Week of Prayer 2022 – Saturday Focus – The Incomparable Yeshua

January 8, 2022/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

January 8, 2022

The Incomparable Yeshua. We sing several songs that focus on this truth. We say it in the opening of our Torah services – Ayn Kamocha – There is none like you. But sometimes we forget this truth in our day to day life.

No one and nothing compares to Yeshua. I would encourage you to read some of the psalms that reflect on Adonai’s nature and character. I was reading Tehillim 104 this week. Listen to the first few verses:

1 O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away, overwhelming me by your majesty, beauty, and splendor! 2 You wrap yourself with a shimmering, glistening light. You wear sunshine like a garment of glory. You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry. 3 You build your balconies with light beams and ride as King in a chariot you made from clouds.You fly upon the wings of the wind. 4 You make your messengers into winds of the Spirit, and all your ministers become flames of fire. 5 You, our Creator, formed the earth, and you hold it all together so it will never fall apart. (TPT)

As we close this week of prayer, may we truly grasp in our kishkas who Yeshua is. When we are able to walk in this understanding of His glory and power, we can face anything that life or haSatan throws at us. We can overcome the darkness because His light is greater.

Remember there is no one like Him – in the heavens above or on the earth below.

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

Week of Prayer 2022 – Friday Focus – The Preeminent Yeshua

January 7, 2022/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

January 7, 2022

What does preeminent mean? One writer explained it , “has a variety of meanings, including: “above all others; excelling others; excellent; surpassing all others; supreme; superb; marvelous.” Preeminent is related to predominant, meaning: “having ascendency,” “dominating all others.”

As we pray today, let us allow Him to be first in our lives. Yesterday we shared that no one will be able to dethrone Him because as G-d, He is L-rd of all. However, as humans, we tend to try to take His place in certain areas of our lives. We think it is okay that He is L-rd in my spiritual life, but He wants and should be L-rd in every area of your life. That includes your family, your job, your relationships, etc.

He should be first in our minds. We say it in the V’Ahavta every week – Talk about Adonai when you lie down, when you rise up, when you’re on the road, and when you’re at home. Yeshua should not just be in our hearts and minds when we are in a service or in our devotional time. He should be at the forefront of our minds in every aspect of our lives.

As we pray today, let us choose to make Yeshua preeminent in our lives.

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

Week of Prayer 2022 – Thursday Focus – The Divine Yeshua

January 6, 2022/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

January 6, 2022

Yesterday we focused on Yeshua’s humanity. Today we focus on His divinity. This mystery is hard to comprehend, but we must hold firmly to the fact that Yeshua was fully God and fully man at the same time.

Rav Shaul wrote to the kehilah in Rome, “Messiah Himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise!” Romans 9:5 In Messianic Jews we are told, ““The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word.” Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:3 TPT In Yochanan 10:30 Yeshua Himself declares, “I and My Father are one.”

Only G-d can save. He is Immanuel – G-d with us. He is L-rd of the Universe and we must allow Him to be L-rd of our lives. Being L-rd over all means there is no power on this earth that can withstand Him. He is seated on the throne of heaven and the powers of darkness and of the earth can NEVER overpower or overthrow Him. That should give us confidence as we approach Him in prayer today.

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

Wednesday Focus – Week of Prayer 2022 – The Human Yeshua

January 5, 2022/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

January 5, 2022

The fact that Yeshua became human should never be taken lightly. It is through his humanity that He was able to offer Himself up as the once for all sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.

The writer of the book of Messianic Jews (Hebrews) wrote, “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. . . . Hebrews 2:14–1 NLT Later in this same letter, more

Friends, how awesome that Yeshua died for you and me. Our names are written in the Book of Life because of His sacrifice. But not only did He make the ultimate sacrifice, but as He walked on this earth, He experienced the same things you and I experience. That is why He understands our temptations and what we face every day because in His humanity He faced them too. S.D. Gordon stated, “Yeshua is G-d spelling Himself out in language humans could understand.”

As we go into our time of prayer today, know that Yeshua truly gets it. He is not aloof or unaware of our struggles. Because He encountered the same elements we see in our lives. He felt pain, He struggled with disappointment, He had to overcome discouragement. We can trust Him to intercede for us because of His empathy for us.

Trust Him today as you pray.

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

2022 Week of Prayer – Tuesday’s Prayer Focus

January 4, 2022/in Uncategorized/by bethemanuel

Too often our minds and emotions are hijacked by the chaos of the world and the challenges of life. What if today, we take time to focus on the beauty of Yeshua? What if we choose to reflect on all the good things He has done in our lives and the glorious creation that surrounds us? Perhaps this change in perspective will encourage our hearts. Perhaps it will break through the darkness trying to encroach on our minds and emotions. It will certainly strengthen us as we pray today. May you see His beauty in even the most minute of details.

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

Week of Prayer – Monday focus – The Awesome Yeshua

January 3, 2022/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

How awesome is Yeshua!. Every week we declare in our Torah service – Ayn Kamocha – there is no one like you. He is glorious, all powerful, full of grace and mercy. He holds the universe in His hands and yet is focused on every detail of our lives. May you be filled with a new sense of amazement as your reflect on this amazing G-d who loves you and is watching over you today! As we pray, it is with the knowledge of who we are praying to – a G-d who does exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can imagine because He is awesome!

Sukkot Celebration

September 17, 2021/in Uncategorized/by bethemanuel

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L’Shanah Tovah

September 6, 2021/in Word from Rabbs/by bethemanuel

September 6, 2021

L’Shanah Tovah Umetukah!

As we usher in the New Year of 5782 tonight, we want to take this time to pray over you.

We pray that Adonai will cover you with His presence in this New Year. May this be a year where you fall deeper in love with the Creator of your soul. May you be filled with His shalom that will drive all fear and anxiety from you. May you know the vastness of His love and the strength of His compassion in new ways. We pray that you will receive His love that He desires to lavish on you.

We pray that out of the abundance of His goodness, blessings will flow into your life. May great joy overflow into every area of your life; may it ooze out of your innermost being like those rivers of living water. May the year 5782 be a year of freedom for you. May the truth of G-d’s Word break every chain of darkness holding you in bondage. We pray that shouts of joy and victory would be heard in your home.

May your homes be a place of refuge not only for your family but for the hurting in our communities. May they be a place where the presence of G-d abides. May you walk in divine health, and may sickness and disease be removed from you and your family.

We bless you with Adonai’s favor in 5782. We believe the best is yet to come.

Love,

Rabbi Michael and Rabbi Carol Calise