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One
of the Best
Each week we provide you with
one of the week's most thought provoking articles. |
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 High Holidays for Jews and Christians
By Jim Hutchens
One of the most visible shortcomings
of established Christianity is that it has no holidays mandated by God. Of course Christians have Christmas, Easter (Resurrection
Sunday) and Pentecost Sunday, but none of these are recognized by a Biblical command. Prior to the disastrous decision to
separate Jews and Christians at the Council of Nicea in AD 325, followers of Jesus were known as the Nazarene Sect (cf. Acts
24:5), and considered a part of Judaism, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. As a result Christians shared the same holidays
as their Jewish kinsmen.
Biblical Judaism, on the other
hand, has several feasts and festivals mandated by God. And since followers of Jesus are now “grafted into” the
Israel of God, these holidays have a special significance for them also. For example God says; “Three times a year all
your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Deuteronomy. 16:16).
Today many Christians recognize
and participate in these traditional Jewish holidays as a means of re-connecting with their spiritual roots. Christian participation
in Passover Seders has increased significantly, especially since the creation of the modern State of Israel. Each year thousands
of Christians from all over the world celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel. As a matter of fact, most Christians see
the feasts and festivals of Biblical Judaism as types and foreshadows of some aspect of the Messianic person and work of Jesus.
For them the festivals coming in the spring of the year have been fulfilled.
In April, Passover, Unleavened Bread &
First Fruits prefigured the sinless death and resurrection of Jesus. In May-June, Shavuot/Pentecost celebrates Jesus’
promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit to reside within believers. (Acts 2:1 ff). Continue Reading>> |
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One
that calls for a Response
Each week we
take a meaningful quote, tie it to scripture, and leave you with a take-home. |
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 Israel's founding Prime
Minister, David Ben-Gurion, said: "No Jew is at liberty to surrender the right of the Jewish Nation and the Land
of Israel to exist. No Jewish body is sanctioned to do so. No Jew alive today has the authority to yield any piece of land
whatsoever. This right is preserved by the Jewish people throughout the generations and cannot be forfeited under any circumstance.
Even if at some given time there will be those who declare that they are relinquishing this right, they have neither the power
nor the jurisdiction to negate it for future generations to come. The Jewish Nation is neither obligated by nor responsible
for any waiver such as this. Our right to this land, in its entirety, is steadfast inalienable and eternal. And until the
coming of the Great Redemption, we shall never yield this historic right."
God says: "I will make an everlasting covenant with
them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.
I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul." ... "I will gather
all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my
inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land." (Jeremiah 32:40-41;
Joel 3:2)
The Jerusalem Connection
says: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is presently in Israel demanding that Israel and the Palestinians
agree on substantive measures that will ensure a two-state solution as implemented by the "Road Map to Peace." If that happens
the United States will be willing accomplices to acts that will place us under the judgement of God. Contact the President,
your Senators and Representatives, urging them to cease and desist in the demand for a two-state solution, before it is too
late.
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 Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is probably the
most important Jewish holiday. The Israelites were commanded to observe this day in Leviticus 23:26. For Jews,
this is a day set aside to account for the sins one has committed over the past year. It is a day of fasting, resting,
praying, and attending synagogue. Fasting begins tonight at sundown and goes until tommorow evening at sundown.
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 The Cyrus Fund
Many of our readers are
already aware of The Jerusalem Connection's efforts to help Spanish speaking Jews in the southwest USA and in Latin
America. Like the thousands of Jews we brought from the Former Soviet Union to Israel, many of these Sephardic
Jews need our help. The
Cyrus Fund was set up to assist in the aliya of Sephardim who fill called to return to
Israel. Please consider making
a donation to this worthy ministry and become an active participant in the fulfillment
of Obadiah's
Vision. |
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Christians United for Israel Rapid Response Action
Alert
Call (202-456-1111) or Email the White House TODAY
Urge President Bush to Place Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard on the
Specially Designated
Global Terrorist List
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The Jerusalem Connection International
P.O. Box 20295- Washington, DC- 20041
Phone: 703-707-0014- Fax-703-707-9514
Email: info@tjci.org
Visit us on the web: www.tjci.org |
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The Jerusalem Connection International
serves as an advocate for Christian Zionism.
Our mission is to inform, educate, and activate support for Israel
and the Jewish people.
We accomplish all aspects of our mission to actively advocate for the continuity and strength
of a strong Jewish state of Israel primarily through the publication of our magazine, The JerUSAlem Connection, and also through
our ministries in Israel and advocacy work in the U.S.
Blessings,
Rev. James M. Hutchens, Ph.D.
Chaplain (Brigadier
General) US Army (Ret.)
President: The Jerusalem Connection Int'l | |
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