Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, October 28, 2021
Shalom,
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: This Shabbat is the 5th Saturday of October. For the past year, we have celebrated every 5th Shabbat (there is one per quarter) by having a Kabbalat (welcome) Shabbat meal and service on Friday night followed by no service on Saturday morning. Please bring a covered dish (or salad, desert or challah) to share on Friday night at 6PM. That meal will be followed by a Kabbalat Shabbat (Erev Shabbat) service at 7 in the sanctuary. Then, on Saturday, October 30th there will be no service at all and the building will be locked. On this Shabbat, may we honor the Lord by entering into His rest. B’Simcha (in joy).
The Equip – Day 34: https://gatesofzion.net/blog-articles/jb-bernstein/the-equip-series-40-consecutive-days-of-equipping-in-jewish-evangelism/equip-series-day-34-isaiah-53/52
Collaboration with Jerry Miller – part 12:
The battle belongs to the Lord. Psalm 3:8 Arise, Adonai! Deliver me, my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek. You shatter the teeth of the wicked. How many enemies does God strike? That’s right, all of them. Jahaziel had a word for all of Judah (and especially Jehoshaphat, their fearful king) before their battle with the Ammonites and the Moabites. Receive it as a word for yourself today… 2 Chronicles 20:15b Thus Adonai says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Eyes on Him… (I have a friend who signs every email, “eyes on Him.”) Hebrews 12:1b Let us run with endurance the race set before us, 2a focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. Yeshua starts our faith (as initiator) and finishes our faith (makes it perfect, complete, not lacking in any way).
There is a “shaking” going on in the world today. Everything will be shaken. Hebrews 12:26b “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” This “shaking” is being done to prove something… Hebrews 12:27b … so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
And, we are called to be grateful for God’s protecting love. Hebrews 12:28a Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude. I like the choice of words here, “let us show gratitude.” We are quite used to saying. “Thank you.” We speak “gratitude” all the time. But how do we “show” our gratitude?
The key to showing our gratitude toward God is in obeying Him. John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Keeping (protecting and defending) God’s commandments means getting sin out of our lives. Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Let’s not over-think this. We are in the Lord’s army. Therefore; we must follow His orders. 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments. We are God’s ambassadors in every situation. Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Psalm 19:15(14) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 28-Oct-2021 22nd of Cheshvan, 5782
Ge 24:53-67 Jdg 4 Ps 27 Mt 22:1-22 (Ro 5)
Week 44
Memory Verse: Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been made righteous by trusting, we have shalom with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
216 10/25 Monday: 2 Corinthians 9-10
217 10/26 Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 11-13
218 10/27 Wednesday: Romans 1-2; Acts 20:1-3
219 10/28 Thursday: Romans 3-4
220 11/29 Friday: Romans 5-6