Monthly Archives: January 2016

We give God the glory for the testimony we have in Him. And then, as ‘threatened’, we begin taking an extended look at the Apostle Paul. Rumor has it, Paul was ‘anti-Torah’. So What’s The Word Say? Shalom – J&R

We had planned on starting a study of the Apostle Paul this past week. But I was compelled in my spirit that THIS needed to be shared first. Does God still work as in days of old? Are the spiritual gifts still viable for His people today? Do the angels still serve as ministering spirits? All we can attest to is The Word of God and our personal testimony. This is just a few of the times we have seen God work and move in the lives of our family over the years . . . Shalom

For my 62nd birthday this weekend, I received homemade cards from some of our grandkids, cake, gifts, family time (which is the most important and precious gift) and 17+” of SNOW . . . could have used a snowblower, though . . . LOL   Shalom

In last week’s radio broadcast/podcast we, through our own personal testimony, talked about how God still works in the lives of His people through signs, wonders, miracles, the giftings of the Holy Spirit/Ruach, and the angels – ‘the ministering spirits sent to minister to those whose heritage is Salvation’. (Hebrew1:14). A dear brother from ‘down under’ commented, the same thoughts had been on his mind as well. . To quote a portion of his comment – “Many want to obey Torah which is great, for we need to be obedient to Gods Word because Yeshua/Jesus was (obedient). But Yeshua/Jesus also said “the things I do you will you do and much more”. So the question is, why do we not see the miracles of Yeshua’s day being done today? For He said WE WILL DO, yet we aren’t. So which is more important, or is Torah and Miracles equal.” Our brother reminds us how Yeshua spoke ‘and greater things you will do’, lamenting the seeming lack of ‘The Spirit’ in our search for Truth.
As we seek out the full counsel and Truth of God’s Holy Word, both written and Living, let us not forget that an integral part of our heritage after Salvation is the indwelling presence, power and giftings of the Holy Spirit. Torah is the foundation for our walk ONCE we have come to salvation through Yeshua, entering The Kingdom through ‘The Passover’. Once entry into The Kingdom has been granted by acceptance of YHWH’s gracious gift of His Passover Lamb, the gifts of the Spirit of God and the service and protection of His ‘ministering messengers’ are available to ALL that believe, and can be imposed on any and all our Father chooses to use for His purpose.( Balaam, Caiphas and Pilate are examples)
God spoke through dreams and visions, angelic visitations and the Holy Spirit throughout the Tanakh. King Saul prophesied under the power of the Spirit. King David recognized the presence of the Ruach in his life, evidenced by his writings and prayed that presence of the Spirit NOT be taken away. Joseph was given prophetic dreams and interpretations of dreams (which comes by the Spirit of God, according to Joel) and thereby saved the remnant of God’s people in the earth. (Gen 45:7)
The operating of the charismata (gifts of the Spirit) has always been present for God’s people, and should be evidenced even more so in these days. The Prophet Joel declared God’s Spirit would be poured out on all flesh in the last days, a period of time that began roughly 2,000 years ago according to Peter in Acts 2.
Somehow, we have managed, not completely but to a large degree, to diminish the existence and necessity of these Spiritual gifts and the daily intervention of God, in these days, in our lives and in our walk. Paul was an Apostle primarily to those coming out of the nations. These new believers needed to understand the gospel, the Torah and all God has for His people, including, but not limited to, the charismata and the purpose for which all this is given – the sanctification, edification and admonition of The Body, and the Glory of YHWH, His Word and His Kingdom.
Yeshua, Paul, Peter and the others walked out Torah (for it was the foundation for their daily walk) and walked in the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit as part of their heritage. Many of the early disciples understood this ‘gift of God’ – His supernatural intervention in their daily lives by His Spirit and His messengers. Those coming in from the nations who did not understand this supernatural aspect of God’s family, were taught by those older in ‘The Faith’.
As we search the truth of God’s Word for our daily walk, may we also seek the fullness of the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit. Let us not negate or diminish that which God has given.

“4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1Co 12:4-13)

“. . . be ye filled with the Holy Spirit . . .” (Eph, 5:18)

“. . . fan into flame the gift of God that is within you by the laying on of hands . . .” 2 Timothy 1:6

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mat 3:11)

Have you asked for the fullness,for the baptism of the Holy Spirit? If yes, praise the Lord. If not, what are you waiting for?

‘for the day will come when we will worship in Spirit and Truth . . .’ That day is now . . . Shalom

