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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Acts Chapter 2 מעשי השליחים


Acts Chapter 2 מעשי השליחים



  1. How long did Yeshua appear to the disciples?
  2. What came 10 days later?
  3. How long was Shavuot after Pesach?
  4. What is Shavuot? 
5. How is Shavuot connected to the giving of Torah?


6. What parrells do we see with the giving of Torah and here in vs. 2-4


7. Were other people “filled with the Spirit” before this?


8. Who were these devout men and where were they from?


9. What is the significance of the “large crowd” and how does it compare with the crowd at the giving of Torah?  Ex 12:38


10. What is the biblical source of “tongues” spoken by the nations? 


11. Was this the 12 or the entire 120 speaking?


12. Why is the mention of Galilee significant?


13. How did they know that these men were from Galil?


14. What is significant of the list of nations here in respect to the mandate to take the Good News from Jerusalem, to Samaria and yes to the ends of the earth? 


15. 1 Sam 1:13 how does this compare?


16. How was this an accusation against the disciples and what were the religious implications?


17. How is drunk with wine compared biblically to being drunk in the Spirit? 


18. Vs. 15  “These people aren’t drunk, as you suppose—it’s only nine in the morning.
Based on these verses what does this indicate about the time of day that the disciples got up to pray? 


19. What is the difference between this outpouring and that of cases when the Spirit filled people in the Tanakh?


20. What is the proof that Yeshua is the Messiah provided here?


21. What were the proofs provided in the Exodus?


Monday, January 25, 2016

Happy Tu B'Shevat!



Today is the 15th day of the month of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar, "Tu B'shevat".  Why is that important?  Well, it is not just Israel's "Arbor Day" as some have come to know it.  It is the beginning of the season when the Almond Trees in Israel begin to bud, and the unofficial beginning of Spring! 


The budding and blossoming of trees in the Holy Land is addressed in the Scriptures...


The Torah says:
וְכִי-תָבֹאוּ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל-עֵץ מַאֲכָל--וַעֲרַלְתֶּם עָרְלָתוֹ, אֶת-פִּרְיוֹ; שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם עֲרֵלִים--לֹא יֵאָכֵל

Lev. 19:23“When you come into the land and have planted all kinds of trees for food, you are to consider their fruit as forbidden. Three years it will be forbidden to you. It is not to be eaten.

This is also reinforced later in the Torah:

כִּי-תָצוּר אֶל-עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ, לֹא-תַשְׁחִית אֶת-עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן--כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל, וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת:  כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר.

כ  רַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר-תֵּדַע, כִּי-לֹא-עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא--אֹתוֹ תַשְׁחִית, וְכָרָתָּ; וּבָנִיתָ מָצוֹר, עַל-הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר-הִוא עֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה--עַד רִדְתָּהּ

Deuternomy 20:19“When you lay siege to a city for a long time, making war against it to capture it, you are not to destroy its trees by swinging an axe at them. For from them you may eat, so you shall not chop them down. For is the tree of the field human, that it should enter the siege before you?
20You may destroy and chop down only the trees that you know are not trees for food, so that you may build siege equipment against the city that is making war with you until its downfall.

Trees for food were very important, and remain so in the Holy Land.  The Torah gave clear instruction on how the B'nei Yisrael were to treat the Land and the produce of the Land. 

Yeshua the Messiah often used trees to teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven.  He taught:

וּמִן־הַתְּאֵנָה לִמְדוּ אֶת־הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּה כַּאֲשֶׁר יִרְטַב עֲנָפָהּ וּפָרְחוּ עָלֶיהָ יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי קָרוֹב הַקָּיִץ׃ 
כֵּן גַּם־אַתֶּם בִּרְאוֹתְכֶם אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה דְּעוּ כִּי־קָרוֹב הוּא בַּפָּתַח׃
אָמֵן אֹמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם כִּי לֹא יַעֲבֹר הַדּוֹר הַזֶּה עַד אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיוּ כָל־אֵלֶּה׃
Matt. 24:32“Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the door.
34Amen, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen.

In context, Yeshua had just given many prophetic statements of what things would be like in the End of Days, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes and great apostasy...

He used the fig tree as an example.  When we see the fig trees blossom, we know that Spring and Summer are near - today on this Tu B'shevat, let us remember the signs of the times we are living in.  Yeshua is near, we need to lift up our heads, our Salvation is drawing near!

The things we are seeing in our times, the shifting of nations, the wars and the Jihad that is brewing, and even the apostasies that we are seeing... just recently I noticed advertisements of new comedies on T.V. portraying the end of the world... "You me & the apocalypse" and another show about "Lucifer" portraying Satan giving up being "bad"... perhaps the world finds this funny and amusing; but they won't be amused when the Messiah does come with His Sword. 

