March 2010

Dear friend in Christ,

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of what we have come to know as "holy week, and the Feast of Passover falls on Monday, March 29 this year. Traditionally Christians have understood that the festivals are exclusively Jewish feasts; however, the Book of Leviticus tells us very clearly that these are "festivals" of the Lord. so, in reality, God in His Divine wisdom, has instructed all of us that these feast days are for both the Jew and the Christian alike, and they are to be celebrated JOINTLY with each other - FOREVER!

If you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, then you are the seed of Abraham and you are included in these appointed times. But it's sad to realize that so many Christians, including ministers of the Gospel, have no idea of these "times" established by God. We need to have an understanding and appreciate the fact that these feasts are "appointed times" that have been given by God Himself, and it's very important that we understand the biblical calendar that He gave us.

There are two primary calendars in the Bible; the first one is called the "civil" calendar and it's used from Genesis 1:1 to Exodus, chapter 12. The second calendar in the Bible is the "religious" calendar, and it's used from Exodus 12 to the Book of Revelation chapter 22. God established the religious calendar in Exodus 12:2 when He said, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you."

He gave the religious calendar so we could understand that these feasts are actually appointed times, and that they "foreshadow" important events in our redemption. These appointed times are the same "festivals" that the Lord speaks of in the Book of Leviticus 23:2, "...the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations...". The Hebrew term translated as convocation in Leviticus is "miqra", which means: a rehearsal. So, you can see from this that God gave the festivals to be yearly "rehearsals" of the future events in the redemption of mankind.

There are two very important Hebrew words that appear in the Book of Leviticus, and each word is translated as "feast" in the English language. Leviticus 23:2, the word for feast is the Hebrew word "mo'ed", as it is written:"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them concerning the feasts (the moe'd) of the Lord..." The word "mo'ed" means: an appointment; a fixed time or a fixed season; an appointed time. So God Himself is telling us that He has ordained a :"set time" or an exact time" when He has an appointment with all of humanity to fulfill certain events in the redemption. In fact, Yeshua came to the earth at the "exact" time that was ordained by God.

Our Heavenly Father gave these festivals for the purpose of teaching and instructing His people concerning the plan of redemption and our personal relationship with Him. In the Book of Luke chapter 22 we find Jesus celebrating the Passover feast with His own disciples. The day had come when the sacrificial lamb was to be killed and He sent Peter and John to make preparation for them to celebrate that "appointed" time together. And as they were seated around the table, Jesus KNOWING that in a few hours HE would suffer and die, told them, "I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

Passover is an ancient feast and one that spans some thirty-five centuries of human existence, and it carries a very powerful message for you and me today. It forms the primary background for understanding the events in that Upper Room, the symbolism of the Lord's Table, and the meaning of the Messiah's death. There in that upper room, as He was preparing to lay down His own life; to give Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and to shed His own blood, He celebrated a covenant meal with His disciples which marked the ending of the Old Covenant and the establishing of a new and better Covenant. This was the hour that God had ordained from the foundation of the world! This was the day when He would enter into a blood covenant relationship with men, which was sealed with the blood of His only begotten Son. This was the day when the ONE perfect sacrifice would be offered on the alter of Almighty God.

The Feast of Passover was given by God to be a rehearsal of the first coming of Yeshua, and this ceremony is observed in remembrance of the PAST, but it is also in preparation for the future. The redemption of God's people from Egypt is a type and foreshadow of the redemption of Christ. Jesus is our Lamb that was slain. And we are to appropriate and apply the Blood of Jesus in our lives, and as we place that blood over our lives, the Father sees that blood covering and the angel of death and destruction passes over us.

We've been taught that the Feast days of the Lord are only for the Jewish people, but they are Holy Convocations that God Himself has ordained. And it's just like receiving a "summons" to go to court. This is a summons to appear before Him. God has prepared a feast of redemption and joy to which everyone is invited. Come and partake of Jesus, the bread of life, the Lamb of God, the Mediator Who has taken our judgement upon Himself.

Come to the feast of the Lamb! Jesus, our Messiah, paid a terrible price that we might belong to God in Love, and He constantly invites us to come to Him. His invitation is an honor bestowed in Love, but it is also the offer of an opportunity that we dare not refuse. You are the guest to be honored by accepting His offer of abundant life in Christ Jesus.

Love,

Paula