Shabbat Shalom - How the History of the Children of Israel Began

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

CFOIC Heartland

That through them The האור Light,  רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Shabbat Shalom Want to listen and watch a teaching on the Torah Portion?  Click below to watch Sondra speaking about this week's Lech Lecha Torah portion.      If you have difficulties watching the video, pause it for a few minutes to let it download and spool the video. When you push "play" again it should play smoothly for you. Make a Donation to help CFOIC Heartland in Israel!
October 15, 2010
What is Shabbat Shalom?   Jews all over the world read a portion of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, in the synagogue every Shabbat morning.  The cycle begins right after the Feast of Tabernacles and concludes the following year at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Traditionally, Jewish families discuss the Torah portion at their Shabbat Table, bringing new insights, each year, to the same inspirational words and stories that they have been reading for years. In this weekly column, Sondra Oster Baras, CFOIC Heartland's Israel Director, shares her personal reflections on the weekly Torah portion. *** Visit the Heartland Heartbeat Blog... If you received this email from a friend and want Shabbat Shalom sent directly to your inbox, please use the link below to join our email list. Join Email List... If you would like to support the brave men and women who have made their home in Biblical Israel; you can make a contribution to the ongoing work of CFOIC... Support CFOIC... Argaman Say YES! to Israel Samaria Trees	Lech Lecha (Go Forth) Genesis 12:1 - 17:27 "And G-d said to Abram go forth from your country and from your birth place and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) So begins this week's Torah reading. And what a reading it is. If there was ever a "Zionist" Torah reading it's this one. And each year, we are reminded that G-d chose Abraham out of all the people of the earth, and made him the father of our nation and the recipient of G-d's promises for the Jewish people. "And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem to the Oak of Moreh, and the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen. 12:6) This marks Abram's entry into the Land of Israel and immediately afterwards, G-d appears to Abraham and makes an amazing promise: "I will give this land to your children." (Gen. 12:7) Imagine the scene. Abraham is 75 years old, he is married to Sarah, he is traveling with Lot and his entire family, but he has no children. He has spent his entire life in Ur of the Chaldees and a few years in Haran and then G-d speaks to him and tells him to leave it all behind and go to a different land. In fact, when G-d first tells Abraham to leave, he doesn't even tell him where he will end up. He just says "to the land that I will show you." And Abraham is totally obedient to G-d and goes forward, not knowing what he will find when he gets there. But the first thing he does see is the mountains of Samaria. Up on top of those mountains outside of Shechem he is promised "this land." And, let me assure you, from the mountains outside Shechem you can see just about all of "this land." I believe that this is the reason that G-d does not delineate the borders of Israel at this point -- G-d points out the land to Abraham and he can see it with his own eyes. He can see it and I'm sure he falls in love with it. But he makes no attempt to conquer the land. G- d has said very clearly that this land would be given to his children. And, Scripture emphasizes this idea with the statement -- the Canaanite was then in the land. Many of you have heard me discuss these verses in my talks about the Land of Israel. Everything we are doing today in Israel, the essence of the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, is established in these few verses in the Bible, back in the time of Abraham. Without understanding and accepting the truth of these verses, the Jewish right to the Land cannot be understood. But today I want to add one more thought. G-d made many promises to the Jewish people, but not all of the promises were to be fulfilled at once. As with this promise to Abraham, which would ultimately be fulfilled hundreds of years later, the ultimate possession by the Jewish people of the Land, in any generation, depends on G-d's timing. But at the same time, we, as human beings, must be attuned to G-d's timing. Abraham did not conquer the land during his generation because it was clear to him that the right time would come later. And it did, when Joshua led the Children of Israel into the land. So too, when the Jewish people began returning to the Land, they did so slowly, purchasing land whenever possible, working the land that was available to them. In 1948, the State of Israel was established by vote of the United Nations. Clearly, this was a signal that G-d's time had begun. What was left to us was to be attuned to that timing -- for Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) and for non- Jews to support our efforts to do so. In 1967, in a war that we did not ask to fight, the rest of Israel was given to us. Again, G-d made it clear that the timing was right. What was left to us was to follow His lead and settle the land. That is what we have been doing for more than 100 years, since the beginning of modern Zionism. That is what we have been doing intensively since 1948, when the State of Israel was born. And that is what we, the people of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, have been doing since 1967, when the center of Biblical Israel became ours again. May we all have the strength and the courage to follow G-d's timing and do what He has in mind for us. Shabbat Shalom from Samaria, Sondra Sondra Baras Director, Israel Office Did you enjoy hearing Sondra's insights? If so you can:Join our email list to have them delivered to your inbox every Friday morningForward to a Friend so they too can enjoyDonate to help the brave settlers of Judea and Samaria! May 23 - June 2, 2011 Israel Tour With Pastor Gary Cristofaro, First Assembly of God, Melbourne, FL May 23rd - June 2nd, 2011 Eilat Extension June 3rd- June 6th Israel Host for the Tour: Sondra Oster Baras, Director, CFOIC Heartland - Israel Only CFOIC Heartland gives you the inside story of Israel! Meet the people who are settling the Land of Israel.  Listen to stories of faith and courage.  Experience the Heartland of Biblical Israel like never before! Click here for details! Request your brochure today!  today! The Choosing of a Chosen People   A 5 part series on Genesis by Sondra Oster Baras Watch the trailer here!   Sondra Oster Baras, director of CFOIC Heartland's Israel office, takes you on a journey through the Book of Genesis, which lays the foundation for the creation of God's chosen people. Order the DVD set...    Each purchase of this DVD series goes 100% to support the Israel Office!

