How to Keep Christ In Christmas ~ Part 2

That has been a struggle and a debate for years!

Find Part 1 here: How I Keep Christmas Meaningful 

Our Santa vs Jesus Story here

I can tell you, with FULL assurance, that I have discovered the answer to the question, "How do I keep Christmas meaningful?"

People get offended if the cashier says, "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."  Others purchase buttons and bumper stickers that say, "Jesus is the reason for the season."  Often, there are huge fights, offences, and battles to keep a nativity scene in a public place like a court-house.  Oh, and the upside-down Christmas tree... not even going there!

Slowly but surely, America is divorcing God.  So how do we as Christians, Jesus followers, disciples of Christ, keep the momentum going in the right direction?  Well, that's a bigger question than the one that I am going to tackle today!

Don't you wonder... 

• When was Jesus REALLY born? 
• How do I keep Christ in Christmas?  
• Ever wonder, where did Christmas come from?
• How do I keep our kids focused on Jesus and not gifts? 
• How do I not get stressed out?
• How does our family have peace in the midst of hustle and bustle?

Well, the short answer is... 

Read the rest of the story:



...we don't!  Now before you click me off, hear me out!

I have discovered the true meaning of "holiday festivities."  Where did I turn to find it?  God's Word!  I discovered the "feasts of the LORD."  I discovered the "holidays" that Jesus not only celebrated but fulfilled!  

Let me say this.  People often make the mistake of calling the feasts of the LORD "Jewish holidays."  That is incorrect!  The feasts are for believers in Jesus.  They are for God's people and I am one of those people!

It's really amazing!  I am so excited to have found this treasure that was there all along.  I'll be honest, when I first discovered the "Biblical holidays" I felt ripped off.  How could I go to church since I was 3 days old and not know about this?  Why am I just now learning this at the age of... 30 something? (I'm now 40.)

Once you learn some basics about the feasts, you will find mention of them all over the Old and New Testaments.  You will discover that God intended for His children to celebrate them!  You will discover that Jesus is in them.  You will find that Jesus fulfilled them!  He is "the feasts."

Jesus is the Passover Lamb.
Jesus is the Unleavened Bread.
Jesus is the Firstfruits. (Passover)
Jesus is our atonement. (Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement.)
Jesus "Tabernacled among us."  (Feast of Tabernacles or Booths also likely His BIRTHDAY.)
Someday, Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets!


I will tell the rest of my story later.  But for now, here is some information on the basics of the Biblical Holidays:  Finding Jesus (Yeshua) in the feasts

Information from Robin at "The Heart of Wisdom."  She explains it all and has books to help you understand.  She is a kind, loving, Christian lady who gets it!

Biblical Holidays ~ Exploring Our Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Roots ~ Passover
Hebrew Roots ~ Fall Holidays
Free Downloads


photo credit: (From "The Nativity Story," Paramount Pictures, 2006)

Urgent question for YOU!

For those of you who study the Biblical Feasts (or at least understand them), would you PLEASE email me or leave a comment?

I have some information for you that is blessing my socks OFF!

I'll tell you how huge it is.  You know how you would feel if God handed you a check for $2,000,000 and then you went and cashed it and it was in your bank?  That would be such a happy and overwhelming time, right?  Well, I wouldn't even be able to sleep or think of anything else.

That's how I am feeling Spiritually.  God has given me a HUGE nugget out of His Word and I have got to share it with you.

You still here?

To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we went to the church that we attend during the week.  It's a very large church and their Wednesday night services are PACKED out!  The preacher told about Rosh Hashanah and blew the shofar (ram's horn). 

We prayed for forgiveness and praised God until the roof blew off!  No, just kiddin!  It was loud and awesome though!

Here is some more information on Rosh Hashanah:

Name meanings
Rosh Hoshanna (New Year)

Yom Teruah (The Day of the Awakening Blast or The Day of the Awakening Shout)
Feast of Trumpets Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment)
Yom HaZikkaron (Day of Remembrance)
Yom HaKeseh (Day of the Hiding or Hidden Day)

God's appointed times are marked by the moon cycles.  He created and organized everything for us!  Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown on the day of the new moon.  (That is also the beginning of the month of Tishri.)  One might think that you can see a new moon but the first two days are DARK! ~ Therefore, no one knows the time nor the day!

Pastor Mark Biltz is a GREAT teacher if you'd like to learn more about the feasts.  I have learned most of what I know about the feasts from Pastor Mark. 

