Good Wednesday morning beloved. We are in such an incredible season and time in the Lord. Right now we are in the week that precedes the highest of holy days for the nation of Israel. You may think that as Christians we don’t need to celebrate Jewish holidays, feasts or customs, but I would say to you that the early church did and so should we. We are after all, one new man in Christ, and he faithfully celebrated the feasts-fulfilling several of them.
The only feast not yet fulfilled is the fall Feast of Tabernacles. Many believe this is the feast and appointed time period in which Christ will return to the earth.
Without going into a full history lesson in the feast, I think it’s important that we remember that much of these Jewish practices were removed from the early church during Constantine’s time of rule. And for the most part even during the great reformation were not reintroduced back into practice within the church.
I learned so many years ago to not only celebrate the feasts, but to seek the Lord during these times. I found one of the greatest tools and roadmaps for seeking Jesus from a Jewish perspective in the book-“A Time To Advance.“ In this book you are invited to understand, how to think from a more biblical perspective and how to better understand the God of the Bible. This book helps me yearly navigate through an entire 12 month cycle with Jesus.
I have learned that The Feast of Passover, The Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets and Tabernacle’s are to be remembered and celebrated yearly unto the Lord for they are his “appointed times.”
““Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘The designated times of ADONAI which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times.”Lev. 23:2 CJB
Because there is neither Jew nor gentile any longer but one new man in Christ Jesus we too must learn how to celebrate these appointed times with the Lord. Jesus gave us this example as he faithfully followed and fulfilled the law. Now I know we are not under the law but grace but these feasts are not law driven. They are relational feasts where we can enjoy the Lord in a whole new way. These times are meant for us to experience Messiah Jesus from a pure and most holy place. I think it’s easy in the western world to picture Jesus as a westerner but he is Jewish and it’s important that we learn how to love and honor the nation in which God chose to present his Son to the world. The entire chapter of Leviticus 23 and subsequent ones help us understand the significance of celebrating these appointed times, festivals.
We are reminded in the book of Genesis during the Creation Story that God hung the stars, the moon and the sun for times and seasons. That word seasons there is the word Moed-It’s where we get the understanding of festival, and God’s appointed Feast times.
I believe the Holy Spirit has helped the church at large, agree on some level with these appointed times even though we were not aware of his leading; and for that I am so grateful.
GOD IS ALWAYS TRANSFORMING US
There is a pattern of how God works in our lives and he’s always preparing us for what’s next personally and in the world.
Learning how to agree with Him is where we sometimes get stuck; and for me, I have learned that this book helps me stay in the flow and rhythm of his work and grace in my life.
For example right now we are finishing up the month of Elul. This is the Hebrew month of the tribe of Gad. It’s the month known as the “king is in the field.“ It’s a time where we can approach God more readily without protocols etc...God is close in Elul. It’s not hard to connect with him. You’ll feel him more closely as you take time to reach out in communion with him. It’s a place where God appoints mercy from his hand to us. Its the month where we run into the tower of his might, and where we find our place in the company of the Lord.
In the book we are told that Elul is a point month; where we need to know how something started so we can get to the end of it. It’s also a month of great heart preparation through exercising repentance and forgiveness. 
Its a month where we know that we are his and he is ours.
Song of Solomon 6:3: “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine!“
God comes close to us and prepares our hearts through intimacy in Elul; he is merciful with us and fixes in us what is broken as we approach him. It’s a month where we must be sure that our actions and emotions are submitted to God. It’s the month where Moses ascended to Mount Sinai to receive the second tablets of the covenant. These are the days where God revealed himself to the Jewish people with great mercy and it’s a time where he receives us with that great mercy as well. This month began August 18 and concludes tomorrow evening at sundown.
God is so good and he never leaves us without help. So before we enter Tishrei (Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement (Yom kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacle‘s) God uses Elul to get us ready.
Our ministry has used this book many times over the years as a roadmap to staying in step with His times and seasons; and I highly recommend it. It has produced such blessing, growth and fruit in our ministry and in our lives.
Right now we are heading towards a new Jewish year-5781 this Friday at Roshashana (Jewish for head of the year). It’s the Jewish civil New Year. Although our civil calendar does not change over until January, the Jewish civil calendar changes over this Friday. 
One of the things we understand from a Jewish perspective is that every new year is a new prophetic season in the Lord. We can begin to look at each year and each season through the lens of each decade. This year (2020 for us but 5780 for the Jews) begin the decade of the 80s for the Jewish people. The 70s -5779 concluded last fall-which was a picture of an eye; ayin is the word picture that accompanied that decade. It was the decade to see.
Jewish numbers are not just numbers.
Each number has a picture attached to it.
These pictures give us greater understanding and are a language from God to us that helps us understand more clearly what he’s up to and how we can partner with him.
For example the number 80 is the word peh-which is a picture of a mouth or breath.
Pey (also spelled peh and pei) is the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
Numerical value: 80
Meaning: Mouth
God has a plan and purpose for the world and it’s important that we agree with where Jesus is going so we can see his kingdom come and will done on the earth.
We don’t have to go into every year or decade blindly. 
This first year of the decade has certainly been an interesting one-a transitional year I believe. I believe God is preparing us for what’s next in this decade. I did a short 30 minute teaching with my ministry on this and if you reach out to me I would be glad to forward it to you. 
I certainly don’t claim to understand it all but I do know that God is always speaking to us and it’s important that we are listening and obeying. 
It is important as you go throughout the remainder of this week to find time to spend quietly in self reflection with the Lord. I encourage you to pray prayers like:
Psalm 51:12 -Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit. Don’t thrust me away from your presence, don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. Restore my joy in your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me.
and
Psalm 139:23-24 TPT- God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious everlasting ways-the path that brings me back to you.
We are not just entering into the fall season. We are entering into the highest of holy days where the book of our lives will be opened before the Lord. From a Jewish understanding these are the days where God opens the book of our lives and determines who lives and who dies in the next year. It’s a time where he inspects our lives.
Rosh Hashana is not only the Jewish New Year, it is the birthday of creation and the day that the “fall of mankind“ took place. It’s a significant day. It’s also a miraculous time. It’s a time that 4 matriarchs were able to conceive. Genesis 29:31 says that God opened Rachel‘s womb. Not only Rachel but Sarah Rebecca and Leah all conceived on this day.
It’s a wonderful time and yet also a very sobering time. It’s a time for renewal and cleansing yet also a time and opportunity to receive forgiveness and clear the slate.
I will be doing monthly teachings on each Jewish month beginning next month. If you would like to receive a copy of those teachings or possibly be a part of a group that explores them together please respond to me either here from this blog post or reach out via my websites contact form. 
I send you much love and blessings as you journey with Jesus.
Shalom,
Dana