Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, June 27, 2020
Shabbat Shalom,
Please give me a minute to “reflect.” Today is the third anniversary of the RR. The first RR was published on June 27, 2017. Just for fun, I’m reprinting that first RR below. Below that I’ll write something original and fresh.
How much has happened in the last 3 years? Plenty! I won’t exhaust you with the details. Let’s review a few top-of-mind personal highlights (Sadly, I’ll leave some out… a few by accident and a few on purpose.)
- I started writing on my 65th birthday. Today is my 68th.
- We purchased our current synagogue building in December 2017.
- My beloved wife of 42 years, Ann Weiner, passed away in January 2018, a very sad day for me, our family and our congregation. We all (especially me) lost a treasure. (I also want to mention Sam Rauch, Brenda Bousch, and Simcha Fillenworth, who have also gone on to their rewards. They are richer, but we are poorer.)
- But God… I am so thankful that He blessed me in a wonderful way. On March 2020, I married Jan Weiner. I continue to be awed with the work of God, in how He brought us together.
- I still enjoy the discipline of seeking His heart in writing something fresh from Him every day. Now it’s a lifestyle. Thank you God.
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Daily Prayer Blog – Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Thank you all for subscribing. My plan is to send one email a day until the end of the year and then inquire of the Lord what’s next. When I ask then, I don’t want to hear, “You should have done what I told you before.” I’m excited for the discipline this new endeavor brings. Welcome aboard.
I never thought this day would come (at least not before the Lord returns), but here it is. When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, occasionally we would laugh about how old we would be by the turn of the century. I was 47 on January 1, 2000 (I think). In the early 60’s, my parents were still in their early to mid 30’s. The only adults I knew close to 50 were my ancient grandparents. Today is my 65th birthday. Funny, I don’t feel 65. I still can’t wrap my mind around that. Enough, let’s change the subject.
Do you know why we are not certain of the date of Yeshua’s birthday but are very certain of the date of His death? Jewish culture and tradition focuses on the Yahrzeit (pronounced “yar-tzeit”, anniversary of a person’s death), and not so much on the birthday (date or anniversary of a person’s birth).
Enough about history (we all have that) and musings about the future. The devotional today is simply this, “Let’s live in the present.” I believe it is a play on words that the present is called the present. It is as if each day is a gift which can only be unwrapped and appreciated as a present (gift) in the present (time).
The Bible contains much on history and much on prophesy, but not a lot on the here and now. Still, this is the only opportunity to meet God. Let’s avoid the procrastinator’s creed, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” (Speaking to myself here.)
The word “today” only appears in the Bible 161 times. In the New Testament is only is mentioned in Matthew, Luke, Acts and Hebrews. Then there is that verse from Psalm 95 that is quoted in Hebrews 3, “Today, if you will hear His voice.” When we read Psalm 95, we learn that hearing His voice today has to do with being His sheep and listening to the Good Shepherd. Let’s invest ourselves in that. Finally, the verse of the day.
Gal 6:9 So let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good toward all—especially those who belong to the household of faith.
June 27, 2020, Maryville, TN
Isaiah 62:6 On your walls, Jerusalem, I have set watchmen. All day and all night, they will never hold their peace. “You who remind Adonai, take no rest for yourselves, 7 And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
“Give Him (God) no rest….” There are our “marching orders.” How do we “hound God?” Through prayer, we remind Him of His promises. But before we do, let’s review the current situation. Almost the entire world hates Jerusalem. Every problem in the world is blamed in some way on Jewish people being in Jerusalem.
The EU and the United Nations (my friend Herzl calls it “United Nonsense”) want to “slice and dice” Jerusalem into an international city. The Muslim nations want to eradicate Jerusalem of all Jewish presence and deny there ever were Jews there. Does such animosity exist on such a level in any other situation throughout the world? This has to be demonically motivated.
Rabbi Trail: The enemies of Israel say they are anti-Israeli government, but not anti-Jewish people. That doesn’t work. It is duplicitous. They refer to the Israeli government as the “Zionist regime.” Zionism is the belief that Jewish people belong in their ancient homeland WITH SOVEREIGNTY. Jewish people without self-government is pre-Nazi Germany. We are a minority all over the world. Only in Israel are Jewish people the majority. Israel is nothing like apartheid South Africa. https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/05/21/iran-says-will-support-any-nation-or-group-that-fights-israel/ . End RT.
What does God have to say about this? Jerusalem was part of that first promise made to Father Abraham. Genesis 13:14 After Lot separated himself from him, Adonai had said to Abram, “lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are, to the north, south, east and west. 15 For all the land that you are looking at, I will give to you and to your seed forever.
One of the Psalms of Ascent… Psalm 122:1 A Song of Ascents. Of David. I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the House of Adonai.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem— 3 Jerusalem, built as a city joined together. 4 There the tribes go up, the tribes of Adonai —as a testimony to Israel— to praise the Name of Adonai.
And the blessing of Jerusalem extends to all nations…. Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Adonai and all the nations will gather into it, to Jerusalem, in the Name of Adonai. No longer will they walk according to the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Finally, we return to Psalm 122, the last 4 verses…. Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem— “May those who love you be at peace!7 May there be shalom within your walls— quietness within your palaces.” 8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I now say: “Shalom be within you.” 9 For the sake of the House of Adonai our God, I will seek your good.
Gut Shnabbes.