“Why Is A
Gentile Like You
Celebrating the Feasts of the Jews?”
“These are the appointed
feasts of the LORD,
the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim
at the
time appointed for them.
(Leviticus 23:4 English Standard
Version)
“After these things I looked, and behold, a
great
multitude which no one could count, from every
nation and all tribes
and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, and palm branches were
in their hands…” (Rev. 7:9
NAS)
Love For His People Editor's Note: As Purim, a celebration from the book of Esther, comes March 16, 2014, I am again sharing this article I originally published in Sept. 2013 as one of my Ahava Love Letters. It is also a chapter in my 2nd book of the same name, AHAVA LOVE LTTERS (Xulon Press, 2013) With the Feasts of the Lord coming quickly upon us, a believers in Jesus (His Jewish name is Yeshua) we can participate in His feasts. This message will give you reason to think on this. Steve Martin, Author |
Growing
up as a Roman Catholic, I don’t recall reading much of the Old Testament, or
even the New Testament for that matter. I can’t even remember if I had a Bible
myself. There was that big, fat white one that sat on our living room table, that
we must have bought from the door-to-door salesman one summer. It was filled with
family genealogy and had a few photos in it. Mostly it was for looks I think.
We left
it up to the parish priests to read a few passages during the Sunday Mass, or
the daily Mass for those rare people who attended. We saw it as his job – to
read the Bible.
Our priest
at St. Patrick’s in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Father Thomas Purtell, did speak to us
in the eighth grade of Catholic traditions and rituals every week, but that
really didn’t interest me much. Though I was even then considered a “religious”
boy, by some standards, it was history, football and baseball, and that cute,
petite Lisa which were my main interests. (You should read the story I share further about Father Purtell in my book, The
Promise. We had some moments with him! Lisa was another story.)
For the
most part, what the Catholics did in and out of church, or the Orthodox Greeks
in the domed building across the street, the Protestants which seemed to be on
every other corner, and the Jews, who I didn’t really know at all - well, it was
pretty much known in town as each group “doing their thing” - whatever that
thing was. Probably because of their culture, upbringing, and country’s
history, as I thought.
It wasn’t
until my only year in college did I begin to seek more, by getting out of my
box. The box I had been in for those years in grade school and high school. A
nice box, but a box. I discovered that there was more truth to be known, and now
I was given the opportunity to seek it further.
Over the
years, as I became involved with first a college campus Christian group, then
the charismatic church meetings, moving on further to the Messianic Jewish gatherings
many years later, I understood that all of the Bible is for all
of us who know Jesus (Yeshua) as our Lord and Savior. It is not just the Old
Testament for Jews and the New Testament for Christians. Knowing this helped me see that the Jewish feasts/holidays are NOT only historic and
prophetic, but they are the Lord’s Feasts, which definitely point to Israel
Learning
from Bible teachers and ministers like Derek Prince, Zola Levitt, James Goll,
Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, Barry Segal and others from the 1970’s onward, I grew
tremendously in my appreciation of how the Lord revealed Himself throughout
history, primarily through the Jewish people. I learned that even Gentiles, as
I am, now get to be included in the Lord’s love for family, fellowship and
feasts. I learned how He has taught through living examples in the Scriptures,
the Torah and the Tanakh, the Old and New Testaments, all primarily to reveal
Yeshua, Jesus, as the Christ (or in Hebrew, HaMashiach, the Messiah) for all
nations and people groups. Being grafted in, as believers, and knowing of our
Jewish roots, is thus life changing.
My good
wife Laurie and I enjoy getting with others who celebrate the Lord’s feasts –
Passover (Pesach), Shavuot (Pentecost), Purim (remember Esther and Haman?), and
especially the fall feasts of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets/New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and the
biggest of all, Succot, or Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths, which is a seven day celebration time!
I
encourage you to “discover” your Jewish roots as a Christian. The entire Bible
was primarily written by Jews, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
(Ruach HaKodesh), for all of us who believe. Jesus, who was, and is, and is to
come again, is a Jew. He celebrates His Feasts. I guess that is good enough for
me, and so I will too!
Now think on this.
Steve Martin
Founder/President
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Please share this Ahava Love
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Ahava Love Letter #73
“What Is A Gentile Like You Celebrating the Feasts of The Jews?” ©2013 Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our Lord 2013
(09/03/13 Monday at 7:35 am in Charlotte, NC)
All previous editions of Ahava
Love Letter can be found on this Blog:
Here are the last few:
They Are Loved Too (#72)
Oskars Needed Again? (#71)
Little Orphan Chuckie (#70)
Demons & Fire Trucks (#69)
I Like Mike (#68)
Disappointed with Small
Beginnings? (#67)
Rise Again (#66)
The Cities (#65)
How can You Mend A Broken Heart
(#64)
Anxious (#63)
Hidden (#62)
Get Back in the Boat (#61)
Need Money? (#60)
