Celebrating Jesus in the Spring Feasts of the Lord

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Leviticus 23:1-2: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.’"

What we often refer to as the “Jewish Holidays” are much more than that.  The holidays are all about Jesus and the New Covenant we have in Him.  The Feasts are prophetic pictures of the ministry of Yeshua, our Messiah. 

Lev 23:5-6.  `On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.”

Passover pictures the Crucifixion. Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. He was sacrificed on Passover. In the Crucifixion, He paid the wages of our sins.  He is our Redeemer.

Luke 22: 1-2, 7: “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve… Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.”

After Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  During the seven days of this feast, the people fast from anything that contains yeast. (Leviticus 23:6. `And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.’)

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a memorial to the Exodus when the Israelites left Egypt under the leadership of Moses. They left hurriedly. They couldn’t wait for their bread to rise.

In scripture, leavening (yeast) symbolizes sin.  Just as a tiny bit of leavening affects the entire batch of dough, so a bit of sin in our hearts affects our entire lives.  The unleavened bread of Passover represents the sinless body of Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

Numerals in scripture have significance.  Seven pictures the completeness or perfection of God.  The Seven Days of Unleavened Bread signify the completeness of our redemption. 

The Feast of Unleavened Bread declares that all believers in Christ are cleansed from sin and empowered to walk in newness of life.

The third Spring Feast is First Fruits

The Lord told Moses (Lev. 23:10-11):  "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: `When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

During the Feast of Unleavened Bread there is always a Sabbath (Saturday). The day after that Sabbath, the Israelites were told to bring the “first fruits” of the harvest (the first ripe barley); this offering is the Feast of First Fruits.

The Feast of First Fruits is a time of thanksgiving to God for the first fruits of the harvest. At this time, the people offered the first sheaf of the crop and did not eat anything from that year’s crop until they had given a portion to the Lord (Lev 23:.9–14). They gave the offering of first fruits at a time when little was ready to harvest. They trusted God to provide.

In the week of Jesus’ Passion, First Fruits came three days after Passover, on the day after the Sabbath.

Matthew 28:1-6

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Jesus rose on the third day, on the Feast of First Fruits.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth (1 Cor 15:20-22b) "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

Earlier Jesus had said, (John 14:19):  "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also”.

What was accomplished during that Holy Week over 2,000 years ago?

1. The death and resurrection of Jesus paid the price for our sin and allowed God to declare us pure, innocent, righteous, acceptable and forgiven.
2. The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us access to God.
3. The death and resurrection of Jesus set us free from the rule of evil powers.
4. The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us victory.

He is our salvation—Passover.

He is our Righteousness—Unleavened Bread.

He is our Resurrection—First Fruits.

The Feasts of the Lord are all about Jesus.

He is not here; He is risen.  Hallelujah!

 How Lovely on the Mountains

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Nahum 1:15 (NKJV) “Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.” 

While “Judah” in the above passage refers to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, the word “Judah” also means praise.  In that definition is a powerful strategy for overcoming in the midst of our national and world situations.  We are to praise the Lord for Who He is and for what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do.  

At the birth our Lord, the heavenly host proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14 (NKJV).  In Jesus Christ, we can experience peace even in the midst of turmoil.  We must open our hearts to the empowering of the Holy Spirit to stand for what we believe, to continue to practice those beliefs and to reach out to others with the love of the Lord.  The wickedness of worldly practices will not destroy us.  Jesus has established His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against us. (Matthew 16:18). 

We must be the feet on the mountains that bring good tidings.  We must be the ones to proclaim peace in Jesus Christ.  We must be the ones who stand unashamedly for truth.  In doing so, we will prevail in the times of judgment.  

We are the newspapers that our friends and neighbors read daily. We are to be the social network that joins together a disjointed community. We are the news commentators who bring hope in the midst of despair. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isaiah 52:7) 

 Strengthening Our Immune Systems 

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe 

I sensed the Lord speaking to me about strengthening our immune systems.  He reminded me that we are triune beings.  We are spirit, soul (mind, will and emotions) and body.  We need to strengthen all three immune systems.   

First, we are spiritual beings. That is foundational.  The stronger our spiritual immune system is, the more our soulish and physical immune systems can be strengthened. Gen 1:27: “And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.”  

John 4:23-24: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 

God is spirit.  We are created in His image.  Therefore, we are spirit. Our spiritual immune system must be strengthened. 

Discouragement can weaken our spiritual immune system. Because of the circumstances surrounding us on the national and international levels, Christians must fervently seek to overcome discouragement.  The word literally means to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence.  Discouragement is a weapon of the enemy meant to weaken the army of God. 

 
In our difficult world, we are surrounded, bombarded and often overwhelmed with discouragement. Negativity fills the airwaves, the newspapers and the coffee klatches. A spirit of discouragement has attached itself to many people, even believers. 

The spirit of discouragement can be so oppressive that we may neglect to cry out to the Lord for encouragement. We may also be so distraught that we do not recognize the encouragement when it comes. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines encourage as: to make (someone) more determined, hopeful, or confident; to make (something) more appealing or more likely to happen; to make (someone) more likely to do something: to tell or advise (someone) to do something.  
 
