More commonly known as the Jewish New Year, this Holy Day is not just a New Year’s Day but much more. It’s based on one of the seven commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23 and is also a time of repentance and proclamation of God as …
10 Ideas for a Christian Shavuot
Shavuot is one of the seven Biblical feasts listed in Leviticus 23. While many Christians don’t yet celebrate these important days, they’re so meaningful to our faith because all of them in some way point to Jesus as our Messiah! Many Christians know Shavuot as …
Shavuot: A Gift for God’s Covenant People
One of the seven God-ordained Feasts in Leviticus 23, Shavuot, is also called the Feast of Weeks. It’s a harvest festival, specifically the wheat harvest, a type of Biblical Thanksgiving. It celebrates God’s provision for our physical and spiritual needs. Jews mainly observe Shavuot, but Pentecost, Shavuot’s …
Havdalah: Separation Between the Holy and the Common
I’ve previously written about the importance of the Sabbath (Shabbat) and how to observe it. We light candles and say blessings to set the Sabbath apart from all other days. In addition, there’s a tradition that reminds us when the Sabbath is over, and we return to our …
Step-by-Step Guide to a Messianic Sabbath
Shalom! I’m so glad you’ve decided to observe a traditional Messianic Sabbath evening. I hope it becomes one of your family’s most-loved traditions, as it has in mine. The Sabbath is not only one of the 10 Commandments; it’s a sign that we are God’s …
What DO We Do on the Sabbath?
What does keeping the Sabbath look like? The fourth commandment is clear, and numerous other places throughout the Bible make it evident that God finds observation of the Sabbath something all His people should do. Keeping the Sabbath means, in part, not working on that …
Challah Bread Recipe
Challah bread is a beautiful and delicious Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat (the Sabbath), holidays, and other special days (except during Passover). It is made from a heavy dough that is separated and braided. A topping is usually added before baking—poppy seeds and sesame seeds …
Is the Sabbath Really THAT Important to God?
Does God really care that much whether we keep the Sabbath? What difference does taking a day off work make? Couldn’t we take a vacation for rest or worship Him at any convenient time? A basic rule of Bible study is to pay special attention …
Why Count the Omer?
Sometime between Passover and Shavuot, many people “count the omer.” While that may sound complicated, it merely means counting each of the 50 days until Shavuot. But why count? Can’t we just look at our calendars to see when Shavuot is? What should we be doing while we’re …