Sound the Alarm on My Holy Mountain.
                                                

Shepherds comments:
                                                               

Is 2013 the Vestibule Year of the Dragon?

We have observed that 21 December 2012 was a “duffer-dud.”* But was it? Or did it leave a Draco imprint-- Or is it a gateway, a portal, to a greater deception to be unveiled in 2013! Since the days of Nimrod, the adversary has had a game plan to strategically place his operatives, his agents, amongst us in occult, secret societies. They have carefully planned for a re-emergence of blatant paganism with all its occult worship as directed by “Mystery Babylon.” New Age transformations are in store for us, as we approach the Sabbatical year of 5775 on God’s calendar. Satan can do nothing unless God allows. We know from the Holy Scriptures that Satan and his angels have a season of seven years of havoc ruling planet Earth. It starts with them being cast to the earth as “The Tribulation” of the Book of Revelation is prophetically fulfilled.* We are that last generation –Dore Acheron.*

Why 2013? The number, thirteen, is a prime numerology number in the occult, signifying depravity, rebellion, the Beast, the False Prophet and Mystery Babylon.  HMM! Mystery Babylon- “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev 17:5). Hmm! - Thirteen words in capital letters? In the King James Bible the word, "dragon," occurs 13 times in the New Testament and as "the dragon" in 13 verses of Scripture.

The King James Bible, as a numerology lexicon, defines the number of 13 for us from within the Scriptures. The first usage of the word, “sinners” in the KJV Bible is Genesis 13:13.  Other verse 13 revelations are also shown below:

Gen 13:13  “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
Deu 13:13  “Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;”
Pro 13:21  “Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
Isa 13:9  “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”
Act 13:6  “And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:” 

We observe from these “verse 13” passages: wicked sinners, evil, God’s wrath, the children of Belial, and a false Christ, Bar-jesus (son of Jesus).  Noteworthy, that in this year of 2013, the occult horoscope will contain 13 signs of the zodiac as they insert Ophiuchus (Nov. 29 - Dec. 17). Ophiuchus originally was a sidereal side-piece to the constellation Scorpio (Rev 9:1-11) along with the demigod, Hercules.  Scorpio is a representation of the Tribe of Dan. Ophiuchus represents the “serpent man” wrestling with Draco, the dragon, a foreshadowing of 2013 as the year of the dragon.  These occult themes and symbols are being thrust upon us by every form of the media- TV, news sources, movies, videos, board games, children books and movies, and even in the new Bible versions.  The first named of winter storm occurred on 21 December 2012 and was called “Draco.” Are we to witness “as it was in the days of Noah” (Matt.24:37-38; Luke 17:36) – a time-frame window of the vestibule of the Mayan Calendar heralding the occult symbol “as above so below” – a fusion of opposites?  A fusion leading to a three strand DNA of transhumanism (Gen. 6:1-7)! In New Age thought, it is the “next step” in man’s evolution to achieve godhood as advocated by Shirley Mclean - “I am god.”   

The enemy has his own special, coded (encrypted secret) numerology which many times is a perverted copy of the Hebrew Biblical use of numbers in God’s Plan for man. In York Freemasonry, there are 13 steps of ascension. Note that 2013 can be separated into 20 +13 = 33 which is the cardinal numerology number in the occult and in Freemasonry. It is considered their most sacred of all numbers in Freemasonry as it leads to occult illumination. There are 33 Scottish rite ascension steps to become a grand master. Thirty three is the number representing Satan’s kingdom.  The occult uses the cascading sequence of multiples of 11 to plan their devious deeds, activates, location, and interventions (11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77…etc.).  “The beast” is mentioned 33 times in 26 verses of the New Testament of the KJV Bible. The first occurrence and last occurrence is as follows:

Act 28:5  “And he (Paul) shook off the beast (a serpent) into the fire, and felt no harm.”
Rev 20:10  “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Overall, “the Beast” term occurs 54 times in 46 KJV Bible verses of the whole Scriptures. The 33^rd  occurrence is in Rev 13:17 stating:  “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” That number is 666!  The term “Satan” is found 55 times in the King James Bible and likewise, "devils" is found 55 times ! Our current president of USA, now in his second term, is the 44^th American president.

Each day we observe an unfolding of the end-time events of the Bible. Where are we on God’s time table as we end the 6999^th day, dawning into year 7000?  Abba Father allows events to occur according to His calendar - on His Sabbaths, on His Feasts Days, on the Sabbatical year or mid-Sabbatical year, or on the Yom Kippur Jubilee. Mark Biltz forecasts two solar and four lunar eclipses, as signs in the heavens as we approach the Shemittah year 5775 (2014-2015). The Hebrew year 5775 is the beginning of the next Sabbatical year cycle. These include solar eclipses during the New Moon of 1 Nisan and on the Feast of Trumpets with a lunar eclipse occurring on Passover in 5774. In 5775 two lunar eclipses are to occur on Sukkot and Passover and a fourth one on Sukkot in 5776.  WOW! The entire 5775 Sabbatical year is bracket by celestial signs.
            
The time is short folks, before Christ’s return to free us from the Tribulation birth pains of the antichrist. Look up for our Salvation draws near.  Fear not, for he that is within us is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). The demonic spirits are subject to the “born-again” believer as we have all power and authority over them and they cannot harm us (Luke 10:19-20, Mark 16:17-18).

*Hofeldt, Tribulation Birth Pains: The voice of the Prophets,  PublishAmerica , 2012.

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Pastor Laurel's  Comments:

 

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Pastors Nik's Comments 

 

 

 

 

 

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Elders Corner: Elder Mike Hurley comments:

 

 

 

NEHEMIAH--A STUDY ON LEADERSHIP-PART I.

 

              Nehemiah is a great old testament book with many lessons to be learned from it. I first was introduced to it

many years ago while attending Good Shepherd church in Deming around 1980. I never forgot Nehemiah, Sanballat, and the others who were key players in this book. Nehemiah was an adult serving in Persia in the royal court as the king's cupbearer. It was a vital and important position. He was very important to King Artaxerexes.

              The book opens in the city of Susa, Persia in 444 B.C. Nehemiah traveled to Israel 3 times to lead returns by Jews following the 70 year exile in Babylon. Nehemiah was a layman, not a prophet. He served in secular positions before leading a group of Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. Notice!! They had to "come out of Babylon" first!! Nehemiah's expertise in the kings court in Persia had equipped him for leadership. YHWH used the secular to equip him to perform in the political and the physical reconstruction of Jerusalem. Under his leadership, Jews withstood opposition and came together.  He led by example. He gave up a prestigous position to become a carrier of rocks! A common laborer! Nehemiah's humility before YHWH provides an example. He didn't claim glory for himself. Together, He and Ezra, (who led the Spiritual revival) came to minister to a ghost town. Jerusalem had been vacated for 70 years. The northern kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah had been destroyed. Out of 3 million Jews who had been taken captive into exile in Babylon, only 50,000 chose to return to the Promised Land. That is a small 2%.

              Nehemiah's life is a study on leadership. How to lead, and how not to lead. We will in these last days be looked upon for leadership from the church world. We will be called to teach others, and lead others to the "called out" life of the Hebraic roots of the Bible. We are now in leadership training, even as Nehemiah was in that day. Nehemiah overcame opposition from outsiders, and as well as internal turmoil. So will we. He used ½ the exites to rebuild, while the others kept watch. Even today we need "watchmen on the wall". In that day, they were watching for the Samaritans.

              What will the watchmen be watching for today? Samaritans under Sanballat threaten attack. As govenor, Nehemiah negotiated peace. A steadfast determination was to achieve his goals. It resulted in a people encouraged, renewed, and excited about their future. Are you about getting YHWH's people renewed, encouraged and excited about the future? Nehemiah shows us the significant IMPACT of ONE individual on a neighborhood, a city and a nation. It all starts with ONE person allowing themselves to be equipped to go forward in the power of HIS word, and according to the calling of Yah on a life! He used his position to bring order, stability and proper focus on YHWH. YAHWEH has placed you where you are - FOR A PURPOSE- a very SPECIFIC purpose.

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it ALL in HIS NAME!! Unwalled cities represented great danger in Biblical times of the Old Testament. They were completely open and vulnerable to attack. The temple could be rebuilt, but being in an unwalled city-it was always subject to attack, theives and RUIN!! He doesn't just want survivors. He wants us to be CONQUERORS! Romans 8:37 says: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

BEFORE Nehemiah did anything--he mourned and wept, mourned and fasted for 4 months!! He had to do something in Nehemiah before YHWH could USE NEHEMIAH. What will he do in you? What will you allow Him to do in you? Every great work begins with Abba doing something in somebody. Leadership is influence - something that applies to everybody, not just ministers, elders, pastors or deacons. It has been said, “there is no winning without warfare, no opportunity without opposition, and not victory without vigilance"

 

IF YOU ARE A LEADER--you will do what He tells you to do, whether He speaks to you or gives you a vision. You will be given to immediate obedience, as Nehemiah was given to obedience. It will seem like utter chaos. And He will speak to you in a still small voice. We will lead by example. Whether we live or die, it will be to HIS GLORY,NOT OURS. If you are listening, as Nehemiah was then you will be able to do what's right and be a leader for HIM. I have a sneaking suspicion that the end is a lot closer than anyone realizes. 8:52 PM 4/14/2013

Shalom
Elder Mike and Yvette

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INTRA-KAHOL MINISTRY ... Uniting the Body of Christ

Deacon Sam and Minister Judy

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Photos of our activities

 

     

   

      

   

    

   

 

   

    

 

   

    

    

Editor's comment:  

In this format of presentation of our JCIA Newsletter, we will use a progressive approach, wherein, we update the Newsletter as events occur ....real time...real events in a timely manner.

ENJOY fdh
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Shepherds comments:
                 Harken            

Do Kingdom Work and Be in Unity. 

Kingdom work is the collective effort of the Body of Christ doing the will of the Father. It was the organizational structure of the First Century Church (Acts 2:42-47) .  Our Lord Yeshua Jesus provides us with a Comforter and Teacher in His absence. We are not abandoned, but equipped with gifts and callings with provisions and empowerment to do as Yeshua Jesus asks.  The Church’s  mandate is given in the Gospel of  Mark.

Mark 16:15-20 (KJV)  “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” 

 Have you taken this commission and its promises seriously?  Many Churches, today, believe the giftings and callings are not for today. Brothers, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”  Time is of the essence. The time of the Tribulation of the Revelation is near as the world systems are enslaving humanity more and more.

Rom 13:11-12 “ The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”

Yes, the hour is near.  We must awake from a slumbering world and escape its darkness.  We are to be the restraining light by our Christian walk – the stronghold against the Kingdom of Darkness.

How does a Body of Christ work together? It is a partnership as in building a house.   Recall, from  the Parasha –Torah readings from Exodus of how the Israelites pulled together to provide a dwelling Tabernacle for the LORD (Exodus. 25:1-9) by their free-will Terumah offerings which continued until Moses said tell the people it is enough.  Likewise, King Solomon’s Temple was built by plans and provisions given to King David (1 Chronicles 28:11-19) and the Gentile King Hiram, a Sidonian, from Tyre (1 Kings 5:1-10).  The millennial Temple will likewise be constructed by Jew and Gentile working together with Jesus Christ. But today, we must also come together to build the spiritual Temple with the Body of Christ contributing their free-will gifting and restore the ancient foundations of the Hebraic roots of the Christian Faith (Isaiah 58).

Our JCIA congregation is modeled to be an example of that unity that was in that First Century Church. We observe fellowship, teaching Midrash, praying for one another, laying on of hands for healing, Scripture recited, and the expression of our joy with songs of praise and worship. But also we all need to improve working together to provide provisions for the fellowship meal and help with the clean-up afterward. We encourage volunteers to help in the Kingdom work of maintenance of Abba’s House.

The LORD has blessed us in great abundance with His hand upon us. We know the presence of the Holy Spirit is with us. We see answered prayer and healing as we acknowledge Yeshua amongst us (Matthew 18:20). As a remnant kahol (congregation) we give all Glory to Almighty God for His provisions. We are the family of God – The mishpochah Elohim.

Shalom
Pastor fred   

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Pastors Nik and Irene say: 

 

 

 The Power of Video

 Why do video in the first place?  To say that they we having trouble concentrating on the teaching would be a major understatement. And who can blame us? We have checked out and have one foot out the door while watching the clock. The presentation is not a boring one. Some people are fully engaged, but most are preoccupied with many other more pressing thoughts. There is, of course, the con­versation between those sitting together. There were laptops and smart phones that were proven to be more of a priority to these people than 1 hour of preaching.

That leads me to a commentary on today’s generation. We often hear about the attention span of today’s youth and adults as well. It keeps getting shorter and shorter. This is be­cause we receive so many snippets of stimuli every single day. We live in the information age where data is blasted through various sources and our brain, on overdrive sifts through the whole mess, discarding what it deems useless and retaining what is more important to us. Because of this overload, we find it harder and harder to concentrate intently for periods of extended duration. Moments of peace and quiet have to be planned in order to be attained, and even then, we find ourselves at the mercy of the next ping.

All of this brings me to the only point I real­ly want to make. The people who were waiting for the church to end, When teaching was going on, it was near chaos. But when a video starts, and the lights went down, it is amazing. The group of people grew quiet. Their eyes were all glued to the screen. They stopped their conver­sations. They put down their doodle pens. They put away the little screens and phones, and their brains recognized the big screen as being more important at the moment. They listened. They watched. They responded!

I always knew video as a powerful me­dium. I believe it. That’s why I’m refocusing my Lord’s ministry around it. However, what I knew to be true, didn’t quite register until I saw the people react so positively to those videos on that day.

Younger people and most adults have a visual language- more seen than spoken. I’m sure their most teachers and preachers would agree with me, that for some reason, they typically pay attention more to videos than straight talk­ing. Why is that? I would say because that’s how they have grown up. It’s not like when we were young, where there was one TV in the house and viewing privileges were rationed. They have TVs, laptops, tablets, phones, and media coming at them from all angles.

Our question as Christians should not really be only why the younger generation is more into video and technology. The question should also be how we can engage them with the timeless message of Christ. The answer to that question is ever changing. But for right now video is a great place to start.

This article is also meant to be a word of en­couragement to you who are creating or curat­ing video content for your churches. Be encour­aged that what you are doing matters. It matters a whole lot! Not just for young people, but for the whole church-- we need to speak the lan­guage of our day.

