Shalom Mishpocha!

This week has sped by and we are ready for Shabbat! Baruch Hashem! Nazir did such a great job last week as he became Bar Mitzvah! Baruch Hashem! We hope to see everyone on Friday night and/or Saturday. As usual there will be a desert oneg on Friday, and a lunch oneg on Saturday after services.

The Parashat for this week is Noach. Noah was a righteous man who walked with God. However, his level of righteousness, alone, could not have saved him. He was saved due to G-d’s unmerited favor! To survive global destruction, personal righteousness would not have been enough. Noah was actually included in that decree and was saved for only one reason: he found unmerited favor in the eyes of the L-rd. This week as we read the parashat, let us remember that Noah was a type of Messiah and the principle for that time of history is the same for now. Only by God’s unmerited favor through our faith in Yeshua do we have eternal salvation.

Don’t forget to bring food for the oneg and don’t forget to bring a friend!

On Shabbat we will be having the children participate and, of course, the celebration of birthdays and anniversaries. After the oneg, there will be a Beginner’s Dance Workshop and our New to Messianic Judaism Class.

G-d had blessed Gesher Shalom, tremendously, last Shabbat! The Stand Up For Israel Rally was greater than expected. It was estimated that we had about 1200 people attend. The worship, dance, messages, liturgy, Torah service, Israeli food and intercessory Prayer for Israel was truly excellent! We thank everyone who participated and gave generously.

This coming week we will have our Home School group, Wednesday Bible Study, Club Maccabee, Windermere / Dr. Phillips Outreach and, as always, our Men’s and Women’s Prayer.

The Parashat for this Shabbat is Shoftim (Judges). We are taught that G-d will raise up a prophet like Moses from his own kinsmen. Everything that prophet speaks will be from Hashem and G-d will require us to be obedient to him. Yeshua is that prophet and He speaks the word of G-d. Do we really try to live G-d’s word or do we follow our own or someone else’s interpretation? Let us observe His commandments and live victoriously in Him!

Don’t forget to bring a friend!

Once again, Shabbat is upon us. Since this is the first Shabbat of the month, the children will be lighting the candles and performing the kiddush and HaMotzi on Friday night. Don’t forget to bring a dessert for the oneg.

On Shabbat we will be having the children participate and, of course, the celebration of birthdays and anniversaries. After the oneg, there will be our “Mommy and Me” Dance class and a Beginner’s Dance class. Don’t forget to bring food for our “Everything on a Bagel” oneg.

The Parashat for this Shabbat is Chukkat (Decree, Statute). We are, also, celebrating Rosh Chodesh (New Moon). The parashat speaks about the ashes of the Red Heifer and the procedure in which it is used for the purification of those who had been in contact with a dead person.

Rosh Chodesh is a wonderful time to celebrate our Messiah! It is scriptural and will continue to be observed in the millennium (Is. 66). Don’t forget to bring a friend!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi

www.geshershalom.com

Shabbat is upon us! Baruch HaShem! We bless God for His tremendous anointing and Spirit last Friday night and Saturday! This Shabbat, after services on Saturday, we will be having our Sisterhood and Brotherhood meetings and will be discussing the meanings and celebrations of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Habikkurim and Sefirat Haomer.

The Parashat for this week is Tazria (She conceives). It, also, speaks about the physical manifestation of Tzaraat (leprosy). This physical manifestation is actually an outward sign of a  sinful spiritual condition. It is designed to show the afflicted that he must mend his ways. The primary cause of tzaraat is the sin of slander. This affliction is the punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false oaths, sexual immorality, pride, robbery and selfishness. It is considered a Divine retribution for one’s failure to feel the needs and share the hurts of others. God rebukes this anti-social behavior by isolating him from society, so that he can experience the pain that he has imposed on others and be healed through repentance.

Let’s think about times we have slandered and hurt others. This Shabbat, let us repent and turn from our evil ways.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi

Tomorrow evening begins Shabbat and if you feel like I do, we welcome Shabbat with open arms. This Saturday we are having Calev Myers from the Jerusalem Institute of Justice as our speaker. He will tell us what’s happening in Israel and what’s happening with the aliyah situation. We’re asking the Friday congregation to, also, come on Saturday and show support for Calev’s awesome and important ministry.

The Parashat for this week is Vayakhel (And he Assembled). Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do.” It is so important to observe the Shabbat as a mishpocha. We need to understand that the Shabbat is a gift from God to us! Let us assemble together, receive His gift of rest and be built up and strengthened for the following week.

Don’t forget to bring food for the oneg and don’t forget to bring a friend!

Shabbat shalom!

Rabbi

This month as we continue to move forward and believe for “breakthrough” in our lives, we celebrate the season of redemption with the observance of Passover (Pesach). Israel was redeemed from the bondage of slavery. Pharaoh was destroyed and G-d was victorious! Through amazing miracles, G-d chose for Himself a People to be His own and to bring His message to the world! Man cannot redeem himself. G-d’s saving power is by His chesed (grace) through our faith.

The nation of Israel was redeemed, but we must not forget that each one of us as individuals was delivered. Our lives should be reflecting this deliverance. However, many times we get frustrated and lose sight of this. We live in a microwave society and want all of our problems cleared up “NOW”. We forget that Torah says, “Little by little I will drive them (your enemies, problems, etc.) out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land”. Many are suffering from either, inside hurts, and/or from outside physical ailments. We approach G-d daily and ask Him for healing, but it seems that nothing happens. Are we missing the voice of G-d? The answer I believe is in the preparation of the heart. Just as the Festival of Pesach begins with Bedikhat Chametz (the searching for leaven), G-d is asking us to clean the leaven out of our hearts. According to the Talmud (Berachot 17a), leaven represents the evil impulse of the heart (Yetzer Hara) and according to ancient Rabbinic interpretation to rid a house of leaven is to make possible a feeling of rebirth. Baruch HaShem (Praise the L-rd) that those who know Yeshua as Messiah have had the spiritual leaven cleansed out of their hearts through His blood atonement and we have had the experience of true rebirth!

In the Song of Moses, the Children of Israel express their thanks to G-d for the salvation at Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds). It is understood, however, that the praises refer to the future when the great and final deliverance is experienced in the time of Messiah! How blessed we are that we know the Messiah has already come and the victory has already been won! In Mt. 21:12-14 we see the healings that have taken place once the leaven was cleansed from the Temple. G-d is asking us to put our hearts on the altar and come to a true repentance. Then, we may receive the healings through His victory!

May there be true physical and spiritual victory and healing this season as G-d reveals His salvation, individually and corporately!

In His love, Rabbi Kluge