Posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
People are saying....
Have just started reading the book and am so blessed by it--it is the type of book I will read over and over and study various portions, looking up the scriptures. There were stunning insights in it, am particularly enjoying the chapter on New Moon,... which is all new. It is enlarging my vision and understanding of our God, Christ, and the Kingdom! LR (Portland, OR)
Hi Joan: Just getting into the book. Lots to think about. CS (Portland, OR)
Wow! I had some quiet time last night to sit and read... Wonderful! I laughed and cried! I love how you have interjected your own experience and humour! I so much enjoy the presentation, the writing style and the organization, including the divisions, fonts etc. Makes it so easy to follow and to learn from. After the intro chapters I decided to go right to the 'season' we are in and read all about the King fulfillment... Shabbat Shalom sister! NS (Canada)
Hi Joan: Just getting into the book. Lots to think about. CS (Portland, OR)
Wow! I had some quiet time last night to sit and read... Wonderful! I laughed and cried! I love how you have interjected your own experience and humour! I so much enjoy the presentation, the writing style and the organization, including the divisions, fonts etc. Makes it so easy to follow and to learn from. After the intro chapters I decided to go right to the 'season' we are in and read all about the King fulfillment... Shabbat Shalom sister! NS (Canada)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Feasting Around the World
PUBLISHED IN THE CHRISTIAN EDITION OF THE JERUSALEM POST, OCTOBER 2, 2009
FEASTING AROUND THE WORLD
-by Kasey Bar
Across the globe – in Chatsworth, England; Panajachel, Guatemala; Devenport, Tasmania; Hyderabad, India; Melbourne, Florida, and hundreds of other locations – Christians are gearing up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in a town near you.
Jerusalem is of course the most coveted location for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has been sponsoring a week-long spectacular there each year since its inception in September 1980. That ground-breaking celebration quickly grew into Israel’s largest annual tourist event, with more than 5,000 Christian regularly attending, coming from over 100 nations of the globe.
The success of that event appears to have spawned a growing number of Feast gatherings worldwide that today involve tens of thousands of Christian celebrants, some of whom may never have the privilege of pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
“Being in the body of Christ... enables us to experience the Feast of Tabernacles in unity, harmony and joy as if we were all at one site,” said Ryan Denee of the Restored Church of God, which will be holding a Sukkot gathering again this year.
“Due to the socio-political situation in Honduras, we are not going to be able to attend this year’s Feast in Jerusalem,” said Fabiola Radriguez de Vieytez of Honduras, who has missed only two Feasts in Jerusalem since 1984. “But we think that is it important to never forget the faithfulness of our God, through every situation that we pass in our lives and we will be celebrating the Feast locally with Pastor Evelio Reyes of Vida Abundante [Abundant Life] in Tegucigalpa,” she recently told The Christian Edition.
How many feasts will there be this year? According the Web site www.feastgoer.org, there are at least 200 public Christian celebrations of the Feast in nearly 100 different countries spanning the breadth of the globe. This statistic represents only organized events that have been widely advertised. The number of locations is likely much greater when one includes informal celebrations and unpublicized observances by churches and ministries throughout the world.
FeastGoer is a Web venture dedicated to connecting Christians with biblical Feast celebrations in their respective areas. They state that they “believe the God-given feasts are entirely relevant to the Christian today and teach so much about God and Jesus Christ that they cannot be overlooked and relegated to the past.”
But for centuries of Christian history, that is exactly what happened. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal the Feast of Tabernacles as a corporate celebration. However, in the Fourth Century, when Constantine became emperor of Rome, he forced both Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus to give up any ties with Judaism, Jewish practices and the Hebrew calendar under the threat of imprisonment or death. All of the biblical holidays and feasts were either replaced by separate holidays or rejected entirely.
Over the ensuing centuries, Christians drifted further and further from their Hebraic roots to the point that contemporary Christianity had lost touch with the Biblical feasts that Jesus himself had faithfully observed.
