Izzy here. We were in California last week for a wedding. On our drive out, we visited the Davises! Maureka is a volunteer with Holy Language Institute, and her husband Marvin was pastoring a Southern Baptist megachurch with several thousand members when the Holy Spirit led them to transition their church into more of a Messianic style congregation. Neat story!
I have profound respect for Marvin for his willingness to follow God wherever he leads him, and his openness to learning new things. For instance, learning the Hebrew alphabet - it's like going back to kindergarten all over again!
Want to shoot the Davises a little note of encouragement? You can email them at maureka at holylanguage dot com.
Keep it up, Marvin and Maureka!
Kevin's Story
Kevin is following Yeshua in a Hebrew way! Here's his story.
I met Izzy Avraham through Periscope, but I first stumbled upon him on his radio channel, Yeshua Radio. I was so moved of how this man believes and thinks like me. I had to search him out and I found him at his holylanguage.com sight. Now the rest is history. I am now able to do what I felt Elohim had put on my heart years ago. I have always desired to learn Biblical Hebrew. Then, spoken Hebrew.
My Testimony
I can honestly say that I personally did not choose to become a servant of Elohim! I was born to it from the womb. Hashem has made me! I know no other desire stronger!
The Jewish Yeshua was revealed to me three years ago. Izzy once said he refers to the image of Jesus that most preachers teach, as the Malibu Jesus. That is exactly the image I was taught. 22 yrs of Four Square and Assemblies teachings (Mother) and Southern Baptist teachings (Father). Along with a Grandfather who was a wandering Preacher, of whom we could never quite pin down. My belief from the writings and books I inherited from him, is he was raised as a 7th Day Adventist. But, I may be totally wrong on that point. It was no wonder I was confused.
The scriptures where only cracked 6 of those years. Every book about scriptures that I could come across except the scriptures themselves was read the other 16 years. I only fasted once every 10 years, prayed a full organized prayer only 5 times in 20 years except grace at meals. After that, 15 years of wandering from one place to another, somehow knowing what I was taught was a lie. I was, in my view, a Christian Mutt with fleas! Some main things I was taught did not make sense until you add the things in the Old Testament. Which I was taught no longer applied. No one could satisfy me with a legit answer to why we now had Two Testaments. An Old and a New instead of just Scriptures. And what really was the good news? Several wishy washy answers but again none that are concrete until you add the things in the Old Testament.
But, now I see what we, as Adam or humanity had done. And I now see it for what it was; sin, disobedience and bondage. I now know that it is first the Salvation through Yeshua then, out of love for the Father, the Torah. Believing the truth, I had woken up from a fog and had to relearn what I should have known before. I have become a totally different man, I now know those questions. The great mystery that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5:32 by which is again being revealed today, the answers of what The Good News is (It is all about the reconciliation of all Israel's Tribes with all the covenants including the covenant of Adam (both male and female)), I know what the meaning of the one new man i.e. humanity or simply put, the one new Adam. I know that the great mystery, the good news and the one new Adam are a part of each and are of one purpose that God had foresaw and set in motion from before creation.
But, now let us start at the beginning.
I have tried to keep this Testimony short but, it seems there is too much to say. It is not about me, but about our Elohim! If I write all the things in my life, we would really have a very, very long book about me not what great works Abba has done. So if I leave out all the nasty, gory and interesting things most put in their testimony, well, just forgive me and assume it happened. Because, it probably did, but only to his glory!
I was born in Wichita Kansas in 1963. Crippled with a degenerative bone disease. Then operated on at the age of 2 years with a surgery technique never done before to correct this. After years of recovery and leg braces to twist my legs into a more proper position, I was able to do what the doctors at birth said I would never be able to do, "Walk, Run and Jump." But, at a cost with pain. Alone most of my life because of my situation. A child who was alone with a family surrounding me. I never had the chance to learn any social skills! I still find that I stray toward observing people on the sidelines more out of habit than desire. Let me emphasize, I have no desire to be alone. Yet, it still seems at times I'm alone among people. I express myself best on paper, than in a conversation. Although, I have learned how to express myself verbally. I still prefer writing.
