institutions”, even if it is obvious they are not doing what they intended. Now is the time to look to this new design and much to our amazement, we are likely to find that the new design is a lot like a very old design. My hope is when all is said and done, we will actually find what Jesus intended for his own disciples.

A personal note:
Forgive me this intrusion, but I want you to know, that although I have seen what this vision looks like, I am just barely on the path. I have a long way to go. I am a husband and father of 8. I am 39 years old. I trained as a pastor, missionary, worked for a
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Bible college and worked in personal finance. I have failed to live up to what Jesus has set before me and I sorrow for wasted years. Everyday I am struggling with the way we put these principle into practice. In fact, it is painful. My world works better in that old church model. I am Rev. Brad Lang there. I have respect. I know the language. I accept the admiration of my peers, and can easily find a place. It is for me the broad (the easy path), but today I am trying to choose the more difficult path. The other path is overgrown and does not even look like a path. It looks like it leads to nowhere, and yet, I am confident, this is the lone path I must follow. I hope you can see this concept as well, but please do not hold me as the model. I am just the messenger and fellow walker on this journey.

So, where is this going?
Although I will review my concepts at the end, it might be fair to show a picture, a contrasting picture of what I call a “guaranteed catastrophic failure”, and that is to make disciples according to the values that Jesus set. Wow, I can hear you saying…so, what? Isn’t that what all the churches everywhere strive to do? NO. I say this as a former pastor. I think no church leader wants a single Jesus-style disciple anywhere near his congregation. He may give lip service to this idea. He may even think that he would like this, but in his most honest moment he would likely admit to himself that such a thing would be terrible. To do so would threaten his very existence. It would be challenging and convicting to any pastor, (as I feel now). Most would not tolerate it. Such a brother would need to be silenced, at the least. In fact, I think being expelled from the church would be more likely.

The Pastor:
Please don’t get me wrong, the pastor, by and large, is a great person. He (or she) was someone who could have chosen a hundred different professions, and yet they chose to lead a church. Many of them, as I did, threw away scholarships to fine schools to go to more obscure places and learn how to be a church leader. They have spent years in study of Scripture. They may be able to read 1 or more of the original languages that the Bible was written in. They learn theology and church administration. They learn about models of church structure, preaching and teaching. They continue to hone their craft of preaching and leadership (administration) and become fully trained pastors. Their programs were designed to make them a successful pastor. In today’s world, these people often go into debt to reach that final goal. They give much for this goal.
My own Alma Mata (Briercrest Bible College) for the upcoming year charges for meals, a dorm room, and 15 credits per semester 5 x 3 credit classes, per semester would be $10,065.00 if paid up front in full. It would be more if you chose an instalment program, and that does not include any costs of books, photocopying, travel, costs to do your laundry etc. So, bare bones, you would have to pay $10,065 each year. For a degree in Christian education (as it stands today) you would have to attend just over 5 years at that rate. A BA degree from the Bible School I graduated from would be at least $51,000 (plus some extra costs and not counting any “price increases” in the next 5 years). If you
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want a seminary degree you can count on another $40,000 and three more years. So, a normal pastor today training in a middle size church (under 200 people) would be on the hook for roughly $90,000 to $100,000 and 8 full years of their life.
This post (the pastor) in Canada today has an average earnings between $33,017 to $66,912 depending on the size of the church and years of service according to the latest Stats Canada survey. This also assumes a “full-time” pastoral position. Many do not find a full time position. Some try to make ends meet on a part time salary or have to go around trying to see if they can find other churches which will help support their church efforts by taking them on as a charity project. Some take a position in a sort of “volunteer basis” and hope that there may be some compensation (pay) along the way. This career is unlike any other career I have ever seen.
I am hoping to generate some sympathy for this position, and to recognize that these people in professional church ministry are really very sincere, talented, dedicated people who are trying to do their best with a system that many people are beginning to see is out of touch with their world.
I have known many pastors over the years and have found very few that I have not enjoyed, yet some of my harshest criticism of Christian church ministry is levelled at them.
The reason, I point to the pastor first, will become obvious in a moment. I ran through a number of church budget surveys the other day to see what type of “budgets” we find in a church. I was working with a theory that “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). What I found was remarkably similar from small churches to large churches. Somewhere between 42% and 51% percent on average of the entire church budget is spent on pastoral (or church workers) salaries. I have already said generally a pastor is rarely “overpaid”. For someone with their level of education and “professionalism” there would be few places to be paid as little. They also often lack benefits that are common with almost every other sort of job. They may not have a retirement program. They may not have supplemental health care, dental, etc. This is not living in the lap of luxury. I think one can see that with the level of “student loan” today, there are many pastors who can not afford to even “serve” because their wages would not cover their student loan much less a survivable income.
Many pastors also have a significant lack of job security. Today, most of us are familiar with the fact that even what was perceived as a “stable, secure” job may not be as stable and secure as we thought. Just ask some of the factory workers or auto assembly staff who have watched their jobs vanish over the last few years. However, in times where my position has been phased out or staff were cut, I found that this was often quite gentle. I knew that the company was going through difficulties. There was generally efforts to communicate that this action was “not my fault”. It was no fun being “removed from your position”, but there was always kindness involved at every stage. Many times these same former employers would call me back at the first change that there was a need for new staff.
A removal of a pastor can be much quicker and uglier. It can be far more emotionally taxing and leave one in a serious financial situation. Upsetting the wrong
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person can get you unemployed. One confidence vote can send the pastor packing. If the church owns the parsonage (house for the pastor and his family to live), then he is also homeless.
However, back to my former assertion, half of most church budgets go to salary.
When I was in my early 20s, I came up with a radical thought. It was not a unique thought to me, but it felt as if I was the only person asking the question. “When did we start paying professional pastors?” I figured it must be Biblical. Many pastors have gone into great lengths to explain that it is entrenched or at the very least implied that a vocational pastor was the standard. The reality is this reflects more eisegesis (putting meaning into a passage, a Bible interpretation “no no“) rather then exegesis (drawing meaning out from a passage).
Some pastors suggest (using an understanding called “Covenantal Theology” that in the Old Testament there were priests who did service for the Temple, and they were entitled to eat some of the food that was used in certain types of sacrifices. In the New Testament there were pastors who should also be paid for their service.
The first problem with this should be obvious. The people who are characters in the New Testament are not aware that they are in the New Testament. They still go to the Temple. They still brought sacrifices to the priests. They still had the priests take their due from the sacrifices. It is silly to say that they saw this substitution, since this substitution theology (with the destruction of the temple) did not happen until almost the entire New Testament was penned.
Paul does make some statements and I think they are very appropriate that when people come and share in their meetings, they are worthy of their hire (1 Tim 5:18). I think the most convincing argument for a paid clergy is 1 Corinthians 9:1-15. In this, Paul (who is not accepting a salary from the church: 1 Cor 9:12 and 14) is asking a series of rhetorical questions about whether there should be any compensation for those who are the head of the larger church body. In fact, his main point seems to centre on the question of “when the big name, high profile, apostles show up, is it appropriate to feed them? Or do they have to fend for themselves?” He says take care of them. In fact, he could ask the same, but he doesn’t. Most people will remember that Paul was a tent maker (Ac 18:1-3) and generally funded him own ministry.
In all honesty, I don’t want to suggest that Paul does not make any allowances for a “professional ministry”, in fact, he does, comparing the role of the priest (as I said earlier) he says this:
1 Cor 9:13-14 Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?
Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.

I need to point out a subtle item here. Paul does not say “ignore the temple, because now we have paid pastors”. Paul is saying God does have examples of people who receive some material benefit from the ministry they do, and it is not right to make everyone be as he is and fund their own service. I would suggest, that although Paul does
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not practice this paid minister role himself, he does make some allowance for it.
Now, is the person Paul speaks of the pastor? To be honest, I don’t think so. The churches in the New Testament were not formalized institutions like ours today. Paul is talking about someone who “proclaims the Gospel“ (:14). In a general sense one could argue all of Christ’s people do proclaim the Gospel, but it would be a bit difficult to imagine that Paul is speaking that all believers should be paid a salary for this duty.
Paul mentions 4 people specifically in this passage (Himself, Barnabus, Peter called here “Cephas” and his wife). A most straight forward reading of the passage would suggest that we are talking about those who minister who are on the road “proclaiming the Gospel”. Note, this would have been an easy time for Paul to urge the congregations (of which there were likely many, but are all collectively spoken of as “one body“) in Corinth to remove people from the work force so they could specifically become professional vocational ministers. Paul does not pursue this line of thought. In fact, in none of his writings does he ever assert this. His line of thought appears to be very modest; caring for travelling ministers who benefit your fellowship.
I know I have gone a long time on this point, but I want to stress that a professional, vocational pastor is a burden on a Congregation. It creates a “ministry” with the most significant budget drag on a church. For the pastor, it often makes him a relatively low paid servant who is obligated to do the ministries of the church, especially, if no one volunteers to do these for him. In the back rooms of churches there are people who talk in whispered tones “hey, don’t we pay the pastor to do that?” It is an arrangement which should be changed.

Second Church Budget item:
In my years as a banker, I had the chance to see the insides of many businesses. One business I saw, was a very successful factory. They made their “widgets” and found that they were getting interest in there product all over the area. They worked Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and found that they could not keep up. So, the proposal was to build a new building. There would be significant costs, but if their growth continued they should have no problem justifying the cost. However, the senior management, decided instead to hire more staff and set up a weekend rotation. So now the machines were working 7 days a week. Business continued to boom, and they had more orders then they could fill. The new building was again proposed, and seemed all the more justified. However, the senior management tried a different approach and hired more staff and now had a night shift.
By now they had significantly increased their production and their widgets were going around the world. There was still more orders that were finding their way to a “back log“. Now for certain they needed a new building, right? Of course, the management sat back and adjusted schedules so that there were 3 eight hour shifts per day 7 days a week. This meant their machines were always running. It was a challenge to keep the systems always working, but a dedicated staff kept everything in good shape. After some time, there were more orders coming and a new building was proposed. This time, the management agreed to the new building, which is an amazing structure on the outskirts of the town where we lived.
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I mention this story to introduce the second largest burden on church budgets…the building.
Statistics suggest that church building take the costs of 21-25% of an average church budget (according to Wikianswers and Lifeway.com) Some churches without a mortgage and limited upkeep costs can be as little as 13%. Some older structures with more upkeep costs and/or a mortgage obviously can be much higher.
I went to visit a friend (a pastor) at his church while he was studying on a January morning. The church boiler system (large older church) had failed and he was huddled in his office around a space heater while he was trying to figure out how to fix the situation. If you live in Ft. Lauderdale, and your heater goes in January, that’s inconvenient. If you live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and your heating fails in January that can be fatal.
So, when I heard, I dropped by with Tim Hortons we sat around his little space heater and shivered and talked about solutions. I was glad I wasn’t a pastor at that time.
For the pastor, a church building is often an extension of themselves. It is a tangible image of their success. Remember, what I said before, a pastor is often a low paid servant, so this tangible sign of success is welcome, and in fact, often perceived necessary to keep one feeling good about what is happening.
Many churches also have histories which attach some sentimental value to the building. Today, the oldest surviving structure in Saskatchewan is a church. I suspect that would be true of many places. Maintaining “historical sentimental” structures is not always an easy task, ask anyone who has inherited a old castle, or old mansion. It can be time consuming and costly. The heating system, plumbing systems, electrical, mechanical systems can create nightmares for someone who was rewarded in the past for being a passionate speaker (a pastor). Many pastors just don’t have the skill-set to be maintenance crew.
On the other side is the church’s present need to be viewed as warm and inviting. It should be clean. It should be neat. It should inspire a sense of reverence. You want people to come in and feel as if they are…home. This home should not be like their present residence which may be scattered with Lego and colouring pages. It is home…only better. More order. More clean. More warm, and more inviting. The un-stated desire of churches (and church members) is growth with the “right kind of people”. Most churches really don’t want to target the homeless. They don’t want people who look bad or smell. Single moms, tend to be struggling and often can be disorganized. Troubled teens might taint “our children”. They want people who are positive. They want people who are moral and upright and will benefit the church personally and financially.
The church building is a double edge sword. On the one side, if you don’t have a building, you have an answer to the question: do you really have a church? For the past 10 years we have been involved in a series of church plants (brand new start up churches). Some more successful then others. Many of these started in people’s homes.
A home was a wonderful place to meet, but when I would talk to other Christians they would eventually ask “so, where are you guys going to church?” We’d tell them we were meeting in someone’s home. If we said a “church plant” then we were often treated with some sort of missionary respect. If we simply said we are meeting with 3 other
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families in a home, we would get the dark eyes.
“oh” (silence)
We would find we would have to back peddle and explain that we haven’t rejected God and all the things of Christianity. We would have to defend meeting in homes.
Another church plant we were involved with was given an unused church building for Sunday evenings. We were still only a couple families, but the fact that we had a building meant that we were “real”. Without a building, there is the obvious question of whether you are real, or someone who has rejected God and his church.
For the record, this church plant with a building was no more successful then many of the church plants that met in homes, but it’s financial burden was much higher.
Related to this was in a “church plant” (meeting in homes situation) we often did not go through the formal process of setting up a name or having a board of directors. We didn’t put an advertisement in the Yellow pages. We often didn’t call the guy who spoke the most the “pastor”. Each one of these lacks, decreases your sense of credibility in the eyes of the “traditional church”.
“oh… no pastor”
“oh… doesn’t really have a name”
“oh… doesn’t advertise”
Trust me, it’s not a fun conversation.
If you have gone through this experience, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, then really no amount of explaining will help you understand.
Please forgive me that sidebar, let’s get back to the building concept. A Building (aside from a sense of credibility) also allows people to wander in. I know that sounds funny, but it is perceived important that churches be “available” for the person who awakens one morning and says “wow, I think I will head down the street today and go to church.” Do these people actually exist?
Surprisingly enough…they do.
There aren’t as many as you might suspect, but there are events in people’s individual life that inspire them to “go to church”. There are new people who move into the area (as we did a few weeks ago) who want to find a like-minded church. Christmas and Easter can be a time where people who normally won’t show up for church will go to hear the music and or the message. It is part of their holiday traditions. So, if there were no public structures, it would be more difficult for these people who respond with a spontaneous desire to “attend church today”. In fact, it is really for these people that the church is trying to make itself so welcoming. It is hoped that these people will find a pleasant experience. It is hoped that these people will become regulars and eventually supporters. This is not all bad.
Having said this, I still think by and large, the church is one of the most overpriced, generally unused structure in the Christian world. The building is dead weight. It is costly to run and maintain. It stands idle most days of the week. It is justified by some reason in the past that it was necessary. It forces a need for budgets. If you have a church, you have bills, someone needs to pay those bills. There are “ministries”
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involved in simply keeping up the structure. My home church had a division of leaders called “trustees”. They were responsible for the structure. That was “their ministry”.
It has been reported that likely the earliest “church building” was from either the 3rd or 4th century AD. Is was found in the area of Megiddo and is identified by the use of the “fish” symbol (so supposedly predating Constantine’s “cross” symbol) also:
One of the inscriptions read that the building was dedicated to “the memory of the Lord Jesus Cristos.”
To be honest, it is difficult to know whether this was a structure that was used as a church as we would understand churches today, or whether this was a “prayer room”, or a monument, a pilgrimage site or something else. Either way, this “church building” is long after the disciples were all dust. The early church was not about a building.
I have a couple other concerns with respect to church “buildings” that I want to share. One is that it distorts the theology of the church. In Bible study and theology circles the science (or understanding) of what the church is and what it should be is called Ecclesiology. If you could muddle through the ancient language it would mean “the science (or study) of a people called out”. The problem for most people today when you ask “what is the church?” They will list the programs which are generally done in the building. If you ask where do you see the church active you will get an address. They miss that a “church”, is really just the people. It is the people who are “called out“. When the New Testament talks about the “called out ones”, and uses the term “church” in our English translations of Scripture, they have no concept of a building. They are only thinking about the people.
This confusion might not seem terrible at first, but it does cause many problems in what one’s values and where our loyalties this side of heaven lay. If we are to love “the church”, it means we love the people, not the programs. If we are to give to the church, it means we give to people, especially people in needs within the church, not that we give to a new building project. If we love the church (meaning: “it’s people“) you have more flexibility about where you will put in your time, your money and your energy. You are looking for people and their aid… not a structure.
Related to this, the “church structure” gives a false sense of who is and is not a part of the “church”. In my local town, there is a nice little church that I have attended. There are good people there. It is warm and inviting and a nice place to worship. In fact, in this small town there are many churches, of various stripes. Some of these churches would have nothing in common with each other, but some are so close ideologically, you wonder why in such a small community there would be multiple churches.
The structure and the membership list makes it easy to say “oh, they are part of our church”, or to say, “those people are not a part of our church”. You have a firm 4 walls system. You have a fortress. You have people in the fortress and those on the outside. The problem is that if we understand the church as God says in the New Testament (without walls) then we who are followers of the Messiah would all be part of The Church of this town. It is far more important who we follow then where we meet. This would sound like an easy point, but among my dear brothers who are established members of many denominations, you would find that it is almost too much to handle.
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One more story, another friend, who also served as a pastor was so confused about this concept of the church as the structure, not the people, that it caused him to act…let’s just say interestingly. He and his wife bought a home that was on top of an old church site. The church had moved on to another building and the land was prime real estate so another company bought the land and built this low income housing complex.
This friend told me that he realized that the “ground” was sacred since it held a church structure. So he combed through the demolition site to find some wood that he enshrined in his home. The old wood and the acknowledgement of this “sacred soil” was a perpetual offering that he still honoured the church that stood there.
When I heard this, at first I thought that was a bit sweet, but the more I thought about it, the more silly I thought it was. He had no loyalties to this church. He wasn’t doing it to remember his favourite church that he grew up in. (Not that this would be right, but at least it might be more understandable). He did this on the superstitious belief that sense the dirt and the old pieces of wood were the place where Christians met that God has made them magical. His ideology is more Roman Catholic in orientation. He believed that since someone (a protestant version of a priest) must have blessed this land, it was now sacred. The church was probably dedicated to God, and now even though it doesn’t stand, we have to act to avoid God’s judgement. He built a small idol in his home wrapped around memories that he did not possess of some old structure.
That church didn’t die. They moved to a new bright building just up the road. The ground was not in some way “sacred” because someone planted a building there. There is only one place that God tells people to take off their shoes because they stand on sacred ground. That Sacred ground was really about the presence of the Creator of heaven and Earth being present. It wasn’t even about that dirt. Yet, in our “replacement theology” we mistakes every pastor for Moses and every 4 walled structure with Mount Sinai.
Just as a side note, what happened to those few places that were sacred ground? One is hidden behind a fence in Saudi Arabia under Muslim control (Mt Sinai). The other has a lovely gold domed mosque sitting on it, and has been defiled multiple times (the Temple Mount). God has not chosen to destroy those who do not honour his sacred sites there, how much less do you think he cares about some dirt and old wood in one of Canada’s many cities?
Again, we might sound well meaning as we continue to miss the boat. “the Church” is people…not a building.