It was in the 19th century that certain Christian leaders were moved by a deep desire to reconnect to Israel and in fact they had a great impact upon Zionism. In the US, Protestant minister William E. Blackstone circulated a petition in 1892 to urge the US to reestablish a Jewish state in Palestine. Meanwhile in Europe, Rev. William Hechler, chaplain of the British Embassy in Vienna, became a close friend of Theodore Herzl, the father of the modern Zionist movement. With the establishment of the state of Israel, Christians began looking at Biblical references to Israel more practically, including the Divine call to keep the appointed feasts “forever, throughout the generations” (Leviticus 23:41).
For example, noted writer Basilea Schlink, co-founder of the Evangelical order of the Sisters of Mary, arranged to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in 1946 with local Jewish survivors of the Holocaust in her hometown of Darmstadt, Germany. But the practice did not become a mainstream Christian event until the early 1980s when the Christian Embassy began hosting their international Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.
Since its inception in 1980, the ICEJ has faithfully encouraged pilgrims from all nations to join them in Jerusalem to celebrate the biblical feast of the Ingathering. This is in anticipation of the prophecy spoken of in Zechariah 14:16 that all the nations will one day come up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
This event has become the signal Christian Zionist gathering in Israel each year, and what began in Jerusalem 30 years ago has now spread throughout the world. The ICEJ’s Feasts have always featured not only strong biblical messages on Israel and the Church, but also Hebraic worship, Davidic dance, artistic banners and other innovations that have now been duplicated far and wide.
“It's really not a tourist event. It is indeed a celebration of God's love, an expression of the diverse and united Kingdom of God, and a statement of God's faithfulness to Israel,” said Rev. Malcolm Hedding, Executive Director of the ICEJ.
It is true that there is no other site like Jerusalem, yet the message of Sukkot reverberates across borders and continents, demonstrating that no matter where Christians are located, they indeed share the same inspirations.
Vieytez says what she enjoys most is the Communion services conducted at the Feast celebrations in Jerusalem and now in her native Honduras. “We have the opportunity to share in unity no matter our language, or race, or anything else,” she said.
“A corporate celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is an acknowledgement that all of us together represent the 'tabernacle of God' among men,” said Pastor Bob Summerville of Hunstville, Alabama, who has a long-time teaching ministry on the Hebraic roots of Christianity and conducts observances of Jewish festivals for Christians.
“God gave the holidays for His purpose, to both Jews and Gentiles, to help us see God and understand His plan of redemption,” said Joan Lipis, author of the new book, Celebrate Jesus: A Christian Perspective of the Biblical Feasts. She will be touring the US over the High Holy Days to encourage people to celebrate the festivals of Israel in order to better understand Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Lipis told The Christian Edition that in the past, she tried to spend every Feast in Israel, but now wishes to share the message of the feasts with the world in their own area and with respect to their own cultures and traditions. This year she will be observing the Feast of Tabernacles in Portland, Oregon. “When we come together to celebrate the Feast in our different cultures and different traditions but according to God’s calendar, we are demonstrating to the world, and the powers and the principalities, our diversity yet unity in the one new man, Christ Jesus,” said Lipis, just as the prophet Nehemiah wrote that “all the people assembled as one man” at Sukkot. Thus for Christians around the world, it should be a natural step to assemble as one body in observance of the Feast, she said.
In her book Lipis explains, “The Kingdom community consists of people of every tribe, nation, and language. Like the Word of God itself, the Kingdom transcends any one culture. We are enriched as we share our various styles of worship and celebration.”
Sukkot, Tabernacles, Booths – the very name of the celebration represents the command to the ancient Israelites to build “temporary dwellings” to commemorate their times of wandering in the Wilderness, dependent on God for their daily sustenance and waiting to enter the Promised Land. For Christians today this expectation has again become very relevant, as they come together in anticipation of the day prophesied by Zechariah when all the nations will come up to Jerusalem and worship the Lord.
Even as thousands of Christians attend the Feast celebrations in Jerusalem this year, tens of thousands more will be gathering in locations throughout the world to join in this time of rejoicing in God’s faithfulness. They will be dancing to their own rhythms and singing and teaching in their own languages, but also worshiping with one heart and thereby demonstrating that the message of Sukkot is not lost in translation, but rather proven by it.
FEASTING AROUND THE WORLD
-by Kasey Bar
Across the globe – in Chatsworth, England; Panajachel, Guatemala; Devenport, Tasmania; Hyderabad, India; Melbourne, Florida, and hundreds of other locations – Christians are gearing up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in a town near you.
