“Why Is A Gentile Like You Celebrating the Feasts of the Jews?” - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

“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, as 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 P.S. If you live in the Charlotte, NC area, I know of several locations you can go to have fun for Purim.  Please e-mail me using the contact info below.

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’s and our Messiah. 

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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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:

 http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com  

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)