What about a pastor without a church?
I have already commented about the Bible schools, and how costly this sort of education can become. This is particularly notable when someone attends Bible college and then finds vocational work outside the church ministry. They suddenly find that they have paid for a high priced private school education and have almost no transferable, marketable skills. This can be seen in certain University degrees as well, but with respect to Bible schools this is very pronounced. As a side note, I was reading a profile on Christian musician Steve Taylor and about his Bachelor’s degree he said it was worth "slightly more than the cash value of a Pizza Hut coupon." That pretty much summarizes
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it.
As I stated, I was a banker. In my years in finance, I bumped into many of my old classmates. (We live in the same Province we schooled in). What I have found for many of them has been very discouraging. Dedicated people who planned to give their lives to the ministry of the poor in Canada or around the world, or people who were passionate pastors, and preachers, I would find working a borderline existence in some commission sales job. Sincerely, I have been there. Or, they might be working some crazy shift work as an untrained entry level labourer. One was tending bar, and working the “off sale” side. Several seemed to get into selling used cars. Some got into selling insurance (as I did), with varying degrees of success.
Not that I want to discourage anyone in any job they hold, but this was not why people invested huge amounts of time money and energy. This was not why people staying up late in the night and woke early to pray years ago. Many of these people no longer had any value or (place) for Christians in their life. Many were bitter and battle scarred. Several of them had lost their family through divorce. Some even professed they were “living in sin”.
I guess one of the most difficult part of this is when you speak to these former classmates, who would be the people that would change the world, you find such pathetic sorrow. Many of them are desperately poor. Some did go bankrupt, but a student loan in Canada is not a loan the government lets people default on. Many have found themselves in abject slavery to a debt burden that they felt they needed to become “the servant of God“.
Most, as I stated have very limited marketable skills. Therefore they have a very difficult time “working” in the traditional industries. Business is difficult and often tough decisions have to be made. A sub-standard product might be produced because of a tight time line. A sub-standard product might be sold because the need to make a commission. These Bible school students can be more emotional then your average employee. That may be great if your industry needs highly emotional people. This however can be terrible if your industry needs a job to get done.
I have over the years higher some of these people and have had various problems with them. One problem has been the fact that I am required to be “more understanding”. That might sound funny, but hear me out.
If I hire a moral atheist. He will likely show up to work on time. He will likely do what he needs to do and hopefully well. He will finish strong. Now for the same job I hired a Bible school grad. He shows up late because he was helping out his wife with the kids. I have to be understanding, because after all, I am married with kids and I understand the importance of the role of the husband and father in God’s designed home. His work might be substandard, but I need to understand because God had placed on his heart the needs of Africa and he spent time in prayer instead of doing the job assigned. Who should he listen to, God or man? He heads home a bit early at the end of the day so he can study the material he’s teaching for his Sunday school class. He knows I won’t mind. Seriously, this is the struggle that one finds when dealing with Bible school students as employees, and in fact, it is why they tend to have such an on again/off again
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employment history. In a world where you must choose to serve God or money, they tend to not understand that in most businesses…you need to serve money. Feel free to serve God when you are without sluffing off your own employment.
One more example, just so you can see this. I was a mid level manager at a restaurant. I was cooking and had a cooking staff. We all had schedules and the next day there were two of us working the kitchen. I was doing the short order and Ryan (not his name) was doing the preparation, a vital job to keep the business running. I started work at 5:00am and Ryan came in shortly after. At 11:00pm the night before his shift, I get a phone call from Ryan. Of course, I am thinking something serious must be going on. Ryan says, “you know, we were visiting family here in Calgary (7 hours away) and having such a great time that I won’t be able to show up tomorrow. We’re just going to stay the night.” (I’m a family guy. He knew I’d understand and certainly I wouldn’t want to put his physical health and that of his family at risk by having him drive while a bit tired. In fact, if he did leave right now, he’d still be late, and wouldn’t be at his best to work). I explained to him very clearly that if I did not see him at his station the next morning, I would allow him a permanent holiday. The next day, he wasn’t there. I did fire him. Two days later, he was back with a very moving story of his spiritually lost family members and how he was ministering to their needs, but was too embarrassed to explain to me what was really going on. My restaurant was owned by the Bible school so they made arrangements for him to be rehired, as if nothing happened.
When I left my post, my replacement (at my urging) was one who came from the neighbouring town without any “faith background”. We hired her because she was a good kitchen manager, and made few demands to be “understanding”. She knew what was needed to run a business and she did it.
I realize as I re-read this that I have painted in too wide of a brush. Not all Bible school grads are useless. There are many hard working people of all walks of life, but as a group, my experience has been that they have been a lot more needy and did not perform as well as their secular counterparts.
One last comment here, after the investment of Bible College and/or seminary it is very difficult to justify they you are employed as the late night shelf stocker at a large multinational department store, so those who have maintained some sense of their faith embellish a bit. They will actually say something like this.
“God has given me a ministry to the late night employees of X. I am reaching out to those people who never hear the Gospel. I am standing in the gap between heaven and hell making the world a better place.” Usually a tear comes to their eye as they share. You think…wow, and I am just a missionary to Africa. I wish I could do what he’s doing.
In fact, he often isn’t doing anything of the sort. But how do you justify what you do? You need some level of delusion to keep going. You either exaggerate your ministry work, or you say that your secular work is just what keeps the bills paid while you do what God really called you to do (i.e. sweeping the church, teaching Sunday school, etc.). You need some way to avoid the scorn of your peers. Believe me, the scorn is real. Fellow students may understand, but many will still condemn you for “secular employment”.
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Other Related Industries:
Aside from Bible colleges and seminaries, one of the areas that cause me concern is related “Christian industries”. I can get up in the morning and dress in my “Jesus loves you” T-shirt and Jericho Jeans, drink my Redeemed coffee from my precious Moments Bible mug. I can listen to hours of Christian music and watch Christian TV stations. I can grab a handful of books from my Christian bookstore, and put my children’s lunches in their Veggietale backpacks. I can live my whole life in a Christian cocoon. In fact, why shouldn’t we? Aren’t we told to come out and “be separate”? Aren’t be told not to conform to the pattern of the world? What could be wrong with these Christian industries?
I don’t intend on being too rough with this industry. Most of these people are just people who love Jesus and want to run a good business. In fact, years ago, this was a very profitable business. If you wanted an Amy Grant audio tape, or a Veggie tales VHS tape, where did you go? The Christian book store (or a Christian mail order catalogue). My house was filled with walls of books mostly Christian. These were Bible interpretation, Christian thinkers, Christian history, and even a few just for enjoyment. I loved (and still do) to read. I can’t help when I see a deal on Christian books especially if it is on a subject I have been interested in, or by an author I have wanted to read.
With a limited market, these Christian Books stores made money hand over fist. Their margins were high and there was a partial monopoly on where you can buy. They also could continue to justify their existence because they were shaping the Christian world. When a new message came out, they would place this prominently and people would buy and read. When a new album came out there would be ready people eager for the album. They also managed to break church fortress barriers. You could be Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran and Catholic, and you would still buy from the same shop. You may not embrace everything there, but you still would find enough unique items that you couldn’t find elsewhere.
Enter the electronic world and the Multinational stores. Today, many of those old Christian book stores have fallen on tough times. I can quickly order the same material from an on-line source at a significant reduction. I remember the day that it was announced that Veggietales was going to be sold in Walmart. These VHS tapes went from $20 each to $10 overnight it seemed. For a father, this was great. I didn’t even think of how this would hurt the Christian book store. Today, I may even be able to buy direct from the author or company that produces the material. If I want music, I can download it (from companies like Itunes) and pick and choose the stuff I want. The Christian Book store that used to revel in their heyday now find themselves struggling to adapt. I have seen some transition well, but it is a specialty market that now their niche can be accomplished at less cost, easily elsewhere.
If you happen to know one of these owners, you will find that they are struggling with shrinking margins at a time where costs are rising. They are dedicated to ``their ministry``, but were (for the most part) unprepared for the changes that were coming and now have come. They are bailing water while it is still raining.
Only two more comments here. The first is that this type of para-church industry
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has been a costly weight for the Christian community to bear. We paid top dollar for this “comfort”, to feel a Christianized version of what the world has. The world has it’s music… and we have ours. The world has their romance novels…and we have ours, our redeemed spiritual romance novels. It was costly, but we gladly paid for things which we felt would make us “more Christian” or better Christians. In fact, I would argue, it may not have accomplished that at all. What we became was more comfortable. We painted a world for ourselves which produced a false Christian culture.
The second item was this “ministry” tended to internationally direct the focus of the local church, for good or bad. We now developed “relationships” through books and other media with other pastors and leaders. This relationship was not real. We just enjoyed what they taught. For the most part we don’t know those pastors. In fact, we are shocked and hurt when we find out our spiritual hero announce that he’s been carrying on a 25 year affair. We don’t have the experience of knowing these people. We know what they write or say.
As such, whole movements have come and gone as directed by…Christian bookstores (as a compliment to other media). If the new books are about Worship, the local churches adopt the type of worship subscribed to in the new books. If the new books are talking about feeling the love of Jesus, the local churches tend to follow suit. If the Christian book store is alive with books on Christian dieting, or Christian golf swings then that will become the focus of ministry in some local churches.
Again, some of this is great. You can see people all around the world looking outside their local concerns, but some of this is damaging. We don’t see what is happening locally anymore. Our church is not an agent of change in the area. It is a local branch of the most popular spiritual movement from some larger urban centre. It’s almost like a franchise. It may not reflect the needs of the local body of believers, but that doesn’t matter. What is important is being contemporary and relevant, and one of the best ways to do this is to follow the trends seen in this Christian sub-culture.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Back to my original statements about how ‘a church budget reveals the values and priorities of the church‘, we run into the final ¼ of the church budget…everything else. All ministries of the church are covered within the costs of ¼ of a normal church budget.
We should state that some things are common place like paper, photocopies, and newsletters, which you would find in any office, but much of this section is the costs associated with the ministries.
Christian Education- Many people would conclude based on what they see within the church that this is the primary focus of the church. In fact, it may be the lion`s share of what is seen within the church. It is seen through a pulpit ministry. It is seen in Sunday school. It is seen in mid-week services. It is seen in youth groups, Men`s Bible studies, Women`s Bible studies, and Bible studies designed every subculture imaginable.
Here is the catch, although the disciples were to teach their `disciples` what it took to follow Jesus, this was only one of the things they did.

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Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Acts 2:45 and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.

New believers were taught from the disciples. They had a significant learning curve. Jesus’ disciples would teach them about what Jesus said about Sabbath, about how to pray, about how to give, about what to avoid, and what to embrace. They had the stories that Jesus told to recall for those who were not there. It was 3 years of active ministry that the disciples were trying to impart to the masses.
The disciples were unique in this ability to impart their experiences. They were firsthand witnesses of Jesus. When other needs came up, they did not eagerly embrace them as their role because they had a significant job to do. (Ac 6:2), so they chose others to fulfill those responsibilities. Yet, in spite of how very important their role was, it was only one of 4 things that the church was dedicated to, and was not what the church was known for. The church was not an education center to recite the words of Jesus. It was far more then that.
Unfortunately, it is easier today to see the church as first and foremost an education center. Yet, it is very difficult when you look at the words of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament to think that the only role of the church is education.
Another strange concept to think about is that Jesus, when he was here did not train his disciples forever. He was only present in active teaching ministry for roughly 3 years. In practice, he taught, and then he left them to teach. His practice was to complete this education. He also said in words that he expected there to be a time when a student was fully taught (Luke 6:40, cf. Matthew 10:24). This was certainly not within the first few weeks of the dawn of the church, but it was expected that the new disciples would be “fully trained”. This concept is a bit foreign to our modern understanding.
We have people who every week, multiple times a week, show up to be “trained” for the balance of their life. There is never a sense that this job is complete. If a “student” is to go and minister when they are fully trained, when will this be? After 10 years? 20 years? 60 years? The real answer is never. Part of this is because the “traditional church” is a teaching institute, therefore, if we are no longer being taught…what would we do? We must always be teaching. We must always be training. The modern church never does, and never intends on having someone “fully trained”. In fact, that is one of the reasons we have Bible Schools and Seminaries.
Also, from the Bible school and seminary side, I can say it will amaze you to find how little a new student seems to know. He/she often has a very limited knowledge of Bible (I know I did). He/she knows very little about theology (that was my story). They often have distortions of historical truths and spiritual understanding based on the limited spiritual teaching they had within their home church.
For example, my home church taught the pre-tribulation rapture, and that the
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Charismatic gifts ended with the apostles. You may or may not believe this, but this was (and still is) an entrenched teaching. If you were to disagree, “there was the door“. Growing up, I wondered if anyone could really believe God’s word and not see things exactly my way. Amazingly, in Bible school, I found many people who had a different perspective. Many of these people loved God passionately. Many were surprised that I could have such a narrow perspective and that I didn’t know how many passages of Scripture tended to contradict my own ideology. Obviously, I was never taught otherwise.
If the sole accepted role of the church, or perhaps it would be better said, the “primary role”, is teaching and training, I must suggest that we talk a lot, but we don’t ever get to the point that we have fully trained disciples.

What other things fill that last ¼ of a church budget?
Youth ministry: In churches all around the western world there are youth ministries. I have some experience here because I served as a youth pastor in two different churches. I was trained to be a pastor, and if you are in your late early 20’s when you graduate there are few places to go except a “youth pastor”. So, that’s where I found myself.
Some churches have just one level of “youth ministry”, usually High school. Some have multiple levels. Larger churches will have youth ministry for High school, Jr. high, College and Career age. I have seen pre-Jr. High and I have seen a later College and Career age, but these were unique to larger programs. With some small exceptions, they are remarkably similar.
Ask a youth minister why they do what they do and they should produce a philosophy of ministry. These words are generally well-written (or well spoken) which explain their desire to bring salvation their target group, disciple them, and prepare them for the amazing adventure of the powerful and enriching spiritual life. Seriously, this is why youth pastors do what they do.
However, with some exceptions, this is not what most youth pastors put into practice. If they actually used their philosophy as the determination of success, they many would find their efforts are going the wrong way, and their success is almost nil.
In practice, as a youth pastor, I did what other youth pastor’s did. I planned “crazy activities” for the already churched kids, urged them to invite some friends who don’t come to our church, created a party and then had the kids sit down for a few minutes as I tagged on some sort of spiritual concept to justify the time spent and “redeem it” in some way.
In truth, my job (although never formally stated) was to provide the teens within the church a “healthy” alternative to what they might experience in the world. We were their social and entertainment centre. We were the safety net trying to keep “our kids” from going to be a part of the world.
I remember one time, when some young men started to attend our youth group. For me, this was excellent, finally, some “real un-churched people”. They were not inspired by their interest in my programming. They were interested in a couple young ladies who attended our church. I am sure everyone must be shocked at that idea. For me,
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this was a chance to do something real. For the parents, this was a danger and a threat to their “safe” fellowship. As a young pastor, I found out in a hurray my vision for my role were just illusions. Those boys needed to go. If I wanted to reach the “lost”, I could chose any number of lost “within” the church. I could target bored Christian youth. I could target youth from other churches. But under no uncertain terms was I to allow those “unwashed heathens” to enter our safe community. We did not want to risk our children being “tainted” by those kind of people.
In the end, my job was to keep the sheep safe. I was to not lose a single sheep and was given defined places I could go for “new sheep”. I did my role well, and in the end decided I did not wish to remain a youth pastor.
I wasn’t a father then (as I am now), and I do have sympathy for those parents. The youth ministry was a place to keep their kids on the straight and narrow. It was ran and funded by the church. It was to benefit the church, specifically the children of important church members. We (as leaders) were set up to be examples for the teens so they could see a Godly husband and wife who loved (and served Jesus). It was not all bad, but it was different then I expected. If parents were going to let they children come to the youth group, they had to feel it was “safe”. Spiritual growth is a bonus. Growth in the size of the group is nice, but not necessary. I could do most anything provided it was seen as “moral” (or fairly moral) and provided I threw in some little devotional at the end. I did that, much to my own sorrow.
This week I heard about some friends who are setting up an amazing new youth ministry program. It is big bucks, lights, and sound and excitement. They opening event is a 24 hour party with loud music, and a dance-a-thon, and colours and food, and they have a speaker coming in at the end to share his thoughts. They have pitched this as something completely new and will change all teens forever. What I see is what I have seen from almost all youth pastors for years. We produce a show, and tag a devotional on the end. Sincerely, I hope they do well. There is nothing new under the sun.
Like I said, this doesn’t matter that much whether you are High school, Jr. High, older or younger. These “ministries” are redeemed entertainment. Strangely enough, we have limited teaching on how to run these types of programs in Scripture.

Continuing the last part of that final ¼ of the church budget

Missions: Finally, there must be some area that I can not speak ill of, right? I have a real love for the missionaries. In fact, after my youth ministry experiences my wife and I met with some missionaries and decided to dedicate ourselves to overseas service. We were going to work with a Muslim group on the border of a former Soviet Republic state. I don’t want to mention which one, because they are not legally supposed to be there and many of the missionaries are doing so in significant physical danger.
In part, that was what interested me. Things were happening there. God was working and these Muslims were coming to know Jesus. They in turn were reaching their families and then their families were reaching others. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? In fact, I was invited to help disciple so these new believers didn’t slip into error.
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We had no debt, so we were unique among our peers, and could actually go overseas, without having to raise support to cover our student loans. It looked like a match made in heaven.

