Joan E. Mathias' - Gardenjems
  • Gardenjems
  • About
  • Contact

Favor in Celebrating God's Feasts          

4/24/2016

Comments

 
​ 
Today is a significant day on the Hebrew calendar because of the convergence of three events:  Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and The Feast of Weeks (Omer 1) 
At sundown on the eve of April 22 (Nissan 14) Passover (Pesach) began.  All those who celebrated retold the story of how the blood of the Passover lamb protected the firstborn of God's people from death as judgment fell on all the gods of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12)  We, as Christians, can identify Messiah Yeshua as our Passover Lamb.  He has delivered us from the bondage of sin and guided us into liberty.
 
April 23 began the seven-day celebration (Nissan 15-21) of Unleavened Bread.  For the next seven days nothing with yeast should be consumed.  Yeast or leaven represent sin, and Yeshua is our sinless Savior.  On the second day of Unleavened Bread and the third day from Passover (Today/Nissan 16) we have the celebration of Firstfruits.  This was celebrated by the Jewish people as they brought God a firstfruits offering of their spring barley harvest.
 
Scripture says, "Bring the best of your firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God." (Exodus 23:19)  Notice that God's people are expected to bring Him the best.  Likewise, on the third day God gave us His best--His perfect Son.  Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples while He walked the earth. He became Father God's firstfruits offering when He rose from the dead on the day when His people celebrated Firstfruits.  The resurrection of Jesus foreshadowed our resurrection.  As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:20--He is called the firstfruits of those who will be resurrected.
 
The day gets even richer when we remember that Yeshua told His disciples that they would receive power through the Holy Spirit who would be given to them so that they could witness for Him to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)  So, it is traditional to count the 50 days from Firstfruits to Pentecost.  It is called counting the Omer, which means sheaf.   We, as God's people, are to count our blessings for the next 50 days.  "From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord..." (Leviticus 23:15-17)
 
These holy days are shadows meant to reflect God's heart and plans for our world.  Is it not significant that these festivals occur in Nissan, the month associated with praise?  Position yourselves well by giving God an offering of praise as you count the Omer.  Being intentional about counting the Omer makes our desire for revelation known to God.  Counting--giving thanks and praise--open the door for wisdom and direction in our lives as God takes us deeper into His presence.  
 
Use your next 50 days to count your blessings and bless God with thanksgiving and praise.  This is a time for us to grow and prepare for spiritual increase. Look at how Psalm 89:15 in the Amplified Bible expresses the joy of celebrating God's feasts.  "Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound (who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts); they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of your countenance!"  This time of the year is a gift from God.  This, combined with the fact that we are in the year of Jubilee, makes it a time of abundant blessings for us. Give daily thanks and receive the blessings of the Lord.
Comments

    Joan E. Mathias

    Categories

    All
    Authority In Jesus
    Celebrations/Holidays
    Foundation Of Our Nation
    Hebrew Calendar/Celebrations
    Intimacy With God
    Israel/Jewish People
    Kingdom Living
    Music
    Nature
    Revival
    Roots Of Our Christian Faith
    Victory In Christ

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from BPPrice, joncutrer, kennethkonica, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, GollyGforce - Living My Worst Nightmare, ohitzanna, AlicePopkorn2, slgckgc, Chris_Short, homethods, PrincessAshley, Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel, donald judge, Branson Missouri, slgckgc, David A Mitchell, Martin Pettitt, homethods, toptenalternatives, llamnudds, mikecogh, Martin Pettitt, kun0me, mareeshastar, A_Peach, Boris Kukushkin, cantanima, Renaud Camus, Accretion Disc, teofilo, Dushan and Miae, bertknot, Ellemgee Photography, Robert Couse-Baker, Oh Paris, peter.tully64, Patricia Pierce, http://globalquiz.org, *_*, markus spiske, Rob.Bertholf, blondinrikard, archer10 (Dennis), Art4TheGlryOfGod, Arran Bee, James St. John, blumenbiene, Like us on Facebook at CAGuard, Kanguru Adventure, USDAgov, hassage, Vironevaeh, Rick Camacho, Rennett Stowe, Accretion Disc, alexander.parsalidis, Infomastern, Actual Brian Crawford, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, grongar, pburka, James St. John, daspader, Giuseppe Milo (www.pixael.com), gitsul., Traveller-Reini, slgckgc, xiquinhosilva, Bernt Rostad, EinarMostad, afunkydamsel, byzantiumbooks, drewgstephens, Rod Waddington, BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives, Antonio Calero Garcia, Leimenide, idovermani, Kaarina Dillabough, Janitors, Somuchtwosay, michael_swan, Joey Z1, cristina.sanvito, Wonderlane, cliff1066™, Elekes Andor, Vincent_AF, DonkeyHotey, @jbtaylor, Jason Rosenberg, ian?, Ian W Scott, markbyzewski, cowbite, Infomastern, homegets.com, chrismetcalfTV, wuestenigel, timpeartrice, David Jones, Randy Son Of Robert, jimw7, Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon, Rachel-Esther, runneralan2004, hedera.baltica, CaliforniaDFW, spbda, itmpa, Sir, Rony, slgckgc, Boston Public Library, oliver.dodd, slgckgc, barnimages.com, fbaett, Oli-Oviyan, Robert Couse-Baker, hello-julie, blmurch, Lonni.besançon, DPP Business and Tax, Ervins Strauhmanis, Rylee Isitt, kuhnmi, Björn S..., Laurie Nature Bee, samsaundersleeds, Waiting For The Word, Bananenfalter, plantronicsgermany, Mark Wordy, JoanDragonfly, Lodo27, aaron_anderer, x1klima, Photography by Brian Lauer, amseaman, emiliechenphotography, Mangiafazula07, 津山市立図書館 Public Library of Tsuyama, Rob.Bertholf, slgckgc, srqpix, pburka, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, Christine Wagner, Jaykhuang, sonstroem, Sam Howzit, C Jill Reed, John.P.Rairdon, Steenbergs, MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife, FotoGuy 49057, Neeta Lind, cattan2011, wuestenigel, D. Scott Taylor, The Travelling Bum, South African Tourism, claydevoute, Skley, Pedro Paulo Palazzo, alexliivet, JIRCAS, pasa47, blumenbiene, *_*, susieq3c, ishaandave1991, Me in ME, slashvee, mutovkin, kcxd, TravelBakerCounty, wuestenigel, Don & Janet Beasley, Schneidersphotography, Panegyrics of Granovetter, Eusebius@Commons, USDAgov, edenpictures, slgckgc, Ninara, Carly & Art, elmetatron, slgckgc, BadSoull, NathalieSt, Humphrey King, Mark Berbezier
  • Gardenjems
  • About
  • Contact