I would imagine that at times you get dis­couraged. You pour your heart and soul into a video. You rack your brain trying to get a certain effect to work or trying to get a piece of equipment to work, people nod. It gets played. They go on about their business. Many don’t understand how much work and extra hours went into such a short clip. You’re not doing this work in order to get complimented on the complexities of your After Effects proj­ect; you are doing this to make the Kingdom shine with the Glory of God. 

Elders Corner: Elder Mike Hurley comments:
                         

 SEVEN THOUGHTS TO THINK ABOUT

BY: Michael M. Hurley, elder of Judeo Christian Israel Alliance congregation.
#1--"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING."
     ...But also take time to listen. You may ask:" Why isn't God talking to me? " He's been talking, but you aint' listening!! Sometimes he speaks audibly (1 Peter 1:17,18) and no doubt, in those times, those people did hear His audible voice.. But a lot of times-It is just a nudge.  If you are not trying to understand and listen--you miss the nudge.  He is ABLE  to give you the answer, but you might not like HIS answer!!  "Self" is trying to accomplish it all.  If you are not lined up with Him--You need to back up.  Let's pray without ceasing, but let's also "listen without ceasing."  Many don't listen long enough to hear (Shema) an answer. It is "I want, I need," Take a breath, son and LISTEN.  If you ask, He never forgets. Why do you ask him humpteen-dozen times? Leave it alone!! Think about how many MILLIONS He is listening to. But, no one is listening to HIM or giving HIM reverence.  We need to shut up and listen.  Even Yeshua had to be quiet and listen.  Just like I'm of the belief: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are  three different persons, but in UNITY.  And you must be in unity by listening too. Yes, pray without ceasing, Speak it out of your mouth (out loud)! He already knows what you want to ask Him, but HE wants to hear it from you--out of your mouth. So you can hear it out of His mouth.

# 2--- "HIS PERFECT WILL"
     Perfection is: " the extreme degree of excellence."  HIs will can be known (Rom. 2: 18),proved (Rom. 12:2) and done (Matt. 6: 10).  When your prayers line up with His WILL , they come to pass. But IN HIS TIMED, NOT OURS!  A case in point is my marriage to Yvette,which came to pass 27 years after we thought it would! 

# 3--- '"TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED"
     (Matt. 7:12, Luke 6: 31) " Therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Yeshua spoke this AFTER spending ALL night in prayer, after choosing his disciples, after coming down OFF the mountain into the plain with those chosen 12.  If you take this out of context. It's no good. Whether it is with your friends,spouse, families or neighbors.

# 4--- "MARRIAGE IS A GIFT FROM GOD"
      Respect and cherish it. Heb. 13:4 sayes: "Marriage is honorable in all " Eph. 5:33 says: "Let a man love his wife as himself...and the wife reverence her husband."  You have to make Christ your HEAD before you can be HEAD over your wife and be able to love, cleanse and sanctify her. You have to LEAVE before you can CLEAVE!  Take initiative!! When you obey Him and are in HIS PERFECT WILL--it is beyond awesome what He does in a marriage.  But your marriage must line up with "The Biblical" and his word. It can't line up with "this is what I want."  You must accept your spouse for what they are and NOT what you want them to become.  You have to respect that and ask God to show you what YOU need to do.  Right before sunset is the brightest but after sunset comes the gray. It's always darkest before the dawn. His timing and HIS will depends on whether it's sunrise or sunset in your marriage.

# 5--- "REMEMBER THE LORD AND KEEP HIS SABBATH" ...as he states in the 4th Commandment.  "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy." It is a sign of being "called out"  to hear and do his "PERFECT WILL" in your prayers, marriage, relationships with others and your enjoyment of life.

# 6  "ENJOYMENT"
     His word says: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."  He has granted you FAVOR.  Enjoy it and respect it.  Don't take it for granted or take shortcuts.  Elijah, whose name means: " Yehovah is Elohim" passed on a double portion to Elisha, whose name means: " Elohim is Salvation", Elijah did 8 miracles. Elisha did 16.  His servant, Gehazi (II KIngs 5:26,27)  was in line to receive twice the double portion, which would have been 4 x the favor of YHVH! but he decided to take a shortcut. He  took  for granted that he could lie both to Yehovah and Elisha about his "hither and thiither" . He lost all his FAVOR with Yehovah, becoming a leper instead.   He did not PERSEVERE to be in HIS WILL. If you are in HIS WILL--you come Full Circle to ALL HIS BLESSINGS. If you are NOT , you come to NAUGHT. Your heart must be right With HIm . If you are just mouthing (Like Gehazi) "I want, I want, I wish , I wish" . Then you may trade the favor of God for a talent of silver and two changes of clothes and LEPROSY. Gehazi lost four TIMES the favor of God. What will you lose? Shut up and LISTEN!  Get your heart right with God and get right with your family! Take care of what Yeshua has given you ALREADY!! Cherish and respect it. He will not give you MORE if you treat what He has already given you with discontent and discord.  He gave it to you and your throwing it in his face, saying: "I don't want your blessing anymore" Treat what He gives you as a GIFT from God. Take care of it and cherish it. Whether it's a job, a house, a car, a marriage or a ministry. You have to live this as a way of life from the time you become a Christian .YOU ARE HIS CREATION! Make an investment in your life and in HIs word

# 7 'DO SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY!"
     Bless someone! Surprise them! Whether it's your friend, family, help-mate, or pastor. Surprize them with FAVOR and blessing and a DOUBLE PORTION. Ask yourself: "Am I giving enough?" Listen to His voice and listen to His word and you'll find the answer! LIke the song says: "I found the answer , I learned to Pray:..,...and lIsten.....shhhh....listen!

Shalom
Elder Mike and Yvette  

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INTRA-KAHOL MINISTRY ...  Uniting the Body of Christ
      
Deacon Sam and Minister Judy 

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      Photos of our activities 
     
              buddies                                  Irene's Chanukiah 

      
            Yom Terurah                                Shabbat

    
      Gang is all here                                Roy's Kids

     
         Make my day                            Did you read Torah?  
     
     Eric joins in worship                           Hillary

    
                      Shepherd's Council meeting

   
 Pastor Tso- Israel & Navajo Nation            Passover 2012

 
                                       Passover

  
   Feast of Unleavened Bread            The Invisible War by Rosie

  
      Spiritual Warfare class                    Scripture memory hearts

  
   Eric graduates with honors                    The Intercessor crew

  
                                              Graduation day

 
JCIA women @ Hebrew Conference                  God's House gets tallit

   
Abba's storm troopers                            Shavuot bilingual-Zulema
  
Shavuot bilingual-Oscar                           Shavuot bilingual-Laura
 
Shavuot bilingual- Rosie                            Holy Spirit FIRE @ Shavuot

 

Editor's comment.  

In this format of presentation of our JCIA Newsletter, we will use a progressive approach, wherein, we update the Newsletter as events occur ....real time...real events in a timely manner.

ENJOY fdh
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Shepherds comments
                 Harken                             
Are you in a sincere relationship with the Lord and His Word?
Acts 17:11

In 606 BC, Nebuchadnezzar took highly selected Jews captive to Babylon. Daniel, being of the royal line of Hezekiah, along with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were exiled in this first siege of three waves of deportation to Babylon. Daniel became the chief magistrate and advisor to a line of Babylonian and Persian kings. Because of their faithfulness to their God, they faced a daily challenge of life or death. These men would not compromise their loyalty and devotion to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to Torah laws of righteousness. They lived in a pagan Babylonian Empire amongst pagan rulers and pagan people. By their unwavering faith, God provided for them to excel as the king’s magistrates in all that they did. Peer jealous, rivalry and anti-Semitism was a constant threat.  Plots to take their lives failed.  The Almighty Creator God honored them for standing up in faith and not bowing or worshiping idols-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were spared the fiery furnace, and Daniel the hungry lion’s den. God provides for those that love Him and are faithful to His Word.  He prefers humility and obedience to sacrifices.

Psalms 51:15-17 (KJV)  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Today, what is unwavering faith to the Gospel message of Salvation and the promise of everlasting life? Faith is of no concern to nonbelievers, atheists, agnostics and religious cults as theirs is the kingdom of darkness. But let us focus on believers who have put Yeshua Jesus on the shelf and have turned their backs on Abba Father to serve the needs of the flesh, the world or be irresponsible. It takes concentrated, focused effort to align your life with the Word of God. Amongst wayward Christians, some see meager rewards; while others look to obedience as a part-time effort; while, to some it is simply to spend one hour in Church on Sunday “to give it my best shot;” or yet, a seemingly more respectable religious endeavor is giving your full attention to a sermon of entertainment theology – the prosperity gospel of antichrist. The spirit of sleep and slumber is heavy in our nation, especially in the Church. People are wobbling to and fro wondering about our social-political system; the collapse of the economy; our loss of constitutional freedom as fumed by talk radio; and escalating woven dramas shared over coffee-cup gossip to the tune of a lullaby news media.

Why such apathetic blindness when we are in the eye of the storm! A vortex whirlwind consumes generation after generation in entwinement bondage to strongholds. A remnant of believers hears God’s word and keeps it fast in their heart. Those in bondage to the world heed the adversary’s thoughts - a holographic network of sleep and slumbering idleness. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego lived in this world, but they were not a part of it. This heralds the red letter words of Yeshua Jesus in John Gospel and in  His prayer to the Father for us. 

John 15:19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

John 17:14-16  “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

It is time to make a free-will choice unto righteousness and life eternal, or with your sleep, slumber, and apathy, you have made a default choice - only two eternal destinies: the glory of the kingdom of our Lord or the kingdom of darkness. Time is of the essence—Choose this day whom you will serve!

Shalom
Pastor Fred 
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Pastor Laurel's Comments:
      IS JESUS CHRIST GOD? Download Audio
Many argue that Jesus was not God, but as the Son of God, was just the “essence of God.” However, the Scriptures would indicate otherwise.  The first verse of the Gospel of John begins with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).  Who is the Word?  It is explained in John 1:14 - “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as one of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The “Word” is Jesus Christ who “became flesh.”  Incidently, John speaks of beholding his glory - referring to the experience of his transfiguration.  Matthew 17:1-2, gives account of three of His disciples when they were allowed to see Him “transfigured before them: And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” Prov 8:22-23 speaks of Jesus Christ as “wisdom” - “I was se up from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was.”  We know this is speaking of Jesus Christ for He is defined as the one who gives life in Prov 8:35-36 - “For who findeth me findeth life....But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.”

Jesus’ own words, of who He claimed to be, raised the ire of the religious leaders so that they threatened to stone Him for blasphemy - the blasphemy of “making Himself to be God.”
Jesus said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).  The Jewish religious leaders didn’t have any difficulty understanding what He was saying, John 10:31-33 - “Then the Jews took up stones to stone him... Jesus answered them for which of those works do ye stone me?”  The Jews answered, “For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” Jesus goes on to answer in John 10:38 - “the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”  In His prayer, He states in John 17:22b - “....That they may be one even as we are one.”  And again He states in John 14:9 - “....he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”  The Jews had previously threatened to stone Him when He made the statement in John 8:58 - “Before Abraham was, I am.”  Once again, they knew exactly what Jesus was referring to. The Jews knew the Scriptures. They knew “I AM”was the God of the burning bush who appeared unto Moses in Exodus 3:14 - “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:...thou shalt say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you.” The Hebrew word for “I Am” is “Hayah” (#1961) meaning “to exist, to be.”  The Greek word for “I am” has the same meaning as the Hebrew (#1510) - “eimee” meaning “to exist, to be.” They were going to stone Him again for blasphemy, as He had made Himself the God of the burning bush.  In John 18:4-6, when the chief priests and Pharisees came to arrest Him, Jesus asked “Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.  Jesus saith unto them, I am (he)...and as He had said unto them, I am (he) they went backward and fell to the ground.” Note that (he) is in italics, which means it has been added to the text.  This would indicate that Jesus said, “I AM” and at the power of that name, they all fell backwards to the ground.  Once again, He was stating He was God - the one who spoke to Moses - the eternal one.  The 10 commandments were “written with the finger of God” (Ex 31:18).  Since God the Father is spirit, the invisible God, it had to be Jesus Christ (God the Son), the “image of the invisible God (Col 1:15-16), who wrote the 10 Commandments.  That would indicate that when Jesus says in John 15:15 - “If ye love me, keep My commandments - that these were not just the commandments in the New Testament to love God and love your neighbor, but they were the 10 commandments that Jesus Christ  wrote with His own finger.

The concept of the tripartite nature of God is visible in the very first verse in the Bible in Gen 1:1 defines the Creator “God” as “Elohim” - (#430)  plural.  In Hebrew, adding the letters “im” on a word make the word plural.  “Elohim” is the plural word of the word “Eloah.”  The Shema in Dt 6:4-9 seems to affirm the need to declare “The LORD our God is one.”  Colossians 1:15-16 states (speaking of Jesus)  “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible...”  Jesus is God, the Creator.  In John 9:6 Jesus performs a “creative miracle” for the man who was born blind.  Jesus “spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,” then sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam.  Genesis 1:7 says “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.”  Jesus, as the Creator God in this instance, took the dust of the ground, just as He did at creation, made clay and formed, or created new eyes for this man.

The Messiah is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 - “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Matthew 1:23 further defines this verse - “....and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  God is manifest as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Each one has a specific role.  Jesus states in John 10:29 - “My Father.....is greater than all.” One must understand that when Jesus came to earth “as a man,” He gave up His glory that He had with the Father, and was subservient to the Father, but that did not take away His deity.  Jesus speaks of the glory He shared with the Father in John 17:5 - “....Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” The prophesy in Micah 5:2 speaks of a coming Messiah who would be born in Bethlehem, who would be from “everlasting” (Hebrew word # 5769 - “olam” - meaning “eternal, everlasting without end”).  Micah 5:2 states “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Jesus Christ was with the Father, as Creator God (Elohim) in Genesis 1:1, He was the Word made flesh in John 1:1), the I AM of the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, and in Rev 1:8 - “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (#3841 - “All ruling God, as absolute and universal sovereign Omnipotent, Almighty”).  Jesus Christ was fully man, and fully God.

Pastor Laurel

References:
Gen 1:1; Prov 8:22-23 Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 17:1-2; John 1:1-3; John 1:14; John 10:30 & 38; John 14:9; John 17:22b; John 18:4-6; Colossians

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Pastors Nik and Irene say: 

 

 

 

 
Are you worshiping in Spirit and Truth? Let us find out by asking, “Where does the word Selah come from?” There often comes a moment in a worship service when there is a special sense of God's presence. David described these moments with the notation "Selah." "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah" (Psalm 32:5; for other examples, see Psalm 3:2; 3:4; 3:8; 4:2; 7:5; 9:16; 20:3; 32:4; 39:5).