Jerusalem is of course the most coveted location for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has been sponsoring a week-long spectacular there each year since its inception in September 1980. That ground-breaking celebration quickly grew into Israel’s largest annual tourist event, with more than 5,000 Christian regularly attending, coming from over 100 nations of the globe.
The success of that event appears to have spawned a growing number of Feast gatherings worldwide that today involve tens of thousands of Christian celebrants, some of whom may never have the privilege of pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
“Being in the body of Christ... enables us to experience the Feast of Tabernacles in unity, harmony and joy as if we were all at one site,” said Ryan Denee of the Restored Church of God, which will be holding a Sukkot gathering again this year.
“Due to the socio-political situation in Honduras, we are not going to be able to attend this year’s Feast in Jerusalem,” said Fabiola Radriguez de Vieytez of Honduras, who has missed only two Feasts in Jerusalem since 1984. “But we think that is it important to never forget the faithfulness of our God, through every situation that we pass in our lives and we will be celebrating the Feast locally with Pastor Evelio Reyes of Vida Abundante [Abundant Life] in Tegucigalpa,” she recently told The Christian Edition.
How many feasts will there be this year? According the Web site www.feastgoer.org, there are at least 200 public Christian celebrations of the Feast in nearly 100 different countries spanning the breadth of the globe. This statistic represents only organized events that have been widely advertised. The number of locations is likely much greater when one includes informal celebrations and unpublicized observances by churches and ministries throughout the world.
FeastGoer is a Web venture dedicated to connecting Christians with biblical Feast celebrations in their respective areas. They state that they “believe the God-given feasts are entirely relevant to the Christian today and teach so much about God and Jesus Christ that they cannot be overlooked and relegated to the past.”
But for centuries of Christian history, that is exactly what happened. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal the Feast of Tabernacles as a corporate celebration. However, in the Fourth Century, when Constantine became emperor of Rome, he forced both Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus to give up any ties with Judaism, Jewish practices and the Hebrew calendar under the threat of imprisonment or death. All of the biblical holidays and feasts were either replaced by separate holidays or rejected entirely.
Over the ensuing centuries, Christians drifted further and further from their Hebraic roots to the point that contemporary Christianity had lost touch with the Biblical feasts that Jesus himself had faithfully observed.
It was in the 19th century that certain Christian leaders were moved by a deep desire to reconnect to Israel and in fact they had a great impact upon Zionism. In the US, Protestant minister William E. Blackstone circulated a petition in 1892 to urge the US to reestablish a Jewish state in Palestine. Meanwhile in Europe, Rev. William Hechler, chaplain of the British Embassy in Vienna, became a close friend of Theodore Herzl, the father of the modern Zionist movement. With the establishment of the state of Israel, Christians began looking at Biblical references to Israel more practically, including the Divine call to keep the appointed feasts “forever, throughout the generations” (Leviticus 23:41).
For example, noted writer Basilea Schlink, co-founder of the Evangelical order of the Sisters of Mary, arranged to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in 1946 with local Jewish survivors of the Holocaust in her hometown of Darmstadt, Germany. But the practice did not become a mainstream Christian event until the early 1980s when the Christian Embassy began hosting their international Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.
Since its inception in 1980, the ICEJ has faithfully encouraged pilgrims from all nations to join them in Jerusalem to celebrate the biblical feast of the Ingathering. This is in anticipation of the prophecy spoken of in Zechariah 14:16 that all the nations will one day come up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
This event has become the signal Christian Zionist gathering in Israel each year, and what began in Jerusalem 30 years ago has now spread throughout the world. The ICEJ’s Feasts have always featured not only strong biblical messages on Israel and the Church, but also Hebraic worship, Davidic dance, artistic banners and other innovations that have now been duplicated far and wide.
“It's really not a tourist event. It is indeed a celebration of God's love, an expression of the diverse and united Kingdom of God, and a statement of God's faithfulness to Israel,” said Rev. Malcolm Hedding, Executive Director of the ICEJ.
It is true that there is no other site like Jerusalem, yet the message of Sukkot reverberates across borders and continents, demonstrating that no matter where Christians are located, they indeed share the same inspirations.
