A Time of Celebration and A Time of Commemoration
April 2021 / Nisan 5781For everything there is a season and a time for every activity under heaven:Ecclesiastes 3:1What wonderful Passover / Unleavened Bread / Firstfruits gatherings we enjoyed this year! We hosted a small group of 144 for a fantastic catered gourmet Seder. The anointing of the Lord (ALWAYS deep on the Seder) was so rich, we were crying tears of joy at the powerful deliverance of God. First the Exodus from Egypt, and now the exodus from our life apart from God, through the shed blood of “Ha Seh Ha Elohim”, THE Lamb of God! (John 1:29)As we closed our Seder, a lady came to Katharine to commit her life to Yeshua.We “happened” to have our regularly scheduled Beit Abba gathering on “Good” Friday, and we met with 228 very spiritually hungry folks. Incredible worship, dance and hearing the Word connect the Feasts of the Lord with Christian tradition. At service close, 10 people made recommitments to ”walk so closely with Yeshua as to feel the ‘dust of THE Rabbi’ on them”.When you are in the Bay Area, join us in person on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. You can find details at tfh.org/beitabbaBecause of your generosity, House of Peace / Beth Shalom was able to participate in providing 500 Passover meals to Holocaust survivors in Israel and Belarus! Thank you for loving what God loves.The commemorations this year, 5781, between Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost) include:Yom Ha Shoah - Holocaust Memorial Day (April 8th)
Noted 20th century Jewish artist Marc Chagall often equated the suffering of the Jewish people with the suffering of the Messiah, Yeshua. The sons of Abraham are mysteriously entwined with the one that Gentiles call Jesus. Another good reason for Christians to stand with Israel. Albert Einstein, towards the end of his life, stated, “I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene”This is a conundrum of cosmic proportions for Jewish people, as pictured in two of contemporary Israeli sculptor Rick Wienicke’s heart wrenching “Fountain of Tears”. Rick created life-sized depictions of Holocaust victims reacting to the ‘seven sayings of Jesus’ on the cross.Yom Hazikaron – Remembrance of Fallen Soldiers / Victims of Terror - April 14th
On this day, we remember the bravery of those who gave their lives for Israel. In a further mystery, we see pictured here the Israeli Defense Force granddaughters of the very Holocaust survivors in the top photo! Thank God these women are still alive!Yom Ha Atzmaut –Israeli Independence Day, remembering the miracle of the rebirth of the State of Israel - April 15th
With signs and wonders following the Shoah, the world “blinked” and US President Harry Truman led the vote to establish the modern State of Israel, May 14th 1948. God has blessed the USA since that momentous occasion.Genesis 12 Then Adonai said to Abram, “Get going out from your land and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." On that note, we have entered a VERY tumultuous time regarding the relationship between Israel and the USA. Both countries are in shock from lockdown and political uncertainty. Israel is struggling for a definitive election result. America is in the throes of a tectonic shift in priorities. All the gains for peace and democracy made during the Trump administration are now being threatened:~ Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem~ Recognizing Jerusalem as the ancient capital of Israel~ Acknowledging the Golan Heights as part of the state of Israel~ Establishing relative peace through the “Abraham Accords” with several Arab states~ Revoking the “pay for slay” financial incentives promoted by the Palestinian Authority for terrorists to murder Jews,~ Using economic sanctions to slow the growth of Iran’s nuclear plans and the regime’s ability to finance proxy terror through Hamas, Houthis, and HezbollahThe Biden administration is threatening to unwind, override, and reverse many of the gains that were made towards a prosperous, peaceful, and perhaps a democratic middle east.WE NEED TO PRAY!Start with Psalm 122:6“Sha alu Shalom YerushalayimPray for the peace of Jerusalem—“May those who love you be at peace!We know that God’s Peace Plan is Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace, but we need to strengthen the arms of those who defend peace in the earth as well.This month we will put very practical deeds to this prayer by making a generous donation to the ‘Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces’ FIDF - Will you join us in supporting them?Thanks to your generosity, we are able to proclaim Yeshua to Israel and Israel to the Church and the nations.
PS: Don't forget to listen to our latest podcast episode at To Life! to stay informed about the hope behind the headlines! We make no money from the show, but would love to keep bringing you the amazing guests every week. If you are being impacted by the podcast and feel led to support us in this endeavor, please click here!B’rachot Gadolot! (Great Blessings) on you and yours in the days ahead.With Love and gratitude,Myles and Katharine