Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Shalom,
I’m writing this on the afternoon of our first day of camp. Machane Shom’rim Tze’irim (Camp Young Watchmen) is off to a great start. I would say the best start ever. I’m personally gathering joy (in Yiddish “Clab Nachas”) at watching our young people (for most of them it’s their third year of camp) enlist in the Lord’s army. The theme of camp this year is Discipleship Boot Camp.
Do you know what exceeds my joy over our young people? It’s the delight at watching our parents and young adults work together to make this a reality. It wouldn’t happen without the faithful dedication of many (so I’m not going to try to name them all) courageous individuals who have laid aside many other pursuits to give our children an enriching experience they will never forget.
As I write this, my eyes are tearing up. This commitment for Shomrim Tze’irim is not just for the week of camp, but for many, an entire year of planning the program and every other detail. There will be a presentation during our upcoming Shabbat service to highlight our many victories throughout the week.
Becoming a community IS a keystone in the wall that is Shomair Yisrael. This camp proves the vision is being accomplished. I thank God for His faithfulness and I thank God for the faithfulness in every heart of our Shomair family. (I am filled with joy. In Yiddish, I “K’vel” or I am “K’velling.”)
Okay, that’s what’s on my mind today. What’s on God’s mind in this regard? Romans 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Messiah and everyone parts of one another. And then there is this too… 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
When we pull together, in the same direction to accomplish something as monumental as a week of camp, we prove Messiah is alive and well and living within us. Give Him praise.
Week 31
Memory Verse: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
151 7/27 Monday: Luke 1
* 152 7/28 Tuesday: Luke 2
153 7/29 Wednesday: Matthew 1-2
154 7/30 Thursday: Mark 1
155 7/31 Friday: John 1
Question of the day: What? Did the Bible just pretend that was nothing?
Answer: Yes it did! Joseph was going to register for the census in his hometown of Bethlehem, when the Bible says this… Luke 2:5 He went to register with Miriam, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Miriam was engaged AND she was pregnant? And not just “pregnant,” but very pregnant. So much so, that… Luke 2:6 But while they were there, the time came for her to give birth—. Joseph was embarrassed by her condition. He wanted to put her away to save the family the embarrassment of it all. Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Yeshua the Messiah happened this way. When His mother Miriam was engaged to Joseph but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, made up his mind to dismiss her secretly.
But the Holy Spirit explained her situation like this… Matthew 1:20 But while he considered these things, behold, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Now, here is a revelation of God’s work. Whenever God does something, He does it with such power that it keeps being done. The best example is day and night. Genesis 1:5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” So there was evening and there was morning—one day. One day was day one. Now we are on day 2,109,909. I just made that up, sort of, by calculating the number of days in 5780 years-to-date.
Please don’t miss my point due to my silliness. The key phrase above (in God’s message to Joseph) is that Joseph’s Son, Yeshua, will save His people from their sins. And He still is doing just that. Let’s be thankful for the one true and faithful God, today and every day. Even now, everyone who believes receives the blessing by faith (see Hebrews 11).
In Hebrews 11 we find mention of many saints of the Lord who lived by faith. Today we are standing on the shoulders of their faithfulness. May God’s faithfulness manifest in us in such a way that others too will someday stand on our shoulders. In Yiddish we say “Halavai” meaning “may it be the will of God.”