Selah is the time when the Key of David has opened the door into heaven. Musically, it is generally a time of silence or instrumental ministry to the Lord between the singing and playing of previously written songs or hymns. David used this term to denote a time of quiet introspection or reflective thought, a time to meditate on the goodness of the Lord. It is likely that David usually continued playing during times of Selah as he ministered to the Lord.

Selah is not only a time to meditate on the Lord's presence; it is also a time to receive revelation and direction for what is to follow. It is a time to scan or see in the Spirit. It is time to let music alone do the work of the ministry. It is a time to let a new melody develop in the worship team. It is a time for everyone to pray quietly in the Spirit. Such periods of Selah are largely uncharted waters for today's church.

In order for times of Selah to come, the level of control that is maintained in most churches will need to be lifted. To let a spontaneous new song arise generally takes time, and it cannot be "screened" ahead of time by those in leadership. If someone brings forth something questionable or soulish, it can normally be dealt with later in private. The opportunity to receive fresh manna is worth the risk.

Do you say, “I think worship music is sooo boring.” Do you think that worship music has Spiritual Benefits? Let us look at the facts. As prophetic worship is released by the power of God, young people will be delivered from all types of satanically induced music. Prophetic worship will demonstrate the power of godly music as the people sing to God and play for God. In 1988 a friend of mine was at a church in Montgomery, Alabama, with a worship team from Nashville. The worship went through the door into the prophetic realm. The sounds in the room were supernaturally amplified and the air itself seemed to thicken.

The impact was astounding. People began to fall on their faces before God. Others were weeping. People streamed to the altar to meet with the Lord. The members of the congregation began ministering to one another. The drummer could not see his drums because of the cloud of God's glory.

But my favorite impression from that night was a group of teenage boys sitting in front of the altar with tears streaming down their cheeks. My friend said, “God spoke to me, They have finally heard my anointing in power. They will never be the same. The other music won't be able to compare anymore." This is the power of prophetic music to effect change.

In II Kings 3:15, Elisha said, "Bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him." Usually this minstrel anointing is instrumental only, and the result is horizontal--releasing another person to prophesy. By dispelling distractions and depressing spiritual influences, a psalmist can play an important role in releasing a spirit of prophecy in a congregation.

A corollary to the role of the minstrel is psalming during preaching. For example several years ago, a piano was played while an evangelist was preaching. By listening with spiritual ears, it is possible to musically support the preaching of the Word and enable it to go forth with greater impact. This is not always appropriate, but it can be a way the Spirit amplifies the impact of a spoken message. Many Black churches do this today. They have combined music and preaching for years, but it is fairly uncommon among other types of congregations.

Pastors Nik and Irene
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Elders Corner: Elder Mike Hurley comments
                        
 
Elder Mike and Yvette 
                          
LISTEN TO HIS UNCTION By Elder Mike Hurley

When God gives you an unction, you need to Shema (listen) to be a man of God.  You need to be a man of THE Word, and a man of YOUR word.  In Ex 18:19, Moses’ father-in-law tells him: “Hearken now unto my voice, and I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee…”  In Matt 11:15, it says, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Shema).

You will do what He wants you to do.  You have to listen to the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s unction.  Pay attention!  Deut 4:30 states, “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shall be obedient unto His voice.”  Hindsight is 20/20.   In Deut 11:27, He “sets before you a BLESSING if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day.”  In Hebrews 5:8, it states Yeshua “learned obedience through the things He suffered.” He humbled Himself through obedience.  We wouldn’t be in the messes we get ourselves into just because we think WE KNOW.  The Lord tells us to sit down, relax, and pay more attention.  Listen to what He tells you to do.  He knows everything and everybody.  LISTEN TO HIS UNCTION WITHIN YOU!  If you do – things work out easier!  

Shalom
Elder Mike and Yvette                           
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CARING CORNER 
      
Deacon Sam and Minister Judy 

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      Photos of our activities 
       
The shofar sounded                Shavout     
  
JCIA Veterans                           Kylie is back!   
 
                               Bishop Bonnie
 
Havdalah service              Abigail holds candle
 
Chef Milo                            Our Deming riders 
 
Pete smile                          National Day Prayer 
 
Sabbath worship                                  JCIA nursery
  
                                 Shavuot Pentecost
 
Teaching on Menorah                  coffee and fellowship
 
Irene & Alicia                           Mike's 10 Commandments 

Editor's comment.  

This is new format in presenting our JCIA Newsletter. We will use a progressive approach where we update the Newsletter as events
occur ....real time...real events in a timely manner.

ENJOY fdh
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Shepherds comments:

   Harken                                                   

  Blessings or Curses.

As we sojourn through life, we observe that the wicked prosper. Yes, prosperity for a season, but their entire life is without salvation unto the Father through Yeshua Jesus; the sum of their life is a wasteland. In perspective, however, most of the wicked are devastated with addiction, aberrant sexual behavior, drug addiction, poverty and disease. The kingdom of the wicked - the kingdom of darkness - is ruled by Satan, who is a revengeful adversary of Father God. He is angry with the human race, as we were and are created in the image of God as mortal beings with and eternal destiny. Satan desires us to be afflicted with wicked living and disease to distort our created image. He has lost the “war of the seeds” at that cross on Calvary when a sinless “Lamb of God, Yeshua Jesus, delivered believers away from his kingdom of darkness.

Yeshua Jesus offers Salvation unto eternal life to everyone – no exceptions - as a free-will self commitment. This choice is yours. Remember, that no choice ultimately is a choice, as you default unto the kingdom of darkness and eternal torment by the one who hates your created image. Seek eternal life not eternal damnation. The adversary has plagued all humankind since his deception of Adam and Eve. An age old question: “Choose this day who you will serve?”

Joshua 24:15 (KJV) “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Live your life in obedience to God’s Commandments and the Lord’s blessing will be on you, your family and all that you do. Torah guidelines for blessing are quite clear: Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (KJV). READ THEM.

Deuteronomy  28:1 (KJV)  “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”

Likewise, the Torah is quite specific on how you let Satan into your life to bring you down to his pit. You place yourself under the curses of God’s Word and bring self-inflicted punishment and disaster….Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (KJV). READ THEM.

Deuteronomy 28:15 (KJV) “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:”

As children of the day - children of the light - we walk, emulating the image of Christ, body/soul/spirit. We can live in divine health under Torah blessings. We are the family of our Abba Father bonded together in His unconditional love, and our love of the brethren. Remember that Yeshua Jesus is the WORD; He is the Torah; He is the spiritual righteousness of Torah. When Yeshua Jesus walked the face of Judea He said to us:

John 14:15 (KJV) “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

The only written commandments for us at that time were in Torah. We should strive to live in the walk (halacha) of Yeshua Jesus:

John 15:10 (KJV) “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”

Let your light shine this day and tomorrow as light always - without exception - replaces and drives out darkness. He will provide for you-fear not in these days ahead.

Psalm 91:8-12 (KJV) “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Shalom ... Harken    
God Bless
Pastor fred
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      Getting a  Hebraic Christian Perspective:  

 WDYD - WHAT DID YESHUA DO?
By Pastor Laurel 

A few years ago, a popular acronym was WWJD - “What Would Jesus Do?   This is a question one should ask himself when faced with a difficult decision, and a good practice.  However, in delving into understanding the Hebrew roots of our faith, one must look to Yeshua - who is “the root” (Is 11:10). The question to ask ourselves is – WDJD - What DID Jesus do? An understanding of the times, the culture and lifestyle in which He lived contributes greatly to one’s perception of the context of the Scriptures, and helps form the foundation of our Hebrew (Jewish) roots.  His parables and sayings were related to idioms and customs of His day. We know it was His custom to keep the Sabbath, as there are numerous references throughout the New Testament to His practice of going to the Synagogue every Sabbath “as was His custom.”   He was obedient to the 4th Commandment to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy… for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day” (Ex 20:8 & 11). At the time of Yeshua Jesus, it was the custom in the Temple and in the synagogues (as it still is today) to read from the Torah and the Haftarah (the Prophets and writings) - the Tanach.  “Tanach” is a Hebrew word - an acronym made up of the first letter of the words for Torah-Nevuim-Ketuvim (TNK) - referring to the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), the Nevuim (the Prophets), and the Ketuvim (the writings).  The Torah is comprised of the five books of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. The Nevuim consists of the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, I-II Samual, I-II Kings) written by prophets, and provide historical background for understanding the latter prophets.  The latter prophets are the more recent - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor prophets - Hosea to Malachi.  The Ketuvim (writings) consist of the poetic writings of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job and the 5 scrolls of the Megilloth (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther), and includes the books of latter history: Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and I-II Chronicles.  These were the Scriptures Yeshua Jesus read.  In those days, however, there were not printed Bibles as we have today.  They read from scrolls usually kept in the Temple or synagogues.  A fact we often do not consider today, is that, in the Bible (both in the Tanach and the New Testament), when a reference is made to “the Scriptures” or “the Word,” it is referring to the Tanach, as there was no “New Testament” when the Gospels and Epistles were penned.

According to ancient records, the practice of studying the Torah was initiated by Ezra (a priest and scribe) after the Jewish captives returned from Babylon.  Antiochus Epiphanies, during his reign from 175-164 BC, forbid the Jewish people to read the Torah or to circumcise their children, under penalty of death.  In order to be able to fulfill the requirement to read the Torah on the Sabbath, the Jewish people established a reading cycle from the Nevuim (the prophets) which would remind them of a passage from the Torah, and they would take that word or phrase and go into a discussion about that week’s torah portion, without having broken the law against reading the Torah.  This portion or passage was called the “parasha” (plural “parashot”) in Hebrew meaning “declaration or exposition,” from the Hebrew word “parash” meaning “to separate, to specify, declare or show.”  In Yeshua Jesus’ day, it was customary for both the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions to be read every Sabbath.  An example is in the Gospel of Luke 4:16 where Yeshua Jesus went to the synagogue in His home town of Nazareth.  He was given the scroll of Isaiah 61:1-2 to read and to comment upon.  The Apostle Paul refers to this custom for Gentile believers also to attend the synagogues to learn, as stated in Acts 15:20-21 - “But that we write unto them they abstain from pollutions of idols, from fornication, from things strangled and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.” This weekly reading cycle is still read in synagogues and Messianic congregations today.  It is the practice to read the entire Torah and Haftarah Scriptures in a one year cycle. This cycle begins on the first Sabbath following the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in the Fall, beginning with Genesis 1:1, with special readings for the Festivals. Readings from the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) have been added in Messianic congregations. This, too, is the practice of our congregation at JCIA. “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked” (I John 2:6-7).  Shalom.
(To be continued next newsletter)
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Pastors Nik and Irene say: 

 

A Portrait of Heavenly Worship

The book of Revelation includes several portraits of heavenly worship. One of the most striking is in Revelation 5: 12-13.

Revelation 5:12-13 (KJV) "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  (13)  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

Here John describes an uncounted multitude of angels and saints who surround the throne of God and sing praises to the Lamb of God. Their song is taken up by "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them" (Rev. 5: 13). The direction of this worship is surprising. We might have expected it to begin on earth and rise to heaven. But John's picture moves in the other direction. The trajectory of heavenly worship begins with God and descends to the earth.

This same trajectory is reflected in Psalm 150. Praise begins in the heavenly sanctuary and resounds throughout the domain of God. From there it is taken up by those on earth, who praise God with a variety of instruments and with dancing, until "everything that has breath" praises the Lord (Ps. 150:6).

Psalms 150:6 (KJV)  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Like a musical instrument in which all the other strings resonate when one string has been plucked, earthly worship resonates
with the worship of heaven. Worship is not our attempt to project our voices so that they will be heard in heaven. Nor is it a performance executed on the earthly stage for the benefit of a spectator God. It is certainly not something we do primarily for ourselves-as a kind of spiritual self-amusement or spiritual entertainment.

Shalom
Pastors Nik and Irene
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Elders Corner:
                        
Elder Mike Hurley comments: 

 Commitment 

     Making a commitment is a full time job. If you make a commitment-then stick to it.  HE committed to you, why can't you commit to Him? Jesus didn't add any "ands" or "but's" to His commitment's to you. He asked Papa ONE time: " let this pass from me." Papa said, "No, Son, you be there. "  And He was there--on time and fully committed.   So, we should be committed to Him the same way.  Be there EARLY, Show up, Dress your best for HIM. Give your best to HIM. This is tough love, Honey.  Ask the people way back then (when God was in charge) how it was done. He told you what He wanted and He expected it to be DONE.

     Moses made excuses. He was afraid. He said he could not do the job, he wasn't qualified for it. He was not a "learned man".  YHVH expects MORE.  HE expects us to get off the baby bottle and start eating MEAT.  If he talked to me like he talked to Moses, I would probably be scared too, But, I have made a commitment, and I am expected  to KEEP it.  As an elder, I am commanded to pray for the sick. Are my prayers doing any good? If not, then I need to get on my face before Him and ask him what I need to CHANGE!  People , we need to be more committed. You want Jesus to commit to your life, (and answer your prayers) but you don't want to commit to Him.  What would happen if the doors were locked at 10 a.m.? The commitment rating just hit the bottom of the barrel.  There will come a time when the doors WILL BE LOCKED.  Jesus will be on the other side saying; " You knew what time to be here. You knew you needed oil in your lamp."

   Is it fair to keep taking and never giving? If that is the case , then we wouldn't have a SAVIOR.  He would have come down off the cross saying:" it's too hard, too boring, too much effort , takes too much time. I have a football game to watch, I have things to do for the future, I need to go eat." BUT, He committed to YOU and kept HIS COMMITMENT. Don't stand before Him and hear Him say: "I never knew you, because your commitment wasn't there.' Commit to HIM. 

     Commit to your pastors, elders, shepherds, teachers. Be involved by making it a priority to attend, be on time, ask how YOU can help, donate time, prayers, yourself and your money. Make a commitment to be on time for dance practice, services, prayer times, and worship.  INVOLVE YOURSELF. 

     Paul asked Timothy (1 Tim. 6: 20) "Despise you the church of God?...In this I praise you not." He then exhorted him: " Keep that which is committed to your trust." Psalms 37:5 tells us: TRUST, DELIGHT, COMMIT TO YHVH. 

