Beth Ariel Messianic Congregation

The Light of the World

webmaster — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:28:03 +0000

My dear special sisters in our Lord Yeshua,

When we think of light, we most often immediately think of the sun. In our rudimentary education we have been taught that the sun is the center of the solar system. Scientific studies have revealed the greatness of the sun. For instance, the sun is 93,000,000 miles from earth. Astronomers estimate that the diameter of the sun is 109 times that of the earth. Also, the temperature at the sun’s surface is approximately 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But the sun, in spite of its greatness, is incomparable to the Son . . .

The Light Of The World

Believers in Yeshua, our Lord and Messiah, know that He alone is the Light of the world. In fact, Yeshua declared Himself to be such. Though it may be beyond our grasp of understanding, let us reach out by faith and gain further insight about our Lord’s meaning in this self-addressed metaphor of our Master. Equally as important, let each of us search our heart and ask ourselves, “Does the Son, Messiah Yeshua, who is God in the flesh, have a great impact or influence upon my life, similar to the sun of the solar system that shines down upon the earth?”

Let us begin this study by gaining a deeper understanding of Yeshua as “The Light.” His claim is certainly not depictive of a god who walks around all aglow. While on earth, Yeshua possessed the natural appearance of a man. Scripture teaches us that God, Himself, is described as light. For instance, in Psalm 104:2, “He wraps himself in light as with a garment.” In the book of Revelation, Yeshua, the Son of Man, is described this way, “His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:16.) In addition, Yeshua coming to earth was certainly accompanied by light. Concerning the angel that came to the shepherds announcing Yeshua’s birth, Luke says, “and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). A star shone over Bethlehem where Yeshua was born. During Yeshua’s life, His glory was revealed in the transfiguration experience when He became dazzling white (Mark 9:2-3).

Therefore, when Yeshua declared, “I am the Light of the World,” indeed it was a statement about His glory; but it was more than that. It was about what He came to do. In Luke 4:18-19, Yeshua said of Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This is what characterized Yeshua’s life on earth. Essentially His life and ministry was about bringing life to people. John 1:4 describes Yeshua this way, “In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.” Yeshua alone brings life to mankind. This means that He brought hope and restoration to a world of hopelessness and brokenness. Through His teachings, Yeshua freed people from ignorance concerning God, His Kingdom, the meaning of obedience and the way to salvation. He also freed others from their sins by granting forgiveness.

Most importantly, this life Yeshua brings to us is rooted in His sacrificial act of offering Himself on the cross, as the Lamb of God, to take away our sins and to have life everlasting. Praise God. John declared, “Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Yeshua said of Himself, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Yeshua came to display all of the goodness of God through His caring acts toward people; He came to teach God’s Truth; and He came to bear punishment for our sin. In all of these ways, Yeshua is the Light of the world.

What effect does Yeshua’s Light have on those who believe? Yeshua’s Light reveals God’s Truth concerning the way of salvation. Yeshua declared in John 8:12, “Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” This means life in all its fullness. It means eternal life! It comes not by accepting a set of standards to follow, nor by our promise to do good deeds. Eternal life is ours for the asking, by receiving Yeshua into our life through our faith and trust in Him as our Lord and Savior. Furthermore, we trust what He has done on the cross for us. We trust that He has now left His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and to guide and empower us for His service. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” Children of God give all honor, praise and glory only unto Him.

The Light of our Lord creates spiritual maturity in our lives. As we learn more of God’sTruth, we grow and mature, similar to plants needing sunlight to grow. The presence of Yeshua in our lives changes and purifies us to be more in one accord to His likeness and character. We then blossom with godly character. We become rooted in His Truth to withstand the storms in our earthly life. We are filled with the joy of the Lord, deep gratitude, and God’s peace. Our spiritual maturity evolves as we are being guided by the Light of Yeshua within us. Lord Yeshua who is also the Word, “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

I wish to share a simple story with you of a man who drove his team of horses and wagon swiftly and safely on a long winding road through a dark forest one evening. Afterward, he was asked how he knew where all the trees were along the road to avoid hitting them as he drove the narrow road before him. The man humbly replied that he did not possess any knowledge of the right course to avoid hitting the trees, but added: “I looked up at the opening between the tree tops and knew that if I followed the light above I would be safe.” And that is precisely how each of us finds our way on our spiritual journey, as we look upward to Yeshua, the Light of the world. When we welcome Yeshua into our hearts and our lives, we no longer guide our own lives, but ask our Lord to lead us. Yeshua is our everlasting Light, similar to the pillar of fire and cloud that led the Israelites through the darkness.