The dirty secrets of missionaries.
1) Many missionaries are not very good “church players”. There are reasons why some people go overseas. They see a functioning church system and want nothing to do with it. So, if you love God, what choice do you have? You have to build something different, either locally or overseas. This, in part, was my situation. However, missionaries rely on churches to give them “support” a pay check to work overseas.
2) Most missionaries are not functional in the language when they arrive. We would not have been. The Muslim dialect we were going to learn, we couldn’t learn at home, we had to be in the culture to actually gain success in the language…so, how long does it usually take for a missionary to learn the local language? Some proficiency is accomplished within 7 years. Most missionaries only last 4 years. (anyone see a problem?)
So, how does a missionary become successful especially, if they don’t speak the language?
3) There is limited ways to know whether a missionary is a success. The missionary tells you whether he/she is successful or not. The letters sent home tell you about what the missionary on the field is doing. Do you think any missionary is going to say, “it was a lousy month, didn’t do anything.”? Not likely. A missionaries job (what keeps him/her on the field) is the keeping their level of support. The missionary letters, if done properly, need to give the local churches the feeling as if they are part of something vital. There will hardly ever be any local accountability. In one case, one missionary I knew had an emotional breakdown from the overseas experience, came home to Canada and was working at the home office. She had been their for months, but didn’t let her supporting churches know what was going on. As long as she sent glowing reports back, the church was happy. Even if she didn’t send a report for months, they wouldn’t know any better. The local church needs the missionary to know they are reaching the world. The missionary needs the church to pay the bills while overseas.
I was stunned when I read KP Yohannan’s book Revolution in World Missions. You see, he was one of those people being served by the missionary. He never got a chance to write back to those supporting churches and say “what you think is happening is not really happening.” His missionary lived in a castle with armed guards and did some little things here and there, but didn’t interact with the locals.
K.P.’s alternative is based on using National missionaries, who already know the language and customs, to reach their own people. The reasons are two-fold.
First, you don’t have to train national missionaries the languages and customs. They are not seen as foreigners bringing their own foreign god into the area.
Second, a western missionary, when they move to a foreign country, typically does not live at the same standard of the people they serve. Many live a life and lifestyle that they could not afford in the western world. They have servants, and comparative wealth. They travel, and have adventures. Who wouldn’t want a job like that?
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However, a national missionary does live at the same standard of the locals. They are better positioned to reach locals. K.P.’s innovation is train those guys to do their job better, or supplement them to leave their day job so they can be evangelists and church planters. You get a better “bang for the buck”.
Of course, as you can imagine, there is a lot of resistance to K.P.’s position. Some argue that the old missionary concept should be kept up even if it isn’t successful specifically because it gives the local church a “missions connection”. I am just suggesting that international missions as a flawed institute, and if we are serious about getting the job done, we are probably not looking close enough at the goal. We have replaced substance for image, and back to my original contention, this image is very costly.
On average it costs $6,032 monthly to support a missionary overseas. Averages are just that, the real numbers can be as low as $1895.00 and as high as $12,000.00 a month, (that’s $144,000/year, man I hope they can make ends meet on that) according to and article by Daryl Anderson
http://www.efca.org/files/document/reachglobal/understanding-missionary-support-8-08.pdf

According to K.P’s web site, it takes usually $1800 a year to fully support a national missionary.
http://staging.mygfa.org/donation/item/unsponsored-missionaries/
One closing comment here. I read some of the missionary biographies and was moved by the work they did. William Carey (considered the founder of modern missions) labourer for years without any fruit to show for his effort. In fact, many people never brought people to know Jesus. I was reading and discussing Hudson Taylor with one missionary about “taking on the clothing and customs of the nations“. I had been taught or believed from his concepts that this was key to making an impact, and my long term missionary friend asked, “so did anyone ask the nations whether they saw Hudson Taylor as one of them, or just some goof who tried to dress like them?” I had never thought of it, and in fact, I don’t know whether dressing and acting like the nations really does make a difference. It’s very difficult to beat actually “being a national”

Having Destroyed, how do we rebuild?
So, just to review, I have said from looking at an average church budget you have a pastor (very modestly paid servant), of which I have felt may be a significant drain on church resources and have some significant downsides. I have mentioned the church building which is costly to maintain and is an overpriced, usually empty structure that we keep for sentimental reasons. I have mentioned the education ministry, which has been mistaken as the only (primary) role of the church while never finishing the job of having someone “fully trained“, and youth ministry which professes to be impacting teens while really providing moral entertainment. I even addressed missionaries who go have adventures where many of them can’t effectively impact the culture in which they serve and live at standards unavailable to most westerners. I have shown the dark side of Bible
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school and Christian book store. By now, we should be saying…what do we do?!?
You must be thinking I am just the grumpiest old guy around. Is there anything I like? In fact, there is much that I like. I even feel bad about expressing some criticism about any of these institutions, but I think it is necessary to contrast this with what I think is Jesus’ expectations for Christians. If you see what the “church” was supposed to be, I think you might see how far we have fallen. Perhaps, if we are lucky, we may even see where we can return.

Can we ever know what Jesus expected?
I think the answer is “yes”, but in order to do this we have to do a very difficult item. For a moment, we have to approach the New Testament with an almost clean slate. For years we have heard the same stories over and over. We tend to ignore items which don’t match what we have already concluded and we tend to insert new ideas which aren’t present anywhere. In fact, we create a Jesus and disciples who are a lot like us. In fact, they are so much like us that they no longer challenge us to become more.
1st Century Judea was a nation under the reign of the Roman empire. They had been Greek before, but were at that time controlled by the Romans. In spite of this Judea, still held the remains of Jewish culture. The people who Jesus spoke to never had to be taught about Adam, Noah, the Flood, David the King, the books of the Scriptures. They knew this stuff. Those who received the teachings of the Messiah, were a people primed for the message. Even so, many rejected this message.
Further, when the religious leaders talk about the disciples they call them “unlearned men” (Ac 4:13). By this, we understand that they did not have formal, professional education, of the professional religious leaders. Yet, they spoke as one who knew God’s word cold. They were disciples (Apostles) who had become “fully trained”. Jesus, in 3 (or 3 and a half) years, had refined their education and now had people who could stand against the greatest scholarship of the time.
Jesus arrived at the crossroads of history. 40 years after his ascension to Heaven, the Temple would be destroyed and the nation would be scattered. If God sent the Messiah only 50 years later, it would have been a totally different place. Jerusalem would be a new place with a fine temple to Jupiter. The children of God would have been scattered. The next moment in history for a national Israel would not have been until 1948. In fact, a similar situation would not have come until significantly after 1948, even today we lack the temple, the high priests, a functional priesthood, and many other situations that would aid the spread of the Gospel.
The Hebrew language (or Aramaic) were common as was Greek. Most Bible scholars point out that the New Testament was written in Greek. Although, there are certainly some indication that there may have been a Hebrew (or Aramaic) text that predated the Greek text, the most consistent material that we have is the Greek text. I won’t make any attempt to argue for this lost Hebrew New Testament. The fact that we have a Greek text is wonderfully helpful. Almost anyone in the Western world at the time could read Greek.
One of the other things we note, is that it’s not even written in a fancy style of
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Classic Greek. It is written in what is termed Koine Greek, which means “common Greek”. Think about it. The Bible (or what we find of the earliest texts) was written in the style of The Reader’s Digest. It is something almost anyone could read. You didn’t have to be a Jewish Rabbi to understand. This allowed the New Testament (which at the time was just a collection of letters) to move from people to people, culture to culture and still be understood. Greek was the English of the day.
Jesus arrived in a world expecting the Messiah. There were several reasons for this, and I won’t go into detail of this, but there were indications of when the Messiah was supposed to come and the people knew “now” was the time. That is why so many of the messianic movements came within this 100 year time frame. The Bible reports that people thought John the Baptist might be the Messiah. After the disciples had taken the teaching of Jesus all over Judea the elder statesman Gamaliel (Ac 5:34-39) reminded his fellow leaders that these types of movements were common and if this is just another Messiah movement, then it will die out on it’s own. They had seen it happen again and again.
When one reads the Gospels, you are struck with the sense of how short and concentrated is Jesus’ life and ministry. There is no time to waste. He keeps implying that this is planned to be short. He has to work while “it is still day”, or he frequently points out “his time has not yet come”. He’s in a hurry. He doesn’t tend to stay long in any one place. Crowds are chasing him, and his next location is often not obvious.
Jesus is also not easy to understand. The Bible says he purposely chose to make this more difficult. Often he speaks in parables, which serve two purposes. The first, was he purposely chose to hide his truth.

Matt 13:11-15 Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. . . .Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. . . . lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

He was God. He chose to reveal his message to whom he wished. I recently taught on this passage, and you can see people’s eyes start to bug out of their head when you say Jesus intended people not to understand him. In fact, I suggest Jesus was one of the worse evangelists of his time. In the end, even his disciples ran away from him. Only John and several women saw the crucifixion.
However, from my teaching, I commented that I think Jesus wanted people to ask him “what does this mean?” He told lots of people many things if they simply asked that question. I think in part, Jesus did this so that they would be insulated from fully rejecting Jesus. The masses could not be fully condemned for rejecting what they did not understand, and then when they hear the “rest of the story” about his resurrection and ascension, and eventual return they could combine this with what they heard and actually believe as prompted by the Holy Spirit. It was a complex strategy, but one that eventually worked brilliantly.
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A second bonus of using the “parable” was that years later, as the disciples put his message to print, these parables were easy to remember. Think about a lecture you heard or a news report you caught. You may not be able to remember the context, or the weaving of oratory, but you remember pictures. You might remember an illustration for years. The disciples had “parable pictures” to hang their memories of Jesus’ teaching. Add this to the physical things they were witnesses to, and you have almost the full content of any Gospel.

So what would a disciple of Jesus look like?
First and foremost I think we need to keep in mind that Jesus was speaking to people who were already familiar and in many respects following God’s word. Many Christians chafe at the idea that Jesus and all of his disciples believed and lived the Old Testament. He was completely obedient to the Law (Torah), and he encouraged everyone to be the same.
In the Bible, there is indication of what the Messiah will teach. If Jesus failed to teach this, then he was one of the many false Messiahs

Deut 13:1-5
If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder,
and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he
hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of
the way which Jehovah thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put
away the evil from the midst of thee.

What did Jesus say about the Law (Torah)?
MATT 5:17-18
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.

Another example would be when someone specifically asks what he must do to be saved “to inherit eternal life”

And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

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So, does he take out one of the Greek copies of the Four Spiritual Laws, or Billy’s Graham’s book Peace with God?

Nope.

Matt 19:17b-19
if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Honor thy father and mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

I know, for years we have been taught a hundred different ways to read this. Most find a way of saying something like Jesus had to obey the Law and had to tell his followers to obey the Law, but he didn’t mean this as a long term situation.
Perhaps we can create some interpretation that says prior to the cross Jesus did not know of any other salvation. Perhaps, you could say that Jesus was making something specific to this young man. This young man had problems, so he and he alone had to do this. Perhaps you can shape the Scriptures any way you want, but eventually you are struck with the awkward situation that Jesus appears not to understand salvation. Either us or He is wrong about salvation…take a moment and ponder that a bit.
Jesus somehow believes that obedience to the Laws God laid down will lead to life (and really “Life eternal“).
Sharing a bit from my own life here. I was raised in an area that was highly Mormon. In fact, I did not know there were high schools that did not have a Mormon seminary attached to them until I arrived in Canada. I grew up about 6 hours from Salt Lake City, and my home town was filled with a huge Mormon population.
In that setting, a church (including my home church) pushed the importance of understanding that we don’t “work” for our Salvation. We are “saved by Grace, through faith. Not by works lest any man should boast“. Our children and teens (of whom I was one) were taught that it didn’t matter what you did, because we were saved by God’s grace. We were dedicated to the belief (in theological circles this would be called hyper-Calvinism), that what we did just didn’t matter. We could not “add anything” to our salvation but faith. We were saved by saying a specific prayer. This prayer would be the magic words that would give us eternal life. Could we be emotionally manipulated to recite the magic words? Sure? In fact, many would have been, but this was necessary to bring the “Gospel” (or our version of the Gospel) to the world.
Then the hope was that once someone said the magic words, then the Holy Spirit would enter them and then we would train them. We would find a bunch of goats have them say they were sheep and then teach them to act like sheep. Then we would be shocked to find out that our teaching wasn’t producing a lot of sheep. Go figure?!?
People are amazed to find my youth group (High school) had an amazingly high teen pregnancy rate. In fact, after one youth activity, the kids went out and illegally bought alcohol to celebrate. We (as teens) couldn’t even obey the laws of the land. We
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didn’t even follow the low moral standards of the masses. We (supposedly Godly, redeemed, spirit filled people), had this confidence that we were all Saved and Going to heaven, and we didn’t have to worry about anything else. We were taught verses so that we could be insulated from any sense of conviction. “No man can pluck us out of God’s hand”. We would say. In our deep Bible teaching, we found a way to even shut down the Holy Spirit so that we would never feel the pains of conviction.
In fact, likely the greatest sin was that of “legalism”. Legalism was the belief that we should act a certain way. It was a belief that God has a standard and we should follow it. In practice any action that one would do, or not do because they loved God was was seen as “legalism” (the greatest of all sins).
We were taught through words and actions that it didn’t matter how we lived, just that we “believed“, (something we translated as “giving mental assent”) and in the end, we actually lived like that. I don’t say this as an outsider. I was one of them. I had limited regard for the things of God. I was Christian and Republican. I appeared fairly moral. (Immoral things tend to be hidden). At the end of High School I would have been at the forefront of this group. I did not reject them. I embraced them. I was one of them.
So, over twenty years have passed, what became of these saints? I don’t know for sure. Some have stayed the course. I think it wasn’t because of the life we taught, but more in spite of what we taught. Some are gone, and I suspect I will never find them again. Some I have bumped into and have now gone their own way. There is no association with any church or any people of faith. But, I always know that they have been taught a false understanding of true Salvation, and are comfortably walking the path far away from God. Perhaps someday, by the grace of God, his Spirit will break through the protective false teachings and people will feel real conviction. Perhaps a truer salvation will come. We pray to that end.
The problem when we look at what Jesus says, is he doesn’t know this salvation. He doesn’t seem to recognise it. In fact, he seems to warn against it.
To the church in Revelation Jesus says this odd little piece:

REV 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.

Or back in the Gospels:
Mat 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The word “Iniquity” is a terrible translation. It gets the point across, but skips one very
important concept. What is “iniquity”? The word in Greek is anomia. My son just
walked in, so I asked if he knew what anomia was. No surprise. He didn’t know.
So, I asked him if he knew what a Theist was, and he did “someone who believes in
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God” OK, so what is an Atheist? The light bulb went on, “someone who doesn’t believe in God”. So, I asked him how is the Torah (The Law of God) translated in the New Testament? The word is Nomia. So, then if the A prefix means “not” what is anomia? Put simply, those who do great things for God (in their ministries) if they are without God’s Law are in a very difficult situation.
Just for the record, some Bibles translate this passage “away from me, you who practice Lawlessness” This is a better translation, unfortunately, from our modern mind (so far away from seeing value in God’s Law), we tend to think Lawlessness is about obeying the traffic rules of the road, or paying your taxes. We substitute our own law image.
Perhaps I will add one small concept. Back when I was growing up we were taught our own version of a evangelical catechism. One of the questions is “what is sin”. The answer I learned by rote and can still recite 25 years later is this “sin is any word, thought, or deed which goes against the will of God.” Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? However, when you stop and think about it you begin to see the subjective nature of the definition. What is the will of God? I have known fellow Bible school students who wandered for years (and are likely still wandering) looking for the answer to that question. It later dawned on me, that this answer, although sounding good was actually not Biblical. So, what would be the Biblical answer? The Biblical answer would be given by one of Jesus’ apostles (likely his closest friend in this world, John)

1Jn 3:4 Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

So, you want to take a guess at what the Greek word used for “Lawlessness” is?
You got it. Anomia.

The Innovations of Jesus:
So, did Jesus just spout off the same old teaching everyone else at the time did? No. He had some different interpretations of God’s Law. We trust his interpretations to be true. With respect to some commandments, he was more liberal then his counterparts. With respect to other commandments he was far more conservative. But, again, I think we can conclude that as the one who gave the Law (God himself) what he says about interpreting these Laws would be most accurate. Any deviation from his interpretation would be a deviation from God’s intention. For example:
When God said simply: “Do not murder” in fact in Hebrew it is even more simple “no kill” Jesus expands on this.

Mat 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger
of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.

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Jesus made no effort to void the earlier instruction, but actually gave it more definition. Murder was important to not do, but there was more to it then just murder. It was about the underlying attitude which can (and sometimes does) lead to murder. Jesus was intent on filling in the meaning. He did not come to destroy the Law. He came to fulfill (to give better definition, and application).
There were times where Jesus spoke against the attempts made by leaders to avoid doing what God’s word actually said. For example:

Mat 23:16-17 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?

Another example of a more liberal interpretation then the religious leaders of the time would be with respect to Sabbath.

Luke 6:1-5 Now it came to pass on a sabbath, that he was going through the grainfields; and his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
But certain of the Pharisees said, Why do ye that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day?
And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read even this, what David did, when he was hungry, he, and they that were with him;
how he entered into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests alone?
And he said unto them, The Son of man is lord of the Sabbath.

There are many more examples, but I am just using these to suggest that Jesus was in a position to explain what was meant in the Torah (God‘s Law). He did not proposed his own completely different concepts, but did provide definition to confusing or misinterpreted passages.

So, what else did Jesus reveal?
If you have the backdrop that Jesus fully affirmed what God had said before then you have come a long way. Sadly sometimes people look at what Jesus says without regard that there were 36 Bible books written before his arrival. There are interpretations that are made without respect to the context in which Jesus spoke. He spoke to people who already knew the Bible and were already doing (to a lesser or greater degree) what was stated there.

I think sincerely, the greatest biblical interpretation error is seen in trying to pull Jesus out from the world he spoke and plop him into the Western world. We get a very different Jesus that way.

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A case in point, as a young man, I heard that the homosexual community in Boise, Idaho was going to have a “Gay pride March”. I decided as someone who loved God, that it was my duty to go there and protest. In the course of that time I met another pastor and he asked me to take some time and meet the people there. Do interviews and you will learn more about them. He thought conversations rather then protests might be more helpful, and so that’s what I did. I asked the marchers about their beliefs. I took a survey of the people I met and I asked them about the Bible.
To be honest, I was shocked. No one was offended by the Bible. They were offended by Christians, especially those who would sit on the sidelines and protest them “being the way they are”. Many told me, if Jesus were here today he’d be marching in support of them. I was stunned. But, their Jesus (without the context of the Old Testament) was just a loving, caring guy who stood up for the oppressed. He stood against the establishment to save the life of a woman in adultery (John 8).
Jesus did not have to address homosexuality because that was punishable by death at the time. Israel would not have practiced homosexuality. Jesus never took on the subject directly, because it was not an issue where he was. Had he went to Rome, then he likely would have addressed it. Jesus also never addressed directly idol worship, because Israel had been cured of that years ago. He did not address eating pork (since Jews didn’t do that). He didn’t address Sunday worship since no one did that at the time. There were many subjects that Jesus doesn’t deal with directly because they were not a part of a Torah observant culture in the 1st Century AD.
Obedience to God’s Law was important, but having said this, there were other things that were also vital. In fact, Jesus’ emphasis on these other things are so strong that it would not be too surprising en lieu of the importance Jesus placed on these items, to accidentally neglect the whole Law obedience within the Christian community. What does seem surprising is that many of the churches today also don’t emphasize either of the items that Jesus felt were important. Let’s take a look together.

Mat 25:31-46 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels
with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:
and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them
one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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:
for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I
was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye
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did it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels:
for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.

Does anyone see a problem here? Going to heaven or not is not based on a theological test. It is not based on what we give mental assent to (what we call “believing”) It is our belief put into action. In fact, Jesus sets a plan for us. You want this Heaven, and eternal life? Here is how to get there.
1) I was hungry, and the solution was and ye gave me to eat;
2) I was thirsty, and the solution was and ye gave me drink;
3) I was a stranger, and the solution was and ye took me in;
4) I was naked, and the solution was and ye clothed me;
5) I was sick, and the solution was and ye visited me;
6) I was in prison, and the solution was and ye came unto me.

There is a ministry which Jesus felt was worthy of Heaven. It wasn’t 35 years of teaching Sunday school. It wasn’t being an usher. It wasn’t being a Trustee and taking care of a ancient building. It wasn’t providing moral entertainment for our own teens. In fact, it wasn’t even being a pastor and preaching heart warming sermons week after week. In fact, there is almost no talking involved. It is an action based Faith.
Go back to the budget of a church. Remember what percentage was used for these ministries? Can’t remember? You are right. Not a dime. Well, maybe one of those small slivers of “everything else” might bump into a couple pennies here and there to go to these things, but this stuff was vital. This was worthy of heaven or not! This was eternal life or not!
Remember back to my original contention that I think we have seriously missed the boat. This is it.
Now, someone might suggest this is just one passage. Admittedly, it is one very long and difficult passage to work through, but we can’t base our whole theology on one passage. Let’s look at others.
Remember our story of the Rich young ruler, who came to see Jesus and ask what he needed for eternal life. What did Jesus say? Do the commandments, but as you might recall that was not the rest of the story.