      Let us honor him with our commitment and keep the trust He has given us.

Shalom
Elder Mike and Yvette
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CARING CORNER 

Deacon Sam and Minister Judy

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                               Photos of our activities:

                

  
              Abigil's Birthday                        Roy's kids ...God Bless our children
       
   Havdalah service            Evelinn with spices                  Kylie and Ariella
  
      Dynamic trio                 Milo & Yvette leading prayer         Hillary 

 

   
         Praise & worship                  Yoli                                    Sound the shofar 
  
        JCIA Elders                       Moses Solomon Nadeen              Apostle Chawinga
    
        JCIA Deacon                                          Expanding our Shepherd's council
  
Mike & Yvette Bless Children           Malachi                 Sukkot Kids 
    
Laurel organizing the gang                                       happy sukkot faces 
   
  Eric says ....                                 Worship time              Abigail & Havdalah

 

 
   Shabbat worship                                               Bishop Bonnie

Worship

 

Pastor Fred's editorial

Perilous Times—Fear Not!

Is fear gripping America? Americans?  The World? Believers and non-believers?? We are bombarded with an over abundance of information, commentary, and adversity amongst people. The information highway can take you anywhere with the clicking of a keyboard and mouse. What is your interest? Is it finding getaways-resolving your health problems-surfing for your heart’s desires- aliens-nephilim- shadow governments-conspiracy theory- free masonry- planet X- drastic weather changes- the Mayan calendar, 2012- economic disaster- The New World Order- socialism-escalating humanism- unity of religions-growth of Islam?  We could go - on and on and on - with these unforeseen matters facing us today. Our mind becomes cluttered with these issues of which we spend long hours pursuing - only to the avail of fear and apprehension of the unknown. We find ourselves churning in the roaring waves of quagmire begetting quagmire as we become engulfed in an undercurrent to bring us into the vortex of iniquity. Sort out false doctrine-have discernment for there are many antichrists amongst us today and they preach another gospel.

Yes, all this is distracting us from the diligent pursuit of the Word of God by keeping us from delving into the Holy Scriptures. Seek Biblical security, not trivia!  These diversions are of the adversary. They are such so as to refocus your life so that you will have little time to pray, fast, worship and praise our Lord and Creator God. Feeding on His Word is essential for the terrible times that lie ahead.  We must develop and perfect our faith, elsewise, we shall be as a ship without a rudder in stormy waters. Our faith must be as James advocates. Faith must accompany good works amongst the brethren.

Now is time for genuine Christian fellowship and bonding covenants between brothers and sisters. Just as we observe amongst Christian communities in China, strength of faith comes with unity in the Body of Christ. The emperors of Rome persecuted the Christians but it only to added fuel to the fire for the growth of Christianity. We need that fire today. Storm clouds are gathering as we witness rulers of darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Children of God- His sons and daughters- heirs-we are vested in God’s Holy Word- the Hebrew Scriptures and The New Testament. We know the “end of the book.” When a woman travails in birth, nothing can stop the inevitable. Birth must come to pass.  Likewise, Father God has an end time plan to eventually bring the Jewish people into the Kingdom that they may have the fullness of Abraham’s promise of the “seed” which is Messiah Yeshua Jesus. Shortly, despite all efforts to no avail, the Father will turn the world rule over to the prince of darkness, the man of perdition. We are on the cusp of those seven years of tribulation also known as the “seventieth week of Daniel.” It will be a time in human history which we have never before seen - a time of purposeful annihilation of Christians and Jews. Survival comes only with allegiance to the New World Order, by taking the “mark of the beast.”

Knowing that all this is on the horizon, fear not.  As the Body of Christ we shall comfort and love God and love one another. The wiles of the devil may take our body but not our soul. We belong to God. We live in love, and that perfect love casts out fear. That is the comfort of the unity of the Body of which Christ is the Head.  We must know without a doubt that we are His children, His friends. Just as Jesus is one with the Father, so also are we. He will never leave nor forsake us. His Holy Spirit is amongst us with all power so that whatsoever we do will bring Glory to God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will provide all provisions for His people just as we have seen in the wilderness wanderings of three million Israelite sojourners. They followed the Rock which was Jesus. At this time your mandate is “What are you doing for the Kingdom?”

Pastor Laurel Newletter editorial: ABIDING IN THE VINE

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the spirit” (Gal 5:22-25).

As the summer months bring forth the abundance of fruit for a Fall Harvest, so too, spiritually, following the spring season of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot/Pentecost, believers should be bringing forth a spiritual fruitfulness for the Kingdom.  As the Fall Feasts approach, beginning with the 40 days of repentance (30 days in the month of Elul, and 10 days in the month of Tishri) it is a good time to take inventory of your spiritual “garden.”  Are you producing fruit for the Kingdom?

Yeshua Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John15:4-5 - “Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

One cannot produce fruit unless he is abiding in Christ.  The word “abiding” is from the Greek word #3306 “meno” meaning, “to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy.  To continue, to dwell, to endure, be present, remain.”  In order to “abide” you must have previously arrived at the place in which you are to abide.  In the spiritual sense, you have arrived at that place to dwell (or abide) when you are “in Christ.  In other words, you must be “born again” of the Spirit, so that He dwells (abides) in you.  In order to be “born again:”

(1) you must recognize that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself by any of your good works, and come into agreement with the Word of God that says, “There is none one righteous, no not one” (Ps 14:1-3; Rom 3:10) and in Rom 3:23 - “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” 

(2) You must repent (be convicted, be sorry) for your sins.  Repentance comes from the Hebrew word, “Teshuvah,” meaning  “to turn away,” or “turn your back” on those sins of the past.

(3) You must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (your Master) and your Savior (Redeemer) according to Romans 10: 9-13.

 

(4) You must be baptized for the remission (forgiveness) of your sins according to Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38).  Water baptism by being immersed under water is symbolic of our dying to ourselves, and being raised up out of the water to new life.  The Apostle Paul explains it best in Romans 6:4-5 - “Therefore we are buried with Him (Christ) by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.”

The word used for “baptized” in both Scriptures is the Greek word “baptizo” meaning “to make whelmed (fully wet - washed) to cover wholly with a fluid (immersed in water).  This would be comparable to the mikvah (immersion bath) - a ritual for the Temple priests to immerse themselves before entering into the service of the Temple.  When one is “born again” he enters into a “holy priesthood” (I Peter 2:5 - “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

(5) You must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11; Acts 2:1-4; 15-17; 10:45-48), who is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who will guide you into all truth and open up the Scriptures to your understanding (John 16: 7-15).

Once you believe and are baptized, you are grafted into the olive tree (the Commonwealth of Israel), the root of whom is Jesus Christ (Is 11:10).  You now become a partaker of the “covenants of  promise, reconciled to God, the Father,  by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross (Rom 11:17-24; Eph 2:11-22).  You become a branch that  “abides” in the root.  John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” In order to “abide” you must be grounded in the Word of God.  The Word of God is to be taken in daily - just as physical food is nourishment for your body and supplies needed vitamins and minerals, so, too, is the Word to be ingested as spiritual food for your nourishment.

Notice that this is a conditional promise noted by the If-Then statements - “If ye abide in Me” and “If” My words abide in you,” then you shall ask what ye will...”  Too often believers feel they can indiscriminately ask for anything in prayer.  They fail to recognize that there are conditions to answered prayer.  James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  One cannot be living in disobedience to God’s Word and expect his prayers to be answered.

As we continue to read in John 15, we see that abiding in Him requires one to be a “doer” of the Word (keeping the commandments).  Jesus stated in John 14:15 - “If ye love me, keep My commandments.”  John 15:8-10 - “Herein in my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.  When Jesus was asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

He replied, quoting the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4, “The first of all the commandments is, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

In Jewish reckoning, it is not enough to just “hear” the word, you must also “do” the word.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, being Jewish, most likely was familiar with this as he stated in James 1:22 - “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Deuteronomy 6:4 summarizes all of the commandments - those that teach us how to love God - and those that teach us how to love our neighbor.  In quoting Deuteronomy 6:4, Jesus was also saying that the Lord our God (Elohim) is Echad (a plural One).  Elohim is the plural of Eloahe (singular).  By quoting this verse, He was drawing attention to His previous words in John 10:30, that “I and the Father are One.”

So to keep Jesus’ commandments are the same as the Father’s commandments.  This is what the Apostle Paul is stating in Romans 13:9-10 when he quotes the Commandments from Exodus 20:13-17, and says “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” John also write in his epistle of I John 2:3 - “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.  He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”

Jesus Christ is “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14).  He quoted the Word in Deuteronomy to Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness: “And Jesus answered him saying, It is written, (Deuteronomy 8:3) That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4).  Jesus was referring to the “Word” - the Scriptures (the Tanach).  Remember, there was no New Testament at the time of Jesus, Paul or John. The New Testament portrays the teachings of Jesus Christ as interpreting the commandments on even a stricter level in their spiritual application (the heart level). That is,  to be angry with someone is to murder, to lust after someone is to commit adultery.

Sin begins with our thoughts.  We must take every thought captive to make sure it aligns with the Word of God - a continual renewing of our mind.  John further states in I John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”  With the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, one is able to overcome the world and the sins of the flesh.  When we abide in the Word - we abide in Him - and the Holy Spirit will convict us and teach us as we examine the hidden recesses of our heart, for when our heart is lined up with the Word, it will be reflected in our walk - and we will bear fruit.

So with these things in mind, as we approach the season of the Fall feasts, and the month of Elul (and 40 days of repentance) as a time of examining our heart, our spiritual growth and our  fruitfulness.  May we prepare for that season that looks to that final harvest, when Jesus Christ returns for His bride, those who are abiding in Him. 
Shalom,

Pastor Laurel

Photos of our Activities:

It is Shabbat

Pator Chawinga from Malawi, Africa

Pentecost/Shavuot.

Passover

Eric receives diploma My Mom visits JCIA

Fellowship

Dance Class

Personal Prophecy Class

 

Sukkoth:

 

 

Shepherd's Newsletter  

Laodicea …our bewitched status
The burden of Laodicea, a bucket of spiritually dead bones, is arising in these last days, as a spirit of slumber and sleep, of self-indulgence and guiltlessness. Yeshua Jesus identified this spiritual apathy as a “lukewarm” Church body or believer. It is becoming more obvious each day that we in America are worse than ‘lukewarm,” as our condition of slumber, indifference, and lack of concern  is a state of the “living dead.”

Revelation 3:15-16 (KJV)  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Today, the world is beyond the “lukewarm” stage of loss of moral absolutes, tolerance and relativism having traded truth for the lie. A slumbering state has come upon the world. We don’t care about our political rulers or the current economic crash. For example: In the latest European parliamentary election on 7 June 2009 only 43% of Europeans voted ---a record low turnout, despite the overwhelming financial crisis and political turmoil in Europe.. A situation that was similar to the November 2008 US elections.  We are in the midst of a global Alzheimer’s memory lapse. William Churchill said that people can make the right choice when there is no choice and the reality of this is in the near horizon.

Mega churches filled with enthusiasm, as a Bronco football game, but no spiritual depth to the teaching of God’s Holy Word. God judgment is coming. Can’t you hear the hoof bears of the horses of the Apocalypse? God’s Churches are “lukewarm” and the pulpit is devoid of the power and might of God’s Word.  The Roman Emperors dealt with these circumstance in their socialize society as characterized by “give the people their circuses.” Distract the people, keep them busy and uninformed. There is a news blackout unless you follow “Dancing with the Stars” or “Idol.”

Repent, repent ---turn to Jesus today, while it is yet today. There is only one narrow road to our Father God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that is only by the Blood of Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha’Masiach.

Has the rat-race of economic struggle, governmental control, hopelessness and self-sufficiency caused our brain to shutdown? There is a demonic spirit upon our nation, one of slumber and apathy. One who wishes to kill, steal and destroy our Christian values? In the US and worldwide, we see the rise of anti-Christianism and anti-Semitism. Having a Christian bumper sticker makes you a "terrorist"….population profiling. Don’t run a yellow light as there are surveillance cameras out there. Big Brother is watching….but who cares?

We are at the end of “The Age”…the fullness of the Gentiles. We are privileged to be a part of that last generation. Prophecy is full of the events of these days. Jesus said “it will be a time of trouble as has never been seen before.” Yes, unimaginable trouble for a sleeping world. The “bewitched Laodicean” has no concept of the Lamb’s and God’s Tribulation wrath on a spiritual slumbering, dark world. The population if the US approaches 600 million. With the terrible time of the Tribulation reign of antichrist, the death of mankind -worlywide loss of human life- will be 5000X the population of America with total extinction of these human beings.

Matthew 24:21-22 (KJV)  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

As you see these things happening, look-up for you Salvation draws neigh. If you don’t have a personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ.. Today…while it is yet today.

Shema….HEAR….stand-up and be counted

pastor fred

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Pastor Laurel's corner:

FULFILLMENT OF THE FEAST OF SHAVUOT/PENTECOST

Since the last Newsletter, we have celebrated the spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits (the remembrance of Christ’s resurrection), culminating in the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost the end of May.  These Biblical feasts are woven together by the counting of 50 days from the Sabbath after Passover to the Feast of Pentecost according to Leviticus 23..  Interestingly, this year, the Feast of Pentecost fell on the same day for both the Messianic believers (those who observe the Biblical Feasts of the Lord), and for Christianity (who observe the Church of Rome’s liturgical calendar as instituted sometime after 325 AD).  Was there something significant about these dates occurring simultaneously?  Or was it mere coincidence?  Someone has stated that “coincidence” is not a Kosher word.  Is it possible that the Lord is revealing something to His people about this event?  On God’s time clock, are we approaching the time of the “fullness of the Gentiles” to which the Apostle Paul refers in the book of Romans? Romans 11:25 - “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”

In review, you may recall that the Feast of “Shavuot” (in Hebrew) or “Pentecost” (in Greek  - meaning “50") is the time when the 10 Commandments were given (written on tablets of stone) at Mount Sinai.  The Feast of Pentecost was later fulfilled after Jesus Christ’s resurrection (as recorded in Acts 2) when the disciples received the baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit (and the commandments were written on their hearts).  The mandate that was given them (and,  ultimately, to all who would believe in Jesus Christ) in Acts 2:38-39 - “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” As we have previously noted in our writings on the Feasts of the Lord, the only feast of the Lord that the church has celebrated is the Feast of Pentecost.  Pentecost seems to have been in a perpetual spiritual fulfillment since that time. 

