What are we worth? Understanding the very delicate nature of our self-esteem and self worth is paramount in our lives if we want to live in good spiritual health. It is an issue that everyone will have to wrestle with at some time in his or her life. No one is exempt from this battle.  People have a need to be recognized and recognize others. We all have very special and significant distinctions in our life that makes us individuals. We want and need to be recognized for those features and distinctions. When we are not recognized we feel like our worth as a human being is compromised. This is known as our ego. This is why there is conflict in our lives. We feel like our ego is being challenged, our ideas, our distinctions. If we are corrected for something we have done wrong or an idea that is incorrect we feel like our entire identity is compromised unless we are teachable.
 
We see this conflict manifesting in life everywhere and every time we enter into strife or conflict with friends, family, colleagues. Some one has to be right and some one has to be wrong. Both can’t right. That would contradict logic. Two wrongs can’t both be right and two rights are always wrong.
 
We are all wounded souls looking for a healing. The problem is, we always seem to cause our own wounds. We can keep our wounds to a minimal if we only fight the battles that are worthy of our attention. Fighting the battles that only defend our self worth are not worthy of our attention or energy. We can’t win that kind of a battle.
Even if we get all the attention and recognition we crave, we still can’t be totally fulfilled. We don’t have the ability to filter or process that kind of inordinate praise. This kind of praise is only fitting for God. Only He is able and worthy to receive praise. He is distinct above all; yet, He is not recognized by His very own creation.
 
Men strive after notoriety and fame way beyond that which is healthy to try to fulfill their ego/self worth. Once they get it, they can’t even fully receive or process it. When they lose it later on in life they feel like their entire life has lost value and worth. Men turn to alcohol, drugs and suicide as their answer. When we give up our right to be recognized by men and look to be recognized by God, then we will find real worth that can be taken through life and beyond.
 
We see in our world today that those who are unable to attain that degree of recognition look to associate with those who do. This is why we have so many celebrities and groupies. We like to bask in the shadow of greatness. It makes us feel like we have attained a little of it ourselves by mere association. Anyone involved in the business world would deem it an honor if Donald Trump specifically said to them, "I want to hire you to work for me". But again this is still fleeting because it can’t last. Even the most famous people die like the rest of us.
 
This brings me to this conclusion - as I said above, men want to be recognized and recognize. This gives them worth.  So why not find our worth by being recognized by the most famous one of all: Yeshua. If God knows who you are then you truly have worth. You are worth the death of the Son of God. God even wants to hire you to work for Him.
 
When we look at the only one who deserves praise and how the world treated Him as worthless, then it helps us put life into perspective. Yeshua sought after the praise of the Father and showed us by example not to put the temporary things of this world in our sight as the ultimate goal.
 
Matt 6:19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
 
Why do we always pursue that which we cannot and should not have? I wonder if it has something to do with an experience we had in a garden.
 
Isaiah 40
12      Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
      And marked off the heavens by the span,
      And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
      And weighed the mountains in a balance
      And the hills in a pair of scales?
13      Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
      Or as His counselor has informed Him?
14      With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
      And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
      And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15      Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
      And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
      Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.
16      Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
      Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17      All the nations are as nothing before Him,
      They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
18      To whom then will you liken God?
      Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
 
Now this is fame.

If you can’t get what you want from the Bible then just make it up as you go along and put God’s name on it. Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not a Biblical guarantee.
The only thing that the scriptures guarantee is persecution.
 
2Tim 3:12-13
12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 

13But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Keeping in the spirit of, 1st John 1:4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world, I have decided to post these 3 videos. They were produced for the purpose of revealing a deception that has gripped the church all over the world, in the supposed new revival movements. There is a spirit of confusion that has intermingled with new age philosophy that has infiltrated the body of believers. This happens so easily now as a result of the Gospel being pulled out of it's Biblical Jewish context. The Gospel can now morph into anything that suits their whim because the filter in which they interpret the word of God is now based upon the wrong foundation. I want to warn you these videos are very disturbing so please approach your viewing with a spirit of prayer.

On the night of November 13th 7:00 pm at our congregation, we will be hosting Pastor Jobst Bittner. Ted Pierce, an internationally acclaimed musician, Psalmist and minister will be joining him also. He might even sing a song or two.

Pastor Bitner of TOS Ministries Intl. in Tubingen, Germany has been active in bringing churches all over the world to host marches on (Yom Ha Shoah) Holocaust Memorial Day. (Saturday, April 30, 2011.) Pastor Bitner pastors a church where the majority of members are children and grandchildren of Nazis...in a city that had more war criminals than any other city in Germany. Yet, through a time of prayer and fasting in 2000, this church found what they call, "The Key of David" that opens the doors of nations for repentance through the breaking of silence.