Mat 19:20-22 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what
lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and
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give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was
one that had great possessions.

Think about this, Jesus was tipping his hand. I think he really loved this young man. Jesus knew he wanted what Jesus could give and yet, when the offer was given, it was not taken.
I have to be honest, as a Bible student and a pastor, we tend to bend over backwards to try to make this passage say something that it doesn’t. We try to say, it was because this young man was unique and Jesus knew he loved stuff more then God, or we might say there was some reason why Jesus raised the bar so high for him, but didn’t for anyone else. The problem with this interpretation is that it isn’t there. The passage makes no effort to tell that “other part” of the story. Also, the disciples thought that Jesus was being serious. They asked some clarifying questions and got some affirmative answers. Yes, he was serious.
Well, this may have been Jesus’ talk at the time, but certainly the church, when it came, was very different. They didn’t all do this…right? WRONG

Acts 2:24-47 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need. And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.

Again, as a Bible student or as a pastor, we are taught that this sort of Communism was unique to the church. It was not seen again. It was likely an expression of the newly outpoured spirit. Although, I do agree with this in a historical sense. I think the implications are completely wrong. That sort of reckless disregard for materialism is completely consistent with Christianity, or at least the belief that Jesus spoke about.
Look further into the birth of the church. What was the first internal difficulty they dealt with? Church building project? Hiring a vocational pastor? Fund raising for missionaries? Absolutely not.

Act 6:1-2 Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables.

The first internal problem within the church was more of an administration one.
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With so many people coming to the faith there was a bit of a problem, it was feared (whether true or not), that non-Hebrew widows were being neglected in the provision of food. The disciples knew this was a problem, but they were so busy teaching the masses Jesus’ understanding of Scripture that they didn’t have time to be waiters. So they asked others to fill that role.
I have been involved with many churches, in various roles. Have you ever seen a ministry set to target making sure widows were cared for, and that they were being well fed? I haven’t. I am sure somewhere in this world it must exist, but I have never seen a church take that as a priority. Yet, this was the first “ministry” set up. How have we gone so far away from the early church’s priorities?
Look for yourself. You will find verse after verse which says the same thing. The more I look through God’s word the more I find myself in the unfortunate position that I may have wasted a great deal of my time, money and energy. I have pursued the things that I have been told was good for a husband and father. Yet, I walked a trail that did not go where I thought it would go.
Realizing that we are relatively new to this idea of taking Jesus’ words seriously, lets look at these ministries individually and see what we can find.

1) I was hungry, and the solution was and ye gave me to eat;
I live in Canada and have lived almost ½ my life in the United States. Sincerely, I have never gone hungry at any significant level. I have fasted from time to time, but even that concept is almost outdated to the Western world. I might skip a meal here or there, but I will generally snack if I skip even one meal. We are an indulgent society. We have a serious problem with obesity. I could stand to shed a few pounds. At my local grocery store there are foods from all over the world. To be honest, if I was hungry (and without resources) locally, I don’t even know where I would go?
In a larger urban centre we would find food banks, or soup kitchens, the Salvation Army or other centers but in our town of 2000 people, I don’t even know if we have such a thing. I can’t think of where it would be.
However, if we wanted to help “feed the hungry” where would I do that? I guess I could make a donation to the Salvation army, or an urban food bank or soup kitchen. If I knew the need was local, but not being filled, it would be wise for me to open my home to feed those in need.
Around the world there are many who are desperately hungry. My sister spent a couple years in Ethiopia. Most of us who are old enough will remember the images of starving Ethiopians that inspired musical groups to raise money for aid that area.
As I have been writing this, a significant Earthquake has hit the very poor nation of Haiti. That particular nation was very poor before the earthquake, but now will likely be in a much worse state. There is about nothing that these people don’t need.
What does it cost to sponsor a child overseas? I looked to World Vision Canada to see what it costs, and admittedly they provide much more then just food, they provide medicine and education and they do this for $10 a week ($520/year). That is slightly more then my favourite drink at Starbucks cost me (each drink).
What about a “one time contribution“. Is there anyway to provide for a family long term on an inexpensive one time gift? Absolutely. I ran across an organization called Canada Food for the Hungry. Their web site is:
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http://www.fhcanada.org/gift-guide/All-Gift-Guide-Items
A one time gift of $100 would provide a goat which villagers would milk and breed and would provide milk, cheese, and meat for usually 12 to 14 years. If that is far too much then what about 2 chickens? They lay eggs for food and for trading. They can let the eggs become chicks and eventually chickens for meat or for trade. 2 chickens would cost $35. Want to help someone get into raising cattle? that would run you $600. A full farm with a trained vet and medicine would get rolling for $1100. Wrap your mind around this stuff.
As a banker, I had about 7 nice suits that I would wear. Let’s say 30 ties. It was important to dress appropriately. I understand that, but if your suits (even cheap suits, and many of mine weren’t cheap) would run you at least a couple hundred dollars. Ties normally cost $10 to $20 a piece, a few even more. For the money I spent on suits and ties. I could have provided food for years for a whole village. Over the years, I simply wore out the suits and bought more. No problem, cost of doing business.

2) I was thirsty, and the solution was and ye gave me drink;
What was said of food is equally true of water. I have heard Canada is the country with the largest freshwater resources. Again, we are a people very well blessed. We don’t even think about how many people have don’t have enough to drink. Their water is poison. I took a look to find out what it would cost to fund a well of fresh water in a developing country.
According to Gospel for Asia (KP Yohannan’s organization) their wells cost $1000 and you can fund one by going to this site. http://www.gfa.org/jesuswells/

3) I was a stranger, and the solution was and ye took me in;
Emotionally, this does something different to me. I can send money. I was trained as a chef so I can cook for someone who is hungry, but inviting in a “total stranger” is more difficult. We are living in 2010. How do I know that I didn’t just bring a convicted child rapist into my house? How do I know that person is…safe.?
You see, things outside my home are easier, but if I invite someone to reside there, I am now losing a level of control. I can’t keep my eye on the stranger all the time. I will sleep at some point in time. The other possible consideration is if I invite in strangers, is there a sense that they would ever leave?
Perhaps you have been in that sort of situation when you helped out someone who was in need (between houses, or needed to be in the area for a short time), and then you find a few days stretches into a week or two or more. At some point you may have had to come to a decision whether you need to take action (kick these house guests out, nice or otherwise), or accept them as permanent additions to you family. That’s tough.
As I wrote this I was talking with a Pastor’s wife. He and her will often scoop up people in transition. Our town is on a major highway, so there are people who just wander through. I asked her about the “having a total stranger” come and stay the night. She said, it’s weird. You have to disconnect your rational mind and just “do” what Jesus said. So far, they have not been significantly harmed. Perhaps this is the unseen hand of protection of God.

4) I was naked, and the solution was and ye clothed me;
Again, I am writing this in Canada. The temperature outside right now is -24. If someone was out there without clothes. They likely did not survive the night. However, there is a real sense that there are many people who might not have adequate clothing. Or there are people, (more common in urban centres), who you
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see day in and day out wearing the same old ratted clothes. They are that group of street people. In Saskatoon, where I lived and worked, my office was in the downtown core. You were always “hit up” by pan handlers. Sometimes I would give. Sometimes I wouldn’t. It often depended on what I had on me at the time.
To be honest, these “street people” become invisible to the professional people over time. It becomes instinct to simply spot one or two and change sides of the street so that you don’t have to walk past them. At first, this is a conscious effort, but with enough time, it is just instinct. You don’t even have to think. You are simply avoiding things, like avoiding trash on the street.
When you enter a different urban centre your senses become more aware of these people. When we were in Vancouver this summer, I used “Google maps” to find the route to Stanley Park, and Google maps does know that you are going to be taken through some pretty rough parts of town. I, and my family, were taken aback by a large ghetto full of garbage, and crime and darkness. It was like a movie, but in fact, it was their life.
Of course, Vancouver is a much larger urban center, and the climate and exterior temperature is better if you happened to be someone on the very lowest end of the social strata.
For work, I also had to travel to our main office. Canada’s banks are generally centred within blocks of each other in Toronto. I was there on December and spotted people with sleeping bags setting up for the night on air vents, with a small pack next to them. These people weren’t begging (at least they weren’t when I was there). It wasn’t just a show. This was honestly where they were going to sleep.

5) I was sick, and the solution was and ye visited me;
Some close Christian brothers and sisters are going through a trend that all disease is spiritually caused and Health is a gift from God available for anyone. They argue that medicine is proof of our rejection of God. I am not completely on the same page with these people. Jesus, for the record, did not say “I was sick and you healed me”. Jesus did heal many. Jesus still does. Jesus’ disciples healed people as well. I think we should look more seriously at the role of the body of Christ in praying for healing.
However, Jesus’ comments here were not about healing the sick, or even treating the sick. It was about visiting the sick. Again, this is not something that comes naturally for me. If I have a close friend who has taken ill, then I am happy to drop by and see them. If a friend has had a baby, again we are eager to put in a brief visit (new mom’s need rest, we get that).
Back in Bible college, in my first year, I was assigned to be on a music ministry group. At first, I thought this was great. Who didn’t want to sing for their ministry experience? I thought, we’d arrive, and be the “special music”, or the highlight of the day. Unfortunately, we found out pretty quick that if our Bible college had 40 or so of these singing groups, then we were very unlikely to find a weekly venue. There just weren’t that many churches who needed that much special music.
Most of us then went to various care homes and senior centers. Some of these places had a location where we would perform, but some did not. If we were part of a group that did not have a performance center then we would join the visitation staff.
Seriously, unless you are really gifted in this, it’s a real challenge. Imagine, dropping in (well dressed) at a hospital and going from room to room to “visit”. Generally, you are supposed to be seriously spiritually impacting this group, but for
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the rookie, this is just a fumbling and looking at your watch hoping that it’s time to go home soon.
Yet, for those who did this week after week, they tended to get better at it. They tended to strike up conversations with people easier. For them it was less of a burden. You could also see that the “patients” were more at ease when they would see the same people over and over again. They actually looked forward to seeing these people dropping in and checking on them.
Having never been significantly sick, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to spend week after week in a hospital. I was terribly bored just waiting for an oil change on my van yesterday. I might lose my mind in a setting like that. I could appreciate if some kind person dropped by for a visit, just to check up on me. Many of these people were at a point where they really got no visitors.
Any rate, that was 20 years ago, and I never really took up the challenge to become a regular hospital visitor. It was far easier for me to teach Sunday School, or lead youth groups or prepare a sermon then to “drop in” at the hospital.

6) I was in prison, and the solution was and ye came unto me.
My experience has never extended to prisons, but I think what is true of hospitals would likely be true of prisoners. I can’t imagine it would be easy to start up conversations with prisoners, out of the blue. We don’t share similar experiences. I am not confined. I have limited exposure to the legal system and/or the re-socialization system.
In fact, somewhere in my head, I wonder why would visiting prisoners be one of the “biggies” for Jesus? These people are in prison because they have committed crimes. They have broken, not just the Law of God (which all of us have), but even the much lower law of man. They have chosen to harm their fellow man/woman. They have chosen to deprive them of property, or threaten their physical safety.
I have a lot of sympathy for our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering and imprisoned overseas for their faith. In some Muslim countries, Christians are tossed in prison to rot, or just killed, for the crime of spreading their “faith”. I have nothing but sympathy for that. If you are not familiar with this, I urge you to spend some time looking at this site. www.persecution.net/ It is the Voice of the Martyrs , an excellent group that tries to raise awareness about Christians brothers and sisters and what they face overseas. Get on their mailing list. You might find it will change your world.
I also understand, that as Jesus spoke this to his disciples, they would all spend some time in prison. If it wasn’t for Paul (a later apostle) in prison, we would have a much shorter New Testament. He wrote much of what we call the New Testament while in prison. I have no problem with the idea of visiting the saints in prison, but that (for the most part) is not what we can do locally.
I also understand people who go to the prisons to “witness” to the prisoners, and perhaps lead them to Christ, and perhaps help them grow spiritually. I like this idea, but again, I have no experience.
Even as I write this, I didn’t even know where the closest prison was. I have never had a reason to go there. I haven’t “done time”. My friends haven’t been jailed. I had to look and found there is a centre about ½ hour away. I couldn’t tell you whether
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they have a “visitation ministry” or not. I do know this is not the major penitentiary.

Values in Perspective:
The reason for this exploration and personal exposure is to say that my values do not line up with Jesus’ values. Jesus believed his followers would be obedient to the Law that was set before them (The Old Testament) and that they would be socially active in meeting very practical needs of people. To that end, almost all church experiences I have been a part of have only the smallest acknowledgement of the importance of either of these items.
The church has successfully become a social institution. It has become a education facility (with uncertain successes) almost no known graduates. It may or may not be a political entity. It is well-administered considering it runs mostly on volunteer labour. We are professional. We are middle class. We are orderly. We are not offensive. In short…we are something completely different then what Jesus seems to have suggested.

The Proposal:
My proposal is a completely new paradigm. I propose that we wipe out the old efforts to it’s foundation and start anew. I think if we did this we would find a new church, a better church, and one more like what Jesus proposes.

Plan part 1:
The first action that people can take is simply to choose not to engage in the old model of church. Are you a church member? You might do well to withdraw your membership, if your church is not following this type of pattern. Are you a regular attendee of a church fellowship, stop, if you don’t see these values fleshed out. These places are drains on your time and resources. We need to lay aside what doesn’t get us toward our goal.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

I do sincerely think some of these previous actions were sins in the classic sense, but many of them were not. They were simply substitutions. We substituted God’s design for one that we enjoyed more. We have done it so long ago, that we don’t recall even taking that action.
To do such a thing (abandoning your church) will immediately create a void in your world. Let’s be honest, we have done the same model of church our whole lives. We don’t know anything else. You will immediately feel guilty the first Sunday that rolls around and you don’t go. The feeling of void is necessary to inspire action.
Now, I should also acknowledge that you may attend a church which embodies these values. They may embrace the needs of the community around them. Perhaps
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the church is just an inexpensive location to fulfill this mission. If so, Praise God! Personally, at different stages of church planting we did find that we were no longer able to meet in homes because of the sheer size of our membership and the undo burden it was placing on the families that hosted. At that point, we did rent buildings. In our case, since we were also Sabbath observant, we were able to rent a traditional church. They stand empty most days of the week anyway. A sympathetic church would often open their door very inexpensively to a fellowship that needs a place to meet. However, there are sometimes other places that might be more helpful. I know of local community centres that charge a nominal fee to use their place and even some that are free (sponsored by local businesses). You might want to look around (if and when you arrive at the point that the home is just too small).

Plan part 2:
In fact, you can actually do this part before (or at the same time as part 1) find like-minded people. The body of Christ was intended to act together. There are many these days who see the old church model for what it is, and have refused to attend. I understand this. This makes sense. They don’t want to be involved with something very different then Christ set out, however, it’s a tough world out there. It is better to find someone to hold your hand.
The reason for this is two fold. First, I think it is Biblical.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Second, I think more can be accomplished by meeting with other brothers and sister, you can inspire each other to keep at the task. You can divide and conquer the tasks ahead. You can help your children see that this is acceptable. You can affirm one another in the work ahead. Alone, you tend to spend a lot of your time planning for someday. That someday is today.

Plan part 3:
Avoid titles and ranking at all costs.

Mat 23:8-12 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

We don’t want to turn around and recreate the same product again with ourselves as the new pastor. God forbid! At some point in time there may be a need to have some defined leadership, but let this happen organically and try to avoid taking on
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traditional “church titles” and “roles” in an attempt to be seen as acceptable to them.
Remember, Jesus’ Sheep and Goats parable? It didn’t matter who was or wasn’t impressed by the “goats” on Earth. We answer to one master, and we live in fear of him, not of man. This includes the church.
The church (the way it was intended) was designed to be interactive. We were not designed for professional clergy doing the “ministries”.

1Cor 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of
you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation,
hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying

Plan Part 4:
Set “ministries” around what Jesus felt was important. Do we believe in teaching? Yes. But this is intended to reach a goal. We want people to be “fully trained”. We are not just teaching cycles and cycles of new, progressive Christian stuff while never encouraging action. The early disciples trained people what they had learned from Jesus. This was discipleship. The disciples were making disciples.

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…

So, beyond teaching what Jesus said about proper interpretation of God’s Law, and how to live this new life in Christ, what sort of things should we look to accomplish? Here’s a few to start-
1) I was hungry, and the solution was and ye gave me to eat;
2) I was thirsty, and the solution was and ye gave me drink;
3) I was a stranger, and the solution was and ye took me in;
4) I was naked, and the solution was and ye clothed me;
5) I was sick, and the solution was and ye visited me;
6) I was in prison, and the solution was and ye came unto me.

Using this as the test as to whether you are following what Jesus saw as important (in fact, worthy of heaven or not!!!) How are we doing?
Let’s not forget what happens to those who decide on their own “ministries”.

Mat 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I think most of you will understand that much of our present ministries are far less exciting and Earth changing then what these people did. We teach Sunday school and provide moral entertainment for our teens. If these people were not known by Jesus, why is it that we think we would be?

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A question might be asked: “if one was to give to an organization that does this, which one should you give to?” This is a fair question, but the answer is easier then you think.
Any One.
Remember the Bible story of the Rich Young Ruler? He came to see Jesus and found that the Law was necessary for his salvation, and Jesus wanted him to abandon everything.
You already know that the ruler does not act on this and so he never finds what he is looking for. But think about this, does Jesus care where he sends the stuff? No, he just wants it to go to the poor. He doesn’t send it to any people (even the temple) to be distributed. From what we see, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is two fold. First, these things are to go to those in need, and second, these “things” are keeping him from God. It is a matter of getting rid of them.

Personally, if I am giving to an organization that is accomplishing these goals then I am happier to give to a Christian organization, but if the supposed Christian organization is not doing the work, or not doing so effectively, then I have no hesitation about working with any group which feels compelled to do this.
Again, remember when Jesus was entering Jerusalem and the people were all praising God and shouting, and the Pharisees told him to silence his followers, what did Jesus say?

Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

I think the reason you see care organizations doing the work that the believers should be doing, is because WE HAVE FAILED. Jesus, was going to accomplish this with or without us. Far better to be doing the master’s work then to allow the United nations to do it for us.

Plan part 5:
As I have said, I think the church has lost it’s way. My hope is that everyone changes and embraces this new model, but I know that anyone who does will get persecution. In Canada and the US, it will be more subtle, then it might be in a Muslim nation, but the wounds of a friend do cut deep.
You will find friends that will question you actions, and imply that you have lost your faith. Share this with them. Challenge them. Encourage them to look seriously (not at what their church is doing, and how it makes them feel), but look at Jesus. Look at his Gospel. Look at the early church, not our customized (history revisionist model) that makes that church look like us wearing bathrobes. We need to look at a church that was concerned about feeding widows, and a church where people were throwing away their possessions to give to those in need, not to a new building project.
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Who knows? you may find you have won your brother.

