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Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Thursday,
October 5, 2023
Orthodox
Jewish guests
using the
sukkah Jesse
made at the
Old Windmill
Farm during
Sukkot. I
enjoyed
visiting with
these men, all
brothers
(seven of
them, along
with their one
sister). They
were very
friendly and
seemed pleased
to talk with
me. I think
they were just
as curious
about me as I
was about
them. I
typically wear
a black shirt
and pants,
along with
suspenders so
I was confused
as being
Amish!
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"A
Lesson From
Succot"
Message
summary:
We want to
remember where
our ultimate
home is. An
old gospel
song provides
a fitting
aspiration, "And
I can't feel
at home in
this world
anymore!"
God never
intended that
we drive the
stakes of our
earthy tent
too deeply. "For
here we have
no lasting
city, but we
seek the city
that is to
come" (Hebrews
13:14).
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"For
we know that
if the tent
that is our
earthly home
is destroyed,
we have a
building from
God, a house
not made with
hands, eternal
in the
heavens" (2
Corinthians
5:1). "By
faith Abraham,
when called to
go to a place
he would later
receive as his
inheritance,
obeyed and
went, even
though he did
not know where
he was going.
By faith he
made his home
in the
promised land
like a
stranger in a
foreign
country; he
lived in
tents, as did
Isaac and
Jacob, who
were heirs
with him of
the same
promise. For
he was looking
forward to the
city with
foundations,
whose
architect and
builder is
God" (Hebrews
11:8-10). "For
here we have
no lasting
city, but we
seek the city
that is to
come" (Hebrews
13:14).
Yesterday Ester and I drove over to the Old Windmill Farm. Jesse thought we would be interested in seeing the many hundreds of Orthodox Jews who converge upon the farm during Sukkot, a Jewish holiday. It was quite an experience, including conversations with several rabbis.
This
world is not
my home; I'm
just a passin'
through.
My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me, from Heaven's open door.
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!
My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me, from Heaven's open door.
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!
Yesterday Ester and I drove over to the Old Windmill Farm. Jesse thought we would be interested in seeing the many hundreds of Orthodox Jews who converge upon the farm during Sukkot, a Jewish holiday. It was quite an experience, including conversations with several rabbis.
These
Jews come down
to Lancaster
County from
Brooklyn, New
York and other
urbanized
areas of New
Jersey. They
really enjoy
visiting the
farm, some
coming year
after year.
Sukkot
or
the Feast of
Tabernacles
is a week-long
fall festival
commemorating
the 40-year
journey of the
Israelites in
the
wilderness. In
2023, the
Feast of
Tabernacles
began on the
evening of
Friday,
September 29,
and will end
on the evening
of Friday,
October 6.
Along with
Passover and
the Festival
of Weeks,
Sukkot is one
of three great
pilgrimage
feasts
recorded in
the Bible when
all Jewish
males were
required to
appear before
the Lord in
the Temple in
Jerusalem.
Not being Jewish I have never paid much attention to this feast, seeing it as a rather obscure part of the Old Testament not practiced by Christians today.
Not being Jewish I have never paid much attention to this feast, seeing it as a rather obscure part of the Old Testament not practiced by Christians today.
Jesse
made a sukkah
for the guests
to use while
visiting the
farm during
Sukkot. They
were very
pleased with
what Jesse had
made and
assured me it
met the
requirement. I
visited with a
group of men
eating a meal
while I was
there. The
wives and
children eat
outside!
Today,
the
requirement to
dwell in the
booth can be
met by eating
at least one
meal a day in
it. However,
some Jews
still sleep in
the sukkah.
Since Sukkot
is a harvest
celebration,
typical foods
include lots
of fresh
fruits and
vegetables.
So this prompted a study of the Feast of the Tabernacles and how it relates to our Christian faith.
So this prompted a study of the Feast of the Tabernacles and how it relates to our Christian faith.
It
is established
in the Book of
Leviticus for
commemorating
the Exodus and
the dependence
of the People
of Israel on
the will of
God (Leviticus
23:42–43). It
is also
sometimes
called the
"Feast of
Tabernacles"
or "Feast of
Booths".
Rabbi
Michael Calise
is from a
Sephardic
Jewish
background. He
came to faith
in Yeshua
(Jesus) as the
Messiah of
Israel in his
early twenties
and
immediately
sensed a call
from God to
prepare for
full-time
ministry so he
enrolled in
Bible college.
God also
called him
back to his
Jewish roots
and Jewish
ministry which
led to him
joining the
Jewish
ministries
group at
Central Bible
College where
Brooksyne and
I went. He and
his wife,
Carol, have
been the
messianic
rabbis of Beth
Emanuel
Synagogue, in
Holbrook, NY,
since 1994.He writes regarding one teaching element in the Sukkot for Christians.
"Sukkot
(tabernacles)
are temporary
structures
inhabited for
seven days and
highlight the
transient
nature of the
journey from
Egypt to the
Promised Land.
They also
speak to the
transient
nature of a
Christian’s
life in this
world. Like
Abraham, we
understand
that this
world is not
our home as we
look forward
to a heavenly
city whose
architect and
builder is God
(Hebrews
11:10)."
As we look at the increasingly troubled world around us ramping up in greater and greater rebellion against God we want to have a perspective like Jesus. The dominant system when Jesus was on this earth ultimately determined that His views were worthy of death. At His trial before Pilate Jesus calmly addressed the heart of the matter, "My kingdom is not of this world". Earlier in an exchange with the religious leaders of His day He minced no words, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world" (John 8:23).