As women of faith we are called to let our light, the Light of the Lord, shine before others, so that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-15.) It is only as we strengthen our relationship with Yeshua that we become lights to this torn and broken world. We are called to bring truth to the blind and lost; hope to those burdened by sin; acceptance to the unloved and forgotten; God’s love and joy to the down trodden; calm to those who are impatient; and most important, share the good news of God’s salvation to those who do not know Him, enabling them to experience life everlasting.

In humble service to our mighty God,

Your sister Eileen

Developing the Virtue of Patience

webmaster — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:05:48 +0000

Dear special sisters in the Lord,

Looking back on my childhood, I vividly recall one of my beloved Grandmother Rose’s teachings about patience. On occasion I would exhibit a lack of patience, and my dear Grandmother would gently and lovingly correct me. I cannot tell you how many times I heard her say, “Patience is a Virtue.” Depending upon our general temperament, it is easier for some of us to exercise patience, whereas others truly struggle with this attribute. I believe it is fair to say that most of us are challenged from time to time when it comes to possessing sufficient patience. Having said that, our focus this week will be on . . .

Developing the Virtue Of Patience

I can almost hear a big sigh from some of my sisters who struggle with a lack of patience, but we all do from time to time. We are living in a society that values instant gratification. I have become increasingly aware of the lack of patience among people, as everyone seems to be in such a hurry these days. Recently, I was standing in line at Costco to check out my groceries. My place was secure and I was people watching. I could not help but observe a young woman walking frantically back and forth from one check out line to another. I noticed that she was not only taking inventory of how many people were ahead of her in each line, but how many groceries were in each shopping cart, adding to the check out time factor. Does this sound familiar to any of you? Just as this woman made a decision to return back to my line, another person with a shopping cart filled to capacity dashed ahead of her. Therefore, her strategic effort to save time was all in vain. She sadly became very angry, muttering and sputtering profane words. I will tell you that it was not a pretty sight!

Throughout the Bible we are admonished that patience needs to be a way of life for followers of Yeshua, our Lord and Savior. It does not say it is easy, but it can be accomplished by standing in agreement with God’s Word and through discipline. We are reminded in Colossians 1:11, “We also pray that you will be strengthened with His glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.” As children of God, we are commanded to love others as God loves us, as we walk through our earthly life, seeking to please God and being transformed to be more like Him. For us to love like God loves, patience will be required. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Patience could be defined as the ability to graciously endure hardship and inconvenience without complaint. This is a quality or virtue that we need to acquire, to live our life in a manner that is pleasing to God. As we live and face the trials and tribulations of life, we learn to exercise patience, and this strengthens our spiritual walk with the Lord. Each of us deal with people or circumstances that try our composure. This week, let us search our hearts and ask ourselves how gracious we behave in trying circumstances, and whether we seek Godly ways to improve our attitude.

The Bible assures us that God will be faithful to complete the good works He began in us (Philippians 1:6). In the interim, we are less than perfect and perhaps less than easy to love at times. Paul instructs us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, to maintain the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). James tells us to “Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4).

We also need to exercise patience toward God as we wait upon the Lord for His full plan for our lives to unfold. Often we are called to be patient to wait for answers to prayers, for deliverance, for provision, or for God to reveal His will. We truly have no choice but to wait in these circumstances, but developing patience will endure the wait graciously. It helps us to remember how very patient God has been with us on a daily basis. 1 Timothy 1:16, reveals, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Messiah Yeshua might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.”

2 Peter 3:8-9, provides further insight, “But, do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Now let us reach a little deeper as we go to James 1:1-4. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Messiah Yeshua, was writing to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations. He wrote to them with “Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

In the passages of Scripture above, James tells us that the trying of our faith works patience. We face different kinds of trials from time to time. There are trials of sickness, sorrow and persecution. When we face these circumstances, we will be victorious if we approach each trial in a manner that is pleasing to God. Dear sisters, I am fully aware that what God asks of us is not always easy. It is difficult to count something a joy when it is bringing grief and sorrow upon our heart. But verse 2 says that we need to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds. Why? Because the testing of our faith develops perseverance, and we will become mature and complete in the process, not lacking anything. In other words, with God’s grace and empowering strength, we will become victorious in Him!

These trials are ultimately trials of our faith. As daughters of God we are to live by faith. In order for faith to be strong, it must be tested. Faith by its very nature needs to be tested and tried in order to grow. As we continue to put all of our faith and trust in God, the more patient we become because we have the blessed assurance of God’s sovereignty. We are then able to endure the hardships and trials of life without complaining. Is it always easy, of course not. But through strong faith in God, we learn to trust in Him to lead and guide us through all circumstances we face in our earthly journey. In doing so, the ultimate victory is that God will be glorified and we will possess a peace in our heart that is beyond human understanding.

