|
Weekly Parashah |
|||||
| Torah: Genesis 44 : 18 – 47 : 27 | Haftara: Eze. 37:15–28 | Brit Chadashah: Jn. 5:1–47 Matt. 1:18-2:12 Luke 1:16-2:20 |
|||
| Vayigash (and he drew near) וַיִּגַּשׁ |
|||||
Scripture: |
Genesis 44 : 18 – 47 : 27 |
Torah |
|||
|
|
Judah Pleads for Benjamin18 Then Judah approached him and said, “I beg your pardon, my lord. Please let your servant say a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t be angry with your servant, since you are like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants saying, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 So we said to my lord, ‘We have a father who is old, a child born to him of his old age is young. Now his brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother’s children left, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can look at him.’ 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave his father, he would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you won’t see my face again.’ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.+44%3A18%E2%80%9347%3A27&version=TLV |
||||
Scripture: |
Ezekiel 37:15–28 |
Haftarah |
|||
Reunification of Southern and Northern Kingdoms15 The word of Adonai came to me saying: 16 “You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah’—for Bnei-Yisrael joined with him. Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph’—the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel joined with him. 17 Join them one to another for yourself, as one stick, so they may become one in your hand. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eze.+37%3A15%E2%80%9328&version=TLV |
 |
||||
Scripture: |
Jn. 5:1–47
|
Brit Chadashah |
|||
|
|
5 After this there was a Jewish feast, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem there is a pool by the sheep gate, called Bethzatha in Aramaic,[a] which has five porches. 3 In these a crowd of invalids was lying around—blind, lame, disabled. (4 )[b] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jn.+5%3A1%E2%80%9347&version=TLV Matthew 1 : 18 – 2 : 12The Miraculous Birth of Yeshua18 Now the birth of Yeshua the Messiah happened this way. When His mother Miriam was engaged to Joseph but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, made up his mind to dismiss her secretly. 20 But while he considered these things, behold, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.”22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by Adonai through the prophet, saying, 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”[a]24 When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of Adonai commanded him and took Miriam as his wife. 25 But he did not know her intimately until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His name Yeshua. Wise Men Follow His Star2 Now after Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”[b] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.+1%3A18-2%3A12&version=TLV Luke 1 : 16 – 2 : 2016 Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God. 17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children[a] and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a prepared people.18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? I’m an old man, and my wife is well-advanced in age.”19 And speaking to him, the angel declared, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in God’s presence. I was commissioned to tell you and proclaim to you this good news. 20 So look, you will be silent and powerless to speak until the day these things happen, since you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 The people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering about his long delay in the Holy Place. 22 But when he came out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the Holy Place. He was making signs to them but remained mute. 23 When the days of his priestly service had been completed, he went home. 24 After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and hid herself for five months, saying, 25 “Adonai has done this for me! In these days He looked upon me, to take away my disgrace among the people.”[b] Prophecy of Birth to the Virgin26 Then in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by Adonai into a town in the Galilee named Natzeret 27 and to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Miriam. 28 And coming to her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored one! Adonai is with you. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A16-2%3A20&version=TLV |
||||
Parashah in 60 seconds |
|||||
Tithes and Offering
Tithes and Offering
CBN.com – The Law of Reciprocity
As Pat Robertson stated in his book, The Secret Kingdom, Christ's admonition to "give and it will be given to you" defines a remarkable spiritual principle. It can also be called the law of reciprocity, which is quite evident in the physical world: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Smile at another person, and he'll probably smile back at you. Be critical of others, and they'll respond in kind. As you give, you will receive. Give generously, and you'll receive in like measure.
Why Should We Tithe?
Since God owns everything — "the cattle on a thousand hills" and all there is — it might seem that He doesn't really need our tithes and offerings. He doesn't need them, true, but we need to give them. For, in instructing us to tithe, God is helping us to understand the law of reciprocity.
In addition, failure to tithe means we are actually robbing God of what is due Him. In Malachi 3:8-9, God spells out the results when the nation of Israel does not repay Him what they owe:
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me."
When we tithe, we receive many blessings from God.
"Give,and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap" (Luke 6:38).
And what blessings were promised to the people of Israel, if they would once again tithe!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.Test and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:10-12).
We are also told that when we give to others, we give to God:
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).
The Importance of Being Earnest
Yet, we should give not only because God expects us to. Our sincerity in returning to God a portion of His bounty is equally important. We're told:
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7).
The apostle Paul also tells us that we receive according to the way we give:
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
Luke likewise admonishes:
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
However, we're warned against making public our acts of giving:
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1).
An offering
An offering on the other hand is that what comes out of our access, it is anything, beside, above, or beyond our giving in tithes. When our first fruits (the tithe) is given it stands above or beyond the test of time and before the blessings of God. Within Eagle Wings Charismatic Ministries we stress that Tithes and Offering is between you and God, it is not something WE require. We however have seen in our own lives and that of others the blessings that God bestows upon them that are joyful and faithful givers.
God's Outpouring of Blessings
When we're generous to Him and to others, God rewards us in a very generous fashion.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.' Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (II Corinthians 9:8-12).
What Should I Do Now?
In the Old Testament, the Jews were instructed to take their tithes" to the storehouse," which was the temple — the center of religion for the entire country. Today, since the Body of Christ has so many manifestations (churches, colleges, television and overseas ministries, hospitals, relief agencies, etc.), people can choose where their tithes should go.
It's important that you give your tithe to the place that feeds you spiritually. If you're a church member, you should honor your own church with consistent financial support, since membership entails responsibilities as well as privileges.
Done on a regular basis, giving serves as a constant reminder that God is our provider. You alone will decide how to account for your stewardship of the financial blessings God gives you — and how to honor Him with your tithes and offerings. May you be richly blessed as you are obedient in your stewardship to Him!
Blatently copied from CBN.com because we couldn't say it in a better way
{jdform 4}
