The Shofar Newsletter
THE SHOFAR Newsletter of Bet Yeshurun Messianic Assembly
Good News for the Assembly of Bet Yeshurun
No. 1804 / August 8, 2026
2026 Gatherings (services start promptly at 3:00 pm; doors open an hour earlier. )
8/8 Praise & Worship
8/10 Sabbath
8/15 Praise & Worship
8/17 Sabbath
8/18 * Chodesh (Celebrating the 6th month of the Divine Year)
8/22 Praise & Worship
8/24 Sabbath
8/29 Praise & Worship
8/31 Sabbath
9/5 Praise & Worship
9/7 Sabbath
* A Holy Day like Sabbaths (a day of no work)
2026 Schedule for Reading the Bible in One-Year
Nevi’im; ZekarYah (Remembered of Yah) Prophecy of Zechariah
8/4 - Chapters 1 – 7 8/5 - Chapters 8 – 14
Nevi’im; Mal’aki (My Messenger) Prophecy of Malachi
8/6 - Chapters 1 – 4
Ketuvim; Tehillim (Songs) Book of Psalms
8/7 - Chapters 1 – 10 8/8 - Chapters 11 – 20 8/9 - Chapters 21 – 30
8/10 - Chapters 31 – 40 8/11 - Chapters 41 – 50 8/12 - Chapters 51 – 60
8/13 - Chapters 61 – 70 8/14 - Chapters 71 – 80 8/15 - Chapters 81 – 90
8/16 - Chapters 91 – 100 8/17 - Chapters 101 – 110 8/18 - Chapters 111 – 119
8/19 - Chapters 120-129 8/20 - Chapters 130-139 8/21 - Chapters 140-150
Ketuvim; Mishley (Proverbs) Book of Proverbs
8/22 - Chapters 1 – 4 8/23 - Chapters 5 – 8 8/24 - Chapters 9 – 12
8/25 - Chapters 13 – 16 8/26 - Chapters 17 – 20 8/27 - Chapters 21 – 24
8/28 - Chapters 25 – 28 8/29 - Chapters 29 – 31
Ketuvim; Iyov (Hated) Teachings of Job
8/30 - Chapters 1 – 5 8/31 - Chapters 6 – 10 9/1 - Chapters 11 – 15
9/2 - Chapters 16 – 20 9/3 - Chapters 21 – 25 9/4 - Chapters 26 – 30
9/5 - Chapters 31 – 35 9/6 - Chapters 36 – 42
Interested in joining Bet Yeshurun Assembly? Please contact Pastor ObadiYah by email, telephone, mail, or in person at a gathering of Yahushuah’s Body.
Fight Fire with Fire!
(Daniel 3:24-25) “Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They (the king’s counsellors) said, “True, O’ king! He (Nebuchadnezzar) answered, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elohim!”
This article is entitled with a well-known saying. It’s also an effective technique in fighting forest fires. Although the above passage describes survivors of a man-made fire, when Elohim stokes the flames, wickedness can’t fight it back: (Genesis 19:24-25) YAHUAH rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven; He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew on the ground. (Psalm 11:5-6) YAHUAH tries the righteous, but the wicked and him that loves violence His soul hates. On the wicked He shall rain snares, fire, brimstone and a horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup.
A Detroit Free Press article dated 7/22/26 described another example of fighting fire with fire. An “executive action on July 20 imposed a 50% tariff on a wide-range of imports from Canada at the risk of reigniting a trade war between Canada and the U.S. It comes after threatened tariffs in response to smoke from wildfires in Canada.” While smoke certainly inundated large areas of Michigan, including Bet Yeshurun (BYA), did it warrant fighting fire with a tax fire? Yah alone knows if those Canadian wildfires were ignited by lightning or negligent campers. Yet Scripture assures us that Elohim’s redeemed won’t become victims of fire: (Isaiah 43:1-3)Thus says YAHUAH that created you O’ Jacob, and He that formed you, O’ Israel! “Fear not! For I redeem you. I call you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through fire, you shalt not be burned; nor shall the flame kindle you. For I am YAHUAH Elohim!”
Many Bible passages assure us that Elohim shall fight our fires with fire. Here’s one that shows David’s confidence! (Psalm 21:7-11)The king trusts in YAHUAH! Through the mercy of the Most High (Elyon) he shall not be moved. Your hand shall find out all Your enemies. Your right hand shall find out those that hate You. You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger. YAHUAH shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shall You destroy from the earth and their seed from among the children of men. For they intended evil against You! They imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.
Yah’s Family protection plan for worthy Israelite leaders continues: (Zechariah 12:6)In that day will I make the governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left. Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. YAHUAH also shall save the tents of Judah first that the Glory of the house of David and the Glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall YAHUAH defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as Elohim, as the angel of YAHUAH before them.