With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a new season had begun - a time of reconciliation for not only the Jews - but for the Gentiles.  Recall in John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Eph 2:12 defines a people who “were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”  And Eph 2:16-19 - “that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” 

These verses in Ephesians 2 help clarify these “times of the Gentiles” and the plan of God to bring ALL who are willing into His Kingdom, that none should perish.  The coming of the Holy Spirit as a baptism of fire upon the 1st Century believers was the power that set the Gospel message of salvation ablaze beginning in Jerusalem and going to the four corners of the earth.  In this Spiritual season of Pentecost - God, the Father, through the Holy Spirit is calling “whosoever will” that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ;  that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal 3:14).  “For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26).  “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father”(Gal 4:6).

Pentecost is celebrated at the time of the wheat harvest.  In fact, Jewish synagogues read the book of Ruth at the time of this feast.  It is the story of Ruth, a Gentile Bride, and Boaz,  her kinsman redeemer, - a portrayal of another Kinsman Redeemer (Jesus Christ) and His body of believers (a Gentile Bride). 

In June, a few members of JCIA attended a conference in Albuquerque. At that conference, one of the leaders gave me a prophecy that I believe was significant not only for myself, but for the body of Christ. During the session, my hands started to get extremely hot, as though they were burning.  I went forward to receive a word from the one ministering, and when he approached me, I stated “my hands feel like they are on fire.”  He responded “not only your hands, but your whole body is on fire.  You represent the fullness of the meaning of Pentecost.  And now we are moving out of Pentecost into Tabernacles.” As I contemplated on what this meant, I shared this with my husband, Fred.  One of my favorite topics to study and to teach is the Biblical Feasts of the Lord.  He reminded me that I have taught that the Feast of Pentecost has been a perpetual feast for 2,000 years - representing “the times of the Gentiles.” Is this prophetically another sign that we are coming to the fulfillment of these times of the “fullness of the Gentiles?”  We will have to wait and see. 

Shalom

pastor laurel

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The Six Doves
           By Elder Roy Thurston

I was born again while working part time with the Salvation Army.  However, I did not have the opportunity to be baptized by water immersion as Jesus had commanded.  But, the Lord did hear my prayers, and took the smoking habit from me.  The Holy Spirit entered my body, and cleansed me from top to bottom.  During this time, I continued my regular Sunday attendance at the Episcopal Church.  However, I did not know much about the Bible while with the Episcopal Church.

My wife died on March 3, 2004.  After her death, I did not attend any church.  But through a quirk of fate, I was drawn to J.C.I.A.  Since then, I have read the Bible four times, and am now in my fifth reading.  During this time, I began to study more about baptism by immersion in water, and I had the opportunity to listen to Pastor Henry Wright’s CD on “Water Baptism.” I had been baptized as an infant by the sprinkling of water on the head, as practiced in many churches. However, this study in the Scriptures made me more eager to be baptized by immersion.  So, one Sabbath, I talked to the congregation about water baptism by immersion, and asked whether there was anyone who had never been baptized in water, or had only been baptized as an infant by sprinkling water.  As it turned out, there were five more candidates for baptism.  So, on the 10th of August 2008, after all six of us had been prepared to receive water baptism, and the arrangements had been made.  Sam and Judy Snow furnished their back yard swimming pool for the baptism.  The water was nice and warm, and everything went well. 

As each individual went forward to be baptized, a dove alighted on the highline at the far end of the back yard/pool area.  By the time all six of us were baptized, six doves had appeared on the highline.  Everyone had noticed the gathering of the doves - six of them, one for each person being baptized.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  After all, we were being baptized (immersed) in the same way Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River when the dove alighted upon Him. And we were obeying the commandment of Jesus Christ - “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.”
 
Shalom

Senior Elder Roy 

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Editorial comment: A postscript

Christian Persecution ahead.

The prophet Zephaniah dwells upon the events surrounding the “Day of the Lord.” In his prophecies he warns us of pre-pre-Tribulation days of anti-Christianity and anti-Semitism that will fall upon God’s people. Remember, that the time of the antichrist is restrained by the believers within the Body of Christ, the Overcomer. Being Holy Spirit filled, we are a light unto the world - restrainer of evil. This light must be removed so that darkness can prevail. The census of 1.7 billion worldwide Christians is a threat to the New World Order.

Even today, these 1.7 billion Christians are under a pre-pre-Tribulation anti-Christian agenda of the shadow governments that are bringing into being a one world government. Christians are under strife and surveillance and will have to choose whom they will serve-the flesh and the world or Christ? Apostate times are ahead for the Church. Who will endure? - -only those who hold fast to the truth and promises that are in the Scriptures, God’s immutable WORD. A sifting and a “falling away” will occur when it is not longer tolerable by our humanistic world’s standards to be a “Christian.” A remnant people will be strengthened by the anti-Christian/anti-Semitism that prevails as occurred in the Church of Smyrna.

Let us now examine the prophetic word of Zephaniah.

Zephaniah 1:15 KJV  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Zephaniah 2:1-3 KJV  Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;  Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

In Zephaniah, God is admonishing His people to seek righteousness in these days before they are hidden (raptured). God’s judgment is ordained (wrought); it is decreed to be as a day that cometh as the blowing chaff before the wind. Chaff will be separated by ensuing persecution from amongst the nationsto remove those not desiring the Lord Yeshua Jesus. Hidden before the day of the Lord’s anger. “Gather yourselves together” is a call to the Overcomer. The repetitive “before” statements speak to a time of anti-Christianity and anti-Semitism that occurs as the world becomes more spiritually dark. This is an antecedent period before the Overcomers, the virgins with oil” are removed to be hidden. It is coming about as you follow current world events.
 
“What are you doing for the Kingdom?” Now, while it is still daylight be fruitful. What are Jesus’ last Words for us? ….. Are you holding-on to them in remembrance or are you faithfully doing them….Carry His yolk!

Mark 16:15-20 (KJV) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.   And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

Signs, wonder, and miracles follow the believer doing The Lord’s will. Evangelize the unbeliever so that all hear the Gospel of Salvation. Yet, also a mandate (Isaiah 58) for the Holy Spirit-filled Overcomer is to restore to the “believer” the ancient foundations once delivered to the 1st century saints. This Foundation is the whole of the Scriptures- Old Testament (Tanach) and New Testament- and the Hebraic roots of our Christian Faith. The Church has the garments of pagan idolatry and has inherited another gospel. It’s not about religion but your salvation is all about a personal relation with Yeshua Jesus through His WORD, which is unveiled for you by the Holy Spirit with your Temple. God’s Holy Scriptures are for your eyes only.

pastor fred

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Pastoral Comments:

Feasts of Lord a shadow of our New Beginning:

As we complete the Fall Feasts on this 8th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, we get a prophetic glimpse into the Kingdom to Come…called in the Hebrew the Olam Haba. This is that Kingdom on Earth that Adam and Eve walked with God. We also in immortal-imperishable bodies in the white linen as Christ’s Bride are home in the New Jerusalem.  Come join us as we put on our robes of righteousness. 

The seven Feasts of the Lord are found in Leviticus 23. These are the set-apart appointed Times of the Lord for His people, Jew and Gentile.  These are the foundation stones of our Judo-Christian Faith as they are not only historical of our Christian Hebraic roots but are prophetic of Christ’s 1st and 2nd coming and have spiritual implications which lead us to full spiritual maturity as that One New Man in Christ.

The Fall Feasts of the Lord are prophetic of end time reign of Antichrist and Jesus' second coming. They unravel the mystery of the rapture/resurrection and the seven years of Tribulations.  The court is seated on Yom Terurah ( Rosh HaShanah) and called to order with the "last" trump. There will be fiery testing of mankind -but will man repent? Will man assume a degree of accountability?How does Christ select His Bride? Will anti-Christian persecution cause Jesus to take her home to the Father's house. -The wedding--the coronation of a King--Earth's Title deed given to Jesus---Yes, yes.. all this during the Days of Awe.Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, returns to Earth with His Bride on Yom Kippur to put his enemies under his foot. The Awesome DAYS of AWE....Are you ready?

The last days are here! The Lord says Hear! Hear while there is yet time! I call to witness the creation that my Gospel is for all people and generations….That is God’s immutable WORD. We have a Bridegroom. Yeshua Jesus. He is the ROCK of our Salvation. What can you say about the day of the Lord. Darkness-Devastation-Earthquakes and the sun and moon without light. . A great war and invasion of Israel. Tribulations begins.

Then Yeshua Jesus comes with His Army- His second coming. Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords as the Bridegroom comes out of His Chamber and the Bride leaves the encompassment of the Chuppah- He shall call His Bride home shortly. All this prophecy is encrypted in the Fall Feasts of the Lord. By knowing the  Hebraic roots of the Christian Faith, we shall know the Tribulation seasons of Yom Terurah, the Days of AWE and Yom Kippur.

Are we all Israelites? The Church is Ephraim, My Firstborn. The law of particle dispersion of a people over the past 2731 years accomplishes genetic heterogeneity. We are neither Jew or Gentile but ONE NEW MAN in Christ as the seed of Abraham.

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Events and photos:

JCIA BAPTISM: the 6 doves:

 

J     

 

   

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Keith in Remembrance:
We shall all mourn and grieve but we know he is with the Father…Face to Face in the Olam Haba. He Knew Jesus as Lord and Savior (2 Corinthians 5:8) …absent from the body present with the Lord. 

…Yes,  A friend, a collogue, a founding Elder  a devote family man, a devote Christian …My Professor ..a man of generosity…a mentor (Yvette, Blanka, Laura Swartz, Larry/Laura Bustamante and me)… a tireless worker….A make things-happen –kind-of-a- guy. Keith had a Message …."Are you a Christian?"...He lived his life as an example.

Shalom Keith  
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 In remembrane Peggu Smith:

 

We grieve with family of Peggy Smith but also we find comfort knowing that Peggy now sees Father God ….Face to face in the Kingdom to Come …The Olam Haba. Peggy and Frank made themselves always available to assist in major JCIA projects such as Passover for 164 people at Mark Jordan’s  Church; helping in all JCIA moves in our wilderness wanderings; upholstering 80 chairs etc. She and Frank were inseparable in all their work efforts. We all need to support Frank as our beloved brother.

  

 

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Shalom 

Issue 2 volume 2 1 July to 31 December 2008

The Spring Feasts of the barley and wheat harvest are concluded. We are looking forward to the Fall Feasts and the joyful return of Messiah Yeshua Jesus for His Bride.

Shepherd’s newsletter....

Is the Church ready to receive Elijah?

Year after year our Lord perfects His Body to be a spotless remnant. The wandering Israelites were tempered in their sojourning and some perished in the wilderness. But they were being prepared for the Promise Land. The Bride must be without spot as perfect as the red heifer.

All the Promises in the Scriptures (1st and 2nd covenant) are True. We can stand on the Word of God. What God says He will do …He will do.What are some of God’s Promises? ......Do you unequivocally believe these verses in the Word of God?

Mark 11:23-24 (KJV) 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 16:15-18 (KJV) 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 9:23 (KJV) 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

John 14:12-14 (KJV) 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Philippians 4:13 (KJV) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Why would we have doubt in God’s Promises and the healing powers through His agent, The Holy Spirit? The issue lies deep within today’s theology, as many Churches have taught that all these gifts have ceased, or that they are no longer relevant. In these apostate times, we have become the Church of tolerance and unbelief …Laodicea! What does Jesus have to say about that end day Church?

Revelation 3:15-17 (KJV) 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Does your Church require you to bring a Bible to its services? Would you rather hear the Preacher’s ruminations, or God’s Holy Word? How can you spiritually grow on milk? Today’s Church growth, as a megalopolis of religious entertainment theology and confusion with a watered-down message, is drawing record crowds. Some Preachers don’t even preach on our sinful nature, as they don’t want to offend their congregation.

Before the end times (latter days), we will see a powerful movement of The Holy Spirit amongst those who have an “ear to hear” (the Bible-carrying believers), as predicted by the prophet Joel and Peter in the Book of Acts (Acts 2:14-22).

Joel 2:28-32 (KJV) 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

When will this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit occur? Know ye the signs of the time (Matthew 16:1-4)! For the spirit of Elijah must come before that dark and terrible Day of The Lord.

Malachi 4:5-6 (KJV)5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

An outpouring of the Spirit of Elijah in these last days upon selected intercessory Ambassadors amongst all nations that the prophecy of Joel might be fulfilled. These are the days of Elijah.

Beware of false teachers and prophets (Matthew: 24:4-5, 11, 23-24, 26; Jude 4; Col. 2:8 2 Cor 11:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-9; Jeremiah 23:11-40) will come with "signs and wonders" but they will not fill your ear with the authentic Word of God but rather will preach another gospel and another Jesus as they will be eloquent in speech (“silver forked tongued”) and would deceive even the elect if it were possible (Matthew 24:2). Their dress and mannerism will contradict the Holy Scriptures. They will not be able to convincingly confess that Jesus Christ is The Lord of their lives, and by discernment their works and fruits will be sour. When they confess Jesus as Lord does your heart burn within you with empathy and passion for Christ. Can you witness a genuine relationship with Jesus, our Lord and God. For if you have witnessed Yeshua Jesus in your own life, having a personal relationship with Him, you know the Father and can discern the counterfeit. Receive a prophet or righteous man and receive a just reward (Matthew 10:40-41). Likewise, be discerning between God's prophets and those of Baal for we are reminded in scripture  "come not against My Anointed and do My Prophets no harm" (1 Chron. 16:22, 1 Samuel 24:6). Be reminded of this end time deception that will fool many, even the elect, if it were possible, but not Jesus (Matthew 7:15-20). Therefore, be not wise in your own eyes, but ask for spiritual discernment, being led by God’s Word. The enemy's signs and wonders are amid confusion, chaos and disorder. They behave as a "chicken without a head."..... .....confusion, deception and lies as a zoo in a feeding frenzy.

Beware of false signs and wonders. (Matthew 24:24) Be assured that Satan knows that his time is short. Also at this time, he will manifest with deception - even a deliverance revival - appealing to the masses, but with confusion and bewilderment - masquerading as if with the authority of the Almighty God. Even now, since springtime, this is happening in the south-east most recess of United States! These signs and wonders are with a crudeness of the adversary, harsh and brutal- not with loving-kindness of the Holy Spirit. This zoo-like atmosphere is  enticing by its hypnotic rock beat and mantra chanting. Listen not to these wizards for they know not the Gospel message. Their outrageous miracles are accompanied by gold and wealth. ....Many will be deceived, even some of the elect. Their signs and wonders are without spiritual revival! Again, can they convincingly confess that Jesus is Lord over their life ... and what are their Fruits?? .... Is there peace, love, joy, kindness, humility (meekness), gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, patience and self-control.