Vieytez says what she enjoys most is the Communion services conducted at the Feast celebrations in Jerusalem and now in her native Honduras. “We have the opportunity to share in unity no matter our language, or race, or anything else,” she said.
“A corporate celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is an acknowledgement that all of us together represent the 'tabernacle of God' among men,” said Pastor Bob Summerville of Hunstville, Alabama, who has a long-time teaching ministry on the Hebraic roots of Christianity and conducts observances of Jewish festivals for Christians.
“God gave the holidays for His purpose, to both Jews and Gentiles, to help us see God and understand His plan of redemption,” said Joan Lipis, author of the new book, Celebrate Jesus: A Christian Perspective of the Biblical Feasts. She will be touring the US over the High Holy Days to encourage people to celebrate the festivals of Israel in order to better understand Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Lipis told The Christian Edition that in the past, she tried to spend every Feast in Israel, but now wishes to share the message of the feasts with the world in their own area and with respect to their own cultures and traditions. This year she will be observing the Feast of Tabernacles in Portland, Oregon. “When we come together to celebrate the Feast in our different cultures and different traditions but according to God’s calendar, we are demonstrating to the world, and the powers and the principalities, our diversity yet unity in the one new man, Christ Jesus,” said Lipis, just as the prophet Nehemiah wrote that “all the people assembled as one man” at Sukkot. Thus for Christians around the world, it should be a natural step to assemble as one body in observance of the Feast, she said.
In her book Lipis explains, “The Kingdom community consists of people of every tribe, nation, and language. Like the Word of God itself, the Kingdom transcends any one culture. We are enriched as we share our various styles of worship and celebration.”
Sukkot, Tabernacles, Booths – the very name of the celebration represents the command to the ancient Israelites to build “temporary dwellings” to commemorate their times of wandering in the Wilderness, dependent on God for their daily sustenance and waiting to enter the Promised Land. For Christians today this expectation has again become very relevant, as they come together in anticipation of the day prophesied by Zechariah when all the nations will come up to Jerusalem and worship the Lord.
Even as thousands of Christians attend the Feast celebrations in Jerusalem this year, tens of thousands more will be gathering in locations throughout the world to join in this time of rejoicing in God’s faithfulness. They will be dancing to their own rhythms and singing and teaching in their own languages, but also worshiping with one heart and thereby demonstrating that the message of Sukkot is not lost in translation, but rather proven by it.
To Order: http://www.celebratejesusthebook.com/store/
THE TRIPLE TRUMPET BLASTS - Sabbath
THE TRIPLE TRUMPET BLASTS
Sabbath
On September 18th, God gives us the opportunity and privilege to stop our daily routines and celebrate His love and goodness. At sundown, the trumpets will blast to bring us to attention and usher in three of God’s feasts:
- Sabbath
- New Moon
- Tabernacles
Being in the seventh month of God’s redemptive calendar, these three together have tremendous spiritual and eschatological significance. Let’s investigate the meaning of each of these special holy days and glean their significance to our lives, beginning with the Sabbath.
The Sabbath:
God commanded His people to rest from their labors on the seventh day of the week. Regardless of our cultural traditions of worship, God’s calendar is clear:
“…the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work …For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Exodus 20:10-11.
- The Hebrew word for “rested” carries with it the sense of the victory which comes at the end of a battle. (Note: Joshua 1:17, Deuteronomy 25:19 and Psalm 23:1).
Could it be that on the Sabbath, God is instructing--no, commanding us to stop our striving and labor to look forward to the day when our battles will be over and we will enjoy the victory. In fact, God assures us that the battle is actually His (1 Samuel
- The Hebrew word translated “blessed” connotes the promise of being endued with power for success, prosperity, and longevity.
Therefore on Sabbath we can rest and rejoice in God’s promises to “daily load us with blessing” and that “goodness and mercy follow (literally chase) us all the days of our lives.” (Psalm 68:19, Psalm 23:6)
- The third Hebrew word, “hallowed,” comes from the root meaning to be holy, or to be separated unto holiness.
Consequently on Sabbath we can meditate on the wonder of God’s love that has separated us from the common, and transformed us to be holy as He is holy.
