There is only one God - Jesus is His name!

 There is only one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is our Heavenly Father and Creator of the universe. He is our Savior. He is our Healer and our Deliverer. He is a just God and a God of mercy. His name is Jesus.

He formed man from the dust of the earth, made in His image, and breathed into him the breath of life. He named him Adam. From Adam's side, He formed woman and named her Eve.

While at first there was communion between God and man, because of Adam's sin, there was separation.

Because of God's great love for man, He humbled Himself and took on the form of man so that He could through death of His flesh, reconcile humanity back to Himself. (John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:19). 

God came to dwell among His creation in His name that is above every name and by which all mankind might be saved. His name is Jesus. (John 1:1,10-14, John 3:5, Philippians 2:8-11, John 5:43, John 14:7-11, Matthew 1:21).

How does God's name save us?

Jesus suffered and died for our sins. He was buried, yet on the third day He rose again. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

When we turn our back on sin and give our life to Jesus by repentance, are buried with Him by baptism in His name Jesus, and receive the gift of His Holy Ghost, we are recognizing that Jesus is God. Only a holy God, born in human flesh that was without sin, could pay the price for our sins.  We are saved from our sins through the name of Jesus when we are baptized in Jesus name. (Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12).

The world could see that Jesus is God because the grave couldn't hold him. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave and was a witness of His resurrection for forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God to many witnesses. (Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8). His disciples then watched Him ascend into heaven. (Acts 1:9).

In obedience to Jesus’ command, Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost. He then preached how to be saved by the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

The Feast of Tabernacles and the Joy of the Holy Ghost

It was in the last day, that great day of the Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus stood and cried, calling for those that thirst to come to Him, speaking of the outpouring of His Spirit that believers should receive. 

The Feast of Tabernacles is a festival of rejoicing. Three times the Bible repeats to rejoice and bring others to rejoice.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD...and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days." - Leviticus 23:34, 40 KJV

"Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days…And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates…because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice." - Deuteronomy 16:13-15 KJV

On the last day of the feast Jesus chose to prophecy of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which He would pour out.

There is joy and rejoicing in the Holy Ghost!

"And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." - Acts 13:52 KJV

"And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." - Acts 8:39 KJV

"And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." - Acts 16:34 KJV

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:" - 1 Thessalonians 1:6 KJV

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" - 1 Peter 1:8 KJV

In the Last Day, that Great Day of the Feast

 

Is the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) mentioned in the New Testament? What does Jesus say?

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand." - John 7:1-2 KJV

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, starting with the second night of the feast, there was a nightly “Water Drawing Celebration.” The Feast of Tabernacles has a commandment to offer a water offering on the altar that the other feasts do not have, in addition to the wine offering that accompanied all the sacrifices throughout the year. The water would be drawn the evening before. At this event there was great fanfare, singing, and celebration.

The seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles is called Hoshana Rabbah ("Great Salvation"). This is the day that Jesus stood and cried to the people:

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV

The Talmud states that "one who has not witnessed the Festival of the Water Drawing has not seen joy in his lifetime!"

And the joy of the Holy Ghost is greater than that!!

And on that day, the last day of the feast Jesus chose to prophecy of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which he would pour out! Like RIVERS of LIVING water!

And how significant that Jesus would choose the seventh day of the feast to stand and prophesy, the last day, that great day of the feast that is called "Great Salvation!"

To be continued…

Church!

 Church!

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." - Jeremiah 3:15 KJV

Sukkot - the Feast of Tabernacles

 

The Feast of Tabernacles is one of three times in a year that all Jewish males are to appear before the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem. (Because the Temple is destroyed, they no longer can keep this commandment.)

“Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:" - Deuteronomy 16:16 KJV

"Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee." - Deuteronomy 16:17 KJV

The Jews call the Feast of Tabernacles "Sukkot." This 7-day holiday began this year 2020 at sunset October 2.

Sukkot is described as the most joyous of the three Biblically mandated festivals. It is described as the 'Season of our Rejoicing."

"And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates…because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice." - Deuteronomy 16:14-15 KJV

It commemorates the miraculous protection God provided for the Israelites during the 40 days they were in the wilderness after God brought them out of Egyptian bondage and before God brought them into the Promised Land.

The feast of tabernacles also celebrates the gathering of the harvest. (Leviticus 23:39).

Every day of the feast (except the Sabbath) they are to take of the “Four Kinds.”

"And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days." - Leviticus 23:40 KJV

The name for the feast "Sukkot" comes from the word “sukkah.” A sukkah is a hut of temporary construction with a roof covering of branches. For 7 days and nights Jews celebrating the feast eat all their meals in the sukkah they build. They do this in obedience to the commandment in the Law:

"Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." - Leviticus 23:42-43 KJV

Dead to Sin

 

We repented of our sins and became dead to sin. When we were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins, we were baptized into Jesus Christ and baptized into His death. 

What does it mean to be dead to sin? 

To be dead to sin means, “To become wholly alienated from a thing, and freed from all connection with it” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). 

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" - Romans 6:1-2 KJV 

“True Christians are said simply as ‘you have died,’ having put off all sensibility to worldly things that draw them away from God:” (Thayer’s). 

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." - Colossians 3:3 KJV 

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:3-4 KJV 

"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:" - Romans 6:8 KJV 

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." - Romans 6:17 KJV 

What is that doctrine? 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV 

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:22-23 KJV

The Linen Clothes

 

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would wear linen garments and a linen turban on his head while he went with the blood of the goat into the Holy place to make the offering for the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:4, Leviticus 16:11,14-15).

On the day that Jesus died on the cross and was buried, Jesus, our high priest, entered that greater, more perfect tabernacle in heaven with His own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—and entered the Holy place once for all time securing our redemption forever. (Hebrews 9:11-12, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 9:24-26, Hebrews 7:26-27).

"And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:" - Leviticus 16:23 KJV

It appears that just as the high priest in the old testament put off the linen garments that he had on after he came out from behind the vail of the holy place on the Day of Atonement, Jesus our high priest also put off his linen garments after he came out from behind the vail of the holy place in the tabernacle in heaven when He made the final atonement for all humanity.

"So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself." - John 20:4-7 KJV

"Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass." - Luke 24:12 KJV