At the age of three I was placed out in the yard to play. My sister told me a story once, I was sitting in the front yard in a body cast playing with toys when a drunken neighbor backed up his car and went right over me. And the car would of killed me yet there was not a scratch on me and I was still playing as if nothing had happened when he drove off. My sister thought I was sitting in a hole in the yard. But my father had tilled and planted that grass and knowing him, there was no hole. Several strange things have happened since, some had happened so much that it had become commonplace with me by the time I was a Teenager. Shadows and objects moving as a child and as a teen. Things had seemed to continually happen to me as if I was a target to be killed and yet always I survived because of what I now know the protection of Elohim. I do not take that lightly, for I know my life is YHWH's. I was mangled, hit, ran over, punctured, fallen off a 40ft ladder, twice! Slipped on a steep slippery roof 60ft up and missed being impaled by 6ft spikes in the ground when there was no way not to be. I walked away untouched. Thrown out of a car when I was hit by another car, Approached by and spoken to and once violently attacked by demons and pushed to insanity. Violently attacked and/or raped. All this seemed to be an attempt to kill me in body and/or in spirit. These all failed because of the protection of Elohim, because I was born for Him. I am in pain because of all of these things. Yet I accept it as my share of the burden. This, although at times it has been close to unbearable, is not beyond what I can bear and now is a reminder of what Elohim has done for me. There were times I have seen things that can only be called miracles. These things I also do not take lightly because, they have shown me our God's true nature. There were times I had been so depressed and alone and even for a time not in my right mind. There was a time I was locked away in prison because of my sin, pride, desire, depression and I broke man’s law. There are times I do not want to remember. But, I do and they are things I will never forget. Some are the results of my doing. Most from the results of others. The things I had done in myself, I was not proud of. I Hate and despise violence. Yet, I found out that if I am left alone to my own self and pride, I can create violence without knowing it. That is too my shame! Without trying, enemies have surfaced and have tried to destroy me any way they can. They hate me without even knowing me or my true heart. Yet I am still here! Because of my reverence and literally calling out to God with true repentance, God had the forbearance and actually pursued and desired to forgive my sins and pride. I survive with my mind and body in tact nevertheless, because of this!
I am not the wisest, yet I have learned great wisdom through my life that is priceless. All to the glory of YHWH the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and me. At times, I fall into great depths that make me feel abandoned and alone and yet I could not and will not blame God nor curse Him! My heart is always with him. My thoughts and true desires always come back to him.
I am now Attending Shabbat’s at Messiah's Branch Mission church, the ministry of Pastor Dan Catlin, his wife Linda, and his whole family. They adopted me into their family and I have been blessed for it. This ministry is in one of the worst parts of town. But because of its fruits, you would never know it. This is a truly blessed Yeshua based ministry for the daytime shelter and feeding of every one with a need from the homeless to the working poor. The ministry serves more than to our city, but we have had people from all around come to us for help because they heard we genuinely care and supply the needs that agencies with millions of dollars cannot or will not. In fact those very agencies with those millions refer those in need to Messiah’s Mission Church, which has no money or budget but, rely on donations from the body. This though has been very thin. Yet we are able to supply them or at worst pray there needs in. This ministry should not exist by man's standards. And financially it should not but, it does only through Elohim.
Many people around me have said or think, I am nothing, I am an outcast without redemption! Without reproach! All this was because of my past. But, I say "I feel sorry for you!" You judge without knowledge and the knowledge you do have is flawed! So I bless them. I know they will be judged and I would desire them to live and not go to a second death!
I can also say this: I, now, am a true believer and follower of Yeshua my Messiah, who came as the sacrificial lamb for the sins of all in whom the Father calls. All so we may become a part of Israel's covenant, not as strangers but as adopted children into Israel to be in all ways Israel.
Yeshua had seen that I was dead and called me from the sleep of death to serve YHWH my God. Yeshua has shown us from His example that His Torah is a light burden to fulfill and we too can commune with YHWH without a veil, and complete Torah without effort because we love the Father. This, by the help of the Spirit of God that was breathed into us at creation.
So, If He does nothing more for me or if others think I am no longer worthy and if the world turns away from me and curses me, and though I am cast into the pit of deepest sorrows, I will always say and do what my God commands of me and the Instructions He has given me in His Torah. Because, for me, I will serve EL ELYON forever! I was born to it from the womb. A servant of YHWH, who is grafted into Israel through Yeshua HaMashiach, who is obedient to the Spirit of God. I know no greater desire within me!"
I will encourage you in this last thing; Fear and love Yeshua the son! In doing so you do the same for YHWH El Elyon, Love everyone, reverence your life it is a gift so you can serve the only God, of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and you!
Blessings and Shalom
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Hats off to Mike Eldred for this meme! Make your own Hebrew meme here or here and send it to meme@holylanguage.com and we'll share yours too.
Shavua tov - have a good week!
Izzy Avraham
Executive Director
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