Since 2002, this church has been leading a prayer movement of reconciliation and causing repentance to sweep over cities and villages throughout Germany and Eastern Europe. You must hear the testimony of how a church of 230 people is changing several nations through prayer and action.

EVERY PASTOR IN AMERICA needs to hear how this church changed their city so much that Tubingen Germany has recently elected its first Jewish Mayor in 1,400 years of history.

There has been an incredible response in support to these events all over the world. On the night he joins us he will impart his vision for the march and how we can organize one of our own in cooperation with this world wide movement. Christians and Jews from every persuasion will join together to support Israel and Holocaust survivors and not just say never again but walk the walk. The link to past events is http://marchofremembrance.org/ Here you can read to your heart’s content about this amazing opportunity to speak up about the Holocaust. The website for this year’s event is still being worked on.

What we are proposing is that we will have a march in Boston on Yom Ha Shoah and a memorial service at the Holocaust memorial featuring local survivors who will tell us their story. Rabbis and Pastors will also share that day in support of Israel and the survivors. So please join us on the night of November 13th to hear the vision and give your input.

On the date of the march in Washington DC, there will be a prayer walk along the National Mall starting at the Washington Monument where we will hear the testimonies of Holocaust survivors in an open-air public meeting on the front lawn of the Capitol Building. Dozens of cities around the USA and internationally will be holding a March of Remembrance in their cities as well, including Boston. The list of participating cities is long, growing, and will be available at the website -MarchofRemembrance.org (by the end of October)

At the end of the night with Pastor Bitner we will have some nosh (snacks) and a time to get to know each other. All food will be either Kosher or Parve that night. Our address is 2 Canton St Suite A21 Stoughton MA. We are on route 27 right after the commuter rail station. If at all possible I would like to ask that you RSVP as soon as you can so I can know what to prepare for. You can email me or call my cell at 508-944-7393. 

In order for this march to be affective we need to put aside our differences and show our unity by marching side by side making the statement to the world that “Never Again” is more than just a cliche. We must put some feet behind our words and march in unity against those who think they can threaten to wipe the Jews of the face of the planet.

Thanks for your time and consideration
Shalom uvracha b'Yeshua (Peace and blessings in Messiah)
Rabbi Henry M. Morse Messianic Congregation Sha’ar Hashamayim  

I sit here in my office with a heavy heart. With great angst and anticipation of what is going to happen tomorrow in the voting booths. I will have to admit I am not a fan of politics. I find it rather distasteful. No matter who you vote for it always seems like we still loose. That might be because of the nature of the beast. Even the very word (poly ticks) smacks of abuse and exploitation. You could almost define it as multiple bloodsuckers, pun intended.
 
I jest but truthfully, I really do grieve in my heart. I see so many believers put their trust in the political system thinking that they are able to legislate revival and morality as long as they get the right man into office.
 
Please realize, I am not telling you not to vote. We all need to be out tomorrow fulfilling our civic obligation. I feel we should participate in our world as long as what we are being asked to do does not contradict the Scripture. We do have to be active in our community. So take note, No one is advocating abdication from our civic responsibility.
 
I am however not of the belief that the system that this present world has set up is inspired by God nor endorsed by God. There are too many compromises that are realized in order to live in a democratic society. We have to be willing to except majority rule over God’s rule.
 
This is why the will of God cannot be realized in our world. God’s way is exclusive. He will not make room for any other system, no matter how lofty it appears. God is not a Democrat or a Republican. He’s not even a Tea Party member.
 
Last Saturday night I went to the Mass Citizens right to life banquet where I was asked to give the invocation. A lovelier group of people you could not have met. They are active in the political system. They try and change the legislature to reflect a pro-life agenda. I agree with everything they are doing; yet, that being said, even if they do overturn Roe V Wade, which I pray,  it still does nothing to change the hearts of men.
 
I want to see babies saved as much as anyone. But we must realize that in spite of all the good work they are doing our goal has got to be the salvation of men so that their hearts will change first. We can only go so far in this worlds system. We can’t legislate the Kingdom of God on this earth. We can only preach the word so that His Kingdom will reign in the hearts of men.
 
 The Scripture teaches us...
 
Romans 12
1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
 
1 Corinthians 1
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
 
1 Corinthians 3
18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.
 
Ephesians 6
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
 
It is imperative that we know who our enemy is. We also need to know the subtlety of his ways and not be distracted from the real battle. God Himself is not a fan of any world system. They are all foolishness to Him. All theses systems will pass away and only God and His Kingdom will stand. I am sorry to inform you America will not be around when the New Jerusalem comes out of Heaven. And when His kingdom comes at that time we don’t get to vote.
 
James 1
27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
 
This world and its failed systems are not what we are called to put our trust in. Soon we will be out of here. This world is not our home. It is only a temporary stop over on the way to eternity. The world does not know us. But I am sure glad that Our God does.
 
1 John 3
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.