The fig trees are blossoming, the almonds are budding on Aaron's Rod, and it is time to get serious about our faith and our walk with Yeshua, not a time to make jokes about the end of all things.

It is near friends.  Get right with God now.









Thursday, January 21, 2016

"WHAT DOES A RABBI DO ALL DAY?"

Many people wonder what a rabbi does all day.  When they only see you on Shabbat, they often think that your job is only preparing a sermon or a teaching once a week.  Oy!  I thought about writing a post about this topic, but instead influenced by what is known as "reality-tv"; I made my own "documentary video"... Enjoy!
To view this video - you'll need a password.  For those of you who follow me, you'll use this: Tikvatishope


Otherwise it is private.  :)  


What does a rabbi do? Click Here for the Video and use password



Wednesday, January 20, 2016

מעשי השליחים


מעשי השליחים
The Acts of the Shaliachim
This Shabbat at 9 a.m. I will start  new study/discussion of Sefer Ma'sei Ha Shaliachim, (Acts of the Apostles).
The discussion questions are below, read ch. 1 and join us at Tikvat!


  1. Who wrote the book of Acts, to whom was it written to?
  2. How many witnesses to the resurrection where there?
  3. For how long did Yeshua appear to the witnesses?
  4. What is significant of 40?
  5. Why were they instructed not to leave Jerusalem?  Why is this important?
  6. What kind of restoration were the disciples looking forward to? (vs 6)
  7. What is the great commission and why is it important?
  8. Who was first commissioned?
  9. Where were they commissioned to go first?
  10. (Vs. 9-11) Where did Yeshua depart from and to, and why is this important? (Mt. Olives to the heavens – he will return from the heavens to the Mt. Olives).
  11. Who were the remaining apostles, and how many total disciples were there?



Monday, January 11, 2016

New Year & a New Look



Shalom y'all and Happy New Year 2016!


As with all "new years"; new things come our way.  We all make many resolutions, and most we don't keep.  The d'var Elohim says:


רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב-אִישׁ;    וַעֲצַת יְהוָה, הִיא תָקוּם



Proverbs 19: 21  Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of Adonai will stand.


Making plans is always good and important, especially this time of the year.  For us as believers however, we always should remember that our best plans are always subservient to the Will of Hashem. 


I have found that believers often get discouraged when their plans do not succeed...


Proverbs 16: 9The heart of man plans his course, but Adonai directs his steps.


Proverbs 15: 22Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Sometimes we plan, but we fail because we are not seeking "God's Plan" for our lives.  And we often neglect to consult the counselors in our lives.  Our parents, our teachers, our rabbis, and the many Godly friends that the Lord puts into our lives. 


Another reason why people experience discouragement and failure is that they DO NOT PLAN AT ALL!!!  There is a spiritual mistake that many believers make in this area of how to run and live their lives.  They mistakenly think that having no plan at all is in some way "following the Spirit of God".  This is a mistaken spiritual outlook. 


God makes plans.  God has a plan.  God's plan is called THE PLAN OF SALVATION...


Romans 16:26 (AMP)

25 Now to Him who is able to establish and strengthen you [in the faith] according to my gospel and the preaching of Messiah Yeshua, according to the revelation of the mystery [of the plan of salvation] which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now has been disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God, leading them to obedience to the faith, 27 to the only wise God, through Yeshua Hamashiach, be the glory forevermore! Amen.
God always has a plan.  He knows the beginning and the end.  He is never taken by surprise.
  • It is God’s plan that you are CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE
  • AND TRANSFORMED BY HIS POWER…


If you open your heart, to believe in Yeshua – you can receive this plan of Salvation.  All you have to do is “ALLOW GOD TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE AND ALLOW HIM TO CHANGE YOU”.
  • But that means submitting the plan for your life – to become His plan.
  • It may have not been in your plan to be saved.
  • Perhaps it hasn’t fit your arrangements for your life to conform to Him or to be transformed….


God is a gentleman, and he doesn’t necessarily force Himself on us.  He gives us a choice.


You have to choose this for yourself.  You do have to kind of “give up your own plans” and allow His Plan to become Your Plan – you see?


When you do this – then it is genuine.  Then the changes begin to happen.  The best plan we can make for ourselves this new year is a new look; to look more like Yeshua the Messiah.  To allow Him to come into our lives in greater measure!
That is the plan for us here at Tikvat Yisrael as a congregation.  That we would all together be more like Him. 
This year you are going to see many new things.  It's a new year, with new goals, new challenges.  We are going to end the year with a new U.S. President.  And at Tikvat we are preparing for new things.  Let's be Born anew from above. 
Our new logo is just a symbol of the new things that are coming our way.  I'm excited and proud to serve as your rabbi and under-shepherd here at Tikvat.  Let's get ready for the new things God has for us, and be ready for His Plan for our lives!
amen!