Sunday, May 24, 2009

A Prophetic Friendship

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

I want to share with you a prophetic friendship that has developed over the years with a sabra (native born Israeli). His name is Yisrael and he owns a Kosher market in the Miami area. I worked as an educational consultant around the corner from Yisrael's market. During this time of my life, the Spirit lead me to wear a kippah and a katan (4 corned garment with tassels). My boss who was a Reformed Jew turned Orthodox hired me and stated that it would be a mitsvah (good deed) to hire someone brave enough to wear a kippah since 9/11. This is how I ended up working right around the corner from Yisrael's market. As our friendship developed, whenever I would walk in the store he would express with joy in Hebrew, “Shevet achim gam yachad!” This translates into English as, “Brothers dwelling together in unity.” I explained to Yisrael that I was a non-Jew returning to Torah, but nothing more. Yet, still Yisrael would proclaim to me, “Shevet achim gam yachad.” Abba made it clear to me that I was to let my “light shine forth before men.” I was to allow the glimmer of light within me to testify of Y'shua, our King. I was to speak with my life and not my mouth.

Later, I moved to another job. It had been over a year since I had spoken to Yisrael. During a day off from work, my wife and I decided to visit the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach. Being prompted by the Ruach we decided to drive down to Yisrael's market and have lunch. Since Yisrael catered our wedding, my wife, Reyyna, has had the opportunity to come with me to his market and visit on numerous occasions. I asked Yisrael, “When was the last time we'd spoken? It's been too long.” Yisrael thought that it had only been a few weeks. Actually, I believe to him it seemed like we'd never been away! As we were talking he asked us if we'd ever visited a certain Messianic congregation. Stunned by the question we only answered, “No.” After that question he continued to call us mishpokah (family) and declared as we left, “Shevet achim gam yachad!” After leaving the market my wife and I left with great joy. We were praising the Father that an Orthodox Jewish man knew we were believers in Y'shua without us uttering a word! Truly the light of Y'shua shined forth!! In addition, we weren't treated as cast-offs, but family!

This past Pesach I purchased lamb from Yisrael. I paid for it in advance and he agreed to deliver it to our home. I needed to call him later and make final arrangements. I called one evening and before discussing lamb, Yisrael spoke with me and said, “Tzefanyah, people don't understand that “shevet achim gam yachad” is everything! If we only knew this, the whole world would be transformed.”

Within a few days, Yisrael delivered the lamb to our home. We are renting a room from a brother named Obed. He wanted to meet Yisrael and, therefore, came outside the house with me to greet him. When Yisrael was about to leave, Obed reached to give him a hug. Yisrael responded, “Yes, I like hugs.” I then gave him a hug too. We left that evening in the warm embrace of “shevet achim gam yachad.”

I pray that all of the children of Yisrael will discern and understand the message in this prophetic friendship.

Tehillim (Psalm) 133: 1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity –2 Like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aharon, running down on the collar of his robes – 3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon.  For there YHWH commanded the blessing, Life forever!


Shavua tov,

Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Trumpet Sounding for the Firstborn

Shalom Kol Yisrael,

A few weeks ago we traveled to the northwest part of Florida to visit our son. It was a visit ordained of the Father. He shared with us about his struggles to walk the narrow way. As I started writing this letter a verse came to mind, Mishle (Proverbs) 24:16 for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. I really believe Abba is making our son a righteous man.

During our visit, our son shared with us an incident that deeply impacted him. He was watching TV with 2 friends on the second floor of a townhouse. Above the noise of the the TV they heard a loud sound of a heavenly trumpet overcoming the TV noise. They all rushed outside to look around finding other neighbors doing the same. One of his friends turned to him and said, “Could this be the 1st trumpet?” Needless to say it put a holy fear into each one of them. Now, our son has an ear for music and is an excellent trombonist and very good on the french horn as well. He described the sound as a low sounding trumpet that no human could reproduce. We asked him when this occurred and it turned out to be around Aviv 1; the beginning of the Biblical New Year. This was the same time that other faithful Yisraelites were sounding their shofarot (plural for shofar) in their assemblies or homes marking the beginning of the month, and this month was a very significant one at that!! Just as it says in the Torah, Shemot (Exodus)12: 1 YHWH spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Yisrael, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; 4 and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Yisrael shall kill it at evening. (emphases added).

What I found significant was that this Pesach Seder, Abba put on my heart the importance of the firstborn. I asked if any in attendance were firstborn and I said a special prayer for them. I explained that this feast was for them. For Abba is very specific, Shemot 13:2 “Set apart to Me all the first-born, the one opening the womb among the children of Yisra’ĕl, among man and among beast, it is Mine.” But, the Pesach is not only for individual firstborn, but a nation as well, Shemot 4:22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the YHWH, Yisrael is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”

Interestingly, our son Aharon is a firstborn and so were the other 2 young men with him. I was talking to a brother in South Carolina and it occurred to me that this could be the trumpet sound for the firstborn. What does Abba say about those who truly hear the sound of the shofar? Tehillim (Psalm) 89:15 Blessed are the people Who know the festal trumpet-call (the Hebrew word here is Teruah which is one of the shofar calls during Yom Teruah [Feast of Trumpets]. They walk, O YHWH, in the light of Your face.

A Trumpet Call to the Firstborn Nation?

Isaiah 18: 1 Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia;  2 that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus on the waters, saying, “Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide!”  3 All you inhabitants of the world, and you dwellers on the earth, when a banner is lifted up on the mountains, look! When the shofar is blown, listen!  (emphases added)

Could this also be a trumpet call to those who have not listened? Is YHWH sending out one of His final messages to the earth that He is indeed calling forth the seed of Yisrael to arise out of obscurity in the nations?

Closing Remarks

Prophetic events are unfolding before our eyes. It is time to be obedient watchmen. We need to call upon the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to anoint our spiritual senses. I believe the blowing of the shofar has been appointed to us as watchmen over Kol Yisrael (in and outside of the Land). Every Rosh Kodesh (New Moon), and every festival when the shofar is blown could be a prophetic call to the nations. Is redemption to the land of our inheritance near? It may be time to warn the nations and awaken the seed of Yisrael.

Yeheskel (Ezekiel) 33: 1 The word of the YHWH came to me, saying,  2 Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;  3 if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the shofar, and warns the people;  4 then whoever hears the sound of the shofar, and doesn’t take warning, if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.  5 He heard the sound of the shofar, and didn’t take warning; his blood shall be on him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.  6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the shofar, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and take any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.  7 So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. (emphases added)

Shavua tov,

Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us
strengthen (encourage) one another!
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