In verse four James tells us to let patience have its perfect work. He is instructing us to allow patience to produce its fruit; that is without being hindered. We are not to hinder the influence patience works in our heart. There are many things that hinder patience from influencing our hearts, such as murmuring, complaining, and rebellion. So, we see that God has designed patience to produce necessary virtues and graces in our souls in order for us to mature in our faith, and to be good servants for the Lord. When patience has its perfect work in our hearts, it brings us into full maturity in our spiritual walk; hence, there will not be anything lacking in our character.

Now please turn with me to Romans 5:3-4, where Paul reveals that “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Here we see that tribulations work for us to grow in our perseverance and patience. The positive outcome of these trials and tribulations will ultimately work for our good. The fruit of these trials is worth the endurance of them. Paul had learned from his personal trials that they ended up bringing him comfort and strength in the Lord.

Paul expresses this further in 2 Corinthians 1:3-6, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Messiah flow over into our lives, so also through Messiah our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”

My prayer is that you have gained some further insight in your knowledge that patience is a very important component to living a God centered life. One of my favorite uplifting passages of Scripture is found in Isaiah 40:28-31, which is applicable to any of our challenges in our daily walk with the Lord. Please read along with me: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Praise God for His blessed assurance.

In closing, we may become very weary at times, but if we wait upon the Lord, He will give us power, He will give us strength, He will give us the encouragement and perseverance we need to go on. Others may disappoint us, but God will never fail us. In our earthly life we may have some difficult hurdles that take a toil on us. But, we need to remain focused in looking upward to our blessed Lord, Who is the Light of the world. Just as prayer, praise, and being in God’s Word are essentials to our spiritual walk with the Lord, so is developing patience. God will reach down with His mighty hand and lead us through our struggles, and bring us to the joy of His salvation.

In the shadow of His wings,

Your sister Eileen

Portable A/C Needed

webmaster — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:08:16 +0000

Lee Fish is in need of a portable A/C unit (not window). If anyone has one they can give to her, please contact Lee at shamusfish@gmail.com.

The Precious Blessing That Yeshua Calls Us His Friend

webmaster — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:27:26 +0000

My dear sisters in the Lord,

When we begin to consider the magnitude of the rich blessings we receive from God, we cannot help but feel the gravity of how much God loves His children. The very fact that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, it is sometimes difficult to imagine that the God of the Universe welcomes a relationship with His children. Even more so, He welcomes an intimate personal relationship, a friendship with us. To more fully understand God’s truth, our focus this week will be on . . .

The Precious Blessing That Yeshua Calls Us His Friend

Out of all the people spoken of in the Old Testament, only one was ever referred to as God’s friend. In Isaiah 41:8, God says that He chose Jacob, who was an offspring of “Abraham my friend.” There is also reference to this in James 2:23. Having said that, can you imagine how blessed the disciples were to hear Lord Yeshua say, “No longer do I call you servants… instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Quite amazingly, Yeshua is saying that to each of us as well. How intoxicating it is to know that the God of the Universe calls us His friend! Praise God for the most loving, faithful, intimate, and abiding friendship that we will ever experience throughout our lifetime.

The Bible reveals to us that Yeshua was called “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). Lord Yeshua fully demonstrated that He is our friend because He served us sacrificially, and gave Himself to meet our greatest need. Yeshua proclaimed: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Yeshua could have called us His “servants,” which would have been an appropriate way to describe us. In fact, it is indeed a great honor for us to be called servants by having Yeshua as our Master. But, our Lord desires a far deeper relationship with us above that of a master toward his servants. Yeshua said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). In Luke 12:4, Yeshua addresses His disciples as, “I tell you, my friends, . . . “

One may ask, what are the foundations of a friendship with Yeshua? Put simply, it begins with our faithfulness and obedience to Him. As our Lord Yeshua said, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14). Then He added the dynamic of communication. Yeshua promised to reveal to us all that the Father has told Him (John 15:15). As His friends, we begin to bear fruit, sharing a commonality with Him, by reflecting His glory in our attitudes and actions. Yeshua tells us in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Obedience to God’s Word places us in harmony with the plan of a holy and loving God. But, we are also warned, “Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). A friendly response to the sinful ways of the world is hostile to the ways of God. These two friendships are in great opposition. We cannot be walking obediently with the Lord and have one foot into worldly things.

Yeshua is the Vine and we are the branches. We derive our whole existence from Him. Who we are is because we are in Him. It is a foundational truth of God. Without Him, we can do nothing; but, remaining in Him, we are called and enabled to bear fruit that will glorify God. The depiction of the relationship between Yeshua and His disciples, as a vine to its branches, is very bracing. It is easily grasped and makes a powerful point. I encourage you to read John, Chapter 15, in its entirety.