 

Lech-Lecha

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

The Messianic Israel Alliance

That through them The האור Light,  רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Upcoming Events October 30 - November 14 From Houston or Newark To Israel This trip is now full, see you in Israel! November 12 - November 13 Tampa, Florida Join us for our Southeast Regional in Tampa. Steve and Tawnie Manning will lead worship. Ruach Ministries will share dance presentations. Our teachers will be Rico Cortes, David Jones, Brad Scott, and Angus and Batya Wootten. [Learn More] November 19-21 EskDale, Utah Led by Scott Diffenderfer and Ed Harris and based on the life-changing book The Garden of Peace by Rabbi Shalom Arush, this three-day workshop is guaranteed to improve every marriage, thereby strengthening His people, one family at a time. [Learn More]		Lech-Lecha Genesis 12:1 to 17:27 MIA to be Featured on TBN's Praise the Lord This coming Friday, October 15th, the work of the Messianic Israel Alliance will be highlighted during the northwest edition of Praise the Lord at 8:30 am on (Seattle area) channel 20. We hope to have video available for those not in the area. Both Scott Diffenderfer and David Yaniv of Roots Messianic Congregation will appear on the show. Please pray that the Father will open hearts to the truth of the "one people" message! Lech-Lecha | Genesis 12:1 to 17:27 Sheepfold Gleanings | Español by Carl & Julie Parker Torah Explorers by Natan Lawrence Torah and Glory School by Hutch Church Click Titles To Read! About The Commentaries Traditional Judaism follows a yearly Torah and Haftarah reading cycle in which the Torah (the First Five Books of Scripture) is divided into weekly portions that have an accompanying excerpt from one of the Prophetic books that relates to the theme being presented. As Believers in Messiah Yeshua, we also include portions from the New Testament, so that we will be reading form the whole counsel of our Father's Holy Word. Each of these portions contain several chapters. Since each parashah contains untold numbers of nuggets of truth, it is impossible for any one person to present all of the truths in one weekly volume. As we go through the annual cycle, we find new, encouraging, and inspiring bits of truth. Each commentator brings different aspects to light, and we encourage open discussion on biblical passages, and thus the views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Messianic Israel Alliance or its members and affiliates.
PO Box 3263, Lebanon, TN 37088 | (800) 829-8777 | www.messianicisrael.com

 

 

Lord, Is It Now...?

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

Key of David - Zechariah's Patrol Report

That through them The האור Light,  רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Prophetic insights that will help you see how events on Earth and in our own lives are viewed from Heaven's Throne Room