In summary, God gave the Sabbath to His people as a time when they might lay aside the cares and concerns of today to remember His goodness in the past, rejoice in His faithfulness in the present, and rest in His promises for our future. We need not wonder why Messiah Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark
Eschatological significance of Sabbath
The eschatological significance of the Sabbath comes through the prophet Isaiah. God assures us that one day, all nations will come to
“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord …
… it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 66:22-23)
Ultimate and Eternal Rest
In today’s hectic world, people are all searching for the rest which the Sabbath foreshadows and God promises:
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:9-10)
While God’s promise of the ultimate rest is available to everyone, only “the people of God” can enjoy that blissful state. The writer to the Hebrew people explains why
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it …those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:2, 6)
The entrance to this perfect rest is faith:
- Faith in God and His provision
- Faith to obey His commands
- Faith in the only one who is rest – Jesus the Messiah of Israel and the world
Whatever the struggle, whatever the battle you are going through, as the trumpets blast on Friday 18 September, remember the promise of victory in Jesus and accept His invitation
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:27-30)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Feasting Around the World
Read this article which recently appeared in the Christian Edition of the Jerusalem Post:
http://www.morethanawarzone.blogspot.com/
Copy and paste the URL into your browser.
Copy and paste the URL into your browser.
Monday, August 17, 2009
New Testimony
Dear Rev.Joanie
Praise the LORD !
Warmest greetings from Nagoya, Japan, in the Name of Christ Jesus our LORD. I hope this will find you well in your home at Jerusalem.
Your book entitled 'Celebrate Jesus' becomes really an invaluable reference book to the Bible. I love very straight-forwarded and articulated messages with your style of writings which significantly reveal the Will of Father full of His Vision given through you. I can not remember how many times I nodded through reading sentences or paragraphs in your book.
By the way, I can not find out appropriate words to express my feeling inside me..... I was given a heart to really love Jerusalem, especially the Old City. Since last year, I have been given more heart to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You may feel strange when I say that I really feel Jerusalem is my home, although I am a Gentile. On 1 August 2009, the Sabbath, when I looked at the Temple Mount from the place where the Golden Menorah stands, I started weeping, yet when I turned the direction of my sight into the Mount Olive, I started feeling hope of His coming back. With this feeling inside me, I am fully convinced by the guidance stated in your book completely in consistency with the Bible. .... (1) to advance the Kingdom of God; (2) to pray for the peace of Jerusalem; (3) to make the Jews jealous; (4) to help rebuild Jerusalem; (5) to rejoice over the destruction of Israel's enemies; and (6) to receive God's blessing (pages 340 - 341).
Having said the above, I really miss you and Jerusalem.
If I would live in Jerusalem, I could have more opportunities to learn Chris Jesus our LORD through you, especially through your book. I have some inquiries but I am sure you will clarify these.
I thank LORD our God for allowing me to have a Jewish preacher about God's Promises and Prophesies that is you.
Praise the LORD !
Warmest greetings from Nagoya, Japan, in the Name of Christ Jesus our LORD. I hope this will find you well in your home at Jerusalem.
Your book entitled 'Celebrate Jesus' becomes really an invaluable reference book to the Bible. I love very straight-forwarded and articulated messages with your style of writings which significantly reveal the Will of Father full of His Vision given through you. I can not remember how many times I nodded through reading sentences or paragraphs in your book.
By the way, I can not find out appropriate words to express my feeling inside me..... I was given a heart to really love Jerusalem, especially the Old City. Since last year, I have been given more heart to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You may feel strange when I say that I really feel Jerusalem is my home, although I am a Gentile. On 1 August 2009, the Sabbath, when I looked at the Temple Mount from the place where the Golden Menorah stands, I started weeping, yet when I turned the direction of my sight into the Mount Olive, I started feeling hope of His coming back. With this feeling inside me, I am fully convinced by the guidance stated in your book completely in consistency with the Bible. .... (1) to advance the Kingdom of God; (2) to pray for the peace of Jerusalem; (3) to make the Jews jealous; (4) to help rebuild Jerusalem; (5) to rejoice over the destruction of Israel's enemies; and (6) to receive God's blessing (pages 340 - 341).
Having said the above, I really miss you and Jerusalem.