The imagery of the Vine and branches gives way to a glorious reality that we are loved by God with the love that exists within the relationships of the Trinity. Yeshua calls us here to remain in His love, just as He remained in the Father’s love. Yeshua said in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Similarly we are to accomplish this through our obedience to God. Just as Yeshua obeyed His Father, we are to obey the commands of our Lord. Please do not mistaken this to mean that Yeshua is describing a merit-theology, in which we earn His love. What Yeshua is saying is that our enjoyment of His love for us will be conditioned by our obedience to His commands. Our obedience is not what makes us His friends; it is what characterizes our friendship with Him. By obeying His commands, His joy will be in us and our joy will then be complete.

In the Gospel of John, the relationship between Yeshua and His Father has been seen to be of the deepest, most rewarding nature. The love they share is beyond comparison. Thus, when Yeshua tells us that He loves His own just as the Father has loved Him, we find ourselves at a loss for words due to the blessing He has bestowed upon us. The love expressed by Yeshua for His people is the same nature as the love between the Father and the Son. Being loved in this way, we are caught up into the very life and love of God in the deepest most personal way.

To put Lord Yeshua first, to give your all for God, is not to suffer loss; it is great gain. Our Lord commands us to love each other as He has loved us (John 15:12). Therefore, our love for one another must rise above mere sentiment; it is instead to be patterned on and reflect the self-giving sacrifice of our Lord for us. Indeed, that commandment may take some effort, if we desire being true disciples of Yeshua. We need to pray as Paul did for the Philippians, “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9).

In closing, we are most gratefully blessed to be loved by Yeshua and valued as His friend. Therefore, we are called to love one another as He has loved us. Our Lord has brought us into the most fulfilling relationship imaginable. God blesses us with a life that hopefully reflects a similar kind of fruitfulness, all for His praise and glory. Yeshua welcomes us to the privilege of friendship with Him. The question begs, are we His friend? I encourage you to be in prayer about this during the upcoming week. My personal prayer for each of my precious sisters is that you receive the most amazing blessing of experiencing a deep, intimate, abiding relationship with our loving, holy God.

Gratefully blessed by His friendship,

Your sister Eileen

Caretaker Needed

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:13:45 +0000

Dwayne Solomon’s mother, Gloria, is in need of a caretaker, one day a week for 4 to 5 hours. (could possibly evolve into more days.) This is a paid position. Gloria also knows of another woman who is in need of a caretaker. Gloria lives in Winnetka, not far from the congregation. Her number is 818-998-4361.

Job Needed

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:13:12 +0000

Lou is looking for work as a caregiver/companion. She is available nights or days. References are available. You can reach her at 818-703-1403.

Help Needed

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:12:38 +0000

Shelley DeVall is looking for a young High School or College age girl who wants to earn money helping organize things in her house on Saturdays. She lives in Northridge, near Corbin and Roscoe. Contact Shelley at 818-554-1277.

Room for Rent

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:03:37 +0000

– in Mission Hills, available July 1st. The rent is $650 and utilities are included. The room has a ceiling fan and an air conditioner in the wall that can be operated by remote or manually. Attached to the room is a private bathroom with new tile and fixtures. Gated parking and a semi private entrance. Full house privileges as well. The renter will have 1/2 of the refrigerator and freezer space and a large cabinet in the kitchen to utilize for dry food. The home has wood floors and tile through out. Central air and heat including the room for rent. The living room has a gas/wood fireplace. Outside patio with a charcoal grill. Gardener is included and comes every other Thursday. This house is surprisingly centrally located close to 118, 170, 5, 210, & 405 freeways. 15 minutes to Hollywood, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Winnetka, Chatsworth and Northridge. 1/2 hour to Pasadena, Simi Valley, and Santa Clarita. 10 minutes to CSUN. Close to public transportation as well. Ralph’s, Von’s, and Rite Aid is 1 block away. I have a listing on Craig’s list but I would prefer a practicing Christian who has an income that will support the rent. The person can be male or female.

Juliet Haun
juliet.haun@gmail.com
818.730.7275 CELL (8 am-10 pm)

Ride Needed

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:59:19 +0000

Marni Rader is seeking someone to give her 73-year-old mother, Carol Martin, a ride to and from church every Sunday. UPDATE: Carol is taking a bus to get to the congregation and walking to the church. If someone can pick her up at the bus stop to save her from walking the mile to the congregation, that would also be helpful. They live in Sherman Oaks, near the 101. She is willing to pay for gas. Could you please let her know if any congregants are willing to do this for Carol? It would mean so much to her and really contribute to her feeling loved and cared for. Home Phone: 818-986-9141; Marni’s Cell Phone: (206) 269-2138; Email: marnirader@aol.com.

Room for Rent

webmaster — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:54:51 +0000

Female Yeshua-believing roommate needed to share a lovely home in Redondo Beach. Room, deposit, plus share utilities. Shalom. Please contact Mari at (310) 227-7563 for details.