Newsletter for the Month of Iyyar by Sherry Lush
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Greetings and welcome to the month of Iyyar as we count the Omer!
This is the only month in which we count the Omer every day of the month. During the counting of the Omer, we are to be working on reaching higher every day in some way making ourselves better – more like the Messiah! When you think that we just came out of Passover where we cleaned our houses meticulously and reflected on what needed to be cleaned up in our own hearts, now we have 50 days to continue to give ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to do His work in our lives to clean up those hidden place and raise us to a new level of love and holiness.
I read a story of a lady who ran her hand across a wooden wall and felt a small sting, but paid no attention. About a week later her finger began to ache and swell and turn red. She realized then that the tiny sting she had felt had been a splinter, and if she did not treat it, the little splinter could infect her entire arm and cause serious problems. And tiny sins can grow and cause infection in our spirits if we don’t address them and do what is necessary to get rid of them before they become a very big problem. During the counting of the Omer, we concentrate on going up and getting rid of the smallest sins.
*Psalm 139 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
On the very first day of the counting of the Omer, Yeshua appeared to Mary Magdalene and some of the other women and Peter also who had come to see if the women were telling 'idle tales.'
And on that same day, two disciples were traveling to a village called Emmaus, a seven mile walk from Jerusalem. Yeshua came along side of them and talked with them, but they did not recognize Him, until they sat to eat with Him and He blessed and broke the bread – and their eyes were opened to see that it was King Yeshua!
These disciples returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those who were with them and said, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. And as they spoke, Yeshua appeared in their midst – not constrained by an earthly body, and said, 'Peace to you.'
On the 40th day of the Omer, Yeshua ascended into Heaven, telling His followers not to leave Jerusalem until the promise of the Father was fulfilled during Shavuot and the Holy Spirit would be sent. (Luke 24:50; Acts 1;9-12)
It would have been the month of Iyyar, during the counting of the Omer that Yeshua ascended!
Another amazing fact about Iyyar is that G d promised that if Israel followed His ways, 'the diseases I have placed on Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am G d your Healer - Jehovah Rapha (אני י י רפאך).' The acronym for this last phrase spells out the name of the month of Iyar (אייר), thus indicating that Iyar is a month full of promise as a time for healing.
We at Alpha and Omega Ministries pray that you are all learning and growing in Yeshua as each day passes. As the prophecies continue to unfold before our eyes in the headlines almost daily, we sense that the Lord’s return is very near and we are told that he will come again as He went. He went up in the clouds into heaven. So look up, dear friends, He will come from heaven soon! We are praying for all of Israel, for the IDF soldiers to be surrounded and protected as they battle to protect and defend their citizens and their nation. We pray for Israel’s leadership to be strong in the Lord as they stand in the face of the world turning against them. We pray for America as our president is turning his back on Israel and that he will hear from heaven and change his ways toward them. And we pray
Baruch ha ba be’Shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
May we all be found doing good deeds and building His Kingdom when He comes!
Peace to You!
Download the full newsletter document: Newsletter for the Month of Iyyar by Sherry Lush
Newsletter Nisan II, 5784 by Sherry Lush
Thursday, April 11, 2024
This year, Nisan arrives in a world full of war, lawlessness and governmental policies that make no sense. But we should take heart knowing the things we see happening are pointing to the coming of the Messiah. And for this our hearts yearn! Signs in the heavens that only our God can do speaks loudly about the days we are in. Let’s look at some of the ways the Lord is speaking in our time.
Genesis 1:14 'Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;'
CLICK TO READ THE NEWSLETTER AND LEARN ABOUT ALL ABOUT THE WAYS THE LORD IS SPEAKING!!
Download the full newsletter document: Newsletter Nisan II, 5784 by Sherry Lush
Newsletter Adar II, 5784 by Sherry Lush
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Shalom and Joy to All,
Here we are in the month of Adar II, and we will celebrate Purim on March 23-24, 2024. In years when we have two months of Adar, we celebrate Purim during Adar II on the 14th of that month. Because we know we are in the days that will usher in the Messiah to the earth, we need to be aware that every Biblical holiday has great meaning for us. Purim is about a miracle, it is about an evil man, who wants to destroy Israel and it is about our great G-d who is hidden throughout the entire account, but who is moving His plan through the ones who would trust Him.
The story of the miracle of Purim begins with a grand party – a party that would continue for six months. But during the party, the King’s wife, Vashti, refused the King’s orders to display her beauty, and the King was furious. Vashti was banished and the search for a new queen ensued.
King Ahasuerus, the guy who ruled the greatest empire the world, then chose a beautiful, orphaned Jewish girl who had been raised by her uncle Mordacai, to be his new queen. Her name is Esther, and Esther had no idea how the Lord would use her in the days ahead.
Now the plat of a wicked man, Haman, who is an ancestor of the Amalekites who really represent anti-Semitism in the world, begins to unveil his evil intentions. What were Haman’s intentions? His intentions were to bring glory to himself and to annihilate the Jewish people. The same spirit is operating in the earth today, and we need to have our eyes wide open to the battle that we have entered.
And the Bible tells us how Haman’s plan unfolded:
*Esther 3:9-11 'If it please the king, let it be written that they (the Jewish people) may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.' Haman now had power.
We must remember that the enemy is deceptive and he has a plan to destroy. More than ever, we must be wise and know how to use the weapons of warfare that the Lord has given us.
And the battle began. Now Esther goes into battle mode and plans to bring to light to Haman’s evil scheme. She literally takes her life into her hands, going to the king without being summoned and invites him and later he and Haman to a banquet.