These definitions are all about doing something. They miss the mark by not telling us what we need in our lives in order to do something. In order to chop down the tree of discouragement, we need to lay the axe to the root.  
 
The root word of “encourage” is “courage.” In other words, if we want to be encouraged, we must be filled with courage. The Lord spoke to Joshua as he was stepping into the role of leadership after the death of Moses: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). 

Believers are called to be Joshuas in this world. God has commanded us to be strong and of good courage. The word translated as courage has many synonyms. In the Hebrew, to be courageous is to be strengthened, established, strong, fortified, and obstinate. 

Joshua is Hebrew for Jesus.  We are to be like Jesus in this world. In the Word of God, we will find hope that dispels fear and fills us with courage. Speaking forth the Word causes courage to resonate on the air waves. Declaring the Word allows us to anoint ourselves and others with courage. Meditating on the Word—allowing that truth to become part of our spiritual DNA—enables us to move forward in boldness.  

When we are courageous, we find the confidence to seek solutions.  As individuals and as the body of Christ, we can find solutions that bring us hope and peace in spite of what is happening in the world system.  Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.”  

Many times the first step in finding a solution begins with a simple question:  “What can I do to improve the situation?” As Christians, our first thought should be to pray. However, seldom do we ask God how to pray.  “Lord, teach us to pray” applies to more than the Lord’s Prayer.  

We can gain encouragement also by making a list of encouraging scriptures and hiding them in our hearts through memorization and meditation. Then the Holy Spirit will call them to remembrance in seasons of discouragement.  

 

Consider these words: 

 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).  

 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'' (John 16:33) 

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). 

In our learning to lean on Him, discouragement will be lifted and we can follow the Holy Spirit to that place where He has prepared a table before us in the presence of our enemies.  We will be able to sense His anointing of peace and power.  Our cup of joy shall then overflow in spite of the joy grabbing world around us. 

 “I Am Covered over with the Robe of Righteousness” is an old chorus with a forever truth based on Isaiah 61:10: I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God. For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.   

I Am Covered Over With The Robe Of Righteousness That 
Jesus Gives To Me; 
I Am Covered Over With The Precious Blood Of Jesus 
And He Lives In Me,  
Oh What Joy It Is To Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me So, 
And Gives To Me, My Jesus, 
When He Looks At Me He Sees Not What I Used To Be, But 
He Sees  Jesus. 
 

In the same light, because we are covered with the robe of God’s righteousness, when the world looks at us, they should not just see what we used to be, they should see Jesus in us. We are to be courageous, strong, established in our faith, and determined to walk in truth.   

Psalm 22: 3: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou you hear not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O you that inhabits the praises of Israel, of your people.” 

This is psalm of anguish.  Jesus quoted it on the Cross.  It is appropriate to vent our anguish to the Lord rather than deny it, Everything is not all right. When we release that anguish to the Lord, we are open to remembering Who He is:  He is holy and inhabits our praise.  That is what Job did.  When he had vented his despair, he was able to hear the voice of God in the whirlwind and declare that he had been speaking about things that he knew nothing about. 

If God inhabits our praise, who inhabits our fear, complaining and whining? 

Discouragement causes mental anguish and stress which are often the root of many physical disorders.  Chronic stress can lead to various physical illnesses, affecting systems like the cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems, potentially causing conditions like heart disease, digestive issues, and weakened immunity Strengthening our spiritual immune system enables us to more readily strengthen our mental or soulish immune system. 

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” So what are you thinking?   Are you thinking: 

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch, 
   An onion patch, an onion patch 
   I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch 
   And all I do is cry all day 
   Boo hoo, boo hoo 

We can help what we are thinking,  If  fact, scripture tells us that we to take control of our thoughts. 

Proverbs 4:20-27  “My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings.  Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all his flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a wicked mouth, and devious lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left; remove your foot from evil.” 

2 Corinthians 10:4-5:  For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ. 

What strongholds? What imaginations?  

Genesis 3:1-5: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate”. 

And, instantly, fear, mental anguish, stress, complaining and whining disrupted our relationship with God. 

If God inhabits our praise, who inhabits our fear, complaining and whining? 

The one who convinced us that we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong.  The one who convinced us that we should settle for less than what God has for us. 

The solution:  Pslma 46:10-11:  “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be praised among the nations, I will be praised in the earth. Jehovah of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” 

Rom 12:1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” 

Phlippians 4:8  “Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.” 

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” So what are you thinking? 

When our spiritual immune system and our soulish or mental immune systems are strengthened, our physical immune system will likewise be strengthened. 

Nehemiah 8:9-10: “And Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah your God. Do not mourn or weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, Go eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our LORD. And do not be sorry, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.” 

When truth brings us to repentance, we can experience the joy of the Lord.  The joy of the Lord increases our spiritual, mental and physical immune systems. Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” 

Remember Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".