This video is Pastor Biltz talking about the rapture.

Shorter version:




Longer version:




Pastor Mark Biltz - ElShaddai Ministries

Podcasts:  you have to scroll through to find the sermons on the feasts - basically, go to the dates that the feasts are on and you will find the teachings.
Feast of Tabernacles and Feast of Trumpets

Do you know what Rosh Hashana is? It starts tonight!

It is a true blessing to know and understand God's (Yahweh) appointed times.  It is a blessing to learn of the rich heritage Moses, Nehemiah, Ezra, Matthew, Luke, Paul, Jesus (Yeshua) and many others left for us.

Over and over God said, "It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations..." (Lev. 23)  In other words, celebrate it forever! How are we going to celebrate it forever if we don't learn about it? 

The Biblical feasts are God's appointed times.  Often times, people want to call them "Jewish Holidays" but they are actually for all of God's people!!

These feasts or appointed times are very important to God.  All of the feasts (3 in spring, 1 Pentecost, and 3 in the fall) have been fulfilled except ONE!  Which one?  The Feast of Trumpets!  Rosh Hashana!

Why do you suppose the "Feast of Trumpets" hasn't been fulfilled?  Because Jesus/Yeshua hasn't raptured His church with the blowing of the trumpet!

Video:   What will it sound like? (I get sooo excited when I hear the blasts!)


"Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year."  This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. " 


"1. All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ's first coming, and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the second advent, and the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, picturing the rapture.

2. The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of the rapture of 1 Cor 15 is blown.
3. The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah, and the Church is the Bride of Christ, and the rapture is when the Church is caught up to heaven to be wed with Christ. "  Bible Prophecy

I do encourage you to learn more about the appointments that God has made with you!  If He thought it was important enough to celebrate them forever, then it's important enough for everyone to learn about!

You can read more about Rosh Hashanah and the other feast by clicking on any of the links in this post. Hebrew4Christians
Torah PORTIONS

Resurrection Sunday - Feast of Firstfruits!

My Mom and I

at church this morning.  (I'm on the right.)

Praise our God!  Yeshua is risen!  Yeshua the Firstfruit! 

The Feast of Firstfruits has been celebrated for thousands of years and we Christians have the priviledge of celebrating it today!  (Also see Biblical Holidays) 

I feel honored to have celebrated Passover this last week, Feast of Unleavened Bread yesterday and Firstfruits today.  (Also see Passover) 

If you are a Christian and you celebrate "Easter", I want to encourage you to look into where that "tradition" originated.  It is so fulfilling celebrating what Yeshua, our Jesus, celebrated AND fulfilled!!

Double Espresso (on right) and his friend. 

...and yes, they are as innocent as they look!

What about Easter?

Haven't you ever wondered where Easter came from since Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated Passover?

I have read many articles and books (which are backed up by Scripture) on this subject and this video sums up what I found out to be true.  Not ALL of the facts are represented in this video but it does give you a good base.  Some of the facts that are not included would gross you out.  Let me tell you, our family will never dye another "Easter egg" again.

Chanukah Cartoon

Basics of celebrating Chanukah
When is Chanukah
When is Chanukah 2010?


Chanukah is celebrated December 01, 2010
(begins at sundown)*
When is Chanukah 2011?
Chanukah is celebrated December 20, 2011
(begins at sundown)*

When was Yeshua (Jesus) really born?

I have studied this and after looking at the evidence, have come to the conclusion for myself that He was born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles.  That would be late September - early October.

 

You can read a great article about it here:  Was Jesus really born on December 25th?

 

Either way, I agree with the article:

 

• Take a humble attitude about it
• Our LORD was born and ransomed us from the wages of our sins
• Scripture seems to be more focused on the life, death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) than His birth

 I celebrate my Yeshua everyday!  I can't possibly celebrate Him any more at Christmas, Easter, Passover, or any other feast than I do every single day!

 

I love Yeshua!  He is my salvation!

 

Yeshua 
Meaning Salvation in Hebrew. Commonly replaced with Jesus, which is a greek form on the Messiah's name.

 

Yeshua was not called Yashuah, as some think, because the Seraphim did not tell Miriam that his name was Yahshua(Yahweh is our Salvation), but rather Yeshua (Salvation).
"And you shall call him SALVATION."

Biblical Holidays

Ever wonder where Christmas and it's traditions came from?

Michael Rood will tell all: