To access any archived recordings or slides, please reference the below, then email the office, with the dates and title of audio recording or slides requested.
Messiah Echad 2013 Posts
29 December 2013. “Child Rearing Themes” – MLD. As Pastor Brian continued to walk us through Moses’s life in the Torah portion, “And I Appeared” (Va’eira), we see how God’s character was revealed through the many situations between the Egyptians and Children of Israel. Subsequently God attached His character to the covenant He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then, the main teaching by Rabbi Jonathan continued the series on Unity in the Home, with practical concepts of child rearing to keep unity and shalom (peace). Three main concepts were discussed: Group accountability to instill responsibility outside of ones self (Galatians 6:1-2), Discipline and Competitiveness to be successful in the physical, mental, and spiritual battles children will face as they grow (I Corinthians 9:24-27), and Consequences that should be more severe than the enjoyment one gets out of not following rules (Exodus 21:28-31). Join us next week as we discuss some practical roles of a wife.
22 December 2013. “Israel, Joseph, Moses; Oh My!“ – JLD. This week’s torah portion Shemot (names) was very fitting, since Pastor Brian introduced a new character… Moses. And for someone who was supposed to be killed at birth, Moses sure went on to live an eventful life. So tune in for next week’s parsha, to learn more about this new name. And in the main teaching, Pastor (Rabbi) Jonathan continued our series on unity by establishing a background on unity in the home. We asked if Yahweh is a God who would discriminate against families that disobey his commandments and does God segregate out duties in our families? And if so, what gives Him the right? Granted, we did not address each family role today, we did learn that Yahweh does extend non-discriminatory love to everyone (John 3:16), while segregating out something extra special (salvation), to a select group of people (Romans 10:9-10). This intriguing and thought provoking audio recording is on the member page (please contact us for the link), and join us next week as we begin with the specific roles of our children. Lastly, don’t forget next week’s Oneg Dinner!
15 December 2013. “Heterogeneous Congregation” – JLD. We concluded Bereishit (Genesis) by reading Vayechi (and he lived), which talked about Israel (formerly Jacob) requesting to be buried in his own land and giving prophetic words over his children. And those children of Israel, later understood as the twelve tribes, largely did live up to those prophecies, which we will cover in later torah portions. Then during the main teaching, we continued on our series of unity, talking specifically about being united in the congregational body. With every family having their own relationship with Yahweh, it can be hard for a large body of believers to get along. So we talked about the hot topics of abortion, baptism, and women teaching in the church, to share our differences and debate the logic for each. We concluded however, with understanding the importance for us to be a unified body, that does not divide over things which do not directly affect our salvation. The audio recording is available on the member site and some key scriptures were Proverbs 22:6, John 17:20 and Leviticus 26:8.
07 December 2013. “Mishpacha (Family) Unity” – JLD. Pastor (Rabbi) Jonathan read through Vayigash (and he drew near) where Judah offered his life in servitude to Joseph. Judah and his brothers had previously wronged Joseph, who later became quite powerful in Egypt, and many believe it was the love Joseph had for his mishpacha that enabled him to forgive them. Pastor Brian also talked about unity, referencing John 17:20-21, where we read about unity in the family of Messiah, and Genesis 3:8-13, where the first family feud was recorded. Remember when Adam ate the forbidden fruit and was confronted by Yahweh (God), but blamed his wife? Bad Adam! Pastor Brian concluded with showing us where family relationships often mirror our closeness with Yahweh, and he instructed us to build biblical relationships, devoid of favoritism or resentment. Looking forward to diving deeper into the concept of unity, next Shabbat.
30 November 2013. “Happy Chanukah” – BDR. During this special time of year, it sure was exciting to see so many new people, and the continued growth of our congregation is always a blessing. The torah portion this week was Miketz (At The End Of), from Genesis 41:1-44:17. Pastor Brian spoke about forgiveness and the importance of not holding grudges against those who have hurt us in the past… so that our walk with God will not be hindered. Pastor (Rabbi) Jonathan taught on the importance of loving Messiah and how it relates to following the commandments or mitzvot (John 14:15). Jonathan made the distinction that you can keep the mitzvot without loving God, but you cant truly love him without trying to keep his commandments. Jonathan challenged the congregation to strive to know and follow the laws as best we can, because we love God. And finally, we wanted to say thank you again to the ministry dance team Mecholah, for their performances during our praise and worship. It was a wonderful treat to see “the younger generation” praise Adonai through music, and we sincerely pray that they return.
23 November 2013. “Awesome Third Service” – BDR. We were able to integrate the sound and lighting system Saturday, so the services are really coming together. The Torah portion was on Genesis 37:1-40:23. Pastor Brian spoke about the brothers of Joseph and to stay focused on the plan that God has for you vice seeking personal recognition. Pastor (Rabbi) Jonathan brought a message on the greatest commandments; to love God with all your soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He taught how all the commandments fall under either loving God or your neighbor, and encouraged that we test this theory. And next week we will be finishing the three part series with how to love Yeshua. Join us next week to support the youth ministry dance team that will be performing during our regular worship time. And please remember that anyone who wants to get involved, should see Pastor (Rabbi) Jonathan or Pastor Brian.
16 November 2013. “Our First Service!” – JLD. The Pastor’s (Rabbi’s) wife had a cold, the Assistant Pastor was out of town and Saturday morning brought more trials than any of us could handle alone. But as any teacher will tell you, opposition seeks you out most, when your lesson is of most value. Interestingly enough, our teaching was on how to love God and despite the setbacks, we trudged through with exploring different aspects from Deuteronomy 6. The opening verses talk generally about following the law to increase our years and protect our generations, but the subsequent verses get deep. We are told next to love God with our whole being and keep his laws constantly in front of us. How does that look and is it really necessary? Well, it depends on if you believe in an adversary and feel he is out to get you. If so, join us next Shabbat as we explore the importance of working together and loving our neighbor.
09 November 2013. “Walk Through Service” – JLD. We wanted to thank all of you who attended on 09 November, where we discussed our plans for the order of service and talked about the future for our congregation. Notably, we discussed our Statement of Faith, Mission and Vision. One key take away from our discussion was that we do intend to be a Spirit led congregation, which means we will, at times, align with charismatic styles of worship. Now for those of you who have never seen, or did not enjoy, charismatic experiences, fear not. God’s purpose for the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) was for it to be a calming and uplifting gift, so please pray about this key part of our worship. We also spoke about our stance on the commandments and what terminology is most appropriate for our members. And since there is no short answer to this topic, we invite you to join us next Shabbat, as we explore it further.