You don’t go into ‘ministry’ for the money; at least, not if you are in it for the right reason. And you don’t just ‘go’ into ministry unless the God of Creation calls you and draws you by His Holy Spirit. And if you find yourself in that place and work God has called you to, it’s normally NOT a 9-5, Monday-Friday gig with weekends and holidays off and 4 weeks paid vacation, if you know what I mean.
For Rhonda and I, like others in ministry, our time, energy and all that we have belongs to our Father to use and direct as He sees fit. Every month we put all that we have into the work of the ministry and, of course, keeping and maintaining a spartan roof over our heads. We DO receive some outside support from time to time and, for that we are so grateful. We praise Abba and thank Him and those that are faithful to support us when they can. Without Him, those faithful and their support, both prayerful and financial, we could not continue. And remember, our ministry work is not just for the ‘here and now’, but for ‘the days and those things coming’. We do attempt to perform public work (interior design, remodeling and paint contracting) when available, but those opportunities have been few and far between as of late. Currently we depend on our very limited retirement, faithful supporters and of course, our Heavenly Father. . AND, just for the record, this ministry work (although it is not large) is debt free and will remain that way.
We are at a point where equipment is in need of  replacement and that need is immediate. Our ability to access internet, the means by which we teach, counsel, broadcast and maintain communication, is through our laptop, which is actually our daughter’s aged PC unit, since ours gave up the ghost sometime back. This one we are using is showing all the signs of also ‘going the way of it’s fathers’ and we must replace it now before that happens and we are dead in the water.
We are at a crossroads concerning one of our vehicles, as well. There is the workhorse and lifeline of our ‘day to day’ on the project, a 1997 Chevy Pickup with over 400,000 miles. It has served as everything from a truck to a stump puller and, at least for now, is was running reasonably well. Our van is the issue. We have had to effect several expensive repairs on both vehicles in the past few months and, it appears the van, a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan with over 300,000 miles, and which is our primary vehicle, is at that point of no return. It will cost more to repair it than it’s actual value.
We need your prayers, and your financial support, if Abba so directs. A replacement PC laptop, similar to the one we currently use (Toshiba Satellite), will run $250 – 300.00 for a refurbished unit, or $700 – 750.00 new.
The van replacement, for a similar unit to the one we have, approximately 10-12 years old, can be obtained for $ 2,000.00 or a little less. (since Abba has graced us with experience and contacts in the automotive business)
I do not like asking for help; a ‘pride thing’ I guess . . . but Abba has shown and is showing we must depend on Him and on one another in these days and the days to come.
Bless you and yours in Yeshua’s Name . . . if we can EVER be of service to you and yours, that’s why we are here. Shalom U’Vrachot – Peace & Blessings – Jerry

How much ‘Torah’ must we observe to gain entrance into The Kingdom? . . . How much Torah does ‘the church’ observe?    In this HR/Messianic?Restoration camp, do we observe ‘enough’ Torah? How much is ‘enough’ ?

OK . . . we posed these questions to evoke thought and provoke us all to examine our perspectives. There are those that promote ‘observance of Torah’ as all that is necessary to be righteous before our Heavenly Father and be in proper relationship with Him. There are those teaching grace and no Law. There are those condemning ‘the church’ (The mainstream denominational system) since they ‘obviously’ do not observe Torah, as well as those purporting if we ‘deny Torah we deny Messiah Himself’. The Bible should be easily understood on this issue but ‘the waters’ have been effectively ‘muddied’. Torah is for God’s people – ALL God’s people. His principles have been in effect since The Beginning, right along side disobedience and rebellion. But obedience to those principles did not establish the relationship to Father God. The obedience is that which evidenced the existing relationship, a relationship which was birthed by a faith and trust in God’s Word, conceived by the Grace of God through the Holy Spirit. It’s a ‘circumcised heart issue’ and simply the observance of Torah does not constitute ‘the circumcision of the heart’. That, in simplistic totality, is The Gospel – Salvation by grace through faith. That simple and fundamental truth has existed since before the foundation of the earth was laid, and has not changed. So, when we read The Bible, we must read with that truth and understanding in the forefront of our minds – the written Torah does not bring relationship, but rather, Torah is for those that are IN relationship with Father God, and that relationship is brought about by grace through faith. ‘The church’ observes Torah. Not to the degree that some observe, but even as some of them proclaim ‘the law no longer applies’, they teach and keep aspects of God’s Torah. Is it possible to keep enough Torah to put us in sanctified relationship with our Father? No, for if we could, there would be no need for Messiah. But there has been the pending necessity for Messiah since before the beginning. Does ‘the church’ have everything wrong? No. Does this end-time move of God, turning the children back to the fathers and the fathers to the children, have everything correct? No. Not everything we did in ‘the church’ was false and not everything we have taken hold of in the HR/Messianic/Restoration Camp is truth. ‘Adding to’ is just as wrong as ‘taking from’. We should not be asking ‘what would Jesus do’, but rather, ‘What DID Yeshua, and Paul and Peter and all the early believers do? They kept Torah, they kept the Sabbath and Feasts, they fed the hungry and cared for the widows and the orphans and the poor. They laid hands on the sick and dying, healed the blind and the deaf and raised the dead. They walked in the power and charismata of The Holy Spirit and signs and wonders followed them. They worshiped and served God Almighty in Spirit AND in Truth, and not just one or the other. Are we praying for Spiritual discernment, for Truth and for understanding that we might teach what they taught? Are we praying for an outpouring of His Spirit in our midst that we might bring Glory to His Name and encouragement and strengthening to His people? “For the time will come when you will worship God in Spirit AND in Truth,” so said the Promised Messiah of Israel. That time, and that need more than ever, is NOW . . . ( to be continued . . .) Shalom

” And they will never hunger or thirst again; sun and scorching wind will never plague them again, 17 because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their Shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(Rev 7:16-17)
Shabbat Shalom

Two words . . . PREEMINENCE and ICHABOD . . .