The wonderful season of fall is finally upon us, a time when we can welcome cooler temperatures, autumn foilage, and break out our sweaters and boots.
It’s a time of year when we anticipate the fun of celebrating the holidays and family traditions, yet in doing so, not too many Christians think about the “fall feasts” of the Bible. After all, aren’t they Jewish holidays? The answer is Yes, but the truth is, they were not thought up or designed by the Jewish people.
Rosh Hashanah which starts this Sunday (October 2–4), as well as six other feasts commanded in Leviticus 23, are actually Feasts of the Lord and they are God’s appointed times to meet with you and me!
As you’ll soon discover in my upcoming blog series for Sonoma Christian Home – there is so much God communicates to us through the feasts about who He is, who He is not, how He sees you, and what He wants to do in your life.
Personally, I’ve experienced deep healing in my heart, and much closer intimacy with God from studying and observing HIS feasts, and I know they will be life-changing for you too!
In addition, because Jesus so perfectly fulfilled the spring feasts with His first coming, we know that He will also fulfill the fall feasts just as perfectly when He comes again. Therefore, the feasts give us anchors of hope for our souls in a world that is so turbulent and uncertain.
So let’s dive in and explore 3 ways Christians can draw closer to God during Rosh Hoshanah. First, a few key facts: the primary theme of this feast is repentance; and since God gave the command to blow the trumpet at Rosh Hashanah, it is also referred to as the “Feast of Trumpets.”
1) Wake up to the need for repentance to stand strong in spiritual battle
The trumpet was often used in Biblical times as a wake up call to battle, and I believe that for us, Rosh Hashanah is a wake up call to the spiritual battle that rages against us every minute of the day. Might I add that this battle is getting hotter every day!
It is also a wake up call to repentance, which is one of the key actions we can take to stand strong in this spiritual battle!
A critical part of repentance is first recognizing the sin in our lives as sin. Now I’m not only referring to the “big sins,” but also the moment by moment sins that can control us, such as fear and stress!
Yes, stress – what I call the socially acceptable word for fear!
2) Wake up to the lies you’re believing
We need to be aware that every time we are stressed, every time we experience fear – we are always believing a lie about ourselves and about God!
For example, I tend to believe lies about myself such as: I have to be perfect, I have to hold all things together, I can’t make mistakes, I’m not going to make it, I’m on my own; and or lies about God such as He expects me to be perfect, He’s disappointed when I mess up, He’s not with me in this, He’s putting the pressure on me, He expects me to figure this out, etc.
Whenever I’m believing these lies about myself or about God, I’m actually aligning myself with the enemy (who is the father of lies), and Romans 14:23 tells us that whatever is not of faith (lies) is sin! Recognizing these lies as sin is really our key to freedom, because only then can we confess them as sin, and break free from the control they have on our lives!
I encourage you this Rosh Hashanah to hear this wake up call to repentance!
Whenever you are fearful, stressed, frustrated, hurt, depressed, or just down on yourself – ask God to show you the lies you’re believing about yourself or about Him. Don’t allow the enemy to continue to rip you off from the freedom and abundant life God has for you!
3) Wake up to the hope of His return!
Lastly, there are so many details about the feast of Rosh Hashanah that are closely linked to Jesus’ return to the earth. This fall, in a time when everything in the world seems to be shifting, let the trumpet blasts of Rosh Hashanah awaken and shift your focus from the problems of today to the way it will be when Jesus returns and you will rule and reign with Him to “right every wrong” in all the nations of the earth! May it be an exciting and secure anchor for your soul in these uncertain times!
To learn more about the feasts, visit the author’s website where she has a video & CD series availably to provide more in-depth teaching JeanneNigro.com
Hi,
My company works with handicapped adults to supply honey for Rosh Hashanah as a fundraising event for Jewish organizations.
I am searching for ways to reach out to the Christian community to offer these unique honey gifts as well.
Can you help me?
Thanks,
Millard Long