For Adonai your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand—He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These 40 years Adonai your God has been with you—you have lacked nothing.”’
כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּרַכְךָ, בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ--יָדַע לֶכְתְּךָ, אֶת-הַמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדֹל
הַזֶּה: זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ--לֹא חָסַרְתָּ, דָּבָר.
Ki Adonai Elohecha B'rakacha B'kol Ma'aseh Y'decha, Ya'dah Lekatecha, Et Hamidbar Hagadol Hazeh. Zeh Arba'im Shanah, Adonai Elohecha Imech, Lo Chasartah, Davar!
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| A NEW HOME FOR TIKVAT YISRAEL! |
Last April, Tikvat celebrated it's 40th Anniversary on the exact date of our incorporation in the State of Ohio, April 7th! That day also just happened to fall on both a "Shabbat" (Saturday), and the last day of Passover! We went "all out" in observing our 40th year with a community Passover Seder/Anniversary Banquet including a full concert with Paul Wilbur! 600 people from Tikvat and the community all joined us for an 8 hour long celebration all day, beginning with a Torah Service, a mini-Seder luncheon, and ending with Paul Wilbur in concert! It was an incredible day recalling our entire 40 year history with our founding Rabbi Walter Liber, and his wife Linda, along with many others who spoke and were there at the very beginning in 1978, and even before!
Passover came and went and we began a new chapter in our ministry here at Tikvat, however we had no idea then that day was indeed a breakthrough moment for our congregation besides just achieving a "milestone" anniversary! Within 2 months, the property pictured above came to the attention of the Board of Elders at Tikvat. It was just listed on the market within a 10 mile radius of our current location in Lyndhurst at First Assembly, and it is owned by a church who was using it as a "satellite" campus; but it was not their main property. They had others who were interested, but they all wanted to turn it into something other than a place of worship. The owners had put a lot of upgrades and TLC into the property and they hated the thought of seeing it turn into a business or something other than a sanctuary of worship unto the Lord.
Over the last several months, the Elders of Tikvat Yisrael met with the Owner's Board of Elders after inquiring about the property. Both congregations began talks and investigating if this is all "from Adonai" for both congregations. The dialog continued, and eventually our committee of Meshartim (deacons), were called in to view the property as well and help the Board of Elders of Tikvat weigh in on their thoughts and prayers. Even later other ministry leaders at Tikvat were included in the prayer and fasting process to determine if this is the place God had intended for Tikvat, and if this really was indeed the end of our 40 year journey wandering and renting all over the city of Cleveland?
Immediately, the leadership put out the proverbial "fleece", as Gideon did in Judges 6. At first, it did NOT appear to be for us as there was a concern over zoning for the property as it is currently listed in a "residential area". Tikvat did not want to get into a situation where our "land use purpose" would someday be questioned and have to justify our continued use of the property. The Board even went to meet with the local zoning enforcement officer who assured us that there would never be any bias or discrimination against us regarding the "zoning" of the property. Being "Wise as Serpents", we still did not believe the zoning officer, because as Jews, and as believers who live in a "dark world", we weren't born yesterday and we know the enemies we face out there! We did not like the fact that we had no assurance that someday, someone who ever got elected to that zoning board and for whatever reason didn't like us...(some 'Pharaoh' who did not know Joseph); might desire to have that property have residential homes and tax revenue coming in and force us out! Even though the property has been operating on and off as a church/place of worship for about 40 years! (the same amount of time Tikvat has existed); we still had no assurance even with such precedent. We were starting to think that perhaps this really is just not for us. However, we gave God more time, and began to inquire about the legalities of such a situation in order to evaluate our risk with more information.
While continuing to pray, fast, and include the Tikvat Intercessors within this process, we contacted some reputable Believing (Born Again) attorneys who informed us of a law we had never heard of, called RLUIPA (RELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT, 2000). The attorneys who are believers, advised us that The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws! And it would be foolishness of any zoning board to commit such a violation as they could be liable...(let's just say for a lot of $).
The Lord apparently had removed that obstacle completely, and He did the same thing on other smaller issues that seemed to crop up. This showed the leadership that God was keeping the doors open. What's better is that the Seller's have found favor with us and our ministry. They wanted to bless us! They lowered the sales price to their very "break even" point, so as to be able to "give us" this property if we would simply pay off their mortgage!!! They even told us what that amount would be! What kind of real estate seller does that?!?! We have found major Favor with them and with God! Not only that, but the amount of funds we have in our Building Fund already is enough to pay off the church's mortgage, and the property will transfer into our name on the date of closing! We will own that property clear and free!!! Baruch Hashem!!! BH"S!!!
In addition to the favor we found with the church on agreeing to the sales price on the property to be equivalent to the cash we have on hand; the church knew we were going to immediately need most of the contents of the furniture and other items in the building, and they knew that just purchasing this building would wipe out our building fund savings. The church called us and said, "listen, we know how hard it is to be an owner of property, and we DO NOT want you guys to have to go out and get in debt in order to purchase all of the furniture and contents that you all need..." Instead, they offered to sell us what they have, all the contents, chairs, kitchen appliances, tables, office furniture, nursery and children's ministry equipment and furniture, etc... for a reasonable price, to be paid to them in easy installments...AT 0% INTEREST! In other words, we will own the property outright, and they will sell us all of their furniture and contents, (most of which is in top mint conditions), for a price that is just about "break even" for them again, and with NO INTEREST!!! For easy to manage monthly payments!!! This was an even further amazing favor that we saw from them and from the Lord!!! Where could we get all of this for the price and terms they were offering us?!?!
Suffice it to say, when you see doors open like this, and obstacles removed, and favor with other believers with whom you are doing business - it is obviously the HAND OF GOD! The Board made the decision along with the rest of the leaders to NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS!
This is what brings me to the purpose of this posted article. To explain to you, the friends and members of Tikvat Yisrael Messianic Synagogue. You all have toiled with us all these years, you have prayed, you have saved, you have fasted and you have sought the Lord on behalf of Tikvat; and I am writing to inform you today....ADONAI HAS HEARD AND HE HAS REMEMBERED US AND HE HAS DELIVERED A NEW HOME FOR US, EVEN THIS YEAR, OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY!
Now, we want to invite you, all of you, members, friends, family, and even those who don't attend regularly but you care for Tikvat and support this ministry - WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELVES AT A SPECIAL SERVICE AT THE NEW PROPERTY.
We want you to come out and see the miracle that our God has done for us, we want you to see it for yourselves, then we will all join together in a meeting, answer questions, and PRAY AND BLESS THE LORD TOGETHER FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE.
There are many more details to share with you, but for now, please accept this invitation to join us on:
Saturday, September 29, 2018
10:30 a.m. Shacarit Torah Service
9319 Mayfield Rd.
Chesterland, OH. 44026
The property is currently owned by "Prince of Peace" Church
From our current address at First Assembly drive straight down Mayfield Rd. for about 10 miles east.
WHERE IS THIS PROPERTY IN RELATION TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY?
Stars of David pictured below indicates the location of this property!
This new property is "sandwiched" between "East Side Suburbs" (5,300 Jewish families), and the "Northern Heights" (10,400 Jewish families) respectively.
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