Gods’ Spring Festivals
Just as we, in the USA, have various calendars (school, fiscal, annual), so does God. His sacred/religious calendar begins with the month of Nisan and Passover. The first of the spring festivals of God’s sacred calendar are: Passover, followed by Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. The LORD instructs that we are to observe His festivals forever; and that we are to explain them to our children. Yeshua, Himself, stated, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you,” Luke 22:15, NIV.
Passover (Pesach):24“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.” Ex 12:24-27
CHALLENGE: bow down and worship God when He instructs us! (as opposed to resisting Him)
Unleavened Bread (Hag haMatzot): “On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD ‘s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast,” Lev 23:6
CHALLENGE: eat nothing with leaven (baking soda, yeast, baking powder, etc.) for seven days.
First Fruits (Bikurim): The 16th of Nisan is the festival of First Fruits. (Lev 23:9-14) Today Jews rarely celebrate First Fruits; however, it is the resurrection of our Messiah. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” I Cor 15:20 (also verses 22-23; also Luke 24:44-47)
CHALLENGE: meditate on all the Messiah’s resurrection gave to us, His followers.
Prayer: we are blessed to be allowed to intercede for the needs of others. Some answers come within a few days, others may take weeks or months. Regardless of what we see with our natural eyes, HE is working. We need to continue to be faithful in intercession!
“Lord, our Pascal Lamb, thank You for all You have done and continue doing for us. We love You, Lord, our God! We bless Your holy Name! Lord, we pray that You will intervene in the hearts and lives of our children. Draw them to You; heal their marriages. Heal Maxine, Joe, Paul, John all those who are hurting physically or emotionally. We pray for Your anointing on the Seders all over the world – draw people to You. That President Obama’s visit to Israel will be good and life-changing, just as each of our lives were changed on our personal visits to Israel. That believers both here and in Israel will have favor – that You will bring Your peace to Jerusalem. In Your awesome Name.”