Jesus also applied this phrase "not of the world" to His followers in John 17:16, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world". We want to remember where our ultimate home is. An old gospel song provides a fitting aspiration, "And I can't feel at home in this world anymore!" God never intended that we drive in the stakes of our earthy tent too deeply. "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14).
Be
encouraged
today,
(Hebrews
3:13)
Daily prayer:
Father,
we're
cautioned in
Scripture not
to fix our
attention,
energy, and
finances
solely on our
temporary
brick and
mortar
dwelling here
on earth, for
it will one
day perish or
be taken from
us. This world
is not our
home, though
it is all
we've
personally
known since
our existence
on earth. So
we walk by
faith on our
journey here
below while we
also fix our
affections on
the city that
is yet to come
where Jesus is
preparing a
place for us
to dwell
eternally.
Keep us
faithful and
fix our hopes
on that which
is yet to
come. Through
Christ Jesus
we pray. Amen.
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father,
we're
cautioned in
Scripture not
to fix our
attention,
energy, and
finances
solely on our
temporary
brick and
mortar
dwelling here
on earth, for
it will one
day perish or
be taken from
us. This world
is not our
home, though
it is all
we've
personally
known since
our existence
on earth. So
we walk by
faith on our
journey here
below while we
also fix our
affections on
the city that
is yet to come
where Jesus is
preparing a
place for us
to dwell
eternally.
Keep us
faithful and
fix our hopes
on that which
is yet to
come. Through
Christ Jesus
we pray. Amen.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Won't
It Be
Wonderful
There" Watch
video on
YouTube
Dailey &
Vincent
"My
Worth Is Not
in What I Own"
Watch
video on
YouTube
John Piper,
Keith &
Kristyn Getty,
We Are
Messengers
"Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me" Watch video on YouTube CityAlight We ended our service yesterday with this beautiful song. “When my race is complete, still my lips shall repeat, yet not I but through Christ in me“
"Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me" Watch video on YouTube CityAlight We ended our service yesterday with this beautiful song. “When my race is complete, still my lips shall repeat, yet not I but through Christ in me“
The
Feast of
Tabernacles
Video
teaching
A Day of
Discovery
Legacy Series
from Our Daily
Bread.
My
Hearts Desire
Rabbi Michael
Calise A
video
of a recent
sermon (longer
than most of
us are used
to!)
What
is the Feast
of
Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot?
(gotquestions.org)
Succot
photos from
the Old
Windmill Farm
Orthodox
Jewish guests
to the Old
Windmill Farm
during Sukkot
getting ready
for a
horse-drawn
hay ride. I
took a ride
with them and
it is
interesting
how many
questions they
have!
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Everybody
wanted to take
a turn at
bottle-feeding
milk to the
calves,
although at
some point the
calves were
filled up and
wouldn't take
any more which
was a bit of a
disappointment
to the guests.
Same was true
for the
milking cow
which was
giving very
little milk,
even though
one dad was
trying to
squirt the
milk into a
plastic water
bottle.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Lots
to see in the
barn. The man
in the left
foreground is
one of the
rabbis I
talked to.
Observation:
In the Plain
culture in
Lancaster
County it
seems the
women often
wear the most
distinct
dress. But
among the
orthodox Jews
it's the men.
As far as I
could tell the
women had
little
distinction
from regular
modern dress
although they
were dressed
modestly and
conservatively.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Six
of the seven
grown brothers
had fun on a
barrel ride
intended for
the children.
Looks like
there wasn't
room for the
7th! Several
had to really
squish to get
in. Seemed
like lots of
loving, close
families.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
These
boys had
apparently
bought some
straw hats
while in
Lancaster
County and
sure liked
wearing them.
I don't think
anyone would
confuse them
for Amish
though! As I
walked around
the farm and
observed it
seemed
everyone was
having a great
time and
really, really
liked being on
a farm. I can
understand
that.
Practically
everywhere you
went around
the farm there
were groups of
people. This
group is
behind the
barn getting a
lesson on
chickens. The
man in the
foreground is
wearing a
shtreimel, a
fur hat worn
by some
Ashkenazi
Jewish men,
mainly members
of Hasidic
Judaism, on
Shabbat and
Jewish
holidays and
other festive
occasions.
Moses told me
later in the
day he saw a
large group of
men wearing
these hats
praying at the
succah Jesse
made behind
the barn.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
A
favorite
feature of the
Old Windmill
Farm is
holding the
animals. Do
you suppose
this little
girl will
remember
holding this
little piggy?
What
fun to ring
the bell,
adding to lots
of joy-filled
sounds,
including the
train whistle
on the
Strasburg
Railroad.
The
boys took
turns climbing
up on the
tractor and
pretending to
drive. Who
remembers
driving a
tractor when
you were a
child? Both
Brooksyne and
I do.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Jesse
called early
this morning
and told me
they expect
another very
busy day today
on the farm
and then a bit
slower on
Friday as the
Jewish guests
head back to
the city for
Sabbath
beginning at
sundown and
the end of
2023 Succot.
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In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world.
To
donate
directly
online
click here.
(This will
open to a page
that
designates the
offering
to: STEPHEN
&
BROOKSYNE
WEBER -
700001-237376 SERVING
IN SPECIALIZED
CHAPLAINCY)
If
you desire you
can also
donate
directly
through PayPal
using this link.
This will open
to a page that
states
"Brooksyne
Weber". We
keep this
option
available due
to the
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convenience,
for
international
supporters,
and for those
who may not
need an
official
receipt. You
can also set
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recurring
donations.
Thank
you,
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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