Passover Blessings
This has been a busy Passover season full of blessings! From SC to NY, the Good News of redemption through the Lamb of God has been proclaimed to Jew and Gentile alike through Word of Messiah’s Passover outreaches. Many are surprised to learn that Passover is a New Covenant (New Testament) Feast. In honor of Yeshua, it was observed by the apostles, (Acts 20:6) and by all followers of the Messiah in the first century (1 Cor. 5:6-8). And, as they see how it all points to Yeshua, many believers today are experiencing the blessing of celebrating Passover once again, and are sharing the Good News with Jewish friends and neighbors through this appointed time that God placed at the center of Jewish life over 3,500 years ago!
Blessings Here and Around the World:
Here in Charlotte, we welcomed 500 people to our annual Passover banquet outreach. Many people brought pre-believing Jewish family members and friends to this event where they heard the Good News clearly throughout the evening. Some who have celebrated Passover their entire lives saw for the first time that each element of the Seder, from the removal of leaven to the finding of the Afikomen, points to Messiah, and the redemption He has provided. Praise the Lord for those who accepted Yeshua as their Messiah, and please pray for the follow-up that will be taking place!
During this season, we’ve been thrilled to see our materials being used to spread the Good News across the country and around the world! Last month, a group in Singapore ordered 20 “Messianic Passover Haggadahs,” 5 “Messiah in the Feasts of Israel” books, and 3 “Feasts of the Bible” DVD’s to utilize as they reach out “to the Jew first” in their community.
Unexpected Blessings:
We see God at work in so many ways as we reach out during Passover. Here, Miriam Nadler shares a blessing she recently encountered:
“Just a few weeks ago, I presented the Messiah in the Passover at a luncheon for a church group of seniors. They had prepared a delicious lunch and a lovely setting for their 100 guests. As I was preparing to speak, I was introduced to a visitor who had been invited by a neighbor. It turns out that Sally* had just moved back from Israel after living there most of her life. I was surprised and delighted as we spoke about her life in Israel, sprinkling in a mixture of Hebrew phrases, and exchanging our common love for the Land. Sally explained that her husband had recently died and she was now relocating to the states to be closer to her grown children and grandchildren.
Although Sally had never before considered the fact of Yeshua as the Messiah and Passover Lamb, she told me after the luncheon that she would like to get together and talk further about what she had heard. We exchanged numbers and have been in touch by email as we plan a time to meet. Please pray that the Lord would draw her with His love and tender mercies to accept Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the World.”
*name changed to protect the privacy of the individual
Blessings at a Messianic Congregation Plant:
Devin Baucom, leader of “Hope of Israel Monroe” Messianic Congregation Plant in Monroe, NC, saw much fruit through their Passover outreaches as well:
“Passover for HOI Monroe began early this year with our “Preparing for Passover” fellowship meeting. Members, friends, and visitors came together for a Passover primer to move our attention from the events of Purim to focus on Passover preparation, and the blessings of Messiah’s fulfillment. I challenged the group to invite friends and family into their homes for a personal and impactful Seder, and to look for every opportunity to share the blessing of Passover with all those they come in contact with through the season. Many families are committed to opening their homes as a place of witness, and one family did this in a special way. They opened their doors to family and acquaintances, Jews and Gentiles, believers and pre-believers, as they all participated in a large home-style Passover Seder. As the story of redemption was laid out, the tears flowed freely as the reality of what Messiah Yeshua did laid heavy on their hearts.
At a Passover outreach I was invited to lead at a local church, some 80 individuals were in attendance. As the evening came to a close, I invited the room to consider how the same Messiah who became the Passover Lamb and the Bread of our affliction is also the Redeemer for our hearts as well. During a time of invitation, 12 hands were lifted indicating those who had made a first time commitment to Messiah as their Redeemer and Lord. Praise the Lord for what He is doing this season!”
Blessings on the Road:
Through the months of February – April, Sam has travelled to dozens of churches conducting Messiah in the Passover presentations. Tim James, who accompanied Sam on several of these ministry trips writes:
“I have been amazed at the responses from non-Jewish believers at the many churches in which Sam ministers as they embrace God’s priority through His redemptive program. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to some following the service who had never heard of such teaching before. ‘Well, aren’t you glad you were here today!’
So why spend so much time on the road in order to do a 45-minute Passover presentation at a church? … Why not! As the Body of Messiah takes to heart the Jewish roots of our faith, it will more effectively bear fruit for God’s Kingdom. And as Rav Shaul (the apostle Paul) taught us, there is greater blessing in the act of giving than in receiving (Acts 20:35). Whether it be at a log cabin church in rural NC or an urban church in NYC, God’s faithfulness is made evident as believers get together to partake in the Feast and learn about the value that God places on our redemption through Passover.
Here’s a challenge for those who love the God of Israel during this season: Don’t withhold what you know, or look down on others who don’t know — Be a giver… even on the road! “You are to talk about them … when you are traveling on the road” (Deut. 6:7, CJB)”
Blessings in Missions:
Tim shares about an added blessing he had this Passover season:
This year, my wife, Laurel, and I were blessed to be invited to the US headquarters of WEC International Missions agency outside of Philadelphia, PA to lead a Seder for the missionaries there. This is a missionary sending hub where many are trained to go to the ends of the earth with the Good News, but this evening, they focused on something closer to home.
After the Seder, we talked with several of the missionaries, and were blessed to hear that many of them have a heart for the Jewish people. It was clear to us that God has strategically placed the WEC headquarters in their community. There is a large synagogue right across the street from them, and half of their neighbors are Jewish. As they heard about the opportunities that the Feasts of Israel provide for outreach, they are contemplating ways they can bring the Good News to their Jewish neighbors.
I can’t help but wonder what it would look like if every believer in Yeshua took Paul’s words from Romans 1:16 literally and brought the Good News “to the Jew first.” Life from the dead? (Romans 11:15)
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