Also understand that Yah’s protection of Believers extends into today: (1 Peter 4:12-13) Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Messiah’s sufferings; that when His Glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. (Jude 1:7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of fire.
Did you note those verses say YAH’s children can expect to endure fiery trials especially as most have some wicked characteristics. Instead, choose the hot seat of Messiah! (Zechariah 13:7-9) “Awake O’ sword, against My shepherd and against the man that is My fellow,” says YAHUAH of hosts (Tzavuot). Smite the shepherd and sheep shall be scattered. I will turn My hand upon the little ones. It shall come to pass, in all the land,” says YAHUAH, “two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name, and I will hear them. I say, “It is My People!” And they shall say, YAHUAH is my Elohim!” (Hebrews 12:28-29) Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve Elohim acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our Elohim is a consuming fire.
Consider how YAH used fire in the beginning to ward off humans from entering areas they weren’t welcome: (Genesis 3:24) So He drove out the man and placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubim and a flaming sword turning every way to keep the Way of the Tree of Life.
The good news! Elohim promises to not erase all living things: (Genesis 8:20-22) Noah built an altar unto YAHUAH; and took of every clean beast, of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And YAHUAH smelled a sweet savor and said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite anymore everything living, as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.
Nonetheless, Elohim doesn’t extend such a promise regarding a fire on humanity. Indeed, early history reveals it, and Messiah says to expect it in the future: (Luke 12:49) I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? (Numbers 11:1-3) When the people complained, it displeased YAHUAH: and YAHUAH heard; and His anger was kindled; and the fire of YAHUAH burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. The people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed to YAHUAH, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of YAHUAH burnt among them. (Psalm 50:3-6) Our Elohim shall come and shall not keep silent. A fire shall devour before Him. It shall be very tempestuous round about him, and He shall call to the heavens from above and to earth that He may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto Me; those that made a Covenant with me by sacrifice.
Yet YAH’s Fire is worth praying for to remove unsavory characteristics: (Ezekiel 22:17-22) The Word of YAHUAH came unto me saying, “Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross, All they brass, tin, iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace. They are even the dross of silver. Thus says Adonai YAHUAH; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. [As] they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt [it]; so will I gather [you] in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave [you there], and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you. (Isaiah 9:18-19) For wickedness burns as the fire! It shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest. They shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. Through the wrath of YAHUAH of Tzavuot is the land darkened and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire.
On the other hand, beware of human fires. In this passage,a rather remarkably pompous Babylonian king speaks of a wide-ranged blessing with earthly witnesses of it. He even recognizes Elohim’s Kingship as vastly superior to earthly ones. His lesson? Elohim’s spiritual warfare techniques, His fiery protection, far exceeds all the power of governments and societies. Selah! (Daniel 4:1-3)Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all people, nations and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you! I thought it good to show the signs and wonders the high Elohim has wrought toward me. How great His signs! How mighty His wonders! His Kingdom, an everlasting kingdom! His Dominion from generation to generation!
Indeed, our Elohim is a fiery ruler! (Ezekiel 8:1-2) As I sat in my house and the elders of Judah sat before me, the hand of the Adonai YAHUAH fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber. (Ezekiel 22:31) “I pour out My indignation on them. I consume them with the fire of My wrath! Their own way I recompense on their heads!” says the Adonai YAHUAH.
The difference between human fires and a Divine one? YAH’s Way is better! Not so, the other way around: (Deuteronomy 5:24-26) Behold, YAHUAH Elohim has shown us His Glory and Greatness, and we have heard His Voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that Elohim does talk with man and he lives. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us: if we hear the Voice of YAHUAH Elohim any more, then we shall die. For who is there of] all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we [have], and lived? (2 Kings 17:17) And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of YAHUAH, to provoke Him to anger. (James 3:4-6) Behold also ships, which though they be great and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned with a very small helm wheresoever the governor lists. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So, is the tongue among our members. It defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
So BYA, get on the right side of the fire fight! And don’t be surprised when it comes our way! (Matthew 13:37-43) “He that sows good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seed are Children of the Kingdom, but the tares are children of the wicked one. The enemy that sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are angels. As therefore tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send His angels. They shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and those who do iniquity; and shall cast them in a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then, shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Shalom, Elder Curt
Announcements
Thoughts for Meditation
Isaac Newton, mathematician and physicist in the 17th century - “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”
Galileo Galilei (1564 -1642 astronomer) - “When I reflect on so many profoundly marvelous things that persons have grasped, sought, and done, I recognize even more clearly that human intelligence is a work of God, and one of the most excellent.”
Martin Luther - “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”