If I would live in Jerusalem, I could have more opportunities to learn Chris Jesus our LORD through you, especially through your book. I have some inquiries but I am sure you will clarify these.
I thank LORD our God for allowing me to have a Jewish preacher about God's Promises and Prophesies that is you.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Yahoooooo, another country is reading the book: Mexico!
Here's the latest endorsement:
My long standing friendship with Joan Lipis compels me to write a brief endorsement for her book that was recently published. "Celebrate Jesus" renewed my interest in, and enlarged my understanding of the Jewish feasts. For many years of preaching the Word, I had some difficulty knowing how these feasts related to my personal walk with the Lord. After a careful reading of Joan's book, I have come to see the beautiful balance of God's character throughout each of His dispensations, whether it was displayed by Messianic Prophecy or exhibited by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. This richer insight into God's intended Celebrations is bound to enhance my own ministry of proclaiming Christ in coming days.
Cloyse V. Drake
Retired Pastor of Dilly Bible Church
Forest Grove, Oregon
Here's the latest endorsement:
My long standing friendship with Joan Lipis compels me to write a brief endorsement for her book that was recently published. "Celebrate Jesus" renewed my interest in, and enlarged my understanding of the Jewish feasts. For many years of preaching the Word, I had some difficulty knowing how these feasts related to my personal walk with the Lord. After a careful reading of Joan's book, I have come to see the beautiful balance of God's character throughout each of His dispensations, whether it was displayed by Messianic Prophecy or exhibited by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. This richer insight into God's intended Celebrations is bound to enhance my own ministry of proclaiming Christ in coming days.
Cloyse V. Drake
Retired Pastor of Dilly Bible Church
Forest Grove, Oregon
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
13 countries!
Celebrate Jesus! is now being read in 13 countries:
Israel
North America
Canada
Puerto Rico
Hungary
Germany
Russia
South Africa
Kenya
Uganda
Russia
Japan
India
China (as of July!)
Is God in this or what?!
Israel
North America
Canada
Puerto Rico
Hungary
Germany
Russia
South Africa
Kenya
Uganda
Russia
Japan
India
China (as of July!)
Is God in this or what?!
Another testimony
Hi Joan--
I haven't finished the book yet (I am a before bedtime reader), but am enjoying it immensely. I love the word definitions--especially the Hebrew ones. Am getting 2 more copies from Meade to give as gifts.
Love & blessings--Val
Thursday, May 28, 2009
New Moon Testimony
I am writing about a New Moon Celebration that we had at our church on March 25, 2009. Joan Lipis led the celebration and the Spirit of the Lord was mighty in presence and power. From the very beginning Joan explained the purpose of this Old Testament Celebration and how it relates to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This essentially is a kingdom celebration that has great relevance for the church of Jesus Christ. I was personally refreshed by Joan’s teaching and the praise and worship. The eating of food and fellowship with other believers was a blessing to all in attendance.
I highly recommend Joan’s ministry and her book and believe her to be a blessing to the greater body of Christ.
Pastor David Greenidge, Senior Pastor, Tigard Covenant Church
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A new testimony
From Barbara:
When you talked about the whole world coming together at the same time to celebrate the feasts, it was exciting. But then you said to imagine that people would be celebrating in different time zones...which means there will be 24 hours of continued worship! Awesome.
This is so of the Lord. Praise Him!
When you talked about the whole world coming together at the same time to celebrate the feasts, it was exciting. But then you said to imagine that people would be celebrating in different time zones...which means there will be 24 hours of continued worship! Awesome.
This is so of the Lord. Praise Him!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A New Endorsement
What a blessing and inspiration "Celebrate Jesus!" is to me! I'm slowly soaking in every word. I will be blogging very soon.
Anne S.
http://celebratejesusthebook.com
http://novea.org
Anne S.
http://celebratejesusthebook.com
http://novea.org
Passover Celebrations, California 2009
Three cities, three Passover Seders, three unique celebrations. That was Passover 2009, California style.
Grace Community Church in Madera, CA combined the celebrations of Passover and the sacrament of Baptism. With great joy over a hundred people enjoyed the ritual of Passover using an abbreviated version of "Celebrate Passover Haggadah" and was co-facilitated by Joan and Pastor Mark Lacaze. Each table was hosted separately. The result was a creative and unique blending of dinners and decorations.