Lord, Is It Now...? Shalom, The book of Acts opens with Luke's account of the day when Yeshua was taken up to heaven after He had, by the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit), given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. He had appeared to them eleven times over a period of forty days, following His resurrection, revealing more of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Now for the last time He was gathering them together, commanding them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, "...which," He said," you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Ruach Ha Kodesh not many days from now. The disciples understood that Yeshua was the One sent forth by the Father to be the ruler in Israel (Mic 5:2, John 17:6-8). Therefore, sensing the finality of this day, their last reported words to their Savior were, "Lord is it now that you are restoring the Kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). We can learn quite a bit from their question. First, the first century state of Judea, even with Herod's temple, which Yeshua had called His Father's House was not the restored Kingdom of Israel (Luke 2:49). Likewise we can conclude that the present secular state of Israel is not the restored kingdom. Secondly, the question was not, 'Are you going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?' It was, 'When are you going to restore it?' These disciples had spent three and a half years with Yeshua, and over the preceding forty days received instructions regarding the Kingdom of God, and it is obvious they believed that His mission was to restore the Kingdom to Israel. This is further borne out by Yeshua's brother, James. James, as the leader of the early Church, addressed the only gathering reported in Scripture of the apostles and the elders, after the upper room experience. Summarizing their meeting, he said, "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David [restore the Davidic Kingdom], which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the gentiles who are called by My name,'" (Acts 15:14-17). Is it Important for Us to Believe What Yeshua's Disciples Believed? Yeshua, in His high priestly prayer in the Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel of John, reporting to the Father, says: "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do...I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word....I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours....I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:4-21 KJV). The question was, "Is it important for us to believe what Yeshua's disciples believed? The answer is a resounding, 'YES!' if we want to be included in Yeshua's prayers."                                                    Yeshua's answer to His disciples' question regarding when the Kingdom would be restored to Israel was, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8). Yeshua is saying, some two thousand years ago, that the Father has already set the time or epochs (Greek: " kairos," an occasion, i.e. set or proper time) when the kingdom will be restored to Israel. Undoubtedly the question as to when the kingdom will be restored to Israel has been the same question asked by forty-nine generations of disciples who followed. Now we in the fiftieth, the Jubilee generation, are asking the same question. Yeshua, who came in the first Jubilee generation from Noah, proclaimed boldly in a Nazareth synagogue, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me...to proclaim liberty to captives"(Isa 61:1). Setting the captives free is the first part of Jubilee. The second part is outlined in the rest of Chapter 61: "Restore the land and return the captives to their own land "(See Restoring Israel's Kingdom, Chapter 14). We are some two-thousand years closer to the time which the Father has fixed!  Could we be the generation that will see the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by the two men in white clothing who stood beside the disciples as Yeshua was lifted up. The two men in white said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Yeshua, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9 - 11). Are we the generation that will cross the finish line, or will we do as the last forty-nine generations have done, passing the baton to the next generation? If we are destined to pass the baton, let us pass it in the best shape possible. Surely the Father expects no less of us than He expected of the first disciples, which was to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. However, if we are indeed that final generation we must accomplish that which our Father expects of us in this hour.  Meeting His expectations requires that we know what is expected of us. Addressing the following key questions, which we will do in the weeks ahead, will be extremely helpful: ○ What must be restored to restore the kingdom Israel? ○ Why was the Davidic Kingdom divided? And why has the Father allowed some twenty-nine-hundred years to pass since its division? ○ What geographical area will this restored kingdom occupy? Who will be its citizens? ○ How important are numbers? What will it take to fulfill the promise to bring  Ephraim back to the land until no room can be found for him" (Zec 10:-10). ○ Romans 11:25, "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;" raises several questions. What is the mystery? Who are these Gentiles? Is fullness talking about numbers or maturation, or both? ○ In Chapter Three of Exodus the Father appears to Moses at the burning bush and outlines the plan for the First Exodus. This is His first attempt at establishing His Kingdom on earth. The fulfillment of His plan is detailed in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Joshua. Does