Dear Mishpacha (family),
The month of February has been very exciting and it’s not over yet. Having Hanoch Young with us for the services put a real joy in my heart and I loved hearing his perspective on a variety of issues. He stayed at my house and we had a lot of great conversations; he could have charged me sixty dollars an hour for his counsel. I was able to have lunch with both Hanoch and Pastor Joe from Destination Church. We went out for pizza and had a great conversation. I am seeing it slowly but surely that the pastors are engaging with the Jewish people from Israel. I live for the reconciliation between the Jews and the Gentiles, and it is taking place right before our very eyes. For our Men’s Meeting, I asked Pastor David Jones to come and share; Hanoch was there as well. Pastor David Jones is the pastor over Ruach Ministry located in Valrico and they currently meet at Destination Church. It’s a small world and Beit Tehila continues to make relationships and continues to build our friendships. Remember, this year is all about divine appointments and friendships. The bible says “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: …” (Proverbs 18:24). Life is all about relationships, purpose, and legacy, so how can you fulfill your purpose if you don’t have good and healthy relationships? Our relationships will always lead us to our purpose.
I would like to announce that Beit Tehila Congregation has partnered with the organization B’ney Yosef North America. This will be a great opportunity to work with others who believe in the restoration and the regathering of both Houses of Israel (Ephraim and Judah). The B’ney Yosef organization will be having an event, which I am excited to be attending, on March 3rd “Purim with a Purpose” from 2-6PM at Destination Church; you must purchase tickets for this event. We will be celebrating Purim on February 28th for our Shabbat Service and also on March 2nd for our Monday Night Service. Celebrating Purim is important because a Jewish Queen prevented a genocide of her people from taking place. It is time that we all stand up for the Jewish people and the state of Israel.
I have been introduced to Jason A. Staples who is a professor at North Carolina State University. For over twenty years, Jason A. Staples has studied how the grafting in of the Gentiles into the olive tree, representing Israel, was God’s plan the whole time and provides quite a bit of information to present his case. He has recently published two books that I believe are going to greatly influence the academia world; the first book is titled “The Idea of Israel In Second Temple Judaism (A new theory of people, exile, and Israelite identity)”, and the second book is titled “Paul and The Resurrection of Israel (Jews, Former Gentiles, Israelites)”. In his first book he goes into great detail about the Apostle Paul’s statement “That blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). I am nearly finished with the first book and can’t wait to read the second one. I highly recommend that everyone who is involved in the Hebrew Roots of the Christian faith movement read these two books. It is not only time to be Israel but to share it with others at every opportunity.
We are heading towards the beginning of a new feast cycle with the Feast of Passover and it’s time to renew our first love with Yeshua. I feel like my Father has given me a new wine skin to receive His new wine by the Spirit. Also, the Season of Spring beings on March 20th and remember that “You bloom where you are planted”. It’s going to take all of us working together to build a strong community and to raise up the next generation. Let’s do this together for the Kingdom of God.
~Shalom Pastor Nick