Dear Mishpacha (family),
As I am writing this newsletter, and thinking of the Day of Thanksgiving, I am reminded how we should be thanking our Heavenly Father every single day. In Matthew 26:27 it says, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;” Yeshua was giving thanks for the cup that contained the wine that represented His blood. The blessing over the bread and the wine is giving thanks for His provision for us physically but it is also giving Him thanks for His spiritual provision by shedding His blood. The month of November had quite a few exciting things that took place and the month of December promises to be just as good. On November 10th we had Sondra Baras with us from CFOIC and she shared a heart felt message about the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th, 2023. She also shared about how her nephew served in the IDF and lost his life in the war defending the State of Israel. On November 12th I attended my monthly ministers connection and that was inspiring. In my small group of pastors, I shared with them that the church is grafted into the Olive Tree that represents Israel. They seemed to agree and it was well received. On November 13th I had lunch with Pastor Joseph from Destination Church, he borrowed the Ark of the Covenant piece of furniture to use at his church. He is so excited to be going to Israel for the first time in the beginning of December with a lot of other pastors, teachers, and influencers. The ministry of tourism of Israel is paying for the trip. On November 14th I was able to attend the 5th Annual All Pro Pastors Prayer Breakfast, there were a total of 400 attending. Paul asked me to blow the shofar to start the event and that was an honor.
On November 19th for our Men’s meeting we had Matt Moore, the Director of Ellel Ministries come and give us a word on offences that was encouraging and informative. In the month of December, we have the Holiday of Hanukkah from December 14th eve to 21st eve. As a congregation we will be celebrating it on December 15th eve with latkes and doughnuts and then again on December 20th for our Shabbat Service. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication”. The story of Hanukkah took place around 175-163 BC in the Land of Israel. A small army of devout Jews known as the Maccabees rebelled against their Greek-Syrian rulers, eventually overcoming them. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled. The legend states there was only enough pure oil to light the menorah for one night, yet through a miracle, the menorah remained burning for eight days; for this reason, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight nights. The holiday of Hanukkah is not only historical but prophetic; I will be teaching about the historical and prophetic significance of Hanukkah in the near future. At this time of year we have to ask ourselves, “What are we dedicated to?” that is a good question and the first thing that we should be dedicated to is our Heavenly Father. I am also dedicated to my family and the congregation of Beit Tehila that helps to make up my family. I am dedicated to the Vision of Beit Tehila to build a strong community and to raise up the next generation.
I really enjoy and love how our Heavenly Father creates opportunities for us to take part in. He wants to further His kingdom through our Community at Beit Tehila by giving us opportunities. You have to know that great opportunities require great responsibility so we have to be mature. Together we can achieve so much for the Kingdom of God and I look forward to that. Danielle and I love and appreciate all of you and are here for you if you need us. We look forward to an amazing 2026! We pray for blessings, prosperity, unity and health for you and yours!
Shalom, Pastor Nick