*A note before you begin reading. We have heard many arguements about is the Sabbath Friday evening to Saturday or is it Sunday. This as with all the areas on the Feast of the Lord are not to prove or to convince. This is simply a place for us to share something that has brought us great joy. We are not Baptist, Sabbath Keepers, Messianic, Pentacostal…we are just children of God. We are Christians and nothing more. We desire no other identity than that which we have in Yehsua. We love the Lord with all our heart! We are under grace, made free in Yeshua, and free enough to enjoy these wonderful celebrations that remind us of the redemptive work in Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Messiah Jesus.  We celebrate the days to learn about God and to worship Him.   We celebrate the Lord's day to learn of him and worship Him.  There is not a day that passes that we don't study God and worship Him. But this feast as with the others has special meaning and purpose to us. Please don’t be offended when we ask you NOT TO E-MAIL us to prove or disprove. Nor are not interested in hearing your disapproval for something we are led by the Lord to honor. We have been led by God to do as we do. You can only do the same. It is easy to find information on the internet in reference to the Sabbath and the Lord’s day. We will not be providing any information beyond what is already at our site. 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4: 12

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2: 3-4

Genesis 2: 1 tells us that the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. Yeshua speaks in John 19:30 the words, “It is finished.” We cannot add anything to God’s work of Creation, nor to the Cross. And so we rest in His perfect and complete work. Both a physical rest and a spiritual rest that is only found in Yeshua.

The Sabbath has become to us a delight, a very special gift from the Lord. I find myself longing for the Sabbath and am reminded of the longing I have for Yeshua’s return. We follow some tradition, but as with all the Holy Days, it is all governed by the heart. The traditions that we have adopted (a better word would be adapted as with all the Holy Days the traditions we have developed act as reminders to us and are an expression of our love for our dear Abba. As with all these pages on the Holy Days, they aren’t meant to teach the full meaning, but rather written with hopes that you will get a glimpse of the treasure they truly are and be stirred to dig deeper.

If I was to give you words to describe what the Sabbath is to us, I would choose words like delight, joy, anticipation as we wait, preciousness…it is never a yoke of bondage! A word of caution here. Anything we do for the Lord can become a yoke of bondage if done for the wrong reason. Remember the words of Yeshua, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” Mark 2: 27 It was made for man.

And so the start of the Sabbath is marked by that which marks the beginning of each Holy Day…

The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy and honour. Esther 9:16

The lighting of the candles!

Barukh attah Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam, asher Kiddishanu b'Y'shua HaMashiach

Blessed art Thou O Lord our God King of the universe who sanctifies us in Y'shua, light of the world.

Every Friday evening we gather at the table laid with a special tablecloth and set with special care. Keith has prepared the candles before hand to insure they will be ready for Roxanne and I. I light the candles first, speaking the above blessing in English followed by Roxanne lighting the candles and speaking the blessing in Hebrew.

I have read that the two candles we light are symbolic of the two witnesses from Revelation 11 and Zechariah 4. But I have also read the following and it is the following which we remember as we light the candles.

The first candle represents Creation. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light." Genesis 1:1,3.

The second candle represents redemption.”Then spake Yeshua again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12.

We follow that with Kiddush and the blessing of the bread. I’ve listed the scripture here, but though the blessing is the same, the words or scripture that Keith speaks will be different week to week. The wine symbolizes Yeshua’s shed blood. In Matthew 26: 27-29, And he (Yeshua) took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, boaray peree ha-gofen

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the
fruit of the vine.

Hamotzi or blessing of the bread is next. The bread represents Yeshua, the Bread of Life. Yeshua said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6: 51

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, ha-motzee lechem min ha-
aretz

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth
bread from the earth.

A very precious tradition that we adopted with open arms is the blessing. Keith says a special blessings over Roxanne, than one over me, and I one over Keith.

And than we enjoy the evening together and a quiet Saturday!

Deuteronomy 8:10 says, "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise
the Lord your God for the good land He has given you".

The above verse has long been on our hearts and something to remember not only on the Sabbath but at every meal.