Plan part 6:
Start at home. Your home (whether you rent or own) is your place. It can serve as the meeting place for fellow believers. It can be the starting place for these Jesus based ministries. It can be a storage place for goods to send away.
In fact, my house, unfortunately, is a storage place for a bunch of things that do not belong to me.
I think I have 2 coats, I will have to check.
That might sound a bit dramatic, but it’s not. We need to look closely at our home and decide what is necessary and what is not. In fact, much of what other people might find necessary is really just a luxury for us. We can stand to be down a few luxuries if in the end it would help the rest of the community of faith (or the people in need).
Take a walk around your house, in prayer and in faith and ask God. “What extras do we have that we don’t need?” If you are married, ask your spouse ‘what you should get rid of?’ Or perhaps assume an “extra” is not yours, and try to see if there is any reason why you would need that extra piece. The answer may be “yes”. For example, I have a few extra blankets and pillows. Why? We have guests who arrive with some degree of regularity and if we are to take seriously the desire to show hospitality to those in need then we felt we could use some extra bedding. However, in days gone by, we have closets of extra bedding and a couple boxes of more if we ever needed it. Of course, we never did. Those resources were never really ours. They were God’s and they are as much God’s when we give it to the Salvation Army as they were taking up space in our basement.

Plan part 7:
Celebrate each other’s successes. We are the people of God. If we are going about the Master’s business, then let each other know that you saw. Let people know that what they did mattered. Let them know that what they did was following God’s instruction. We need to exalt what is good. For years we have set up a system where we exalt what is “pretty”, or “professional” or even just gives us a warm feeling. That time has past. We need to uphold what is good, and allow this and the next generation to see this and desire to do likewise.

So What do we gain?
I think what we need to understand is what we gain with respect to this paradigm shift.
1- First and foremost is obedience. If we claim to be servants of God then we should be expected to be obedient. That is what servants are called to do.

Matt 24:45-47 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
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Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing
Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

2- As I have gone into some length, the older church model is set up to be comfortable and encouraging, but in reality it is a burden to maintain. If we plan to be involved in the Master’s work then we need to put aside those “burdens” whatever they may be that fill our time, take our energy and resources.

3- This former model does create a sense of community, but I think in this new model you will find that this “community sense” to be deeper and more fulfilling. You are active not as a “participant”, or an audience, but as a true co-labourer. It is one thing to have some “connection” to something important. Our society has that even when we watch a sporting event. This is a whole new system to be a “player” on the field, doing the work and striving for the goal.

4- This makes eternal deposits.

Matt 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

This side of heaven it is very difficult to put things on deposit in heaven. Why not take some of our resources today and forward them on? Everything we have here is temporary.

5- For those who haven’t adopted the Full Bible (including the Old Testament) as counsel about how to live, this action alone will expand your vision. It will give you a better perspective on the God who created and set a standard for his people. We don’t have to fear being called people who practice Lawlessness.

6- This process, also allows you to actively see a small part of “healing the world”
Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם)‎. Now there is a challenge that is worthy of the
people of God.

Again, I don’t claim to have all the answers. In fact, to date, I don’t even have a functioning model of this, but I believe this is where the Lord is leading and as for me and my household, where else would we want to be?

I invite your comments, and especially your criticism. Perhaps there are significant things I have missed, if so, I would love to incorporate that in updated additions. The Grace of God be to you and your household.

-Brother Bradley Avi

Ha Shavua Shelach- Send

2010-06-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks again, Bradley

חיים פשוטים יותר
"Make Life Simpler"

Parashat HaShavua Shelach / Send

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 13:1-15:41
Yehoshua / Joshua 2:1-24
Ivrim / Hebrews 3:7-19

Bamidbar {13:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {13:2} Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Cana'an, which I give to bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel): of every tribe of their avot (fathers) shall you send a man, everyone a prince among them. ... {13:17} Moshe sent them to spy out the land of Cana'an, and said to them, Get you up this way by the south, and go up into the hill-country: {13:18} and see the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many; {13:19} and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds; {13:20} and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be you of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.

After I read these Scriptures it was obvious to me that HaShem set this whole “spy out the land” affair as a test. Read what I mean: “... what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad...”

Do you see what was happening here? HaShem was telling Moshe to send a leader from each tribe to go and check whether the land was good or bad! If that was not a test for these men then I do not know what was. Why do I see it as a test? I see it as a test because of what HaShem told Moshe and bnei Yisrael previously when He was coming to remove them from the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt).

Shemot {3:8} I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Mitzrim (Egyptians), and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Cana'anite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Yebusite.

Let us face it, if HaShem previously told Moshe and bnei Yisrael that the land He was giving them was a land flowing with milk and honey, then why would He now be telling them to go and check out the land and see “whether it be good or bad,” if it were not a test?

I do not know about you, but these Scriptures are a real encouragement to me. HaShem has made so many “Promise Land” type promises to me, yet I am always finding myself having to go in and spy out the land. Some of you might be saying, “What is he talking about?” Well, let me give you an example of what I mean. HaShem has been speaking to me of late to be more open and loving towards the Moslem people. He has especially put it upon my heart to go into the Moslem community that is in close proximity to our Kehilah (congregation) and share the Besorah Tova (Gospel) with them. However, when I went into the community to check it out I saw burqas (an all enveloping outer garment worn by some Moslem women), I saw women wearing head coverings and dresses to the ground, I saw men that look Semitic, but I felt hatred towards me because I am a Jew. Most of all I saw Moslems who may possibly be open to a Christian oriented Gospel, but who would never in a million years accept a Jewish Messiah and walk in His ways. Yet I know that it was HaShem that placed it upon my heart to try and reach this community. Now, I could have either come back with a bad report or refused to do anything with these Moslems. I could choose to believe and trust HaShem to work out the mechanics of reaching this Moslem community for the Mashiach, despite what I saw and felt and despite the fact that we are Messianic Jews.

The thing is that each one of us regularly face tests similar to the one HaShem imposed on bnei Yisrael. As believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, we read G-d’s promises in the Bible, we believe G-d’s promises, but when we are tested on them we sometimes, instead of seeing the victory the L-rd has promised us, we see giants in the land.

Life would have been so much simpler for this generation of Yisrael if they would have only believed G-d when He said that the land He was giving them was a good land. Then when Moshe asked them to go and spy-out the land they could have just said, “There is no need for us to do what you have asked Moshe. HaShem has told us that the land is a good land, and He said that He was going to give it to us as a possession. What G-d has said is good enough for us; we are ready to go up and take the land.” Life can and will be so much simpler for us as well if we would only say and do the same.

*********************
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
Visit our Webpage @ www.cmy.on.ca / cmy@ca.inter.net
272 Ranee Ave Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A-1N6, Tel: 416-785-7612
An ever changing Messianic Jewish website
till King Mashiach Yeshua comes back!!!
Shalom Shalom

HaShavua BeHa'Alotecha / In Your Setting Up

2010-05-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks again, Brad

Parashat HaShavua BeHa'Alotecha / In Your Setting Up

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 8:1-12:16
Zecharyah / Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

Shemot (Exodus) {12:43} HaShem said to Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron), "This is the chukat (statute) of the Pesach (Passover). There shall no foreigner eat of it, {12:44} but every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have mul (Circumcised) him, then shall he eat of it. {12:45} A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat of it. {12:46} In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones {12:47} All of the Adat (Congregation) of Yisrael (Israel) shall keep it. {12:48} When a Ger (Foreigner) shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Pesach to HaShem, let all his males be mul, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no arel (un-circumcised) person shall eat of it.

Our congregation holds a large Passover celebration every year. It is a catered affair, complete with a meal where everyone is invited to attend -- without restrictions. Many of those who attend are not Jewish, nor are they part of a Messianic community. Some are not even born again in Yeshua HaMashiach and, therefore, the males are not circumcised. Yet, we allow them to attend anyway. In fact, we use the Pesach as an opportunity to teach those of the church about their Biblical Jewish roots and those that are not born again both Jew and non-Jew about the salvation offered them through Yeshua HaMashiach as demonstrated through the Pesach Seder (Order).

More than once I have been questioned, because of the Scripture I quoted above, why we allow uncircumcised people to attend our Passover. Well this week’s Parasha answers that question for us. However, before we get into the explanation of why we allow the uncircumcised to attend, there is something else I would like to mention.

Today lamb is not served at a Pesach supper. The main reason is because there is no Temple to which the Pesach lamb can be brought to be slaughtered and there is no longer a Levitical priesthood to do the slaughtering. Both of these are requirements of Torah. Further more, Yeshua HaMashiach is the Lamb who has already been sacrificed so eating lamb at the Pesach supper would almost be like offering Yeshua up a second time, which in my opinion would be sacrilegious.

Now to our question of why we allow uncircumcised people to attend our Pesach celebration. As I stated above the answers lies within the passages of this week’s Parasha

Bamidbar {9:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt), saying, {9:2} Moreover let bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) keep the Pesach in its appointed season. {9:3} In the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season: according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the chukim of it, shall you keep it. {9:4} Moshe spoke to bnei Yisrael, that they should keep the Pesach. {9:5} They kept the Pesach in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at even, in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that HaShem commanded Moshe, so did bnei Yisrael. {9:6} There were certain men, who were tam'ei (ritually unclean) by reason the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Pesach on that day: and they came before Moshe and before Aharon on that day: {9:7} and those men said to him, We are tam'ei by reason the dead body of a man: why are we kept back, that we may not offer the korban (draw near / offering) of HaShem in its appointed season among the bnei Yisrael? {9:8} Moshe said to them, Stay you, that I may hear what HaShem will command concerning you. {9:9} HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, {9:10} Speak to bnei Yisrael, saying, If any ish (man) of you or of your generations shall be tam'ei by reason a dead body, or be on a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Pesach to HaShem. {9:11} In the second month on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with matzot (unleavened) and bitter herbs: {9:12} they shall leave none of it to the morning, nor break a bone of it: according to all the statute of the Pesach they shall keep it.

I quoted a lengthy passage because I wanted us to understand the full context of what is being said. However, the verse I am interested in you understanding and the one that answers our question is the last one quoted.

Bamidbar {9:12} they shall leave none of it to the morning, nor break a bone of it: according to all the statute of the Pesach they shall keep it.

If you read and understand the context of what HaShem is saying to Moshe then you will recognize that the Pesach HaShem is referring to is the actual lamb and not the Pesach ceremony. Therefore, HaShem is telling us in the first Scripture I quoted above (Shemot 12:48) that no uncircumcised man shall eat the Pascal Lamb. Seeing that there is no longer a Temple or a Levitical priesthood, which I explained is the reason we no longer eat lamb at Pesach, the uncircumcised do not eat the Pascal Lamb, which of course represents Yeshua HaMashiach. Therefore, since no lamb is eaten on Pesach then the circumcised or uncircumcised question becomes a non-issue.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

HaShavua- Elevate

2010-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from rabbi Jack in Toronto. Thanks again, -Bradley

"The Gift Of Restitution"

Parashat HaShavua Naso / Elevate

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 4:21-7:89
Shoftim / Judges 13:2-25
Ma'asei Talmidim / Acts 21:17-26

Bamidbar {5:5} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {5:6} Speak to bnei Yisrael (children of Israel), When an ish (man) or ishah (woman) shall commit any chatat (sin) that men commit, so as to trespass against HaShem, and that nefesh (soul) shall be guilty; {5:7} then he shall confess his chatat which he has done: and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. {5:8} But if the ish have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to HaShem shall be the Cohen's; besides the ram of the Kapparah (Atonement), whereby Kapparah shall be made for him. {5:9} every heave-offering of all the Kadosh (separate / holy) things of bnei Yisrael, which they present to the Cohen, shall be his. {5:10} every man's kadosh things shall be his: whatever any ish gives the Cohen, it shall be his.

At times, when a person sins they need to not only ask forgiveness, both from HaShem and the person they sinned against but also they need to make restitution. For example: a thief, when caught, needed to make restitution to the person he stole from. He was to return what he stole plus he was to add twenty percent more to it. However, what happens if the thief is caught years later and the victim is dead with no living relatives? What is the thief to do then? This passage of Scripture from Parasha Naso answers that question for us. It says that restitution is to be made to a kinsman, and if there is no kinsman it is to be made to the Cohen. So whatever that restitution was, the Cohen was to receive it for his own personal use.

As we know there is no longer a Temple in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), nor is there an Aharonic priesthood presiding over the Temple services, so we need to ask ourselves, “If this mitzvah (commandment) is Temple and priesthood dependant, does it still have application today?” The answer to that question is “yes,” and I will explain why shortly.

Even though Yeshua HaMashiach forgives us for our sins when we confess our sins, there are still consequences for sin, and we must therefore still make restitution if we have cheated, stolen, borrowed something without returning it or caused anyone expense as a result of our sin. However, what if we come up against a situation as specified in our Scripture passage above? There is no longer any Temple. There is no longer a Cohen. So how do we make restitution if the person we have sinned against has passed away without having any next of kin or if the company we took something from is no longer in business?

Now, I am not here to accuse anyone, but I am sure that I can confidently say that somewhere in the world at sometime in recent history, a pastoral leader of a congregation took advantage of this passage of Scripture. I am sure that I could say that even some who boldly declare to their congregants that, “We are no longer under the Law,” have applied this passage of Scripture to themselves and received unwarranted and unbiblical gifts from well meaning, well intentioned people who honestly wanted to be exonerated by making restitution. In fact I have been asked by such people how this passage of Scripture is to be interpreted and how it was to be applied today. I have even been asked if I would receive their offering of restitution, which of course I do not.

After careful reading, praying and seeking the L-rd concerning the proper application of this passage of Scripture, I think I have the mind of G-d for the answer.

Even though we do not have a Temple in Yerushalayim today and even though there is no longer a Cohen to receive the gifts of restitution in cases as specified in our Parasha, I believe that HaShem still requires us to make restitution. Even if the person we have sinned against has passed away without having any next of kin or the company we took something from is no longer in business, we still need to bring restitution. How then are we to do it? Are we to give it to our pastor or rabbi for their personal use? Absolutely not! Restitution should always be made when required, but it must be done appropriately. It should fulfill the requirements of Torah to the person sinned against or to their next of kin. However, if in the case the person is dead or there is no next of kin or the company is no longer in existence, then I believe that the restitution money should be given to the Kehilah (Congregation) to which you are going and it should be specified that it is a gift of restitution, to be used for the furtherance of HaShem’s Kingdom, therefore, for missions or evangelism.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

BaMidbar -Numbers

2010-05-17T03:56:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks again for sharing, -Bradley

"Numbering For War And Miracles"

Parashat HaShavua BaMidbar / In The Wilderness

This Week's Reading List:
BaMidbar / Numbers 1:1-4:20
Hoshea / Hosea 2:1-22
Korintim Aleph / 1st Corinthians 12:12-20

Kefa Alef (1 Peter) {2:9} But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for G-d's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;

I can not remember ever starting one of my commentaries with a passage of Scripture from the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant), so this may very well be a first. The reason I started with this passage of Scripture is because of what we learn from Parasha Bamidbar.

Bamidbar {1:47} But the Leviim (Levites) after the tribe of their avot (fathers) were not numbered among them. {1:48} For HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {1:49} Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, neither shall you take the sum of them among beni Yisrael (children of Israel) ; {1:50} but appoint you the Leviim over the tent of the testimony, and over all the furniture of it, and over all that belongs to it: they shall bear the tent, and all the furniture of it; and they shall minister to it, and shall encamp round about the tent. {1:51} When the tent sets forward, the Leviim shall take it down; and when the tent is to be pitched, the Leviim shall set it up: and the Ger (Foreigner) who comes near shall be put to death. {1:52} Bnei Yisrael shall pitch their tents, every ish (man) by his own camp, and every ish by his own standard, according to their hosts. {1:53} But the Leviim shall encamp round about the tent of the testimony, that there be no wrath on the kehilah (congregation) of bnei of Yisrael: and the Leviim shall keep the charge of the tent of the testimony. {1:54} Thus did bnei Yisrael; according to all that HaShem commanded Moshe, so did they.

This Parasha is all about numbering bnei Yisrael. However, it was a special numbering. Only those twenty years to fifty years old that were able to go to war were numbered. That would mean that anyone fifty years and older were excluded from the census. The total numbers of able bodied men able to go to war were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty. Now of course, because the Liviim were in charge of the religious life of the congregation of Yisrael, their responsibility being HaShem’s representative to the people and visa versa, they were excluded from battle and therefore from the census.

I know some of you may think that I am going to talk about believers in Yeshua HaMashiach being conscientious objectors (against going to war for religious reasons) but that is the farthest thing from my mind. The fact is the Leviim did go to war; they just did not go into battle as we can see from the following passage of Scripture:

Y’hoshua (Joshua) {3:8} "You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant, saying, 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan. '" {3:9} Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of HaShem your G-d." {3:10} And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living G-d is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. {3:11} "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the L-rd of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.

Today, of course, there is no Mishkan for us, as a Royal Priesthood, to serve in and therefore, the supportive role as the keepers of the Ark of the Covenant and all the accoutrements of the korban (draw near / offering) system is no longer necessary. Yet in the verse I quoted from Kefa Alef above we are called a royal priesthood. Therefore, our role as priest has evolved a little since the days of the Mishkan and the Bet HaMigdash (Temple). As priest of G-d today, even though we are not responsible to maintain a Tabernacle or Temple with its system of offerings, we like the Liviim of biblical times are still responsible to represent HaShem (the Father) to the people. Therefore, I believe that a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach today, needs to be anywhere and everywhere possible to preach the Besorah Tovah (Good News) about Yeshua HaMashiach and His free gift of salvation. This of course would include the armed forces.

Countless stories of miracles happening on the battlefield and stories of battlefield salvations have come out of the wars being fought today by Canada, the United States and Israel. Now, I am not a proponent of war but sadly, like it was in biblical times, sometimes war is necessary. As for believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, even as a royal priesthood, we can not be conscientious objectors. Like the Liviim of old, we have a G-d to represent and what better place to represent Him then among soldiers who are facing the prospect of death everyday and who may have questions about their eternal destiny.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

2010-05-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

My brother Izzy, posted this and I thought it might be nice to share. If you enjoy Izzy's post check out the fellowship that he runs in Prince Albert, or his other media endeavors. Thanks for sharing, Izzy -Brother Bradley Avi

Hebrew Word of the Week – Parashat Behar

This week’s parasha, Leviticus 25:1 to 27:34, features national legislation engineered to block escalating inflation, restrain exploitation of the working class, and encourage good land management, all neatly packaged in the simple push of a button. Every fifty years the reset button would be hit on the whole country of Israel. All debts were cancelled, all slaves became free men in a single day, and all property reverted to its original owners, previous foreclosures and resales notwithstanding. One can only imagine the emotion connected with this bi-centennial. The exhilaration of newfound freedom. The relief of finally becoming debt-free. The joy of returning home to the farm after being forced to live in urban tenements for three decades.

