Y om Kippur (The Day of Atonement) is a day to reflect on the past year and see what areas of your life you have been battling with sin. We all have areas where we fall short (being quick to anger, gossip, our language, etc.) which is why God sent Yeshua to wash the dross away. Thanks to Yeshua we know that as long as we accept Him as Messiah, we will be saved. Traditionally, the Jewish people believe that their good deeds are the way to salvation but we, as Messianic Jews and all believers in Yeshua, know that is not the case, only through Yeshua can you be saved. So are our actions and good deeds still important? YES! Even though they are not the way to salvation, they still hold value in the kingdom of God. We are the body of Messiah, therefore we represent Him through our actions. Hebrews 13:16 says “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”. So this year on Yom Kippur I encourage you to reflect on what you can do in the next year to represent Yeshua. By: Jennifer Meyers October 4, 2022
As we are towards the end of the Days of Awe and soon it will be Yom Kippur, let's reflect on the following scripture from Psalms 102:25-27 "Long ago You laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But You are always the same; You will live forever.” Consistency. To be consistent means, marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity. Consider for a moment the following time patterns in nature. Our own planet earth has a repetitive pattern to rotate on its axis for 24 hours. Earth has been consistently rotating on its axis for 24 hours, since Creation. That is consistency! We also have a fixed pattern of day and night. Day follows the night, and night follows the day. We read of this rhythm over and over throughout Genesis 1, ‘So the evening and the morning were the first day.’ If we look at human heart beat rate- it is an average of 72 beats per second. The heart is consistently beating to push blood flow in our body. What about the Lord? God keeps showing up. He is completely reliable. When all of life seems to be unsteady and unpredictable, we can have confidence in the Lord to remain the same. He chooses to remain constant in His attitude and affection towards us. God does not have mood swings or sudden outbursts of anger. We will always know what to expect in His nature and character towards us. He always means what He says. And He always follows through on His words. The truth is that, 'Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever.' (Heb. 13:8). And He has always desired our wholehearted love. Prayer changes things. God is relational and desires to dialogue with us. He wants to hear our heart. God alone has the capacity to hold the past and future in His hands, and at the same time, be fully engaged in our present situation. There is no conflict for Him in this! God invites the conversation with us, calling us to work with Him, to petition our request to him and to glorify Him in prayer, prayer is powerful. May we take time this season to reflect on the consistency of the nature of God. Does God's consistency comfort you? In what way? Are you a consistent person? In attitudes, in showing love to others? Where could you grow in being consistent? Let’s embrace God’s consistent love, grow in consistency in our prayer life, open our hearts in prayer for God to show and guide us in deep ways. Especially as we go into Yom Kippur let’s be grateful for our salvation and pray for those that do not know him. By: Hannah Micu October 3, 2022
Yesterday we lost a friend who means so much to so many in the YMJA. We are grieving losing Mark Dayan on earth but rejoicing that he is with the Lord. Mark was fondly known by many as "Uncle Mark". He served the Messianic community at large and in Philadelphia with his whole heart. In the YMJA he led the singles program for decades! There have been so many beautiful words posted about him within the last 24 hours, here are some of them: "He taught me how to lead worship by worshipping with joy and sincerity. One of my favorite people to sing with, worship with and travel with. He diffused the tension in any room. He was the one that everyone everywhere gravitated toward and remembered.”- Marc "Uncle Mark never approached life looking for ways to climb to the top of the social ladder. Instead, he focused on getting as low as he could, so that he could best serve the least & anyone in need of love, or just a hug & a good belly laugh. Just like his Messiah, he lived not be served, but instead he lived to serve.”- Nate "He was impossible to miss as not only was he more than likely the loudest laugh or the loudest singer in the room but also he brought such an infectious joy and intentionality to everyone. He made a point to reach out to everyone, especially those who others deemed different or difficult. He made a point to lift others up even when it made him seem less.”- Melissa "Uncle Mark had perfected the art of taking joy in other's successes. When you had a good report, Uncle Mark would be so excited, just as if whatever blessing you had received had actually come to him. Uncle Mark lived to give, lived to laugh, lived for joy and praise.”-Nyssa "He always gave the best hugs, told the best stories, and above all encouraged everyone around him to joyfully follow G-d.”- Danielah Today we encourage you to think of how you can remember Mark Dayan’s legacy and walk in his footsteps. We encourage you to seek ways to serve your community, notice who needs a friend and meet them where they are, and above all find your strength in the Lord. We will miss you Mark, all your big hugs and encouragement. We will carry on your faithful legacy.