Scripture outline a similar plan for the Second Exodus and the successful establishment of His Kingdom? ○ Are we seeing the beginning stages of the Second Exodus taking place? If we are actually in the throes of the unfolding of the Second Exodus, what needs to happen to complete it? And just what part does each of us have? In other words, what is expected of us, His Messianic forerunners? Like Joshua's two spies our unifying call is, "Surely YHVH, the Lord our God has given all the land into our hands" (Jos 2:24). Our challenge, like Joshua's, is filling the land with Israelites. In the Messianic Age the filling will be accomplished by leading the descendants of the household of Israel from the northland and from all the countries where they have been driven back to their own land (Jer 23: 1-8). The Apostle Peter has provided some excellent insight that will help us in gaining the understanding we need to successfully accomplish the integral part we are destined play in our Father's plan to restore the Kingdom to Israel. We will consider Peter's guidance in our next report, Fulfilling Our Destiny.     Angus     For the Patrol     Contact Angus Your thoughts and comments.        This is a team effort and we would like to hear your thoughts and comments. To share them go to ZechariahsPatrol.com. Then click on this report, and go to the end of the report, and post your thoughts and comments. A War of Numbers that Will be Fought With Words      For Ephraim to once a again become a mighty man ready for YHVH's Whistle to return to the land and join with his brother  Judah, and together defeat their enemies, he must increase his numbers (Zech 10:7-12). This requires that lost sheep become found sheep. This transformation under the guidance of the Ruach Ha Kodesh can best be accomplished by providing appropriate verbal and written information, and fellowship to lost sheep.      Twenty thousand copies Ephraim and Judah - Israel Revealed which have been distributed in the past have been a key factor in turning lost sheep into found sheep. It has proven to be an excellent initial word weapon.            However, Batya's classic "handout book" Ephraim and Judah - Israel Revealed, is now out of print in paper, but it is available as a free eBook. Click here to download. Several people have asked for the eBook on a CD. So we have made it on a CD available at  Key of David Marketplace $4 (to cover shipping and handling costs).       The good news is that we will soon have a new and improved version of this classic book. It will be titled, Who Is Israel - Redeemed Israel - A Digest. This exciting new overview will make an excellent and inexpensive handout book. It can now be pre-ordered at a very special price at Key of David Marketplace and is due for delivery in late October. For more information see the Challenges of Being A Watchman Question of the Day     How many Ephraimites are required for Ephraim to once again be a Mighty Man, ready and able to return to the land and join with his brother Judah and together defeat our enemies?     We would still appreciate more input on this question. if we don't have a handle on the goal we are working towards it makes it difficult reach it.      We would appreciate Your opinion. Previous Postings Zachariah's Patrol Reports Running Israel's Restoration Marathom Battle for Israel 2010 - The Importance of Numbers Israeli-Palestinian Talks at an Impasse - Time for DecisionA Personal Visit to Heaven's Throne Room Why Does God Allow His People To Suffer? Approaching God - Terms and Consequences The Challenge of Being a Watchman The Story of the Rest of Your Life Zachariah's Vision and "The Quartet" Key of David of Publication Updates   Ephraim, My First Born, Can You Hear Me? Yom Teruah or Roah HaShanah? The End-time Call of Yom Teruah I Am YHVH    We encourage you to listen to a new song, written by Batya and recorded by our friend, Will Spires. The song is titled "I AM YHVH" and it is truly inspiring. You might want to listen to it before you pray. The song is about the Father's heart cry for His chosen people: Judah and Ephraim. You can hear it as you enter the Zachariah's Patrol website or Key of David Marketplace, and it can be downloaded for free at Key of David Marketplace.Several people have asked for the song on a cd so they can play it in their cars. So we have made available at Key of David Marketplace. a CD that has seven renditions of the song for $4 (to cover shipping and handling costs). Upcoming Events     The Messianic Israel Alliance Southeast Regional Conference will be held in the Tampa area on Friday and Saturday, November 12th - 13th, 2010. For more information go to Southeast Regional Conference  Contact Information Key of David Publishing's Books are available at the Messianic Israel Alliance Marketplace (Phone 800-829-8777). They also are available at Key of David Publishing Marketplace, where Bookstores, Ministries, and Way Stations are eligible for a quantity discount.   Websites to visit:   Messianic Israel Alliance  The MIA will help you to understand the Hope of Messianic Israel plus Messianic Israel Inclusion Theology. You can become a Partner in restoring the Kingdom to Israel. Bnai' Ephraim International This is the premier online presence that advocates for this generation's sons and daughters of Ephraim.   Zechariah's Patrol Reports This exciting site offers an abundance of prophetic insights that will help you see how events on earth and in our own lives are viewed from Heaven's Throne Room.   You can support Key of David online. See the Key of David Marketplace and the Messianic Israel Alliance. Or send snail mail to Key of David, PO Box 700217, Saint Cloud, FL 34770. Or call us at 407-344-7700.

