Disclaimer: To those who would assume it, no I'm not trying to "teach" just sharing my thoughts.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts" (Lev. 23:2).
Are you keeping Yahweh's appointed times or some that man made up? Many call them "Jewish feasts" but that comes from a lack of understanding scripture. Yahweh doesn't have two sets of rules for two different people. He has only got one people and one set of kingdom instructions.
Many like to wave around Col 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"
But in context this is referring to people that were coming out of pagan worship with all of it's multitude of rituals and rules that Paul later refers to as "commandments and doctrines of men", and they were being ridiculed by others for keeping Yahweh's appointed times while turning from those man appointed times of that day. Like it is today when someone finally gets eyes to see the truth that Yahweh reveals to them and they stop participating in Christmas and Easter and the likes, which are man appointed celebrations and instead start keeping the ones appointed by Yahweh. People seem to get all upset and look at you funny or accuse you of trying to be "Jewish" when you choose to observe His celebrations. It's very clear in Lev. 23: 2 that they are "Yahweh's appointed times" and not just for the "Jews" to celebrate.
Further on in verse 17 which reads Col 2:17 "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Paul was telling them not to let anyone judge them for keeping Yahwehs' appointed times except for the body of Messiah. In most translations you will note that the word "is" is in italics or brackets. This is noting that the translators added that word. Maybe it didn't make sense to them and they were trying to "fix" Paul's letters. But in the light of truth adding "is" makes no sense at all.
Note also in verse 17 Paul refers to the appointed times of Yah as "a shadow of things to come". This is after the death and resurrection of Messiah. This is referring to the fact that not everything has taken place yet. All of Yahweh's feast are memorials and/or shadow pictures of something else we look for. We know that the spring feasts have all become memorials that we keep and we continue on with the fall feasts as well as in anticipation of what is to come. Yahshua said himself that until ALL is fulfilled and until heaven and earth pass away that not one jot or tittle would pass from the commandments and keeping the appointed times are included in that.
Christmas and Easter was certainly "fun" as a child but when you learn that Santa and the Bunny are lies it loses it's thrill until you turn your focus strictly on the decorating and cooking and partying. Then it becomes a money burden to get the perfect gift or decorate with the latest fads. One can try to make it more special by zoning in on referring to it as "Christ's" birthday but then you find out it's not even His birthday beside the fact it's nothing we were ever commanded to observe. Not to mention how the world has painted one out to be "Scrooge" if they don't go along with this world-wide festive celebration. Surprised by the "world-wide reference"? It's accepted far more than most realize. But the biggie is when you actually start doing some research and begin to see how much of the festivities are rooted in some of the very things that Yahweh says NOT to do when worshiping Him. And you begin to see just how far removed we as believers have merged away from Yahweh's will and straight into the deception of our enemy which is all a result of not obeying Yahweh in the first place.
Yahweh refers to His people as "stubborn" or "stiff necked" several times in scripture. In what we call the "old testament". There is even one word that translates to "stupid", so far as I have learned it.
And still, many of us are "stubborn". We don't care to take the time to study anything that comes along and does not line up with what we already believe. We are "stiff necked". We refuse to turn to anything but that which we "know" and are comfortable with.
And sadly we can very much be "stupid". I say that in the meaning of being ignorant. We are certainly ignorant of the scriptures.
It's a great time of year to reflect on what we've been living for. What we look forward to in our future. And what's it all about. I would like to submit to all my family and friends that find most of what I post disturbing or strange at best to really stop and think about what you're life is all about. If it's all about the here and now and the worldly dreams of fame and fortune, having a good time or the saddest one of "just trying to make it", with no consideration of eternity, I wish you all the best. But if you will... reconsider. Sadly, too many believe that they can live their life here just as they desire with the thought that when they die they automatically go to "heaven". They sing praises of getting into heaven yet are clueless to the rules of the kingdom of heaven.
We are offered a chance at eternity with the Creator of all there is. A kingdom where our blessed and awesome Messiah Yahshua/Jesus will be King. But there are conditions. No, you can't earn your way into it. The conditions are laying down your life according to your will and trading it in for the King's will. Living a life patterned after His. His was a life that was pleasing to the Father because He lived according to Yahweh's will. The "gospel" is not just learning that Yahshua/Jesus died for our sins and you go back to life as usual. No, the gospel is also the knowledge that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Yahshua bought back our place in that kingdom. And if we are subjects in a kingdom we are subjected to those kingdom rules. We are called to "follow" Him. The call is to return/repent, come back to the ways of Father Yah's covenant with His people.
We should stop living to fulfill the desires of our flesh which is contrary to the spirit and trade it for living a life that is patterned after the will of our Creator Yahweh. He already says He will give us all that we need. He does say that there are blessings to gain when living according to His will. So really "laying down your life" is not such a bad thing. Living the kingdom rules in Yahshua comes with the promise of eternal life to boot. Scripture refers to His people as "saints". Unfortunately most people view a saint to be someone that the Roman Catholic Church proclaims to be. Or maybe someone who has done them a favor or good deed.
Scripture says in Rev_14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
So the saints are those that profess Yahshua as Messiah AND keep the commandments. The commandments are the kingdom rules. The covenant.
The only drawback is that it's not the most popular lifestyle according to the world right now. As a matter of fact it is so contrary to the ways of the world that the world hates it. But that's OK. The god of this world and it's kingdoms will soon be gone and the kingdom of heaven with Yahshua reigning will be established. And Yahshua said that if the world hated Him they would hate us also. That is, if you are being a real follower of Him.
Joh_15:18 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh_17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." Are you of the world or the kingdom of heaven?
So who and what are you living for? Take some time and look into the appointed times of Yahweh. See how it is that He desires for us to celebrate and worship Him. And really, the only reason anyone would think that keeping Yahweh's appointed times is a burden or strange is because they are so far removed from His will in the first place. Most of us grew up with Christmas and Easter and the likes. Just like anyone who grows up with Buddhism or Hinduism or Islam etc. but growing up with something doesn't necessarily make it the will of Yahweh now does it?
So in light of the fall feast days that are upon us whether Yahweh's or mans....and knowing most everybody I know personally will be planning on anything but the fall feasts of Yahweh, my prayer is that you will search them out. See what they're all about. Afterall, if you claim to be a believer in Yahshua Messiah they are the appointed times that He celebrated. And in the words of the beloved Apostle Sha'ul/Paul in
1Co_4:16 "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1Co_11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Php_3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."
And to those who do keep Yahweh's: Have a very blessed time.
Shalom Aleichem