Shalom everyone, I wanted to share what the Lord has been reminding me lately. I am young, serving the Lord and recently I have been encouraged by Isaiah 40:30-31. This passage is honest and says “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but they who wait for Adonai will renew their strength. They will soar up with wings as eagles. They will run, and not grow weary. They will walk, and not be faint.” It is essentially saying that even though we are young and are “supposed” to have this never-ending tank of energy, we still can get overwhelmed. We are humans living in 2021, it can get very overwhelming! This verse has encouraged me to not let myself be or stay burdened. Rather be open to speak and say that sometimes I need to rest in the Lord, that it’s not about how much I can do, but rather it’s about how much God can do. And it’s true, there are things that only God can do. It goes to show that even youths grow weak and weary…. but those who hope in the Lord will find new strength! It’s about being encouraged to lift each other up to show that God’s Chesed (grace/compassion) is meant for everyone; that strength will rise to those who wait upon the Lord, and that He will mount us up on wings like eagles. Yes, it’s okay to take the time to stop. It’s okay to take the time to let go. And it is always for the best to simply follow God’s lead on what is yours to do and what is not in each season. I encourage you to pray and ask God about when and how to serve and rest while being constantly renewed in His strength. #mycurrentfavoritescripture By: Jacob R. October 19, 2021
Hey YMJA! I hope you are all enjoying this lovely season of fall, and reflecting on all the Lord taught us during our recent journey through the Fall Feasts. What a time we are living in! It feels like there is transition everywhere. For me personally, I just began a new job--one that has been an amazing experience, and I know I'm where the Lord wants me. On the other hand, I've had some tough moments in this process of beginning a new season. I know many YMJAers are at a similar time in life-- a time of newness and transition. The Lord wants to grow our faith and trust in Him during these times, and to deepen our relationship with Him. My current favorite scripture, one that I have really been holding on to in recent days, is Galatians 6:9--"So let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we don’t give up." With everything going on in the world today, it can be so easy to get discouraged--especially if what we are doing is not showing immediate results. Newness can be hard, whether it be a new job, a new school, a new house, or just a time of waiting on the Lord for next steps. Don't give up. Keep doing good. Keep serving, loving, trusting. Keep waiting for Him. He will bring a beautiful harvest of faith, hope, and blessing in your life as you persevere in the season He has brought you to. He is with you always--don't lose heart. Keep going. #mycurrentfavoritescripture By: Michaela, YMJA Prayer Team Member October 12, 2021
If you have been at the MJAA registration desk for a regional conference or the annual Messiah Conference, you were likely greeted by Linda’s warm smile and genuine gift of hospitality. She ran housing and registration and spoke to many of your youth leaders and parents to make sure everything was in order for all of us to have the best experience possible. While she worked for the MJAA, she simultaneously worked as the YMJA administrative assistant from 2012-2019. She played an instrumental role behind the scenes to make the YMJA what it is today. You might not know that in the early days Linda and her husband Steve created and ran the teen program at Messiah Conference. This was many decades ago, now the program is run by the YMJA as of 1988. Our current YMJA Executive Director, Rabbi Kevin, was a teenager in their program! As an educator, she founded two Messianic schools, Chalutzim and Cornerstone, where some of our YMJA members attended school including her daughter and our beloved VP, Melissa. There is so much more that could be said about her accomplishments, but this is just a snapshot of her vibrant life. Those who met her were struck by her effortless excellence. She was organized, efficient, and made hard tasks and problem-solving look simple. More importantly, she had an extraordinary ability to connect with people and made people feel loved and seen. Many have said that her encouragement and affirmations empowered them to be who they are today. Throughout good times and very challenging times, she clung to the L-rd and her love was an overflow of her love for Yeshua. She always said, "There’s enough time in each day to do the Lord’s will for that day.” We have so much to learn from the way Linda lived her life. As we grieve, please remember to keep Melissa and the entire Brown family in your prayers as they walk through this very difficult time. Linda Brown's legacy is a blessing and she will always be remembered. Written
A beautiful tradition on Simchat Torah is to read the last verse of Deuteronomy and the first verse of Genesis. There is celebration and joy in the Word of G-d. We are celebrating a beautiful in between moment. Honoring the end of a chapter and a beginning of a new as a community. Maybe your Sukkot was not as joyful as you had hoped. Maybe your Yom Kippur fast was not as meaningful as you had anticipated. Maybe your Rosh Hashanah was not as sweet as it has been in the past. All of that is okay, the Word of G-d will always be relevant and this holiday of Simchat Torah is a tangible reminder that no matter what season we are in, there is joy in focusing on the Word of G-d. His Word isn’t changing even if other areas of our life feel shaky. Simchat means joy; joy isn’t circumstantial. The Torah scrolls that are held in synagogues all over the world are in the process of being rolled back to the beginning. There is a beautiful sense of unity in Jewish life, there is a joy that is hard to explain. If you were unable to go to a Simchat Torah service, you can take some time to read the end and the beginning of the Torah and ask G-d to be with you in this season of life. September 28, 2021
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T he month of Elul is a time to prepare our hearts for the High Holidays. Shabbats during the month of Elul are so beautiful. During this month it’s customary to reflect on the past year, examine our hearts, ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged, read Psalm 27 and so much more. On this Shabbat we encourage you to take sometime to reflect. Let’s wholeheartedly run after the Lord, bring our worries to Him and prepare our hearts for whatever He has for us. Shabbat Shalom, YMJA! #ymjashabbatshalom August 20, 2021
Originally I was quite on the fence about registering for the virtual Messiah Conference because online school had tired me out immensely… The prospect of being in front of a screen and Zooming, again, did not thrill me at all. However, after a bit of self reflection I decided to push my hesitation aside and just do it - with friends or without my friends registering, and despite the screen time I knew I would be facing. So I did, and as usual, YMJA did not disappoint. Despite the fact that I couldn’t make it to the last day, it was absolutely wonderful - close and intimate with countless opportunities to bond on a deeper level than usual. The games, the workshops, the messages, and the careful planning all culminated into one beautiful, very fun weekend that seemed to fly by. There were also new perks and online spaces we used that gave it a very fresh feel. I was very surprised that I was enjoying it so so much. Once again, the takeaway for me is this: no matter what inhibitions there may be - whether it’s something as small as what I had, or bigger things like doubt, fear, discouragement - just DO it! Jump into opportunities God has for you. If you go into opportunities like this with an open mind that’s ready to receive blessings and experience unity, then that’s what you’ll get (and sooo much more too). God will meet you in the midst of it, speak to you, and personalize every event for you - whether it’s through a much needed message, a workshop, a small group discussion, or something different altogether. You will always walk out with a renewed mind and a stronger sense of community, which is more important now than ever before. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds. And do not neglect our own meetings, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another—and all the more so as you see the Day approaching ." Hebrews 10:24-25 I hope you all enjoyed the conference as much as I did! By: Adel July, 16, 2021