Our Hebrew Word of the Week sums up that rush of emotion. It’s what the Torah instructs is to be proclaimed at the start of that new era. The Hebrew in Leviticus 25:10 reads,וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ" u’kratem dror ba’aretz“ which in English reads “and you shall proclaim a release, you shall proclaim freedom, throughout the land.” What was to be proclaimed throughout the land? Freedom! The Hebrew word here for freedom is “דְּרוֹר dror”. You pronounce it the same way you pronounce the English word ‘drawer’. “ דְּרוֹרdror” is an excellent example of how Hebrew uses concrete objects to communicate abstract concepts. “ דְּרוֹרdror” is actually an animal that pictures freedom. In Psalm 84:4 we read of the “ דְּרוֹרdror”, the swallow, finding a nest in God’s sanctuary. The swallow, soaring, darting, flying swift and free, is the Biblical picture of freedom.

Let’s take that to the next level. Have you ever wondered if, in the midst of the wonderful “ דְּרוֹרdror” of the bicentennial, it occurred to anyone that their experience was a fore glimpse of an even greater freedom that the people of God would experience in Messiah? Genevieve pointed out to me today that the day that “ דְּרוֹרdror” was proclaimed was the day of atonement. So, what’s the connection between Messiah’s atonement and our “ דְּרוֹרdror”, our freedom? How is the swallow a picture of us, and the release we have experienced through the Gospel? You may not be able to answer this question until the next time you see a swallow, and take some time to watch him closely. I hope you see one soon!

And what about the future? What about when Messiah returns and gloriously fulfills the Day of Trumpets and the entire set of Appointed Times that we observe every autumn? What about when that great shofar is sounded to signal the advent of God’s ultimate bicentennial? What will be we doing as we see the Master hurtling through the sky? What will be doing as we fly like swallows to meet him in the air? I don’t know. But I do know what we’ll be doing after that. We’ll be living with King Yeshua in Israel, according to Isaiah 66, Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 40-48, and Revelation 20-22. We’ll be living by the law of the Kingdom, God’s Torah. And we’ll be celebrating the Jubilee every fifty years, just as it’s written in this parasha, in glorious “ דְּרוֹר dror”.

Until then,

Yisrael

So, I'm Saved...

2010-05-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

Another moment of Rabbi Jack sharing his thoughts. Thanks for sharing, -Bradley Avi

Ellen and I have been blessed, the L-rd allowing us to travel to Africa for the purpose of establishing a Messianic Jewish presence in both Kenya and Nigeria. Our experience in these countries has been eye opening. The commitment of these people, the hunger, the desire to learn more and more about the L-rd, is such as we have not seen in North America. Yet as beautiful as Africa is, it is still a third world country. What impressed us however, were the people, the believers. Despite deplorable roads and a public transportation system that is inconceivable to our western minds, until you see and experience them yourself, people are committed to finding their way to come and worship the L-rd. So it has made us think, “Are we, here in North America taking G-d for granted?”

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) {1:2} Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for HaShem hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

This is not unlike what we have in our society today. We bear children, care for them with loving care, give them food to nourish their bodies and provide for them the best that the L-rd can provide through us and what do we expect in return? We expect our children to grow up strong in the L-rd and to become successful believers in their own right and many times this happens; but not always. Our little ones learn to rebel. Yes they start to rebel as soon as they are able to make the smallest decisions. As an infant, when they are hungry, eat what we give them to eat. But by seven or eight months they start to spit the food out they do not like or they turn their precious little heads away as we try to feed them. They further rebel when they become toddlers. We instruct them to not climb on tables and when we are not looking they attempt to climb on the tables. By school age we tell them to play in the yard and before we know it they are playing in the neighbour’s yard or in the street. And through out the teenage years we find that there are curfews broken, chores done when it is convenient for them and not when it should be done, and later in life the teaching that have been put into them through the Word of G-d gets pushed aside for the life that the world has to offer. All of this is nothing but rebellion and G-d takes notice of it. G-d therefore, just and fair when He says that His children have rebelled; His people have taken Him for granted.

As parents we often ask ourselves when faced with rebellious children, “Where did we go wrong?” G-d is asking the same question of us:

Yeshayahu {1:3} “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's manger, but Yisrael does not know, My people do not understand.”

The animals that G-d has given man dominion over know who their owners are. They will come when called and live in the place that is prepared for them and yet the people of G-d act as if we do not know G-d because we take G-d for granted.

Yeshayahu {1:4} Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned HaShem, they have despised the Holy One of Yisrael, they have turned away from Him.

G-d mentions seven things through His prophet that His people were doing: sin, heavy wickedness, evil doings, growing more and more evil, corrupters taking that which is good and turning it bad, leaving G-d for the world system, doing things with the knowledge that it is against the laws of G-d and causing G-d to become angry, going backward instead of forward. We have sadly developed the attitude of, “Whatever happens, happens” . Our eyes have been blinded and our hearts hardened.

Yeshayahu 1:7 Your land is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your fields -- strangers are devouring them in your presence; it is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. {1:8} And the daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. {1:9} Unless Ad-noi Tz’vaot had left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would be like Gomorrah.

We too, both Jew and non-Jew have received G-d’s invitation to come to partake with Him in His grace. We too, have heard the voice of G-d through the Prophets in the Scriptures, through the weekly sermons, through the Bible studies, and perhaps through our believing parents or friends. We too, have heard the voice of G-d calling us to repentance, to salvation, to restoration in Him. But how have we responded to His voice? You might say, “Well, I’ve already accepted Yeshua HaMashiach into my heart, to be the L-rd of my life. So I’m saved.” Yes, you may say that you’re saved now that you have gone through the sinner’s prayer. But does that mean that’s it? Is that it? To gain eternal glory with G-d we simply need to repeat the “sinner’s prayer” ? Yes, with the sinner’s prayer we ask Yeshua HaMashiach to forgive us of our sins. Yes, with the sinner’s prayer we invite Yeshua to into our lives to take full control of our lives and become our L-rd and saviour. Yes, doing these things is all vital and valid. But the life we live after the prayer is equally significant, equally vital.

Mattityahu (Matthew) {7:21} “Not everyone who says to Me, 'L-rd, L-rd, ' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”

Are we doing the will of G-d? Are we diligent in knowing Him? Are we really in love with Him? Are we putting Him first in our lives, before everything else? Are we really grateful for His invitation to partake in His grace that we are also sharing G-d’s invitation with others? Or are we too busy and preoccupied to be concerned? Are we taking G-d for granted?

Being children of G-d, we have the privilege of sharing a relationship with G-d. G-d is a loving G-d, a G-d who desires to give us so much more than we could ever imagine. The question again is, “Are we taking G-d for granted?” Do we only go to G-d when there’s a need? Do we go to G-d only when we are hit by sickness and a crisis? Do we remember G-d only during good times? Do we give thanks to G-d only for answered prayers and not the unanswered ones? Yes, we’re all very busy people. All our lives are juggling acts between our work, marriages, children and our responsibilities to ministry. And in between all that, there are still a string of other things we have to give time to no one ever has enough time!

Think about it! Maybe you have been taking G-d for granted in your life, as you busy yourself with life’s pursuit and pleasure? Maybe you are not really trusting in a G-d who loves you so much that He wants you to find all sufficiency in Him? Maybe you do not trust that even in your weakness, His grace will see you through every difficulty and every obstacle in your life? Maybe you have been taking G-d for granted and you need to confess this sin, repent and be forgiven.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Definition "Israeli"

2010-05-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

My brother named "Israel" sent this, and thought it might be fun to share. Thanks Izzy for taking the time to put this together. -Bradley Avi

If you asked someone to define ‘Israeli’ to you, they’d probably say something about someone who’s born in Israel or who has citizenship in Israel. That’s a good answer. But not if you’re asking them to define our Hebrew Word of the Week.

This parasha’s narrative detailing Yahweh’s appointed times and the maintenance of the internal tabernacle service is abruptly interrupted by two angry men slugging it out. Maybe they were getting bored of the details. Or maybe the steady diet of manna for breakfast, lunch, and supper was getting to them. Or, maybe the one guy had insulted the other guy because the other guy’s Dad was an Egyptian. I think it was probably the latter scenario, not that Israelites today would ever stoop to that level.

In giving the pedigrees of the two brawlers, a term pops up that isn’t used anywhere else in the whole Hebrew Bible. In Leviticus/Vayikra 24:10 we read that the guy with the Egyptian Dad had a Mom who was an Israelite woman, an ‘אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית Ishah Yisraelit’. ‘אִשָּׁה Ishah’ is a pretty Hebrew word, and means woman. ‘יִשְׂרְאֵלִית Yisraelit’ is the other Hebrew word in this term and is the one that we’ll key in on this week. It means a female Israeli. The Torah then goes on to use the male counterpart of this term in describing the other guy as a ‘ְאִישׁ יִּשְׂרְאֵלִי Ish Yisraeli’, an Israelite man, or a male Israeli.

This is the only time that the terms Yisraeli and Yisraelit appear in the Torah. The more standard reference to the people of Israel is ‘בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל bnei Yisrael’, the sons of Israel. What’s so surprising about the usage of these terms in this context? These people weren’t born in Israel. These people had never even been to Israel. These people had spent their whole lives building the Egyptian Empire. But the God of these people was the God of Israel, and he was busy making good on his promises to their forefathers. Even though Egypt may have been these people’s past, Israel was these people’s future, and the God of Israel was these people’s present. And so they were called Israelis.

Perhaps it was based on the contextual usage of the terminology in this week’s parasha that Paul was able to write in his letter to the early Messianic community in Ephesus, and proclaim to believers from the nations in broad sweeping terms that these people were no lo longer aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, that they had been brought near. Why? Because the Messiah of Israel was their present. Because the covenant reality of the land of Israel, and the glory of the God of Israel, was their future. So it is with us today.

Of course, Paul’s theological foundations for his idea that believers from the nations were included in Israel reached far beyond this parasha. Paul had read the prophets. Paul had read Jeremiah 31:31, that exhilarating promise of the new covenant experience and its explicit statement of who the new covenant was to be made with: the House of Israel, and the House of Judah. Paul understood that these believers from the nations thus fell under the ‘roof’ of the Houses of Israel and Judah.

What are the practical applications we can draw from our Hebrew Word of the Week?
1. If you’re a believer in Messiah from the nations, then you are more than a Gentile. You are part of Israel. It’s time to reclaim your covenant inheritance, and start living it out! Read the Scriptures of Israel. Celebrate the Feasts of Israel. Practice the Biblical customs of Israel. After all, your Saviour is the Messiah of Israel, and he has brought you in!

2. Remember that sometimes conventional terms don’t mesh with Scriptural realities. It doesn’t matter where you were born. It doesn’t matter what country your passport says you belong to. If you are a man, then at the core of your soul you are an ‘יִּשְׂרְאֵלִי Israeli’. If you’re a woman, then in the depths of your heart you are a ‘יִשְׂרְאֵלִית Yisraelit’. Cherish your heritage, and prepare for your future.

3. If you’re like the guy with the ‘Israelite Dad’ and ‘Israelite Mom’, take a lesson from this story and be nice to those who aren’t. They’re part of Israel too. Mistreating the guy with the ‘Egyptian Dad’ doesn’t just misrepresent God, it places the aggressor in danger of causing the guy with the ‘Egyptian Dad’ such pain, confusion, or estrangement that he would actually blaspheme the holy name by which we have been called. Even though you may be from different backgrounds, remember the greater reality: that you have a common future.

Your friend,

Yisraeli Yisrael

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Holy Language Institute | Emblazoning the Holy Language of Hebrew on Your Heart | www.holylanguage.com | Office: 306.497.2794 | P.O. Box 88 Blaine Lake, SK S0J 0J0

Crown of Messiah | A Messianic Jewish Congregation in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan | www.crownofmessiah.com

Emor- Speak

2010-04-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

Another post from rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks Rabbi Jack,
Parashat HaShavua Emor / Speak

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Yechezk’el / Ezekiel 44:15-31
Kefa Aleph / 1st Peter 2:4-10

Vayikra {24:5} You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. {24:6} You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure table before HaShem. {24:7} You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an korban (offering) made by fire to HaShem. {24:8} every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before HaShem continually; it is on the behalf of bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), an everlasting brit (covenant). {24:9} It shall be for Aharon (Aaron) and his sons; and they shall eat it in a kadosh (separate / holy) place: for it is most kadosh to him of the offerings of HaShem made by fire by a perpetual statute.

The Bread of the Presence, as these twelve cakes were called, was to be placed before HaShem, fresh, every Shabbat. When the old bread was removed the new bread, freshly baked, would replace it. Then, as instructed, Aharon and his sons would eat the old bread.

Well, I’ve been asked, why HaShem would ask someone to eat stale one week old bread. In fact, if the bread was left out in the open, as it was, then there is a good chance that the flies got to it or that it had become mouldy. We know HaShem’s stance on mould or mildew, so how could this be? Some have said that the bread miraculously stayed fresh. Others have suggested that the pure frankincense, which was placed next to the bread on each row, kept the loaves fresh. However, after doing a search on the preserving properties of frankincense, I found that it has none. Frankincense was used by ancient Egyptians as an ingredient for eyeliner. It was also used in traditional medicine because of its various healing properties, but most of all frankincense was and still is used as a fragrance. So what is the answer, why were they asked to eat the old bread? Actually it is very simple.

Vayikra {2:11} No meal-offering, which you shall offer to HaShem, shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as a korban made by fire to HaShem.

If, therefore, nothing containing leaven or yeast was allowed to be included in any of the offerings made unto HaShem, then the Bread of the Presence was not bread at all, but matzah. This fact changes everything. Matzah, for those who do not know, is a type of crisp cracker composed of only flour and water. It is then baked within eighteen minutes of being mixed to insure that it did not rise, even naturally. Properly cared for matzah will not spoil. We have matzah, still in its box, which is leftover from last Pesach (Passover). It is still crisp and as fresh tasting as the day it was made. By the way, plain matzah is almost tasteless. The only thing that can damage the quality of matzah is humidity and, considering that the climate in Yisrael is quite dry, humidity is rarely a problem. Therefore, the Bread of the Presence would be as fresh at the end of the week as it was at the beginning of the week and, therefore, would still suitable for the Aharon and his sons to eat.

The twelve matzhot (plural of matzah) placed in the Holy Place represented the twelve tribes of Yisrael. Therefore, I believe, the matzhot, together with the frankincense, was a reminder before HaShem of who bnei Yisrael was because of the korbanot (draw near / sin offerings) that they made. The fact that the Bread had to be replaced every week, I believe, represented a fresh reminder before HaShem of who bnei Yisrael will be in the olam haba (world to come) – sinless like the matzhot. The frankincense is a sweet smell to HaShem nostrils, which reminded Him of how sweet a sinless Yisrael will be. The fact that Aharon and his sons had to eat the old bread in a kadosh place and were not permitted to take the old bread home and eat it with their meals during the week reminds us that anything used for HaShem’s purposes can not be treated in a common fashion. Aharon and his son’s eating this holy bread, I believe, has no significance other then it was their portion from HaShem.

Rabbinical teachings tell us that the Cohenim (Priests) took the instructions from HaShem that the Bread of the Presence had to be before HaShem continually so seriously that as the old bread was being removed by one Cohen at one end of the Table of Show Bread another Cohen inserted the new bread simultaneously.

As the bnei Yisrael of today, both Jew and non-Jew, one in Mashiach (Messiah) Yeshua, Yeshua is our constant and ever fresh reminder before HaShem of who we are and who we will be in the olam haba. Not only that, but we are Yeshua’s portion, we are given to Him by the Father.

Ivrim (Hebrews) {2:13} And again, "I will put My trust in Him." And again, "Behold, I and the children whom G-d has given Me."

*********************
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!

Post from Yisrael Avraham-Crown of Messiah Prince Albert, SK

2010-04-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks Izzy for sharing your insight, Brad

I’m struck by how this week’s parasha is the spatial middle of the Torah, you could say it’s the
heart, and how likewise its content graphically communicates the heart of the Gospel.
To understand our Hebrew Word of the Week, we need to understand a certain skin disease.
Leprosy is a horrific disease that we in the West are mostly insulated from, for better and for
worse. For better, in that we don’t have to suffer the horrors of watching loved ones rot away
in a slow, living death. For worse, because we we’re left insulated from this disease that gets
several chapters of airtime in the Torah and the Gospels, chapters that we have a difficult time
connecting with emotionally.
It’s notable that Leviticus 13:2 and 9 of this parasha uses the Hebrew term ‘ אדם adam’, which
also means ‘humanity’, in reference to the leper or potential leper. If you want a better
understanding of the Torah’s diagnosis of the spiritual state of humanity, you may want to get
on Google Image and do a search on “leper” or “leprosy”. The pictures you see will probably
bring tears to your eyes, but they’ll also bring this whole theme into much clearer focus for you.
The good news is that the story doesn’t end with the heart-breaking pictures on Google Image.
The story ends with God sending his Messiah to cleanse the lepers, and with that same Messiah
sending out his disciples to do the same, which brings us to the present.
Just as our Master often taught in parables and cryptic language, we see God in the Torah
sometimes choosing to speak through the language of ritual and symbolism. Leviticus 14 gives
us an elaborate ritual for the cleansing of a leper, a ceremony bulging at the seams with
Messianic significance and Gospel symbolism. Our Hebrew Word of the Week relates to the
special venue of that ritual.
In Leviticus 14:3 and 5 we read that the priest and the leper being cleansed are to go outside
the camp to a place of running water. The Hebrew terms here for flowing water is ‘ מַיִם חַיִים
mayim chayim’. Ok, you noticed. That’s not one Hebrew word, it’s two! You’re right, we have
two Hebrew words this week. But, this week we have a double portion reading too, so I guess
it’s only fair that we’d have two Hebrew words. The Hebrew word for water is ‘ מַיִם mayim’, and
the Hebrew word for flowing is ‘ חַיִים chayim’. The fascinating thing about this term, ‘ חַיִים
chayim’, is that it’s also used in reference to the bird that is dipped in the blood of the
slaughtered bird and then set free: it’s the live bird, it’s ‘ חַיָּה chayah’, which is the singular of
חַיִים‘ chayim’. What does this teach us? It teaches us that there is a concrete picture in the
Torah for the abstract concept of life: the picture of running water, flowing and tumbling, clean
and cool and fresh.
This foundational Torah concept and linguistic Hebrew context gives us a framework for
understanding the essence of Messiah’s mission. In John 4 he has a long discussion with the
Samaritan woman about the deep thirst of humanity for true life, for ‘living water’, or ‘ מַיִם חַיִים
mayim chayim’, and concludes their discussion with the revelation that he is the only
authorized dealer of the living water and – get this! – it’s free. Similarly, in John 7 on Hoshana
Raba, the seventh day of Sukkot, at the height of the Water-Pouring Ceremony, we see Yeshua,
shouting in the Temple, declaring that everybody who comes to him will experience that same
מַיִם חַיִים ‘ mayim chayim’, that same living water, tumbling out of their inner persons in
refreshing and boundless torrents.
The practical application?
1. Next time you see a river, stream, lake, or waterfall, of feel the rain on your skin, remember
the life Messiah came to bring the world.
2. Next time you pour a cup of water, stop and contemplate how the life of the Holy Spirit deep
in your soul satisfies your deepest thirst, and take a minute to thank God before taking a sip.
Perhaps you could even do the classic Jewish toast, “l’chaim, to life!” as a celebration of life in
Messiah.
3. Next time you open the Scriptures, remember that in Ephesians 5:26 the Word of God is
likened to a cleansing stream. Let his Word wash over your soul, cleansing and bringing new
life.
4. If you’ve never celebrated the Feasts before, start celebrating them! You’ll be especially
blown away by the Messianic significance of the Water-Pouring Ceremony on the seventh day
of Tabernacles.
L’chaim!
Yisrael

HaShavua Acharei Mot-Kedoshim / After The Death-Holy Ones

2010-04-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

Sent from Rabbi Jack in Toronto, Thanks, Brad

"תיאור העולם הבא""Depicting Of The Olam Haba"

Parashat HaShavua Acharei Mot-Kedoshim / After The Death-Holy Ones

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 16:1-20:27
Yechezk’el / Ezekiel 22:1-16
Ivrim / Hebrews 9:11-28
Kefa Aleph / 1st Peter 1:13-16

I have chosen to only comment on Parasha Acharei Mot for my drash (commentary) this week.

Vayikra {16:12} and he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the mitzbeach (altar) before HaShem, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: {16:13} and he shall put the incense on the fire before HaShem, that the cloud of the incense may cover the Kapporet (mercy seat) that is on the Ark of the Testimony, that he not die: {16:14} and he shall take of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the Kapporet on the east; and before the Kapporet seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. {16:15} Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the Kapporet, and before the Kapporet:

I realized something when I read this portion of Scripture from Parasha Acharei Mot. What I realized was that the Kodesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies) was pitch black. There was no way that Aharon (Aaron) could have seen a thing inside. When we think about how the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was constructed it becomes apparent. There were three layers of coverings and on the outside, the last layer, was badger (seal skin). It was impossible for any light to penetrate inside. Plus inside the Mishkan was a thick Kaporet (curtain) that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This Kaporet was heavy and was woven together. It was said to have been four inches (10. 1cm), so it too was impermeable to light. The only light in the Mishkan was the Menorah. However, the Menorah was in the Holy Place where the Leviim (Levitical priests) ministered. Its light did not and could not reach the Kodesh HaKodashim because of the Kaporet. So how did Aharon see his way around the inside of the Kodesh HaKodashim, especially when he was instructed by HaShem to fill the room with incense so that he would not die? Presumably the incense was to obscure his vision, but given the darkness of the room why would he need incense to obscure his vision. Surly he was unable to see anything anyway, or was he? Was there some supernatural light in the Kodesh HaKodashim that allowed Aharon to see thereby creating a need to obscure his vision with incense?

We need first of all to remember that the Mishkan was HaShem’s Sanctuary. It was His dwelling place in the midst of bnei Yisrael (children of Israel), a place where a Holy G-d could live among an unholy people. However, more than that, the Mishkan was a recreation of the Gan Eden (Garden of Eden). That is why nothing tamei (ritually unclean) or imperfect was allowed to enter it. The Mishkan represented the perfect recreation of the world.

What are we told about this future world?

Hitgalut (Revelation) {22:5} And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the L-rd G-d shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.

The Kodesh HaKodashim was obviously illuminated by the Cavod (Glory) of G-d. Aharon could, therefore, see. It was not pitch black darkness inside; therefore, only the smoke from the burning incense obscured his vision.

In the olam haba (world to come) there will no longer be a need for a Temple either:

Hitgalut {21:22} And I saw no Temple therein: for the L-rd G-d Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it.

What a beautiful picture HaShem has painted for us in the depicting of the olam haba by the construction and the function of the Mishkan and Bet HaMikdash (Temple). Are you not blessed that you will be a part of this olam haba?

*********************
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
Visit our Webpage @ www.cmy.on.ca

Ha Shavua Shemini- Eight

2010-04-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

Another contribution from our brother in Toronto. -Thanks Rabbi Jack

"It’s Not An Excuse"

Parashat HaShavua Shemini / Eighth

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 6:8-8:36
Sh'muel Bet / II Samuel 6:1-7:17
Ma'asei Talmidim / Acts 10:9-22

Vayikra {10:16} Moshe (Moses) diligently sought the goat of the sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with El'azar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aharon (Aaron) who were left, saying, {10:17} Why have you not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most Kadosh (Holy), and He has given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make Kapparah (Atonement) for them before HaShem? {10:18} Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within: you should certainly have eaten it in the Sanctuary, as I commanded. {10:19} Aharon spoke to Moshe, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-korban (draw near / offering) and their burnt offering before HaShem; and there have befallen me such things as these: and if I had eaten the sin-offering today, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of HaShem? {10:20} When Moshe heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.

I have always had difficulty with this portion of Scripture. In fact I had a problem properly understand it, until now that is. The goat of the sin offering, according to HaShem’s command, was to be slaughtered. Portions were to be burnt, and a portion was to be eaten in the sanctuary by Aharon and his two remaining sons. However, were they not to eat their portion of the offering the blood of that offering was to be brought into the Tent of Meeting for an atonement. Failure to follow HaShem’s instruction could have meant dire consequences for the entire camp of bnei Yisrael (children of Israel).

Vayikra {6:25} "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is slain the sin offering shall be slain before HaShem; it is most holy. {6:26} 'The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting... {6:29} 'Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. {6:30} 'But no sin offering of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the holy place shall be eaten; it shall be burned with fire.

Moshe was angry with Aharon because he and his remaining two sons did not eat their portion of the sin offering nor was the blood brought into the Sanctuary. Aharon did do according to the instructions which Moshe received from G-d. As Yisreal had found out many times before, failing to follow HaShem’s instructions can have dire consequences.

However, when Aharon offered Moshe a logical explanation for not following the L-rd’s instructions Moshe accepted the explanation and all was forgiven. This is where I always got confused. Does HaShem bend His rules if we happen to come up with good excuses for not following His instructions? Before I deal with this I would like to deal with Moshe becoming seemingly angry.

Scripture says that Moshe was the humblest man that ever lived, yet, the text indicates that he became angry with his brother and nephews when they did not do as they were told. Is it possible to get angry and still be considered meek and humble? The answer is obviously yes, if your anger is righteous indignation. Moshe was angry not because Aharon and his two remaining son did something wrong to him, but because they did something against HaShem.

Many times I have become angry with people for things they have done or for things that they neglected to do here at Shul (Synagogue) ; things such as making a vow and not keeping it, disrupting the services as they are in progress or disrespecting the leadership of the congregation. These are not things that they did against me, but theses are things that they did against HaShem! It is out of my love for HaShem and my desire to only do His will that I am angered. Yeshua did something similar:

Yochanan (John) {2:15} And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the Bet HaMikdash (Temple), with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables; {2:16} and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise."

So, how about the idea that HaShem bends the rules if we come up with a good excuse? Well, Aharon did not come up with an excuse he had good reasoning! His two eldest son’s had just died, perhaps he even felt a little responsible for their deaths. If these were your children you probably would have felt guilty for their deaths as well; thinking that if you had only monitoring them better they would not have died. Aharon and his remaining sons, because of the events of the day, had no appetite for food or for fulfilling the Sanctuary requirements. Certainly, if we were in Aharon’s position, the last thing on our minds would have been food or our jobs. Is it proper to do something for the L-rd when your heart is not in it? I do not think any one of us would have a problem answering that question in the negative. When we do something unto HaShem with the wrong heart it is neither acceptable nor pleasing unto the L-rd. In addition if Aharon would have done something with the wrong heart he would have profaned this holy thing, which is essentially the same thing that Nedav and Avihu did.

I think what we learn from the portion of Scripture I quoted from this week’s Parasha is, as we have seen by my explanations, that Aharon was not coming up with an excuse he was actually doing what was right – distinguishing the holy from the unholy.

Vayikra {10:10} You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,

*********************
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

On the first...Sabbath or Day of the Week?

2010-04-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

I have had a theory for some time that the early Christians had an annual celebration to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. There are a few times in Scripture which is translated the “first day of the week”, but more honest, you will find some translations will admit that they added the word “day”. Occassionally, you will even see a marginal note saying that the word translated week is the word Sabbath. Of course, no one could translate these passages as “on the first Sabbath”. That would just be silly right? Well maybe that would be OK.
For those who have lived within a Jewish culture and/or who know their Bible well know that the children of Israel were commanded to “count the Omer”, which is a counting of the weekly Sabbaths from the first Sabbath after Passover until then 7th weekly Sabbath, and then the day after is Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-16 and Deuteronomy 16:9-10).
This would mean that the first Sabbath after Passover would be….”the first Sabbath”. Now look at what it literally says about Jesus’ Resurrection.”

Matt 28:1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the "first Sabbath", came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Mark 16:1-2 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the “first Sabbath“, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Luke 24:1 Now upon the “first Sabbath“, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

John 20:1 The “first Sabbath” cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

So, all of the Gospel writings specifically make an effort to mention that Jesus rose on the "First Sabbath". Why would such a detail be important to mention even 60 years after the event? (We think John may have wrote as late as 90 A.D.) Could it be that the believers still found importance in that one day of the year? As Sort of annual celebration of Jesus' victory? Perhaps the "First Sabbath" (April 3, 2010) is the Real "early Christian" Easter.

1Cor 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
Upon the “first Sabbath” let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Act 20:7 And upon the “first Sabbath“, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

This is a helpful piece because it makes it easier to understand that as the Disciples were racing to get Jesus in the tomb before Sundown the start of the Sabbath, that the 16th of Nisan, would have been what is called a High Sabbath as opposed to a traditional weekly Sabbath. Taking care of the dead on Sabbath was certainly permitted. This goes outside the scope of this paper, but I think you can see that Jesus’ followers were fine some actions even on a weekly Sabbath (Lk 14:3-6). Certainly there is much more to say on the subject…I just wanted to show that a reading of the literal Biblical “first Sabbath” is not outside the realm of possibility. -Brother Bradley Avi

Passover

2010-04-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Another post from Rabbi Jack. Thanks

"Yeshua Has Given Us A New Revelation"

Parashat HaShavua Pesach / Passover

This Week's Reading List:
Shemot / Exodus 33:12:-34:26
BaMidbar / Numbers 28:19-25
Yechezekiel / Ezekiel 36:37-37:14
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Shemot {33:12} Moshe (Moses) said to HaShem, "Behold, You tell me, 'Bring up this people: ' and You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and You have also found favour in My sight. ' {33:13} Now therefore, if I have found favour in Your sight, please show me now Your ways, that I may know You, so that I may find favour in Your sight: and consider that this nation is Your people."

It amazes me how many people are so concerned and hung up on the name of G-d. When I tell people that we do not know the name of G-d, that it has never been revealed to us, they refuse at my answer and quote Scriptures like:

Zecharyah {13:9} And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My Name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, the L-RD is my G-d.

Malachim Alef (IKings) {18:24} "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of the L-RD, and the G-d who answers by fire, He is G-d." And all the people answered and said, "That is a good idea."

Yoel (Joel) {2:32} And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the L-RD shall be delivered: for in mount Tzion (Zion) and in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) shall be deliverance, as the L-RD hath said, and in the remnant whom the L-RD shall call.

However, when we read these Scripture in their original Hebrew we find that these and other Scriptures like it use the tetragrammathon Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay (YHVH) without any vowels. Scholars in their quest to know the name of G-d have added vowels to the tetragrammathon. This is where YHVH developed into Jehovah and Yahweh. These are totally fictitious and bogus names -- the creation of men; they do not at all represent the name of G-d. The fact is that G-d’s name is His character. We will see this below:

Shemot (Exodus) {15:26} And said, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the L-RD your G-d, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the L-RD that heals you.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) {60:16} You shall also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shall suck the breast of kings: and you shall know that I the L-RD am your Saviour and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Ya’acov (Jacob).

In this week’s Torah reading we see Moshe saying to HaShem (the L-RD) that HaShem knew Moshe by name. Now, surely HaShem knew Moshe’s name, but is it his name that Moshe was referring to here? The answer to this question comes when we read the rest of the sentence: “Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favour in My sight.” Here Moshe is reminding HaShem that He associated his name to his character. HaShem knew Moshe’s commitment and devotion to HaShem; therefore, Moshe felt that on that basis HaShem should continue to be in the presence of His people and deliver them.

Shemot (Exodus) {6:3} and I appeared to Avraham (Abraham), to Yitzchak (Isaac), and to Ya'akov (Jacob), as G-D Almighty; but by My Name YHVH I was not known to them. {6:4} I have also established My brit (covenant) with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. {6:5} Moreover I have heard the groaning of bnei Yisrael children of Israel), whom the Mitzrim (Egyptians) keep in bondage, and I have remembered My brit. {6:6} Therefore tell bnei Yisrael, 'I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitzrim, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great mishpatim (judgements) : {6:7} and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a G-D; and you shall know that I am YHVH your G-D, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Mitzrim. {6:8} I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'akov; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am YHVH. '"

The Hebraic concept of G-d, as we see throughout the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures), is one of a G-d who acts on our behalf, a G-d who intervenes for us when we are in distress. So, when HaShem calls himself "I will bring into being that which I will bring into being." What is He talking about? Well, He is talking about the deliverance out of Mitzrayim that He promised Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'acov hundreds of years before it ever happened. What HaShem wants His name to reflect is what He is about to do. It is so that when we call upon His name in the future we will remember what He has done in the past. HaShem's name reflects His character, it is what He has done and what He will do. It is not a literal name. Now, in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) the name has been shifted, the name of Yeshua has now become the important name, for a reason I will get to.

Ma’asei HaTalmidim (Acts) {2:38} Then Kefa said unto them. Repent, and be immersed every one of you in the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) for the remission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).

Why didn't Kefa say in the Name of YHVH? Why didn't he use the name that had been proclaimed for over a millennia? Why is Kefa basically saying the Name to use is Yeshua? Why, because YHVH is associated with the act of deliverance out of Mitzrayim (Egypt) and that is not the issue here! The issue here is the act of salvation, deliverance from sin. The name connected with that is “Yeshua HaMashiach.” So if you want to get right with the Father, then you use the Name of Yeshua and not YHVH because Yeshua is reflecting the character of YHVH, in regard to salvation rather than in regard to deliverance from Mitzrayim. Do you see what I'm saying here? Do you see the connection? Last Scripture!

Pilifim (Philippians) {2. 9} Wherefore G-d also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every Name: {2. 10} That at the Name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {2. 11} And that every tongue should confess that Yeshua HaMashiach is L-rd, to the glory of G-d the Father.

Yeshua is now the Name above every Name. So now it is not by accident that the Name of G-d, YHVH, is no longer spoken or even known! That is why it was never mentioned in the Brit Chadasha. HaShem did it that way so that the Name of Yeshua would become the new Name, the Name that expressed what HaShem was about to do from that time forward. Therefore, YHVH is fully revealed in the Name of Yeshua. The fullness of His character, the fullness of His power, the fullness of His actions all become explained, revealed and understood through the life and the Name of Yeshua. This is the Name HaShem wants us to come through to Him with, and this is the Name that He wants us to know Him by. Yes we still refer to HaShem as G-d the Father and we still pray to G-d the Father, but it's through the Name of Yeshua because that is what gives us the right to come into the Father’s presence now. That is why Yud Hay Vav Hay is unknown and can no longer be spoken, because the name Yeshua has given us a new revelation of who the YHVH is and what He is doing NOW.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Tzav -Command

2010-03-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

Another contribution to our insight from Rabbi Jack in Toronto. Thanks, Bradley Avi
Parashat HaShavua Tzav / Command

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Mal'achi / Malachi 3:4-24
Ivrim / Hebrews 8:16

Vayikra {6:8} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {6:9} Command Aharon (Aaron) and his sons, saying, This is The Torah of the olah (wholly burnt) offering: the olah korban (draw near / offering) shall be on the hearth on the mitzbeach (altar) all night to the morning; and the fire of the mitzbeach shall be kept burning thereon. {6:10} The cohen shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put on his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire has consumed the olah korban on the altar, and he shall put them beside the mitzbeach. {6:11} He shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes outside of the camp to a tahor (ritually clean) place. {6:12} The fire on the mitzbeach shall be kept burning thereon, it shall not go out; and the cohen shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the olah korban in order on it, and shall burn thereon the fat of the Shalom (Peace) -offerings. {6:13} Fire shall be kept burning on the mitzbeach continually; it shall not go out.

The olah was a sin offering. As we can see from the Scripture passage above, it was to be a continual offering that was placed on the mitzbeach – a new one each morning and evening – and allowed to burn throughout the day and night. There was never to be a time where an olah offering was not being consumed on the mitzbeach. This offering was unlike other offerings in that the animal being offered was offered whole. In the case of a goat or a lamb only the skin was removed and allowed to be used by the priests. Like all of the other sin offerings of the Tabernacle and Temple periods, this offering was a vicarious offering that substituted the required death penalty that was attached to human sin.

The interesting point found here is the fact that this offering was continual. It points to the fact that bnei Yisrael needed, besides the other prescribed sin offerings, a perpetual offering that served the purpose of purging sin. The implications of this are obvious. There needed to be a perpetual sin offering always before HaShem, an offering that would purge sin and thus enable Him to dwell in the midst of His people. However, in Judaism of today, there is no such offering. The Mishkan no longer exists and the Temple has been destroyed. In fact, in the place where the Temple once stood there now stands a Muslim Shrine. Has HaShem changed? Has modern day bnei Yisrael become so holy that they no longer need a continual burnt offering?

Malachi {3:6} "For I, HaShem, do not change; ..."

The fact is that HaShem does not change and certainly bnei Yisrael is just as sinful today as they were thousands of years ago. Therefore, they are in as much need of a vicarious substitute for their sin as they were in Biblical times. In fact they are probably more in need today then ever.

Romim (Romans) {8:32} He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? {8:33} Who will bring a charge against G-d's elect? G-d is the One who justifies; {8:34} who is the One who condemns? Mashiach (Messiah) Yeshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of G-d, who also intercedes for us. {8:35} Who shall separate us from the love of Mashiach? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {8:36} Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." {8:37} But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. {8:38} For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, {8:39} nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of G-d, which is in Mashiach Yeshua our L-rd.

Judaism today has no Temple. It has no sacrifice. It has no vicarious substitution for its sin. The rabbis have substituted the works of man for the continual offerings. The rabbis have substituted the works of man for all the sin offerings.

Romim {1:22} Professing to be wise, they became fools, {1:23} and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible G-d for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. {1:24} Therefore G-d gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonoured among them. {1:25} For they exchanged the truth of G-d for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Judaism in its present form is a religion of man and not of G-d. It glorifies works, ritual and tradition. It does not glorify obedience to a G-d that does not change.

Ma’asei HaTalmidim (Acts of the Apostles) {2:22} 22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Yeshua the Nazarene, a man attested to you by G-d with miracles and wonders and signs which G-d performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— {2:23} this Man delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of G-d, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. {2:24} "And G-d raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. ... {2:33} "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of G-d, and having received from the Father the promise of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. {2:34} "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The L-rd said to my L-rd, "Sit at My right hand, {2:35} Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."' {2:36} "Therefore let all bnei Yisrael know for certain that G-d has made Him both L-rd and Mashiach -- this Yeshua whom you crucified." ... {2:38} And Kefa (Peter) said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be t’villah (immersed) in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh. {2:39} "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the L-rd our G-d shall call to Himself."