The spirit of Elijah comes with healing and deliverance, preaching repentance in an atmosphere of the presence of the Holy Spirit. ....there is gentle  outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (KJV) 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:1-16 (KJV) 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Be assured that discerning sheep will know the Shepherd’s Voice.

Remember God’s people “perish for a lack of real knowledge” (Hosea 4:1, 4:6). Do not deny the Scriptures; walk in the Word; harden not your heart as in the day of provocation. Remember the sheep know The Shepherd’s Voice and will not respond to another!...They can discern the counterfeit.

Psalm 40:8-11 (KJV) I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

Is the Church ready to receive Elijah? ….The Spirit of Elijah must come before the coming of "that great and dreadful day of the LORD:”

John the Baptist came in the "Spirit of Elijah" with a Gospel message "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."

You may wonder if God still performs miracles today? Be assured that the Same God Who walked with Enoch, Noah, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Peter, John, and Paul now lives in you as the Holy Spirit. As ordinary people, none of us have any power on our own..... God in us makes the difference. These are the days of Elijah ...be a Joshua and enter into the Promise Land in Abba's Presence.

Shalom

Pastor Fred                                   

Religion or Relationship??
Salvation is of the heart not the mind! A works ministry, even in the name of Jesus, will not lead you to the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 13:24-30).

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SPIRITUAL APPLICATIONS OF THE FEASTS OF THE LORD
by Laurel Hofeldt, Shepherd Women's Ministry

Conclusion of THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF THE FALL FEASTS

The spiritual applications are progressive steps of faith, a process of redemption, justification, and sanctification.
In the last newsletter, we wrote about the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) and how they apply to us prophetically. In this issue, we will continue with the spiritual application of the Fall Feasts.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS (SPIRITUAL WARFARE/APPLICATION OF GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT:

The Feast of Trumpets is known by many different names, a few of which are “the day of the awakening blast,” the “Last Trump,” “Judgment Day,” and the “Coronation of the Messiah.” Having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot, the believer is empowered for use of the spiritual gifts. The trumpet is a call for war. One must now use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do spiritual battle, to war against the enemy of our souls that comes to kill, steal and destroy. As the bride of Christ, the believer must take off the old garments of the flesh, and put on the new garments of the spirit (walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit). Just as the prophetic application for the Feast of Trumpets points to a time of “judgment” believers must judge their actions. They must walk in love, in truth and in righteousness. The bride of Christ must use her authority given her by her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and be dressed in her betrothal clothing (the armor of God) - the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph 6:10-13). The bride must be “awake” and alert (have oil in her lamp) - watching and waiting for the sound of the trumpet of the Bridegroom (the “last trump” - I Cor 15:52), the appearing of Jesus Christ, and His judgment of the righteous to receive their crowns/rewards.

DAY OF ATONEMENT - (SANCTIFICATION: CLOTHED IN WHITE - THE BRIDE):

This day is known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur meaning “a covering.” It is the one day in the year that the sacred ceremonial tasks were carried out by the High Priest, alone, to make atonement for sin. The High Priest would have to leave his home and family 7 days before Yom Kippur in order to prepare (Lev 8:33). On the Day of Atonement, he would enter into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, clothed in white linen, to make atonement, first for himself & his family, then for the nation of Israel. He, alone, was responsible for every aspect of this holy service. There were 15 separate sacrifices to perform, along with the lighting of the menorah, the incense and other services. On this day, lots were cast for two goats - one as a sacrifice for the Lord, and one for Azazel (the scapegoat). The scapegoat was cast to its death from a high cliff. A string of crimson-dyed wool was tied to the horns of the scapegoat and around the neck of the goat for sacrifice. On the death of the scapegoat, the crimson wool turned white. Just as the High Priest had to prepare for this service by separating from his home, believers must separate themselves from the things of the world, seek to draw near to the Lord, and to serve Him - a sanctification process. The High Priest would enter through the veil into the holy place to offer incense. Believers must enter into the Holy Place to offer incense (intercessory prayer) in their own behalf and in behalf of His people. For the believer, Jesus Christ-Yeshua HaMaschiach is our High Priest who entered into the Holy of Holies on our behalf, He was the sacrifice for the Lord, and the scapegoat. His shed blood provides atonement for our sins. “Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow” (Is 1:18). Believers are clothed in the white linen of “righteousness” by the blood of the lamb (Rev 19:8). Yom Kippur is a spiritual picture of a pure and spotless bride adorned in the white linen of righteousness - at one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (At-One-Ment). The bride and bridegroom are now ONE (Echad).

FEAST OF TABERNACLES (INGATHERING OF HARVEST, ENTER ABBA’S REST - DWELLING TOGETHER): This feast portrays a joyful season of ingathering of the harvest, enjoying its fruits. It is a time of rest from labor, and a time of remembrance of the wilderness experience when the Lord was their protection and covering - a time of dwelling in booths. The spiritual application of the Feast of Tabernacles is the believer’s joy in doing the work of the harvest, of seeing many souls being brought into the Kingdom. Just as a home is to provide a safe and secure environment, so too, there comes a time when the believer is at rest in the Lord. His walk with the LORD is such that he knows he is safe and secure in the knowledge and wisdom of the LORD, walking and dwelling with Him as a way of life. His joy will be complete at the end of the age - in that great harvest when the believer will enter his dwelling place, in the New Jerusalem, and rule and reign with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ - Yeshua HaMaschiach.

Shalom

Laurel

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Senior Elder Corner ...By Roy Thurston

My Four Witnesses
A short time back I wanted to put something together to share with the congregation prior to leading them in The Lord’s Prayer. So I thought about it, but couldn’t come-up with what I needed. I talked to my friend Anne about it and she gave me a little book, called God’s Creative Power. ….. A small book, but powerful!

Then I started reading and……WHAM!!!! ….There it was!! …. Read “OUT-LOUD”…. The statement became my clue. So with this, Anne became my first witness as that was her recommendation. I continued to read and it all became clear to me. Read your Bible OUT-LOUD. And now, I became the second witness. By reading your Bible out-loud, you can develop more faith in God, because faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and faith comes more quickly when you hear yourself quoting, speaking, and saying the things God said.

Then later, I shared it with the congregation. After this, I was told by a friend that Laurel had discussed reading the Bible out-loud to the congregation two or three weeks at a prior Shabbat, but it so happened that I was not there that particular weekend. Now Laurel became my third witness.

I felt that things were “rocking” along pretty good….. I felt very good about it. Then it happened! A few weeks later I was at Jones Jewelers having a piece of jewelry repaired. They were quite busy in the store, so I sat down in the chair provided, and waited. After awhile the customers began to “thin-out” until I was the only customer there. At this time, I was passed-by by three clerks who did not offer to help. So I just waited. Then came this man, the fourth clerk, and he offered to help me. Well, needless to say, we concluded our business and we chatted for a few minutes …and then it happened! This man had not only helped me with my business at hand, but he thanked me and blessed me and invited me back for coffee and cookies at another time. I thanked him, and since he had blessed me, I thought to myself ---I need to ask this man a question! So I did! I said when you read your Bible, do you read to yourself or do you read it out-loud? His response was….Definitely OUT-LOUD, ….I like to hear the WORD OF THE LORD. He became my fourth witness.

Read Your Bible out-loud! 

Since then there have been several from our JCIA congregation who have told me that they are reading their Bible OUT-LOUD and enjoying it very much.

Shalom

Roy V. Thurston
Senior Elder, JCIA

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JCIA Activities and Announcements.

Announcements:

Our new Sabbath Schedule: Worship/ Praise services start at 9 am, followed by the weekly Torah teaching. This allows us to take advantage of the special cool mornings in the New Mexico desert.

New Home ministries:
Raymond and Mona are hosting a Home Bible study on Sunday evenings. They are studying the New Testament teachings of Paul in 1 Corinthians.


Judy Snow is facilitating a group and individual’s in Be in Health sessions.

Activities:

On July 6, six JCIA members graduated from the Emunah class having completed a 24 week course in a prayer, faith, deliverance and spiritual warfare ministry (Blanca Flores, Laurel Hofeldt, Judy Snow, Milo and Yvette Rubio and Anne Wilder).

This year we held Passover in the home (Bell's, Bustamante's Hofeldt's), as is the Hebrew/Jewish custom. Everyone found this to give them a personal touch and a special Passover fulfillment and joy.

In April, we preformed and hosted the wedding ceremony of JCIA members, Felipe & Helida Miranda.

Also in April, We held a special Baptism for Milo and Yvette who are powerful witnesses of the Lord.

Morningstar graduated with honors from NMSU. We hosted her Graduation celebration.......Congratulations Morningstar!

In June-July, we received 2 visiting ministries with gifts in healing and deliverance (Ed and Carol Greene and Dr. Bree Keyton).

Coming Events:

Began Emunah class 201 on 21 July.
Baptism of 10 JCIA Believers at Judy Snow home on 10th  August.
Began Emunah class 101 on 13 August.

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JCIA Photos ......ENJOY

Our newly painted home (Bayeet Elohim). 
The Children shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. 
National Prayer Breakfast. 
Laura sings..One day at a time.

JCIA Fellowship time  led by Mike and Jerry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood sweathearts ..................

Now joined in a (Jewish Wedding (19 December 2008)

Shalom until next Newsletter

Pastor Fred, editor

 

 

Issue 1  January to July 2008

Shepherd's comments.

Shalom..... Stand firm in the Armor of God ....

WOE is me! A Christian man was criticized when talking to college students and politicians about the God of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob and His Son, Yeshua Jesus Who is the only narrow path to eternal life.. The “learned elite” protested publicly and their loud voice, though only a minority of the citizens of America, attracted the attention of the media. The man was left to bear the scars of their attack. He sought rebuttal for Yeshua Jesus' sake, neither for his own reputation nor self-esteem. He conjured in his mind how he would stand up against the Almighty God's accusers. Noteworthy, in these days, believers will more frequently be called to bear the cross. We must put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and put aside self-righteousness, our defense of self-worth, and our worldly desires. After 9-11, the host of the religious community is in ecumenical agreement that all religions lead to a universal god. Yes, many voices will appear to lead us away from Christ. Did not Yeshua Jesus warns us six times in Matthew Chapter 24 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” A biblical statement repeated twice is established as fact by two witnesses (Deu. 19:15) but Jesus stating this 6 times   is a "neon light." It commands our attention to these red-letter words.

Now is the time for “you are that man" that must take a stand. Spiritual darkness has approached as storm clouds cover our land. We see apathy in the Body of Christ with unbelief, hardness of heart (stiff-neckedness) and dwindling faith. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).” Who, in the Body of Christ, faithfully reads and meditates on the scriptures daily? Who reads and studies  the weekly Torah/Parasha? Who is prepared to take the Gospel message so that all might be saved and none lost. Did not Yeshua Jesus give us this mandate to be his agents (sokhen)? Mark 16:14-18 (KJV) 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

He sent the Comforter that we may be given power to serve as agents of God. Acts 1:8 (KJV) “8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

A fast-paced world is keeping us too busy with our own agenda to see our spiritual needs and those of our of our brothers/sisters, or the Church. Do we sense God’s will, or our own will? Are we Christ-centered or are we  self-centered/world-centered? Who controls our fleshly body? Is it the Holy Spirit of God or man’s basic self-survival instincts? Are we children of the first Adam (the flesh)  or the second Adam (the Spirit)?

The WORD was God and He became flesh and dwelt amongst us. Feed on this manna and you will have eternal life. It gives you both physical and spiritual sustenance. We must stand firm in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) asserting the Sword of the Spirit until the day of our reconciliation unto the Father. 1 Corinthians 16:13 "watch ye, stand fast in the faith.......

Shalom, 
Pastor Fred

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SPIRITUAL APPLICATIONS OF THE FEASTS OF THE LORD
by Laurel Hofeldt

In the last newsletter, we wrote about the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) and how they apply to us prophetically. In this issue, we will continue with the spiritual application of the Spring Feasts and Shavuot (Pentecost).

The spiritual applications are progressive steps of faith, a process of redemption, justification, and sanctification.

PASSOVER - (REDEMPTION - LIFE - NEW BIRTH): Your position in Christ. Just as the Israelites had to apply the blood of the lamb over the doorposts of their houses in Egypt in order for the death angel to pass over, one must apply the blood of the Passover Lamb (Yeshua Jesus) to the doorpost of their heart. “Wherefore as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12). Therefore, each one of us is under a curse, and deserves death. When we acknowledge this, and repent of past sins, and accept the atoning blood of Yeshua Jesus as payment for our sins, we spiritually apply the blood of Yeshua Jesus to the doorpost of our heart. We are “born again.” Only the blood of Jesus Christ (the Firstborn of the Father) can take away our sin with its inherent death penalty, and give us life. The death angel must pass over us.

UNLEAVENED BREAD - (PURITY, DIE TO SIN): In the Exodus (Passover) story, the children of Israel had to flee from Egypt before their dough was leavened - “And the people took up their dough before it was leavened” (Ex. 12:34). So, too, believers must be quick to flee from Egypt (a type of “the world”). One must flee from sin (leaven). I John 2:15 - “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.....”

FIRSTFRUITS - (RESURRECTION - NEW MAN, WATER BAPTISM): Moses and the children of Israel crossed over the Red Sea 3 days after Passover. They were all “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (I Corinth 10:2). Just as Christ was resurrected to new life, so we must be raised to “new life” through the waters of baptism. “He who believes and is baptized, shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

SHAVUOT/PENTECOST - (CONSECRATION: SET APART - BAPTISM OF HOLY SPIRIT): It is taught by the Jewish sages that Abba Father chose (set apart) the Children of Israel and gave them the 10 Commandments (revealed His Word) on Shavuot. This was a “ketubah” (a marriage contract), in which He betrothed Himself to them, and promised them His love, His protection, and a home (a land). Traditionally, in the Jewish wedding, the bridegroom betroths himself to his bride by bringing her gifts. It is her choice to accept the gifts. The believer accepts and receives of gifts of the Holy Spirit through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit (given authority to act in the name of her husband).

Laurel

(In the next newsletter, we will continue with the spiritual application of the Fall Feasts).

