 |
 |
|
 |
|
"A tree of life it is for those who take hold of it and happy are those who support it." |
 |
|
Jewish Holidays G-d gave His people Israel, signs and memorials throughout the year that point to His faithfulness, goodness, and mercy. As a Messianic Fellowship it is our duty to not only participate in these feasts, but to rejoice in them. Each holiday points in some way to the Messiah, and as believers in Yeshua, these days take on new meaning in light of Him. ShabbatThe Shabbat (Sabbath Day-Saturday) is a memorial of creation because according to Genesis 2:2 G-d rested on the seventh day and made it holy. The Shabbat is also a token of the covenant between G-d and Israel (Exodus 31:16-17). This means that every time Jewish people observe the Sabbath day, it is a reminder to us and to the world of G-d’s covenant promises to the nation of Israel. The Sabbath therefore is a gift from G-d, a reminder of his eternal goodness. The Shabbat is a glimpse of the world to come, because we believe that when Messiah returns, the world will be restored to G-d’s original intention in the creation. So every week, when we celebrate the Shabbat, we enjoy a taste of eternity. As followers of Yeshua, who is Adon HaShabbat (the Lord of the Sabbath), we have spiritual rest available to us 24/7, as the writer of Hebrews wrote: “there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of G-d” (Hebrews 4:9). We invite you to join us for our Shabbat service, a time of celebration, and a taste of heaven! Rosh HashanahLeviticus 23:24-25 G-d instructs us saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’” This day marks the beginning of the 10 days of awe, a time of self-reflection and turning back towards G-d. Rosh Hashanah also literally means, “Head of the Year,” and is a celebration of the new year in the Jewish Calendar culminating with the blowing of the Shofar. Yom KippurYom Kippur is considered to be the Holiest day of the year. In the Torah, we find that this was the day that the High priest went into the Holy of Holies and offered a sacrifice for the sins of himself and on behalf of the people of Israel (Leviticus 23:26-32).We read that, “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins” (Leviticus 16:29-30). Now that the temple no longer stands, the question must be asked as to what can we do to receive forgiveness for our sins? We believe that G-d Himself provided the necessary sacrifice in His Son Yeshua. Isaiah 53 describes the one who will bear our sins: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by G-d, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Additionally, He is also our High Priest, Cohen HaGadol, who brought the eternal sacrifice of Himself. He is now the atonement of Yom Kippur, for all who receive Him. We believe that Yeshua came, died, rose again, is now seated in heaven, and is inviting everyone everywhere to come back into fellowship with G-d. Will you take the invitation? SukkotSukkot is a time where we remember G-d’s faithfulness to His people Israel as they wandered in the desert for forty years (Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43). It is also a celebration of the fall harvest, a picture of G-d’s provision for His people.The Sukkah, or tabernacle is a very important part of this feast, and we build a congregational Sukkah to celebrate in, and many members of the congregation build their own. As we spend time in the Sukkah we are able to look at the stars and the sky and reflect on what life must have been like for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. This was a time of great challenge, but also a time of significant closeness to the Presence of G-d. As Messianic Jews, it is also important for us to remember at this time that Yeshua the Messiah literally “Tabernacled” with his people. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Pesach (Passover)We are commanded to celebrate both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened as we remember G-d’s faithfulness and power when He delivered His people Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:14-20). As we partake in the Seder on both the first and second nights of Passover, we remember both the joy and the sorrow that our people experienced as they were brought out of Egypt by G-d’s mighty hand. Passover highlights a season of G-d’s redemption.Pesach takes on it’s full meaning in the light of Yeshua, who died as our Passover lamb once and for all. Just as our ancestors slaughtered a lamb on Passover, putting the blood on the doorposts of their house, so that the destroying angel would not harm their firstborn, likewise the sacrificial death of Yeshua, His blood, has been applied to our hearts so that we do not receive the deserved punishment for our sins. ShavuotShavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, is actually a feast that celebrates the spring wheat harvest. The celebration is exactly 50 days after the Shabbat immediately following Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21, Deuteronomy 16:9-11).Traditionally, Shavuot is honored as the day that the Lord gave the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. It is ironic that on this day where G-d’s people are required to bring Him an offering, we give thanks to G-d for the great gift of His word that he has given to us. Furthermore, as followers in Yeshua, Shavuot is the day that G-d gave us another gift, the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh - “When the Day of Shavuot had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting… And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance…” (Acts 2:1-2,4). |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
 |
|
 |
|
||
|
|
|
|||
 |
|
||||
| 21121 Oriole Country Road | |||||
| Boca Raton, Florida 33428 - USA | |||||
| [TEMPORARY MEETING PLACE] | ©2007 - Ayts Chayim - Privacy Policy - Site Map | ||||