At the second banquet, and to his shock, Esther exposes Haman’s wicked scheme, and she lets it be known that she is Jewish! In addition to all of this, Haman had already built gallows for Mordecai to be hanged on. Haman was so sure that he was about to be honored, but he was totally deceived; as he and his 10 sons would be hung on those very gallows.
More than ever before, Believers are going to have to take a stand against evil and proclaim their faith in Yeshua the Messiah. If any believer has hidden his/her identity, it is time for the mask to come off and boldly do the work of the Kingdom.
Esther then calls all the Jewish people to fast and pray – and the weapons of our warfare are still the same. The King now knows the terrible plot and says to Esther: *Esther 8:8 'You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews as you please, thee king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.' This is a promise from the king; he gave Esther authority much like the way our King has given us authority to represent Him in the world and to overcome the schemes of the enemy. Like Esther we must take the authority He has given and use it for His Kingdom’s purposes.
Esther called her people to fast and pray for 3 days, and though we never see the LORD’S name mentioned, we see His mighty hand moving on behalf of the people who call on Him. And we see victory for the Jewish people...
*Esther 9:1 'Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.'
The Jewish people were saved because one woman put her life on the line and rose up to work with G-d. Now it is our turn. Are we willing?
UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 16th: Rabbi Itzach Shapira will be teaching at Alpha and Omega Ministries at 10:30am – Be There for this very Special Event!
March 23rd: After our Shabbat Service and Oneg, we will celebrate Purim. There will be a costume contest for the children with prizes and then we will show the movie 'A Night With The King.' We’ll have Hamantashen, popcorn and all the goodies! Come Celebrate with us!!
April 22, Monday evening at 6:30 we will have our Passover Seder. Please invite friends and family and join us for this very special time.
*Deuteronomy 31:6 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.'
Shalom and Blessings!
Download the full newsletter document: Newsletter Adar II, 5784 by Sherry Lush
Newsletter for the Month of Adar 1 , 5784 by Sherry Lush
Monday, February 12, 2024
Greetings to All!
We pray this new month find you all thriving and rejoicing in the Lord. As we continue to watch the prophetic clock ticking, our thoughts turn more and more to His Word and our relationship with the Lord to find our joy and our hope. The month of Adar is a month that reminds us that our hope is in the all-powerful God of creation who does miracles!
Counting from the month of Nisan, Adar is the 12th month on the Biblical calendar.
The name 'Adar' derives from a related word, 'adir' meaning strength and power! This is reason to lift our heads and proclaim that our strength comes from the Lord and we trust in Him!
*Isaiah 40:9-10 Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news. Raise your voice loudly, O Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, 'Here is your God! Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him.
It is during Adar that joy increases as we remember on the 14th of Adar we rejoice during the holiday of Purim, when Esther and Mordechai were granted victory over the wicked Haman. 'Pur' from the word Purim means lots, and we are reminded that like a lottery, there is that which is over nature and over human understanding. There is a God who directs from the heavenly courts.
We wish you all a blessed time of rejoicing in that victory and all the victories yet to come, as we read the book of Esther, eat hamantaschen and enjoy great fellowship with one another.
*1 John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
We are overcomers! Rejoice!
Download the full newsletter document: Newsletter for the Month of Adar 1 , 5784 by Sherry Lush
Newsletter For The Month of Shevat 5784 by Sherry Lush
Friday, January 12, 2024
Greetings to All,
We at Alpha and Omega Ministries pray that you are all well and pursuing the Lord every day. As the world continues on the path of chaos and war, more than ever we need to be calling for the Messiah to come. He is our hope. Our hope and our deliverance will not come from man.
*John 14:1-2 Yeshua specifically tells us: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And one day we will join Him at His Father’s house and be in His glorious presence forever. Dwell on this day and rejoice!
The month of Shevat brings us to the heavy rainy months of winter in Israel. Rain is a blessing. And Shevat is a month when we think about the trees. Though in Shevat, many trees are bare and leafless and the are not producing fruit, the rains of winter begin to be soaked up from the roots causing the sap in the tress to begin to ascend into the branches bringing the life that will again produce fruit. Cloud filled, rainy skies can evoke feelings of despair or hopelessness, but really, they are days to both enjoy the solitude and soak in the life-giving Word of G-d, and know that it will produce fruit in us that will bring glory to G-d. In every season, G-d will produce good in our lives when we seek Him with all of our hearts.
We know that there is a religious year and a civil year on the biblical calendar, but do you know there is also a new year of trees? We celebrate this new year of the trees in the month of Shevat. It is celebrated with the custom of planting trees, and eating a meal with family and friends which revolves around fruit and nuts which are the produce of the trees. Some of the fruits and nuts we enjoy are special produced in Israel such as: wheat, barley, olives, dates, figs, pomegranates, walnuts, almonds, etrogim, carobs, and pears. These are some of the fruits Israel is famous for, but you can include other fruits and nuts also.
It is written: Deuteronomy 8:7,8 'For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land with brooks of water, fountains and depths, that emerge in valleys and mountains, land of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil producing olives and honey, land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, you will lack nothing in it.
THIS YEAR:
As the war goes on in Israel and attacks continue in the North and on ships in the Red Sea, as well as the hostages still being held captive we want to continually pray for Israel. We pray for their leaders to ask the Lord for wisdom and for His strategies. We pray for unity and love among the people and for their lively hoods, which have taken a big hit. And we pray the following prayer for the soldiers who fight the war:
TRADITIONAL PRAYER FOR THE IDF
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.
May our roots grow deep during these winter months, and as we seek Him with all our hearts may the oil of the Holy Spirit be filling us daily so our light never goes out.
He is a Good! Good! Father, and He never leaves us!
Shalom and Blessings to All