Messianic Jewish Holidays and Celebrations

November 23, 2020

I’m writing to you because as we enter this season of miracles, with Chanukah quickly approaching, I’m hoping you’ll partner with us to provide the opportunity for more miracles at our Outreaches in Africa. Because of the coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings in the countries where we serve, we have been finding creative ways to serve the Jewish people in need in these areas. I have a story to share with you about one of these miracles, but first let me tell you about Chanukah. Thi...

October 09, 2020

The Bible. Do we really know the treasure we hold in our hands? Do we truly grasp the priceless gift that rests on our nightstands, sits on our end tables, or resides in the depths of our phones? It’s the very Word of God and filled with God Himself. Jewish people celebrate God’s Word with a special holiday called Simchat Torah, which means “Joy of the Torah.” In its strictest sense, the word Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible in which God recorded the origin of the world...

October 08, 2020

Our Future Dwelling “I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God.’” ––Revelation 21:3 When Israel wandered in the wilderness, they lived in temporary housing. God was leading them to the Land He promised to give them. There they would settle in and live in permanent residences. God instituted the Feast of Tabernacles ...

October 07, 2020

Bearing Fruit through Abiding “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing.” ––John 15:5 Jewish families often decorate the sukkah in their yard with a harvest theme, representing God’s bountiful provision. Traditional adornments include hanging fruit from the ceiling. This is a fitting illustration of God’s harvest gifts and also of the effects that abiding in God’s presence has on our lives...

October 06, 2020

Abiding in God’s Love “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love!” ––John 15:9 Imagine if you could live in a structure that is made of love itself. It sounds cozy and safe, doesn’t it? Well, God invites us to take up residence in His love. He wants us to dwell with Him each day within the secure abode of His overflowing love. His love surrounds and shelters us like the walls and roof of a home. For we who believe in Jesus the Messiah, our home...

October 04, 2020

Beholding God’s Beauty “One thing have I asked of Adonai, that will I seek: to dwell in the House of Adonai all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Adonai, and to meditate in His Temple.” ––Psalm 27:4 How many times has a fantastic sunset made you stop what you were doing to stand and watch it for a moment? Have you ever seen a nature photograph that made you linger over it? Maybe you’ve driven around a curve to discover a spectacular landscape in front of you. How d...

October 03, 2020

The Shelter of God’s Presence “Let me dwell in Your tent forever. Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” ––Psalm 61:5 For more than 20 years now, Israel has required that all new construction include a safe room to protect people from enemy rocket fire. When a warning siren sounds, people dash into their shelter to hunker down behind a heavy steel door and surrounded by about five inches of concrete. In 2012, an Israeli couple emerged unhurt from the safe room of t...

October 02, 2020

Dwelling with Truth “The Spirit of truth…. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you.” ––John 14:17 After King David sinned with Bathsheba and devised a plan to ensure her husband would die in battle, David went about his business. He ignored the heavy burden of his guilt, though, according to Psalm 32, it plagued him day and night. Months went by. A child was born of the adultery, and God sent the prophet Nathan to finally confront David about the evil he had d...

October 02, 2020

God with Us “Adonai went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead the way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. So they could travel both day and night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never departed from the people.” ––Exodus 13:21-22 One of the things we are celebrating during the Feast of Sukkot is God dwelling with us. In the wilderness, Israel had a visible manifestation of God’s presence with them day and night: pillars of cl...

September 30, 2020

Sukkot is the last of the three Fall Feasts and begins five days after Yom Kippur. The word Sukkot means “booths” or “tabernacles,” so the seven-day holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot is one of three pilgrimage feasts in which all physically able Jewish men traveled to Jerusalem to make their offerings. The holiday falls around the time of the year’s final harvest and is associated with the ingathering of crops and God’s provision for His people...