At the bottom of this blog post is the Rabbi's podcast. I found his style a little rigid, but it is short and easy to understand. Enjoy, and I hope you all learn something from it. Before you listen, a quick commentary on some of his teaching:
Which would you rather observe, traditions of men or God's appointed times? What is wrong with Passover, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Shavout, and Succot? Why is it that the majority of believers in God have pushed these commanded times aside and have opted for man's traditions?
Sounds like he's firmly grounded in Tenakh ("Old Testament") and Brit Chadasha ("New Testament"), as he gives evidence from both for the support of the belief that both Jews and Gentiles in Messiah should honor God's appointed times.
˝To put it plainly, whether you're a Jew or Gentile, Christians should be celebrating the Feasts of the Lord.˝
To put it plainly, whether you're a Jew or Gentile, Christians should be celebrating the Feasts of the Lord, e.g. Passover. Why? Because the Feasts are God's appointments with his people. We've missed God's appointments for the last 1,900 years or so. Ouch.
The first followers of Messiah, including his apostles, honored God's appointments, even after Messiah's death and rising (Acts 2, Acts 20). What's more, Messiah himself honored God's appointments as well (Luke 22, Matthew 26). Finally, God showed Zechariah that when Messiah comes, everyone will go to Israel and celebrate one of God's Feasts, with Messiah, in Jerusalem!
So, what's the hold up, Christian folks? Let's celebrate God's appointed times, looking forward to the time when we will all celebrate them, together with Messiah in person, in Jerusalem.
At end of each Passover, it's customary for Jews to say, "Next year, in Jerusalem!", as we look forward to the time of living back in the land God gave to us. Perhaps as followers of Messiah we should now say, "Next year, with Messiah in Jerusalem!", as we look forward to that time prophesied in Zechariah.
Rabbi Rick Gozhanskij - Appointed Times teaching.mp3