Rabbi & Rebbetzin’s Greetings for July 2022
By Eric Carlson on July 1, 2022
Shalom Mishpocha!
It’s July, summer has arrived! We are halfway through this year, where is the time going? The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (M.J.A.A) annual “Messiah Conference” begins this Sunday July 3rd at Messiah College in Grantham PA. Monday, July 4th, 2022. Congregation Zion’s Sake offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day! The United States Declaration of Independence is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1776. Enacted during the American Revolution, the Declaration explains why the Thirteen Colonies were at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain and that they regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. With the Declaration of Independence, these new states took a collective first step in forming the United States of America. The declaration was made to guarantee equal rights for every person!
As you celebrate Independence Day this year, please pray for no traffic fatalities across the entire Commonwealth of Virginia over this three-day weekend! Say a prayer of thanks for those who have served and are currently serving in our military preserving our freedoms and way of life! As believers, we can thank Adonai for both physical and spiritual freedom in Yeshua. As you enjoy the Fourth of July festivities, celebrating our nation’s freedom, thank Adonai for the deliverance and freedom from sin He has given us through His Son, Yeshua, and for the new, abundant life we have in Him.
We are also entering into prime hurricane season! It’s time to prepare and get ready, not only for hurricane season but for the chaotic times we live in! I’ve been sharing articles on our social media of current events. I do so not to invoke fear but to make you aware so that you may prepare! Here is a profound biblical example of why:
I Kings 17:12-16. She answered, “As ADONAI your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die.”13 Eliyahu said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what ADONAI the God of Isra’el, says: ‘The pot of meal will not get used up, nor will there fail to be oil in the jug, until the day ADONAI sends rain down on the land.'”15 She went and acted according to what Eliyahu had said; and she, he and her household had food to eat for a long time. 16 The pot of meal did not get used up, nor did there fail to be oil in the jug, in fulfillment of the word of ADONAI spoken through Eliyahu.
There is a powerful mystery revealed here! Israel was in the midst of a severe famine due to their sin, idolatry, and apostasy from Adonai! People were dying of starvation! Yet when the widow was obedient to the word of Adonai, she and her son had enough provision to make it through the famine!! What supplies she had didn’t run out! The key is that she had something! This is why I have a great passion for people to get ready and be prepared! Adonai uses multiplication in the Kingdom! One million times zero equals zero! One million times one is one million! We must have something, a base or foundation so that He can multiply what we do have!!! This is a profound revelation for us today living in similar circumstances! Here is a very basic list of items to have on hand in case of any emergency.
- Several Flashlights.
- An ample supply of Lithium batteries (lithium lasts longer).
- A good first aid kit.
- Water, One gallon per person per day.
- Candles with matches/lighters.
- Emergency canned food that is high in protein such as Beans, Peanut Butter, Beef stew. Items that have a long shelf life, are ready to eat, and need no preparation. At least a three-day supply per person (I recommend a 30-day supply).
- An emergency self-powered radio that can be charged with a hand crank or solar charged.
- Make sure you have any prescription medicines you need on hand!
- A whistle (to signal for help)
- Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
- Manual can opener (for food)
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
Additional items to consider:
- Infant formula and diapers.
- Pet food, water, and supplies for your pet.
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a portable waterproof container.
- Cash and change – ATM machines will not be functioning without electricity.
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Complete change of clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Fire Extinguisher.
- Feminine supplies, personal hygiene items and hand sanitizer.
- Mess kits, Paper cups, plates and disposable utensils, paper towels.
- Paper and pencil.
- Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children.
- Generator with gasoline. The week before a hurricane enters our area you will not find a generator in any store, anywhere in our area! The time to buy a generator is now if you are considering purchasing one!
- VHF/UHF handheld radios for communication with friends and family. Cell phones and cell towers often do not work in times of emergency.
This is a very basic list, adapt it for your own personal preferences and needs! I also recommend that you have a resource to defend and protect yourself and your family. In times of catastrophes such as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 there we’re no emergency services (police or EMS) for almost 30 days. Gather extra supplies to share! Being prepared is a supernatural opportunity during any emergency to be a blessing to others. Whether that is providing information, know-how skills, or actual supplies or food, being prepared can spread the love and salvation of Yeshua during stressful times. In the extremely unlikely event that all communication is down Congregation Zion’s Sake has an FM transmitter and a 15ft Antenna that has approx. a 12-mile broadcast radius from our offices. We will broadcast on 99.5 FM pertinent and emergency information to your emergency radio.
James 2:15-17. Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, 16 and someone says to him, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving him what he needs, what good does it do? 17 Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.
As Believers, we should always be prepared (Remember the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25? Five were prepared and five weren’t), aware of our surroundings, and paying attention to what is happening in the world around us. Remember, acts of kindness open eyes of blindness!
As we enjoy the summer sun, gather for picnics and barbeques, enjoy the beach and warm ocean, and take our well-deserved vacations-be safe, spend daily time in prayer and worship, and above all else seek Adonai in all that we do! As recorded in Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in ADONAI with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths
May Adonai bless you and keep you!
Blessings and Shalom,
Rabbi and Rebbitzen Carlson