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| As we help establish Messianic congregations we find that the Fall Feast day celebrations give special opportunities to declare Messiah to the Jewish community The fall season contains two joyous celebrations and a solemn assembly. | |
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Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) are times to rejoice;Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a day of introspection and corporate prayer. Each year we see a growing interest in the High Holy Days services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as believers are encouraged to invite their Jewish neighbors and coworkers to attend. In God’s providence He provided an amazing provision as He knew that this year we would need a bigger facility to accommodate a greater number of people. |
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Hope of Israel congregation was thrilled to accept a gracious invitation from Central Church of God to use their facilities. Pastor Loran Livingston, who shares God’s burden for Jewish people to be saved, offered us the use of their facilities for Yom Kippur and Rosh HaShanah services. The presence of the Lord was evident as 900 people gathered together to honor the Lord at His appointed times (Leviticus 23). | ||||||||||
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God answered our prayers above and beyond our expectations as a number of unsaved Jewish visitors attended. The traditional Jewish liturgy that magnified the faithfulness of God to preserve His people was followed by the Hope of Israel music team leading us in exuberant worship, exalting the Messiah of Israel. My message for Rosh Hashanah was entitled a New Life in the New Year from Ezekiel 36:25-27, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances." In this portion we find the promises of God’s cleansing us in Messiah which gives us a new heart and a new Spirit. I was encouraged to see the response to the invitation as I led in prayer. |
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Our Assurance In Messiah This year, the Day of Atonement began on a Friday evening, which happens rarely. Thus we had the unique occasion to have Yom Kippur services both on Friday evening and Saturday morning. |
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At the Yom Kippur services I spoke on Our Assurance in the Blood Atonement from Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” This portion teaches that there is no atonement without bloody sacrifice. The sacrifice is required in order to receive forgiveness for our sins. God in His infinite mercy and immeasurable love toward us provided the ultimate, once and for all sacrifice through Messiah’s atonement (Hebrews 10:10). Yeshua became that perfect and satisfactory payment for the penalty of our sin. We received an overwhelming positive response and encouraging feedback. Here is one email I would like to share with you. “Two Jewish unbelievers who were there last night that I know are in need of prayer as God has moved on them. Their names are Joan* and Sol*. Praise the Lord for the faithful servants who brought them to the house of God. They were able to see Messiah and identify with their heritage in a church. How marvelous! How similar this is to the early church experience in the book of Acts (Paul going to the synagogue and reasoning from the Jewish Scriptures). If you were there last night you heard Sam preach Ezekiel 36, Jeremiah 31 and Isaiah 53, leading them also to Yeshua in John 3 “I tell you the truth, You Must be Born Again!” I will be meeting with Joan, pray for me to have boldness and love that I might guide her to her savior.” The concluding Fall Feast of Israel is Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. My message was based on the portion from John 7:37-39, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water."'" Yeshua our Messiah fulfills this promise to satisfy our thirst with Living water, as we place our faith in Him.
Thankful For All Blessings
We are thankful for all God’s blessings during these Fall Feasts and we
are also thankful for your prayers and support. Let us continue to pray
for those who heard the Good News of Messiah’s love and the life that it
offers.
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