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Greetings from Israel  ....Boaz in concert
by Boaz and Rena

Dear Fred, Laurel and all at JCIA

Shalom friends,

We hope and trust all is well with you. Thank you for the wonderful support we received from you whilst in Las Cruces. We loved meeting ya'll and were greatly encouraged. These desert plants can get dry and our visit with you was like an annual rainfall. We were refreshed in the Spirit. Hallelujah!
We want to express our joy and thanks to Abba for His faithfulness and His goodness. He gave us Yeshua, who came, not to keep us from hardship and trouble, but to help us to bear it. Thank you for your love, your prayers and support. Prayer is never lost; a wonderful tool in the hands of friends. It reminds us of the Rod and the Staff, tools in the hands of the Shepherd of Israel, our friend. We learnt a wonderful truth concerning prayer: Focused prayer is a work of the heart. It transforms not only conditions, but also those who are being prayed for and those who are praying.

We are excited to be digging our 3 rd well in the land and trust this is as Rehoboth /Rechovot (open spaces) was for Isaac and Rebecca (Gen. 26). Isaac said this at his 3 rd well: "For now Elohim has granted us ample space, and we can be fruitful in the land" v 22. We loved the place of our first well, kibbutz Kerem Shalom on the border with Gaza! The place of our second well, Biblical Tamar in the Arava (Ir Ovot! where the Hebrews camped in the desert) brought many loved ones into our lives. Our third well is currently surrounded by dunes (lots of sand), beautiful views and families. We will enjoy seeing the children and families grow here.

We are doing well at present. The shofar business is coming along well. We never thought when leaving Africa (South Africa, Cape Town) that the horns from Africa (Kudu, Gemsbok) would follow us to Israel. It is for us a special trade in that we love the sound of the shofar, stirring the heart and soul and knowing it will bless someone in the earth. There is quite a bit of interest in our work from our fellow Israelis. People stop by and ask questions. Many try to blow a few notes. Sometimes it surprises even themselves. The moshav is a great place for us to live. The people care about each other here. They help one another and wish to see each other succeed in this very new settlement.

We enjoyed being with those of your community who could come to the Land recently and trust that they were truly blessed by being here. Israel is not an easy place, but it is always good to come and be blessed by Abba. Thank you again for your goodness to us. We remember you in prayer as the Ruach Hakodesh leads. Please give our love and greetings to all at JCIA.

"All you nations join hands; sound the shofar to Elohim with a cry of joy (be koi rina)... Make music for Elohim; make music for our King, make music ... Elohim reigns over nations ..." Psalm 47.  How comforting to know in these uncertain times.
Boaz and Rina
SHEFA

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A Message From Suzi and Asher

Suzi says:

In 2005 I found myself in the Israeli desert with Sunnie who had encouraged me to come with her to Israel for the second time. Why not? I didn’t have other plans, so I packed my suitcase and off to Israel I went…as you know, the desert doesn’t require any fancy stuff…no fancy clothes, jewelry, or makeup…instead I packed jeans, shirts, and a pair of work boots.
My plan was to work in the desert, but my Abba had other plans. God’s purpose for this trip was to introduce me to the man who would eventually become my husband. During my two week stay, Asher and I found ourselves getting to know each other day by day…but in a very different way…not the traditional courting scene…where you dress nicely and go out on a date. Instead, we were both dusty, had dry skin and hair, cracked lips, dirty nails, and we both wore old jeans and work boots as we watered trees and worked in various jobs at Biblical Tamar Park.
During the two weeks I was at the park, I found myself working hard, traveling, and gathering with friends for praise and worship every evening. This led to the opportunity to introduce the New Testament and Yeshua to Asher.
After my time there, I returned back to the United States. Asher and I remained friends for one year, getting to know each other through phone calls and e-mails.
According to our Abba’s plan (and with Sunnie’s help), we met again in Jerusalem, this time knowing that we were together again because Abba decided to bring us together for a purpose: To work with the Sephardic Jews from New Mexico and to help bring them back to Israel.
Asher quickly decided to pack his suitcase this time and come to the United States and continue to establish our relationship. It became clear that we would marry in New Mexico in a church that teaches the Bible based upon the Old and New Testaments.

Asher (as dictated to Suzi) says:

It was amazing for us to see so many people who were involved in our ceremony with so much love and care, not only for us, but for God and Israel. Our wedding was so special. All the loving work and preparation that went into the ceremony and the decorations and the costumes and the food…everything! We thank you also for the kind welcome you provided to all of Suzi’s family. All of it came together to provide an unforgettable time. We want to especially thank Laurel and Fred, Sunnie and Dudley, Keith, Tony and Betty, and all the people that were so happy for us and were part of the wonderful ceremony.
We love all of you and we look forward to the day that we will be worshipping, praying, and studying with you at Judeo-Christian Alliance Church.

Shalom

Asher and Suzie

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Sunnie's Israel News Corner  

For me, the joys of the JCIA Fall Trip to Israel were in twelves! Every place we went, every site we saw, every experience we shared…all were translated into the faces of twelve travelers (including my own!) from Las Cruces, plus of course, our two dear sisters from North Dakota! Having been to Israel a number of times in the past, I must state that this trip held a special gift for me which is now the first joy that comes to mind among frequent times of re-living memories. That beautiful gift from God is having those faces as the major part of those memories! I can see them all right now as I write…faces bright with excitement boarding our El Al jet out of New York City to Tel Aviv… faces of immense peace as we sailed and sang upon the Sea of Galilee… faces of childlike wonder as we stepped foot upon the many locations where we know that our Jesus, our Yeshua, also stepped…and of course, faces of satisfied tiredness as we finally gathered together in the waiting area before once more boarding a plane to fly home.

Where is home? A common thread among so many travelers to Israel is an intense feeling that Eretz Israel suddenly feels more like home than this geographical place where we live in our own houses and where we have all those belongings that permit us to abide in such comfort. I think most of us would agree that we would be fine living in far less comfort and with far fewer amenities if we could just stay longer in Israel, if we could just help to serve the Jews, if we could just return to that land of constant turmoil across the ocean, if we could just be a continuing part of it. Many of the travelers on this recent trip told me that they did not care whether or not they were in physical safety. While everyone acknowledged that they always felt very, very safe wherever we were, they also claimed that if anything dangerous and unexpected …even life threatening…were to happen, it would absolutely be okay with them. They just want to be in The Land…at any price, even that of their own safety…their own well-being…their own lives! It seems that Home is Israel!

Now that the twelve have walked the streets of Jerusalem, have prayed at The Western Wall, have looked into the faces and shared precious words with our Jewish brothers and sisters both young and old and in between, have eaten the food of the Mediterranean, the next thought becomes not only how to get back to Israel ourselves, but also how to provide for others to share in the same wonderful soul-enriching experiences. It is upon faith that we are free to proceed. Our Father knows the purity of our love for His people and His land and our desire to be with those people and to share with them the thrill of being in that land. He knows our obedience to His commandment to ‘comfort and keep comforting His people Israel.’ (Isaiah 40:1) He also knows our limitations. And we know that He will provide both people to go and the financial means to make it possible for them. So, in the precious Name of Yeshua Jesus, we go forward…Kadima. We have booked the next trip for early May…leaving El Paso May 3, 2008, for a night and day in New York City as we did in the Fall of 2007, and then on to Tel Aviv late at night on May 4th. We have booked sixteen seats this time. With God as our Supreme Travel Agent, we will once again board an El Al jet... (El Al = Up To God)…and be in Israel again. We pray for another twelve from Las Cruces! And God willing, we pray for four from among our friends in North Dakota. Next year in Jerusalem!

Shalom

Sunnie

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Shalom and blessings from the House of Judah

We are now conveniently located off the fellowship hall, supplying all of your weapons of warfare and articles of worship (II Cor 10:4).

Some of the items available at the House of Judah are anointing oils, menorahs, tallits, mezzuzahs, shofars, tambourines and many more gift items from keychains, candles, to jewelry.

House of Judah now features the new CD by the Daughters of Tzion, along with other CD's, books, videos, and audios, for both adults and children. Chanukah items are now available for 50% off the original price!

We thank God for keeping His hand on the House of Judah (Zech 10:6 - “And I will strengthen the House of Judah....”). New and exciting things are happening. The House of Judah has teamed up with “Walk About Zion.” Have you every dreamed about walking the streets of Jerusalem, and visiting Holy, Biblical sites? Well, let Yeshua Jesus make your dream come true by booking a trip to the Holy Land - Israel. For more information contact the House of Judah at 575-312-4568.

Items not stocked in the House of Judah can be ordered through our resource catalogs. The House of Judah is a supporter of JCIA and Israel. When you buy from the House of Judah, you also become a supporter. Thank you.

Gen 12:3 - “I will bless those who bless Israel”

Love, Joy ‘n’ Blessings in Yeshua’s Name. Amen.

Betty

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Photos of Israel Trip......ENJOY

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Issue 3 of 2007

The Rapture ….Conclusion by Pastor Fred D Hofeldt

The English Biblical Scholar, John Darby, was part of the Spiritual revival in the mid 1800’s in promoting a new literal interpretation of prophecy. Many falsely accredit the origin of the Pre-tribulation Rapture to him. He was merely part of an expanding information highway seeking Biblical truth in the written Word; coinciding with the unsealing of Scriptures in these end times (Daniel 12:9). Also muddying the waters is that the Greek language has evolved over time such that words have deviated from their original meaning . For example, “apostasia” originally meant “a radical departure”, ‘a disappearance’, but today it means “a falling-away” (see Joe Good Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come p. 125). These two contrasting meanings of "apostasia" bear the humor and clever insight of the Holy Spirit, for ironically, both definitions are telling us of the two groups of believers to be separated in the rapture complex. Consider a Rapture Complex (as in the Parable of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25) wherein an overcoming remnant (with oil in their lamps) is “caught-up,” while their "look-alike" Christian brothers and sisters (without oil in their lamps) join the large “left-behind” group.

Today, using a literal interpretation of prophecy and applying the Parashot, Remez, and Drosh levels of Scriptural understanding when led by the Holy Spirit, we find the Bible reveals it’s long hidden secrets, as Scripture literally interprets itself without contradictions.
Shalom….Pastor Fred

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Shepherd's comments:

Teshuva, repent and draw close to Abba.

Who are we that we can come before the Father with unclean lips, an unclean heart and unclean hands? Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12-15 (KJV)12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Hold onto what is holy and true and be accountable. This season of Teshuva (Repentance) from 1 Elul to 10 Tishri was a solemn time for sincere believers of the Body of Christ to examine themselves for accountability to the commandments of God. The Commandments are His instruction for a righteous people. Unbelievably, I heard someone say “Once saved always saved. There is nothing I can do to lose my salvation (even commit adultery) for He remembers my sins no more, as I am saved by grace through faith; and covered by the blood of Christ.” ….NO, NOT SO little children... Our Father does not fill our heart with premeditated sinful desires. But He desires for us to have a humble, obedient and contrite heart. Willful, intended sin without repentance, will separate you from fellowship with Him.

The Hebrew word, Teshuva, means “to turn around.” True repentance begins with remorse and grief for your sins; followed by a change of heart– to turn around, turn your back, and flee from sin. In contrast, remorse alone does not always lead to repentance. An inconsistent, doubled-minded person is in spiritual jeopardy; for they are lukewarm and the Lord will spit them out of His mouth (Rev. 3:15-16). Willful premeditated sin will keep you from the Kingdom of God, as the Scriptures establish by 2 witnesses:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (KJV) 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Revelation 22:14-15 (KJV) 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Once you have tasted of the glory of God’s salvation and know the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit, to willfully sin without repentance is spiritual death.

Hebrews 6:4-8 (KJV)4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

2 Peter 2:20-22 (KJV) 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Draw near to the Father and He will draw near to you.
Shalom,
Pastor Fred

 

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THE PROPHETIC AND SPIRITUAL APPLICATIONS
OF THE FEASTS OF THE LORD - Part 1 by Laurel Hofeldt

PROPHETIC APPLICATIONS:
With a growing number of believers being drawn back to the Hebrew roots of our faith, many are beginning to understand that the Biblical Feasts of the LORD are for our benefit, yet today. However, there is still much that is not fully understood about how to observe (or keep) these feasts. The Torah required all males to come to Jerusalem for these three annual feasts. There is no longer a temple in Jerusalem, as the sacrificial system was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (I Cor 5:7), and we are now the Temple (or dwelling) of the Holy Spirit. How then, shall we honor these feasts? Most believers today would agree that the significance of the feasts today is in understanding their prophetic role of the feasts, pertaining to the first and second coming of Jesus Christ. The Feasts of the Lord are based upon the lunar calendar. Each Hebrew month begins at the time of sighting the new moon. The Spring Feast days begin in the Hebrew month of Nisan (the 1st month on the Biblical calendar) usually in March or April of our calendar. Pesach (Passover), The Feast of Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits were fulfilled in Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself as the Passover Lamb. The Lamb of God, the unblemished, perfect sacrifice, who became “sin” or “leaven” (Gal. 5:9) for us, was resurrected to life during the beginning of the barley harvest season. He became the “firstfruits of the resurrection” (I Cor 15:20) fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits. The Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) was fulfilled at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in the book of Acts.  This feast is still being fulfilled today, as believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Yet to be fulfilled are the Fall Feasts of Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Tabernacles, or booths). These Feasts begin on the 7th month on the Biblical calendar, the Hebrew month of Tishri, usually occurring in September of October of our calendar. They portray the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of Trumpets is also known as “the awakening blast,” the sounding of the shofar.  It represents a time of judgment and the resurrection of the dead. It falls on the first day of the month of Tishri - a new moon.  Because the new moon cannot always be accurately predicted (as there may be a "hidden" moon) it is referred to as “the day no one knows," or “the hidden day.”  In referring to this time Jesus made the statement, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only"(Matt 24:36). This statement was actually a Hebrew idiom for Yom Teruah (Trumpets). It was understood that the Feast of Trumpets was "the day no one knows - the hidden day." This feast is then followed, ten days later, by Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) - also known as the “Day of Covering” or “Face to Face.” Yom Kippur represents the 2nd coming of Christ, when the nation of Israel will accept the atoning sacrifice (covering) of Jesus, Who will come to earth to rule and reign. This is followed by the 7-day Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles), when Jesus will celebrate the wedding feast, and will Tabernacle (dwell) on earth to rule and reign from Jerusalem for 1000 years. The day following this Feast, the 8th Day, represents the Eternal Kingdom—the olam haba.

