Week of Prayer 2022 – Thursday Focus – The Divine Yeshua

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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

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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

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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

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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

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L’Shanah Tovah

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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

I Was Glad…

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June 18, 2021 

Shalom mishpochah,

Tomorrow we return to one service (11 am) where we will be able to worship together as a congregational family.  I am excited and as I thought about our service tomorrow, this verse came to mind.  “I was overjoyed when they said, ‘Let’s go up to the house of the Lord’.” Tehillim (Psalms) 122.1.  I love to be in the house of G-d.  Many of you have heard my testimony.  I came to faith at six years old, and we lived around the corner from the congregation my family started to attend.  I often walked to service. As a teenager, I somehow had a key to the congregation.  I remember going during the week and letting myself in.  I just loved to be there in His presence.  I loved going to services with my family, and we always went whenever the doors were open, which included twice on Sunday, every Wednesday night, and on quite a few occasions every night of the week.

I know this past year was challenging for us.  Regulations imposed on us made it difficult at first for us to meet in person at all. Once we did meet, we had to face the challenge of social distancing, etc.  Habits developed and one of those was watching and participating in the services and ministries of Beth Emanuel online.  Trust me, Rabbi Michael and I are grateful for this technology.  But let me say, they are never a substitute for gathering together to worship and encourage each other.  We will continue to stream online and are asking Adonai to help us use this technology for his glory.  We know there are times when people cannot make it and having the ability to join online is a blessing.

At the same time, we pray that your hearts would be stirred to gather together with one another and to continue to build a strong community that would impact this island and beyond with the Good News of Messiah.  We need you and you need us!  Together we are stronger.  Adonai is still on the throne and He wants us to go forward advancing His kingdom among our Jewish people.  We do hope to see you in person tomorrow, and on Wednesday nights, and at holiday services, and at other special ministry events that Adonai leads us to hold.

Beth Emanuel, we love you and our hearts are filled with great expectation of all that G-d has for us.

Brachot,

Rabbi Carol
 

2021 Omer Calendar

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Here is a copy of our Omer calendar for 2021 for those who want to count with us.

 

Counting the Omer – Expect now is the time

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March 28, 2021

Tonight we start the counting of the Omer.  For the next 50 days we will count each night as we look forward to Shavuot.  The counting is to be done with great expectation.  It is a season of reflecting on the promises of Adonai as we look to their fulfillment in our lives.  The talmidim (disciples) of Yeshua counted the Omer.  In Acts 2 when we read they waited in the Upper Room, it was during the counting of the Omer.  Yeshua told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Ruach.  On Shavuot that year the Ruach was poured out just as Adonai had promised and they received power to be His witnesses. 

We encourage you to wait on Adonai during the next fifty days.  Wait with anticipation of what G-d is going to do.  The verse I choose for tonight says, “This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough, for your Word brings me hope.”  Tehillim 130.5

Expect breakthrough in your life.  At the set time, Adonai always fulfills His word.  Don’t be discouraged by the wait you have gone through.  As those who have gone before us, believe He is a promise keeping G-d and that now is the time for your breakthrough.  Look to His word.  Meditate on His promises and on who He is – a faithful G-d who will not let you down.

Expect G-d to act!

Blessings,

Rabbi Carol

For Such A Time As This

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February 25, 2021

Shalom Chaverim,

Tonight we began celebrating Purim, which commemorates Adonai’s deliverance of our Jewish people from the hands of those who sought our annihilation.  Most of us are familiar with the story.  Our heroine is a young Jewish woman named Hadassah (Esther).

As the news of Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews is brought to Hadassah, she is not sure of what her role should he.  Her cousin Mordecai challenges her with these six simple words, “For such a time as this.”  When Hadassah hesitates to her cousin’s appeal that she needed to speak to the king to save the Jewish people, Mordecai responds, ” For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows whether you didn’t come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.”

These words provoke thoughts of courage and bravery for that is certainly what Hadassah needed as she entered into the throne room of the king on that day.  Too often we fail to understand that she really didn’t know if she would make it out alive or not.  Yet, she knew she had been placed in the palace for that moment.  She knew she could not be silent.

I believe Adonai would encourage each one of us with those same six words – for such a time as this.  Our world is in a mess.  Evil and wickedness press hard against the kingdom of light seeking to extinguish it.  We have been called for such a time of this.  It is not time for us to shrink back in fear.  We cannot give in to intimidation.  We cannot think we can sit in our homes doing nothing and think we and our families will be safe from it all.

Each one of us must rise up in this hour saying to G-d. Hineni – Here I am!  Each one of us can make a difference in our world as we cooperate with Adonai by making ourselves available and standing up for truth and righteousness.  Courage is needed in this hour. 

Is there a risk?  Yes! Absolutely! But the consequences of doing nothing far outweigh that risk.  It is time we take our place in this generation and stand boldly in the face of evil and say enough is enough.  Let us rise up in the face of darkness using the authority and power Adonai has given us and stand against the forces of evil that seek to rule and overpower the kingdom of light. We know that through G-d we will prevail.  It is through Him that we will have the victory.

Friend, you have been called for such a time as this.
 

Blessings,

 

Rabbi Carol Calise