1.0 You are invited

1. 0 You Are Invited

Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven.

(Complete Jewish Bible)

Each year beginning at the first Passover in Exodus, God set specific days and times for ALL His people to assemble at the place where He has placed His Name. YHWH says, "Celebrate a festival in My honor three times a year" (Exodus 23:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible). Today we keep the feasts and celebrate with Him in His plan of redemption as individuals and as His great assembly. We are the reward of His suffering and we take great delight in each other’s company.

The feasts are an exact pattern of God’s redemptive work for mankind and in them you will find the very heart of God. You will know Him better and understand His passion and the operation of his kingdom as never before. All the feasts speak of and are fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of God, the exact representation of God. He is our Rest, our Passover Lamb, the One who immerses us with the Spirit of Truth, our Comforter. He is the Righteous Judge, our Redeemer, our Bridegroom, and the soon coming King.

We are not under legal obligations for their observance, but as we rediscover their significance and accuracy, we will again begin to assemble at His times because we love the One who first loved us. We will become increasingly obligated to their observance simply out of our love for Him.

The Sabbath rest is the beginning point in God’s plan; it shows how we are to relate to God the Father.

The Sabbath is a public testimony of God’s redemptive work. Likewise, the Passover points us toward the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God. In Pentecost we see God giving the law and later giving the Holy Spirit. The Feast of Trumpets, in part, points the way to the kingship and sovereignty of God. The Day of Atonement reminds us of our inability to save ourselves and the seriousness of sin which separates us from God. On this day we stand and see the salvation of the Lord which is His ever present gift of grace.

Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles shows us that God is looking to dwell in the hearts of mankind as united individuals in one camp. This is His ultimate delight to live in the tents of our flesh and celebrate the intimacy of our union with Him. It is a time of great rejoicing and ingathering. It is the fulfilment of creation and its celebration extends into eternity.

These seasons are set through the fabric of the created universe on a yearly cycle that coincides with the waxing and waning of the moons and the agricultural harvest seasons in Israel. They were established in the heavens at creation and are easily found by carefully watching the lunar cycles. Their seasons are as easy to find as the phases of the moon. Everyone has access to these times--transcending, language, culture and age.

There are seven feasts of YHWH located in three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. Each of the feasts have historic, prophetic, and present day significance, and they each communicate mysteries and reveal the operation of His kingdom. Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) was crucified on the same day of the year at the exact time of day that the thousands of Passover lambs were slaughtered during

the great Exodus of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The fulfillment of YHWH’s desire is already established in the heavens, and on the earth. The feasts bear witness to the integrity His sovereign plans. The feasts are very pure and saturated with symbols that teach us and remind us of God’s goodness. The

feasts, like the Scriptures, are a never-ending well of life. God is communicating Himself through these times. They are special times of intimacy. These are YHWH’s ideas and He is inviting us to gather as one and meet Him where He has placed his Name. The feasts all point to our Messiah and King, Jesus. He is in their anticipation and their conclusion. He is the beginning and the end of all things. As we look back in the history of Israel, we can also see where we are today through the appointed times. Come and see why it is important to once again "appear before YHWH your God three times a year" (Exodus 34:24).

Let us lay aside every hindrance. Come join us as we assemble in His name to meet Him in these appointed times from year to year.

He waits for our assembly, will you come?