The Feasts of the Lord all point to the Messiah, Jesus. They provide an understanding of the prophetic plan of our Heavenly Father. In addition, there are spiritual applications which are just as important for believers to understand.  (To be continued in the next Newsletter)

 

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About us: If you come to JCIA to focus on worshiping the Lord and an in-depth study of His Word, you’ll find it here.

If you come to focus on others, you’ll find we all have faults, and you will most certainly be disappointed. Let us therefore apply the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in relating to one another, as we all come to maturity in the Body of Christ (let us strive to become that ONE NEW MAN) ( Eph. 2:15,18-22), bearing one another’s burdens and loving the brethren.

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Events and Photos:
We have been quite busy doing the Lord’s work the past 3 months:

Jewish wedding for Asher and Suzie Sofer.
Asher is an Israelite who has taken a gentile wife. Suzie met Asher in Tamar Park in the Negev. Many of Suzie’s relatives from Las Cruces came. What a joyous event.

 

The invited Guests:

Signing the Ketebah:

The Wedding:

Boaz and Rina are Messianic Jews who reside in Israel at Tamar Park in the Negev. They were in the U.S. for the National MIA conference in Nashville, and extended their trip to include Las Cruces. Boaz has been the caretaker in charge of growing grapes and other fruits of the land. Boaz presided over our Sabbath service, and later met to inform us of current events in Israel. We all enjoyed our visit with our Israeli brother and sister, and we keep them in prayer as they return to Israel.

 

A Post Messianic Israel Alliance (MIA) visit from Boaz and Rina Dreyer.

Joel and Pam Bell, the founders of Frontline Israel, paid a surprise visit to JCIA.
They sponsor Frontline Israel, a charitable organization for promoting and delivering assistance to troubled and displaced Israelites in the land, We witnessed first hand, their love for the nation of Israel, the land and the Jewish people, and their love for their Christian Zionist brothers and sisters. Joel is the President of the newly established World Evangelical Zionists (WEZ) for Christian Zionists, in partnership with the World Likud Party. Joel and Pam, using their special gifts and anointing, prayed and gave a word of knowledge for each congregational member. We continue to uphold them in prayer in their ministry. We hope to see them again in October

SHALOM

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Sunnie Bell’s Israel News Corner:

 

 

Sunnie is off with 12 disciples from JCIA to tour Israel. They left on the Sabbath of Sept. 15 (3Tishri) to be gone 10 days. They will spend most days touring the city of Jerusalem and surrounding areas. They will experience the Fall Feast Days in Israel. We hold them up in prayer as they travel. Our congregational members on that tour are the Bustamante family (Tony, Betty, Larry and Laura), Rosie Carabajal, Twila Croom, Blanca Flores, Keith Hennigh and His daughter-in law Mary, and Sam and Judy Snow. Tune in to our next NEWSLETTER and read Sunnie’s report on their travels in Israel.......Shalom

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ONLY ROAD CD's ARE HERE!

 

 

--------Fall Feasts Feast of Trumpets and  Sukkoth.

 

 

 

Issue 2 of 2007

A WORD FROM OUR SHEPHERD, Pastor Fred Hofeldt

—RAPTURE Begins The Birth Pains: CHEVLAI SHEL MASHIACH.       (continued from last month.)

The rapture (natzal and laqach) became a “mystery” concealed in the reconstructive theology of the Roman Catholic Church that was not later examined by the leaders of the Protestant reform movement. The rapture is further clouded by preterist and  amillennial teachings of the ambitious ante-Nicene and post-Nicene church leaders.

Clement of Alexandria ( a pagan convert to Christianity) and Origen (185-AD) were both students of the Greek philosophers and both were leaders of the catechetical school in Alexandria, Egypt. The school in Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in fourth century before Christ. It became a center of Hellenistic culture and housed the greatest library of the known world at that time. Here, Greek and Oriental philosophies met. It was here in about 250 B.C. that 70 Jewish scribes gathered, and in 70 days translated their Hebrew scriptures into the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint. At the time of Yeshua Jesus, Alexandria supported the second largest Jewish population in the Roman Empire. The largest Jewish population was in Babylon, and the 3rd largest was in Judea (numbering about 3 million Jews in Judea.)

Alexandria, as a school of Christian thought, was influenced by the multitude of Greco-Roman-Oriental non-Christian philosophies such as Stoicism, Gnosticism, Platonism, Neo-Platonism, Monarchianism, Manicheism, Mithraism, Zorastrianism, dualism, Arianism and Nestorianism. In this melting post, we see the merging of the philosophies of the Empire with pagan theology, and the emerging Christian Church. Origen’s Platonism, and Augustine’s Neo-Platonism became incorporated into their teaching of Christian Church doctrine. Such was the influence of the ante-Nicene church leaders on the tender roots of the Acts first century church. Origin and Augustine (354-430 A D) thrust the study of prophecy into obscurity until it’s 19th century revival. They promoted replacement theology, and an allegorical, non-literal interpretation of prophetic scriptures. Augustine proclaimed that at his time they were already in the millennium, and man would get better and remove sin from the Earth after which the Kingdom would come. Augustine set 1000 A.D. as the time for the New Heaven and New Earth. Such was not the case. All consistent with the prophecy of Daniel "And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.'" (Dan. 12:9) A Pre-tribulation rapture sermon written by Ephraem of Nisibis in about 306-373 AD speaks of a rapture for the elect of God. “For all the Saints and elect of God are gathered prior to the tribulation that is to come and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.” (see Hal Lindsey Vanished p 112-123)

Margaret McDonald, a young Scottish girl in 1830 had a vision of a partial rapture of spiritually discerning overcomers within the Body of Christ who have the light of God while other “believers” whose faith needed to be tested remained on the Earth to be purged and purified in a fiery trial (i.e. a partial rapture of those who are ’true” born again” believers (overcomers) and ’nominal believers’ whose faith need to undergo testing (See Hal Lindsey Vanished p 125-131) ...to be continued

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THE CAMELS CALLED TORAH

by Laurel Hofeldt

This is an continuation of Lou Ann's observations (2006 Newsletter) on the 10 camels of Abraham sent for the fetching of the bride. The first mention of them (the camels) is in Gen. 24:10. Verse 10 is about 10 camels that were taken from Abraham’s herd to be part of the equipment sent by Abraham to fetch a Bride for Isaac. Verse 11 tells us who controls the camels. “And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of evening.” Notice the servant takes the initiative and in his greeting arouses Rebecca’s interest. John 6:44 tells how, “No man can come to me, except the Father who has sent me draws him.” Although it seemed insignificant, her act of courtesy in verse 18 and her offering (from her heart) to water the camels opened wide the door to a great blessing and romance! She was following the great wisdom that was written by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 13:2, “ For it is written , be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.” Since I’m looking at Rebecca as the obedient believer, the “ Bride to be”, she is starting her training by the Ruach ha Kodesh for a deeper fellowship with the Heavenly Bridegroom, Yeshua.

In verse 22, the servant (Ruach ha Kodesh) is giving her gifts, bracelets, earrings 10 shekels of gold—-you might say that it was a blessing that she could not contain. Not only was she blessed but her whole family was endowed with fantastic wealth from the Father Abraham. We likewise receive the bounty of free gifts when we say yes to the Ruach ha Kodesh when he meets us on His Pathway. Verses 53 and 54 speak of further rewards and a beautiful gown which represents to me the Bride that will be clothed in Yeshua’s Righteousness!!

The whole exciting completion of her romance hung on her choice, and it was “I WILL GO.” (Vs. 58) That was a personal step of faith, like we all must take, if we will be obedient believers. Just think she has not even seen this “Husband to be”, she only believes the servant, the Ruach Ha Kodesh and takes him at his word. We who are obedient believers in this present age have not seen him, yet we believe that He does live and has called for us and we have said, “I WILL GO.”

Back to the camels. Verse 61, “And they rode upon the camels.” In our lifetime, we long to be in the Bridegroom’s presence, therefore, what ever deepens my fellowship and gives me spiritual life and character will be in turn thru the “MEANS” used by Him to carry my heart from one phase to another and still another of spiritual understanding. The Ruach Ha Kodesh must continually use means to bring my heart from one plane or realm to closer relation and nearness to Yeshua. The stronger the character, the stronger the life in Him, the nearer I am brought toward my adorable husband and Lord. So I must CHERISH ( important word, look up the full meaning) every means that may be used to bring me to His side! Character is built by proving trials, hardship, sorrow, trouble and spiritual discipline.
So now you know what the camels are! Right! It’s the only transportation (means) provided by Yahweh for the Bride to return to the Bridegroom! They are the tools that will trim off all the excess baggage that we want to carry along. The camels are there to make us have a strong character. We find that the character built by the Torah is quite a different thing from the Divine nature. And comes to the obedient believer when he is born again! Being BORN AGAIN is a gift (golden earrings, bracelets and coins, etc.) the other is the result of proving: it is the struggle of your humanity to comply with the instructions (Torah) given by Abraham on how to ride the camels of proving, of trials, of hardships, of sorrows, of trouble and spiritual discipline found in His Torah. If you are in need of help in being able to ride these camels of the Torah, please read: Psa. 34:19, 2 Cor. 4:17, 2 Tim. 3:12, John 16:33 and Romans 5: 3. So when Yahweh sends you a camel to get you to a closer relationship with Yeshua, don't SHOOT the camel! I know that we would prefer some other form of transportation, but it is not in Yahweh's plan and He will NOT change. Now consider this, when you ride a camel, you are above the camel. He is subject to you and when you want him to go , you simply command him and he will go there. Now the camel is beneficial to you. As you travel you learn to sway with the camel as he walks. To resist his rhythm causes fatigue. To help you ride the camels Yahweh has provided very comforting saddles ,such as James 4: 6, “He giveth more grace.” or 2 Cor. 9:8, “ And Yahweh is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” This lesson from the camels is for me a picturesque form of telling of the deep philosophy of our daily life. Suffering and discipline are here for our good and not to defeat us. Let us learn how to use the camels sent to carry us to our Isaac. As an obedient believer, do you find yourself yearning to see Bridegroom coming in the clouds of Glory for you? In verse 63 you will read about how the Bridegroom is longing to see His Bride arrive! Notice please, it is eventide, the end of the day and the beginning of a new day! I think that relates to the present time we are living in . He’s walking through the fields in meditation when He lifts up His eyes and sees the camels coming! Outlined against he sunset of this dispensation is a caravan that comes into His sight, are you still riding your camel? Have you been determined to stick with the instrument, the means, the only equipment that Yahweh's hands have provided to bring us to the side of our Bridegroom, our beloved Yeshua! Don’t give up! Don’t get off the camel and be lost in the hot and searing desert! Trust & Obey!

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JCIA AND ME
by Roy Thurston

I lost my wife on the morning of March 3rd, 2004. After my loss I felt that I could care less if school kept or not and I felt like I had nothing more to live for. Well, things worked on this way up to the last Thursday in Sept. of 2004. That day I was working in the yard around one of my mobile homes. I was cutting back a mesquite bush that was overgrown . I heard a car go by so I looked up and saw a little red van go by with two ladies in it, so I waved and went about my work.

Well, shortly it came by going in the opposite direction. The van stopped and we visited for a while then they invited me down to Succoth with the promise of a lot of good food. I accepted. I put my tools away and cleaned up a bit and then went down to what used to be called “Area 51” I had a very enjoyable evening. While at Succoth, I met Fred and Laurel, and other fine people. But it was really Fred and Laurel that turned my life around. I was eighty years old at the time and had read the Bible some both in English and Spanish, but in those eighty years I really couldn’t say that I had really read the Bible.

Well, for my birthday, 1 April 2005 Fred and Laurel gave me a large print Bible which I have cherished very much, and now I have read it through two times and am now in my third reading and just about half way thru. This Bible has meant a great deal to me and so have the people that gave it. They helped me so much and especially in the time of need. They made it ever so much easier to accept loss, and I believe to this day that God sent those two ladies out to bring me in. They were successful. I now have three years of happiness behind me and now I have my extended family at J.C.I.A., who in there own way have been so very helpful.

I will close now with a poem and a wish that all of the J.C.I.A. family be blessed:

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YOUTH GROUP NEWS
by Delilah Leyva

Shalom in the name of Yeshua. I just want to thank JCIA for welcoming me into the family of Christ. Since attending I’ve developed a desire to learn more about God’s word. Genesis 8:21 tells us the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Knowing this a few other members and I have been having youth Bible Studies. In doing this we pray that iron sharpens iron, and may the Lord bless us that we may follow His law for it is the beginning of wisdom and understanding. The studies are conducted in one another's home and include snacks and fellowship meals. If you or anyone you know is interested please call:

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News and Notes

Due to the length of several articles for this newsletter-the regular columns of Sunnie Bell, Rosie Carabajal, Laurel Hofeldt, Tony Bustamente and Yvette Hays will not be included in this newsletter , but will return in the next newsletter.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Peggy Smith as she has been going through a very difficult medical ordeal. Please keep her husband, Frank, in prayer, as well as all those involved in Peggy’s care. We appreciate Peggy’s sweet spirit and strong faith. May Precious Abba bless you, Peggy, is our prayer!!

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Congratulations!
Blanca Flores recently graduated from Dona Ana Community College with her associates degree. We congratulate her! We also congratulate Jeanette Wohlgemuth on obtaining her Masters degree in teaching.

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Please keep Sunnie in prayer as she makes travel arrangements for those planning to go to Israel in the Fall. Those scheduled for the trip at this time are:
Sunnie Bell, Rosie Carabajal, Blanca Flores, Yvette Hays, Keith Hennigh, Tony, Betty, Laura and Larry Bustamente. Prayers are requested for those planning to make the trip.

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Resignation: John Howard has resigned as Asst. Pastor and Shepherd of JCIA. We pray Abba’s blessings upon him .
Salt Lake City MIA meeting Fred and Laurel Hofeldt , our Shepherds along with Sunnie Bell, worship leader and lead singer of Daughters of Tzion , recently attended the MIA meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. The teachings were very beneficial. Many rewarding blessings were gleaned while there, especially the teaching of Brad Scott of Wildbranch ministries.

Shavuot
JCIA enjoyed a wonderful day at Shavuot. Robert Fagin read from a text  concerning the festival and its historical background. Hebraic dancers led praise and worship. Tony and Betty Bustamente led the discussion. Laura Swartz, Yvette Hays, Laura and Larry Bustamente and Jeanette Wohlgemuth read from the book of Ruth.