 

 

Joined To Hashem Newsletter, October 14, 2010

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

Mike Clayton and his ministry

That through them The האור Light,  רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

		October 14, 2010
	Joined To Hashem Newsletter
	In this issue...   Streaming Video Torah Portion "Noah" Torah Commentary Quick Links... Mike's Itinerary Resources Torah Is Life Web Site Links Kingdom Paths Linen Hebraic Woodworking Join our mailing list!	TEACHING THE HEBRAIC PERSPECTIVE OF FAITH IN AND OBEDIENCE TO THE ONE TRUE GOD Streaming Video Due to our difference in the dates we observed Sukkot we must skip a week to catch up with the Torah schedule. Lech Lecha "Go out" Genesis 12:1-17:27 Isaiah 40:27-41:16 *Archived teaching from 2009* VIDEO Torah Portion "Noah" If you would like to watch the video on Torah portion "Noah", it is available be clicking the link below or pasting this link in your browser. http://wms18.streamhoster.com/hineni7/102409b.wmv Torah Commentary Lech Lecha "Go out" Genesis 12:1-17:27 Isaiah 40:27-41:16 Get Out! It is said that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." This was no doubt true for Abram as we learn this week. About the background of many people in scripture, we are not told volumes. Instead it seems that life begins for them with an encounter with the voice and person of Elohim in their lives. Many of us can relate to this concept though, because we can look back and also see how life really had nothing to write about until we met Him. Abram was given some quite clear words about what to do in his life. He was to leave his past behind and begin a journey. He was not told specifically where the journey would take him nor was he told about the trials he would have to face along the way. He was not told how he would succeed and fail, but rather he was simply told to leave. The beginning of verse 4 gives much insight into the man Abram when it states, "So he went." That seems to be a very simple and direct statement, does it not? But was it as simple as the scripture seems to paint? Was it as easy as we tend to read it? Though Abram and Sarai did not have children at this point, remember they were still people just like you and me. They had family and a life. Abram is seventy-five years old when he leaves and Sarai is no spring chicken either! They had lives and families they had to say goodbye to, not knowing if they would ever see them again in a day without phones, Face Book and email. Departure in that day was truly cutting off everything of the past and stepping out into the great unknown. It was quite a task, one which should gain Abram a place of great respect in each of us today. "So he went." These are words which deserve a bit more comment because they contain a great message to us today. Notice it did not say, "So he considered his options," or that he "talked it over with his neighbor." We do not read that he consulted with his boss, father, mother, pastor or even his wife. Abram knew what he was told to do and he did it! What a lesson those three short words have for us today. Hear His voice, get up, and move on should be words that resonate within our spirits. But some would say they have not heard his voice. I challenge you to read 2 Corinthians 6:17 before you read one more word of this commentary. What do those words say? Are they not the same words as Abram heard so many years ago? Maybe the problem is not with our hearing, but rather our desire to take the first steps of the journey. Let me clarify a point though. I am not writing about leaving a country or a home physically, though in the end that may very well be, but rather making the steps of leaving attitude and lifestyle. Today there continues to be much talk about a greater exodus patterned after the exodus of Abram's eventual family in Egypt. Historians wrote that in the exodus only twenty percent of the Hebrews actually left Egypt while eighty percent would not leave, no matter what HaShem had done in the land. Whether or not these numbers are true, knowing a bit about human nature makes me believe that they are certainly plausible. If this fact is true however, what is the difference between Abram and the people who stayed behind in Egypt? Furthermore, what can we learn today from the event? I believe the key to Abram's quick departure is that he never counted the place he was living as home. Yes, while he may have had a house, a two-car garage and a dog in the backyard, he never considered anything outside of Canaan, or can we say Israel, as a place to call home. In fact the Book of Hebrews tells us that he would never even consider Canaan home until the Kingdom would be established and there would be a city whose Builder and Maker was YH VH Himself. The difference in the life of Abram was simply that he never desired or allowed himself to be physically or emotionally attached to the things of a fallen world. Abram knew that home could only truly be when all things had been restored. That is why he so quickly took the first step of his journey. He knew his first step was not only leading him to Israel, but was leading him to a Kingdom! So what can we learn from the actions of Abram? More importantly what should we do with these thoughts in our own lives? Maybe first we should take an honest look at just how tied down to this world we are. Do we use words like "Dream Home," "Job I always wanted," or "Success in life?" What are our attitudes and emotional attachments to our current lifestyle and surroundings? These are simply the first in a long list of questions we should be asking ourselves today. Given some honest soul searching, most of us would have to admit that we are not quite as ready as Abram was to leave it all behind. But maybe just coming to that conclusion is the first step in preparing ourselves for the journey that lies ahead. One closing thought. Let us take a look around us this Shabbat, not only at the physical possessions, but also at the emotional and religious ties we have in life. Is there anything or anybody which would stand in the way of our walking out the words, "So he went?" Shabbat Shalom, Mike PRINT VERSION
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