Sr. Pastor Randy Brannon said of the evening, "Every church, every Christian should experience the joy of this evening. The Passover Seder brings a new and deeper understanding and appreciation of Communion. " Everyone agreed that it was a life impacting experience.
Several days later, Bob and Carol Eberly of Fullerton, CA brought their Bible study members together for a more personal and intimate Passover celebration in their home. Host Bob co-facilitated the evening with Joan and everyone brought something for a yummy dinner. Matzo-ball soup always reflects the individual personality of the cook. The noodle pudding was fantastic!
The Messianic Jewish Club of Biola Unversity, LaMirada, CA celebrated Passover with students, faculty and friends. The evening was professionally catered and the desert macaroon were a taste of heaven.
The evening was co-facilitated with Student Club President Sam Rood who did a fantastic job. The dancers were a blessed addition to our worship.
For me, the joy of facilitating Passover celebrations is the uniquness of each event reflecting the diversity but untiy of the community of the Kingdom of God. I never tire of remembering God's goodness and deliverance of the past and His continued goodness and redemption through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. He is the Passover Lamb, worthy of all worship, praise and celebration!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
New Moon Celebration - February 2009
Worship began with the sound of the shofar. Soon more shofars, trumpets and a bugle broke through into the heavenly realms. Our voices joined together with a single shout and then we began to worship our King of kings and Lord of all lords.
Scripture implies that New Moon was a special time when the people sought God in worship andsupplication. They worshipped with thanksgiving for God's provision during the previous month; they prayed with confident expectation for His continued provision for the coming month. Thus, we joined in small groups, praying together and carrying each others' burdens to the Cross.
The evening ended with communion as Pastor T. Allen Bethel encouraged us to focus on God's extended, nail pierced hand - as Savior, Deliverer, and Redeemer.
About one hundred people gathered to celebrate Jesus as Creator on the New Moon festival. Some traveled great distances to be part of this "first". It's always such a joy when the family of God comes together.
Diversity of traditions and cultures was testimony to the growing unity of the Body. Racial, gender, age differences faded as we focused on the wonder of God's love.
Diversity of traditions and cultures was testimony to the growing unity of the Body. Racial, gender, age differences faded as we focused on the wonder of God's love.
With only a bit of coaxing, people began to testify of God's goodness, mercy and love. The microphone was passed around the room as people shared words of encouragement.
Diversity in worship styles was soon evident as well. As for me, I love to worship with flags, ribbons and the tambourine. Freedom and fun!
Scripture implies that New Moon was a special time when the people sought God in worship andsupplication. They worshipped with thanksgiving for God's provision during the previous month; they prayed with confident expectation for His continued provision for the coming month. Thus, we joined in small groups, praying together and carrying each others' burdens to the Cross.
The evening ended with communion as Pastor T. Allen Bethel encouraged us to focus on God's extended, nail pierced hand - as Savior, Deliverer, and Redeemer.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Excitement
I took a look at the pdf Celebrate Jesus! -- and it is really good, Joan.
I felt invited, as a reader, to keep reading...your writing style welcomes me to keep reading!! I can understand why Tom could not put your book down! Bravo Joan!
I also checked out your website. Whoever designed your web site did a very good job. It is very user-friendly and simple to navigate on. Also, I really love the way you presented enough of your book (on your web site) so that I could get a real look at it. This honors those who visit your site because you don't just tempt people with a little nibble, but rather you give folks a real bite so they know what they are purchasing.
"Thank you Holy Spirit for giving Joan divine wisdom!!"
Kathy Thorne, Vancouver BC
I felt invited, as a reader, to keep reading...your writing style welcomes me to keep reading!! I can understand why Tom could not put your book down! Bravo Joan!
I also checked out your website. Whoever designed your web site did a very good job. It is very user-friendly and simple to navigate on. Also, I really love the way you presented enough of your book (on your web site) so that I could get a real look at it. This honors those who visit your site because you don't just tempt people with a little nibble, but rather you give folks a real bite so they know what they are purchasing.
"Thank you Holy Spirit for giving Joan divine wisdom!!"
Kathy Thorne, Vancouver BC
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