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| Ancient Pesach Seder |
Hello everyone and shalom:
Tonight my family and I are going to a Pesach (Passover) Seder. In itself that's no big thing, after all I am Jewish! Biblically, my daughter is Jewish also, regardless of the Talmudic (oral traditions) and Rabbinical Judaism's definition of a Jew. We have only one Holy Book my friends and that is the Bible, the Word of God. The TANAKH (Old Testament) and Brit Chadashah (the New Covenant or Testament) is the one and only true Word of God . If you would like me to prove ask me later. But I digress...
Whats unique about the Seder tonight is that we are going to join a Messianic Jewish congregation. In fact, it is my old congregation before leaving for a variety of issues, both personal and doctrinal. I have history with this Messianic Jewish Congregation. Yet, the Rabbi and I have said our peace and our apologies, more then that, we are at shalom. So why is my family we going? The answer is my daughter. My immediate nuclear family is almost an orthodox-secular Jewish family, and though I mean no disrespect, they have a very limited understanding of modern or Biblical Jewish doctrines. Furthermore, over the year, I attempted to have Pesach Seders at my Independent Baptist church, but after the first year, which was a great success, the church lost their interest and I let it go. Today, I am unfortunately suffering gastroparesis and their is no way I have the strength to prepare a Seder at home. Yet, as Deuteronomy 6 states:
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. 16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Deut 6:4-16 (KJV)
One of the greatest mitvahs (commandments) we can follow as the Children of the Most High is to teach the next generations of youth the Truth of what our God did for us all; both during the Exodus and even more importantly what the True Pesach Lamb, Yeshua (Jesus) did by being sacrificed on a Cross. The true purpose of Pesach Seders is to teach our children, plain and simple. Yet,
I must admit that Matzoh Ball Soup is one of my favorites things to eat.
Thus going to the Seder tonight I will be able to pass on much of what I know to my daughter, a feat which has become more and more difficult as I deal with my digestive issues. Regardless of doctrinal differences my daughter will be immersed in a Jewish rite as old as Moshe (Moses) himself.
I look forward to it. Please pray for the rumbly-in-my-tummy.
Thank you for the continued prayers!
Day After Update:
The Seder was great! My daughter keeps asking me if we can do this every year. I love it!!!!
Sitting next to me was a man named Mike. Mike was a Muslim brought up in a religious Muslim family. Yet, he is now Saved, washed in the Blood of the Lamb! The only words that came to mind was, "HOW EXCITING!" Perhaps he will consent to write up his testimony.
The rest of the time I conversed with a nice United Methodist Pastor and a man named Chris. I kept myself from mentioning anything that might be misconstrued. I only gave Mike my information. The purpose of going to the Seder was so my daughter can be immersed once more in her Jewish Christian culture, and it was a success. My purpose was not to preach Olive Tree Theology or become a proselytizer. By the way, whether or not he knows it Mike follows Olive Tree Theology.
My wife commented on the way home how my face lit up and how I was not ill during any of the debates. She was very happy to see that.
The Rabbis and I had cordial greetings, it was good seeing him. I was careful throughout the night to keep from discussing Olive Tree Theology. I failed.
Oh, I did have to leave early late in the Seder, after all I still have that Rumbly-in-my-Tumbly going on.
S
Eternal Father, I thank you for the miracle you gave my family last night. Thank you for that peace of mind that was granted when I spoke of your true Word. Thank you for my daughter's wishes to be more Jewish. I thank you for a wife that puts up with a fool like me. I thank you for allowing me to serve You. Adonai, I even thank you for the gastroparesis. I don't enjoy it in any fashion, but I do have faith that something wonderful will come of it. After all, for each and every terrible event in my life I can point to the good that You granted me. I thank you for introducing me to Mike, it was exciting! Most of all I thank you for the Blessed Assurance I have that regardless of what happens in my life, I WILL SEE YOU IN THE END!
In the name of Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Christ).
Amen