HaShem has not changed. Yeshua HaMashiach is our continuous olah offering. He now occupies the place at the right hand of the Father. He continually intercedes before the Father on our behalf. As Messianic Believers we no longer have a need of a Temple so as to atone for our sin, because Yeshua is our once and for all korban, our spotless, and acceptable, Lamb.

Yochanan (John) {1:29} The next day he saw Yeshua coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

an extra "Sunday worship"

2010-03-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have something that I thought might be fun to share:
For Bible interpreters one of the things they like to do is to go to the original language and expound how a word choice may or may not have been the best. This allows people to see first that the Bible was not written in English and there is a whole field of study that most people never embark on. It also allows for some honest discussion when you see a translation uses it’s bias to create something that is not there. Here is a case in point.
I have listed here what is called an “Expanded KJV translation with Strong’s notes” essentially it has the English passage of scripture and every word from the Greek is numbered so you can look it up and see what the original word is. IT isn’t perfect, but makes a lot of ugly work very easy.

Mat 28:1 In the end(G3796) of the sabbath,G4521 as it began to dawnG2020 towardG1519 the firstG3391 day of the week,G4521 cameG2064 MaryG3137 MagdaleneG3094 andG2532 theG3588 otherG243 MaryG3137 to seeG2334 theG3588 sepulchre.G5028

The first thing you may note is that the translator (if he is honest) will admit there is one word which is not in the original. It was added. This is not fatal, but sometimes helpful for the sake of honesty. I sincerely believe most translators have no axe to grind. They are trying to share sincerely what they have. That word is day.

The second thing you will notice is that the word for Sabbath in the Greek Strong’s dictionary is numbered G4521

The definition is as follows.

G4521
σάββατον
sabbaton
sab'-bat-on
Of Hebrew origin [H7676]; the Sabbath (that is, Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension a se'nnight, that is, the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: - sabbath (day), week.

Please note, this is Dr. James Strong’s work, not mine.

Now in the same sentence this word “Sabbath” has been translated “day (not in the original) of the week.”

I think any honest person should suggest that the English translation knew what the right word to use was, and yet actually chose against it. Why?

The answer is easy. The translator could not permit himself to write what the sentence would really say which is:

Mat 28:1 οψεG3796 ADV δεG1161 CONJ σαββατωνG4521 N-GPN τηG3588 T-DSF επιφωσκουσηG2020 V-PAP-DSF ειςG1519 PREP μιανG1520 A-ASF σαββατωνG4521 N-GPN ηλθενG2064 V-2AAI-3S μαριαG3137 N-NSF ηG3588 T-NSF μαγδαληνηG3094 N-NSF καιG2532 CONJ ηG3588 T-NSF αλληG243 A-NSF μαριαG3137 N-NSF θεωρησαιG2334 V-AAN τονG3588 T-ASM ταφονG5028 N-ASM

Translation:
“In the end(G3796) of the sabbath,G4521 as it began to dawnG2020 towardG1519 the firstG3391 sabbath,G4521 cameG2064 …”

Perhaps such a translation can be justified, because who ever heard of the end of a Sabbath and then the start of another Sabbath? The answer is anyone who reads their Bible.

The Bible tells us that the Passover meal happens on the evening of the 14th of Nisan. Evening (in Hebrew and Biblical custom) is the start of a new day. Kinda weird to westerners, but you have to understand that the Bible could care less what your local tradition is. Their position stands. The evening of the Passover meal was not a Sabbath (Day of rest in the Bible). The next day was not a Sabbath (day of rest), but the next day was the start of a holiday called Unleaven Bread (Hag Ha Matzah). This day is a Sabbath. It is a Biblically commanded day of rest regardless where it falls on the weekly calendar.

Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

This day is the Sabbath. So, when Joseph and Nicodemus are trying to get Jesus off the cross before the Sabbath, it was not the weekly Sabbath, but this 1st day of Unleaven bread. Then Jesus was in the ground that night (before Sabbath) and for the full day of Unleaven Bread, and then as the weekly Sabbath was coming up (likely not at night, but as the sun was rising the next day) the women went to the tomb to anoint the body. This would have been a weekly Sabbath. So, one Sabbath ends as the next Sabbath begins.

Whoa! I can hear someone say, isn’t anointing a body work? Yes. It is, but it is work that was permitted. There is an understanding even today among Jews that in the case of death there are things that have to be done. They ran out of time before the Sabbath, (or perhaps in the shock and mourning they didn’t think about it, or perhaps they thought Jesus would come off the cross. Who knows what they were thinking? But, to anoint a body was completely within their rights to do this on the Sabbath.

This immediately calls into question whether Christian believers established Sunday as their day of worship. This is a very good question. It is also beyond the scope of my study today.

However, another place where this “first day of the week” concept comes up is is 1 Cor 16:1-2, which reads:

1Co 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Immediately when you see this verse you should see that the word “day” is also added. Let’s put the Strong’s numbering in:

1Co 16:1 NowG1161 concerningG4012 theG3588 collectionG3048 forG1519 theG3588 saints,G40 asG5618 I have given orderG1299 to theG3588 churchesG1577 of Galatia,G1053 evenG2532 soG3779 doG4160 ye.G5210
1Co 16:2 Upon the firstG2596 G3391 day of the weekG4521 let every oneG1538 of youG5216 layG5087 byG3844 himG1438 in store,G2343 asG3748 G302 God hath prosperedG2137 him, thatG2443 there beG1096 noG3361 gatheringsG3048 when(G3752) I come.G2064

Is anyone surprised to see the First day of the week is again the “first Sabbath”? so, again the English fails us. What it should read is the first Sabbath. This is difficult for two reasons. First, it is one of the loan verses we hold onto for meeting on Sunday, and second it says the early church knew about Sabbath and even knew what the first Sabbath after Passover was. This changes perspective on the whole 1st century church.

Interestingly enough, Paul is not telling people to meet on this day. In fact, Christians in Acts met regularly on every day. There is no reason to believe they honoured Jesus’ resurrection by meeting on Sunday (esp. when we find he rose on the First Sabbath after Passover). But, Paul may have tied in this offering from the outside churches (gifts to the Jerusalem believers) to the annual memory of Jesus’ return to life.

Perhaps, in keeping with the ancient 1st century believers traditions we should put aside some of our own wealth to share with needy believers. I think an annual celebration of this would be well in order. It would certainly be more Biblically accurate then using this mistranslated verse to justify the Christian church needs to meet on Sunday. Just thought I would share. God’s grace to you and yours,
-Brother Bradley Avi

Va Yikra -and he called

2010-03-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Jack sent another post so I thought I better share. Shabbot Tov, -Brother Bradley Avi

"Do Not Hold My Sins Against Them"

Parashat HaShavua VaYikra / And He Called

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 1:1-6:7
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Ivrim / Hebrews 10:1-18
There are two very important points being made in this week’s Torah Parasha that I would like to share with you. The first one I found is in the following two passages of Scripture.
Vayikra {1:1} HaShem called to Moshe (Moses), and spoke to him out of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), saying, {1:2} "Speak to bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), and tell them, 'When anyone of you offers a korban (draw near / offering) to HaShem, you shall offer your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock. {1:3} If his offering is an Olah (Burnt) korban of the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it at the door of the Ohel Moed, that he may be accepted before HaShem.
Vayikra {2:1} "'When anyone offers a korban of a meal-offering to HaShem, his korban shall be of fine flour and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it. {2:2} He shall bring it to Aharon's (Aaron’s) sons the cohenim (priests) ; and he shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the cohen (priest) shall burn the memorial of it on the altar, a korban made by fire, of a sweet savour to HaShem.
In both of these Scripture portions taken from Parasha Vayikra we see the word “When” used in relation to the offering of the korbanot (plural of korban). From this we can see that offerings to HaShem for sin or otherwise, such as thanksgiving offerings, were not optional. HaShem knows that none of us are immune from sin, it being a part of our fallen nature, and therefore the bringing of korbanot was not an “If” but a “When” .
Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) {7:20} Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
Shaliach Shaul (The Emissary Paul) reiterated this statement in the Brit Chadasha when he said.
Romim (Romans) {3:23} for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of G-d,...
Today, because there is no longer a korban system or a Bet HaMikdash (Temple) for them to be offered in, many believers, especially those in the churches, think that the “sacrificial system” has been done away with. The fact is that it has not! Yeshua is now our once and for all korban. Seeing as He is now in Heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Father, if we sin, confess and call upon His name, then He becomes the appropriate korban for the sin we committed.
The point is that confession and repentance should be an important part of a Believer’s life. Just like the offering of the korbanot were not optional during Tabernacle and Temple periods, so too confession and repentance, with the incorporation of Yeshua HaMashiach as our once and for all korban, is not optional today. Believers must live a life of confession and repentance. “When” we sin, because we will all do so, we must bring an acceptable korban to HaShem – that is Yeshua HaMashiach!
The second point is taken from this Scripture passage:
Vayikra {4:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, {4:2} Speak to bnei Yisrael, saying, If anyone shall chata (sin) unwittingly, in any of the things which HaShem has commanded not to be done, and shall do any one of them: {4:3} if the anointed cohen shall chata so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull without blemish to HaShem for a sin-offering.
Being in leadership brings with it great responsibility. Here we read that the sins of the Cohen brought guilt upon all the people. I take this to apply to all congregational leadership even unto this day. The leaders are the ones that represent the congregation to Yeshua. They are the ones responsible for what they teach and what they preach. Worse yet, the consequences of their sin is visited upon those that they lead – the flock they are responsible for! If a leader is fornicating, then there will be fornication among the congregants. If a leader is involved in pornography, then there will likely be people in the congregation hooked on the same sin. The relationship leaders have with their wife and family will reflect on the condition of the congregation. The way leaders treats the check-out person at the grocery store will reflect in the spiritual condition of the congregation; likewise, if leaders teach heresies, then the spiritual condition of the congregation will be affected. The sins of the leadership will be visited upon the congregation. Just like the sin of Cohen brought guilt on the people. I, therefore, encourage everyone in leadership to lives exemplary lives, if not for their own sake for the sake of those that they lead.
Since I am also not perfect, there is a prayer that I receipt in the event that I may sin in some way, either in something I may have done or said either intentionally or unintentionally. I do not want my sin to reflect upon the congregation. That prayer is: “Father, please do not hold my sins against those whom I lead.”
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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Va Yakhel- And He assembled

2010-03-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack. Thanks again, Brad
"With G-d And A Willing Heart"

Parashat HaShavua VaYakhel-Pekudei / And He Assembled-Accounting

This Week's Reading List:
Shemot / Exodus 35:1-40:38
Yechezekiel / Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
Korintim Bet / 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Although this is a double reading this week, two Parashot, I have limited my comments to Parasha Vayachel.

Shemot {35:10} "Let every wise-hearted among you come, and make all that HaShem has commanded: {35:11} the tent, its outer covering, its roof, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; {35:12} the Aron (Ark), and its poles, the Capret (covering) seat, the Prochet (veil) of the screen; {35:13} the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Show Bread; {35:14} the Menorah also for the light, with its vessels, its lamps, and the oil for the light; {35:15} and the mitzbeach (altar) of incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door, at the door of the tent; {35:16} the mitzbeach of olah (ascending [burnt]) offering, with its grating of brass, it poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its base; {35:17} the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; {35:18} the pins of the tent, the pins of the court, and their cords; {35:19} the finely worked garments, for ministering BaKodesh (in the Holy place [sanctuary]) , HaKodesh (the holy) garments for Aharon (Aaron) the cohen (priest), and the garments of his sons, to minister in the cohen's office. '"

After reading this Parasha I can understand what HaShem meant when He said that He made man in His image. Besides all our other similarities we can see that makes us like our heavenly Father, we are creators. The only difference between us and God, in respect to creating, is that HaShem can create something out of nothing, where as we can only take of what HaShem has already created and create something from that.

HaShem, in this Parasha, instructed Moshe (Moses) to assemble the raw material needed to build Him a house that He might dwell in the midst of His people. Gods intention, then and even now, was to dwell among His people. His heart is so strong in this matter that some day soon He will be returning to do exactly that in the form of His Son Yeshua HaMashiach.

It interested me to think that HaShem, the creator of something out of nothing, could have, with ease, snapped His fingers, so-to-speak, or with a simply spoken word created a house for Himself out of nothing, just as He created the universe. He could have just willed a house into existence that He could have lived in, yet He did not do this. Instead He chose to have bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) do it for Him. I find two principles at work here and I will discuss them as part of my drash (commentary) for this Parasha. Both principles refer to why HaShem chose to have bnei Yisrael build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) instead of speaking it into existence Himself.

The first principle:

Mishlei (Proverbs) {13:11} Wealth through vanity (lit. vapour) dwindles, but the one who gathers by labour increases it.

This proverb, as we can see, concerns acquiring money. In our modern culture money without working for it is often called easy money, and what this proverb is saying is that money gained without work goes as easily as it comes. Therefore, the same principle can be applied to anything we do not work hard to obtain or acquire. Let us face it, this is part of our human nature. We appreciate and care for things that we had to work hard for more than the things that were just given to us, without us having to do anything for them. Sadly for some this even includes their salvation. That is why there are so many works oriented religions and cults out there. This aspect of our nature, I believe, is a result of the fall of man (Adam and Eve).

Bereshit (Genesis) {3:17} To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it, ' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. {3:18} Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. {3:19} By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

The second principle:

Korintim Alef (1 Corinthians) {3:7} So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but G-d that gives the increase. {3:8} Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. {3:9} For we are labourers together with G-d: you are G-d's fellow workers, you are G-d's building.

G-d wants us to partner with Him. Certainly He can do all things without us. But the whole reason behind Him creating us is for us to partner with Him on the earth that He created for us. Eventually after the resurrection and His return to the earth we reign together with Him in the universe.

Hitgalut (Revelation) {20:6} Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of G-d and of Mashiach (Messiah) and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

It is, therefore, for those two reasons that I believe that HaShem had bnei Yisrael participate in the construction of the Mishkan.

Shemot {35:4} Moshe spoke to all the adat (congregation) of bnei Yisrael, saying, "This is the thing which HaShem commanded, saying, {35:5} 'Take from among you an offering to HaShem. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it,...

We, that are believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, are now the Temple of G-d. The Spirit of G-d dwells inside of us. Therefore, it is still the responsibility of every believer in Yeshua HaMashiach to build G-ds Kingdom -- one person at a time -- through witnessing and sharing the gospel of salvation. I trust that HaShem will find in you a willing heart.

*********************
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
Visit our Webpage @ www.cmy.on.ca / cmy@ca.inter.net

Ki Tisa - When You Elevate

2010-03-06T05:05:00.000-08:00

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks again, Bradley"Don't Let It Breakout"

Parashat HaShavua Ki Tisa / When You Elevate

This Week's Reading List:
Shemot / Exodus 30:11-34:35
Yechezekiel / Ezekiel 36:16-38
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 8:4-13

There was definitely no shortage of material to choose from in this weeks Parasha. So you can appreciate the difficulty I had in finally making a selection that I thought would be a glory to HaShem and a blessing to you, our readers. Here is the portion of Scripture I decided upon.

Shemot {30:11} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {30:12} "When you take a census of bnei Yisrael (children of Israel) who are numbered among them, then each ish (man) shall give a ransom for his nefesh (soul) to HaShem, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them. {30:13} They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to HaShem. {30:14} everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the korban (draw near offering) to HaShem. {30:15} The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the korban of HaShem, to make kapparah (atonement) for your nefshim (souls). {30:16} You shall take the kapparah money from bnei Yisrael, and shall appoint it for the service of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting / Tabernacle) ; that it may be a memorial for bnei Yisrael before HaShem, to make kapparah for your nefshim."

The numbering of bnei Yisrael was always for a purpose, which was determined by HaShem. Never was bnei Yisrael to be numbered for any purpose other than HaShems purpose. We read in the above quoted passage that the numbering had to be accompanied by a half shekel, donated by each person for the ransoming of their soul. We are also told that the paying of the ransom money would ensure that no plague would break out among the people. The ransom money was to be used for the maintenance of the Ohel Moed.

We remember when King David whimsically decided to number bnei Yisrael (Shmuel Bet [2 Samuel] 24). Irrespective of the pleas by his general Joab not to do so, King David still went through with the census, a census which was not sanctioned by HaShem and as a result a plague broke out among the people.

Why would we have to ransom our souls? The Hebrew word translated into English as ransom is kopher. This is where we get the Hebrew word Kapparah, which means covering. It is applied to the offerings that effected atonement of a sin committed against G-d. However, the Torah is replete with instructions on how animals offered up to HaShem accomplish this purpose. Therefore, can giving money also atone for sin? The answer to that question is an emphatic NO! So then why would HaShem require a half shekel payment as a ransom for the souls of bnei Yisrael?

The answer to this question is relatively simple and comes from the use and purpose of the half shekel payment.

Shemot {30:16} You shall take the kapparah money from bnei Yisrael, and shall appoint it for the service of the Ohel Moed; that it may be a memorial for bnei Yisrael before HaShem, to make kapparah for your nefshim."

The half shekel itself did not do the ransoming. Money or the payment of money to a religious organization, church or synagogue can not ransom your soul. What did the ransoming, as pointed out in the verse I quoted above, have to do with how the money was used? The half shekel was for the service of the Ohel Moed. Included in the services performed in the Ohel Moed were the korbanot (draw near offerings / sacrifices). These are what did the ramsoming for the souls of bnei Yisrael. While money can not save anyones soul, HaShem shows us here that money is necessary in the soul saving process. Without the money the Ohel Moed could not function properly. Without a properly functioning Ohel Moed the kapparah could not be made and animals would not have been able to be a substitute offering for the sin of man.

HaShem knew the importance of money in the overall process of salvation and I think that we should as well. Without proper financing, our Messianic Jewish institutions will not have the ability to teach, preach, minister and witness, whether to the lost souls of the house of Israel or to the nations. I pray that each one reading this Dvar Torah is doing their part in giving to their local kehilah (congregation) so as to help facilitate the edification of the body, the saving of souls and the perpetuation of the Besora Tova (Good News / Gospel). If you are not, then beware that a plague does not breakout within your household.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
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Shalom Shalom

A personal note

2010-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have been running this blog for several months, and had limited response. Sometimes, I figured I was just doing a more "electronic journal" then a group publication. Further to this, in my world, I have become concerned about these important latter teen years in my son's life. I remember the story of Eli (and other fathers) who did not effectively usher their children into adulthood, and as a result they were lost. I don't want that. Therefore, I will be limiting my involvement with this blog site. I may still make posts or share things that I ran across. Some things are so very Messianic, that this is the best place to put them. But, more of my energy will be used in shaping my children (Specifically my eldest son, Joshua) as he matures to become a man.
On a related note: I have resently requested that the Celtic Church of Yahweh extend to me the leadership of their denomination in Canada. This church order is a merger of early Christian thought. It could be described as Messianic, but also Christian. I have yet to hear whether my proposal to the Celtic Church of Yahweh has been accepted. This is also an organization which desires to shape young men into Knights, which has been the path I am taking my own son.
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