* Seasons Greetings from God’s Sabbath International

Shabbat Commentary for 1st week, 2008,
Shabbat Reading “SHEMOT – Names”: Exodus 1:1–6:1; Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22-23
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
This week’s Shabbat reading begins in the book Exodus with God leading the children of Israel out of Egypt hundreds of years after Josephs’ death. Egyptologist David Rohl believes the Exodus happened in 1207 BC, including 40 years of wanderings in the desert. read more…

Seasons Greetings, personal stories as Greetings for these Seasons instead of posting cards with heathen Christmas motives, is as I find, more than just a wonderful tradition of our Anglo-Saxon friends. It is suitable to the season, the contemplative time between the Feast of Lights “Hanukkah” and the heartily expected new, the year of our Lord - a promise pointing towards the fulfillment of our longing for peace. God, what did You have in mind with this?

Eternal peace between Christians and Jews, or even more? …Meditate about holy matters! Suddenly stands that, what belongs to God (in the Bible called „holy“), in opposition to what mankind made for herself, made herself sanctified. To celebrate my self-made feasts, but am I happy with it, without God? HIS feasts – for Ever holy – HE has called them „moed“ in the Bible/Tanach, which means translated stated appointments. Was it not me myself, who stated new times, on which I wanted to have „a date“ with HIM and wonder now, that HE does not turn up and simply no peace will enter me - and where is the „peace on Earth“?

HE is already here, in you, everything premeditated from the glorious Creator God before all time, in unsearchable love, if we just want to recognize the beauty of His thoughts. For instance, there is Friday – Shabbat – Sunday. Friday has been sanctified by the Ishmaelites to be their holy day, the Christians the Sunday. And in between lies – some day reconciling - the Holy Day of God. Actually from the beginning, as the creation history (Genesis 2:3) shows, He gave „complete rest“ (hebr. Shabbat) for all mankind. Could one not conclude, that Christianity moved as much away from God, as the Ishmaelites? Listen to God:

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-25) - New Jerusalem, did you not feel it? Is „you longing“ not even finding home in every name of God? Pastor Rolf Piller had once the joy to translate some of them (Names of God, PDF).

We wish you a peaceful season, a shining kind light, a soul that touches your longing desire and shares it with you, as well as a blessed start into 2008.

Shabbat Commentary for 51st week, 2007,
Shabbat Reading “CVA’YIGASH – And then he (Judah) approached him”: Genesis 44:18 – 47:27; Ezekiel 37:15 - 28
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
In our reading portion we finally reach the long awaited encounter in the Joseph story. Yes, a happy ending! Joseph makes himself known to his brothers! That’s how it will be with Yeshua, Messiah Ben-Yosef. Once face to face! Hallelujah! read more…

Shabbat Commentary for 50th week, 2007, (Hanukkah 5768)
Shabbat Reading “MIKETZ – At the End” Genesis 41:1 – 44:17; 1 Kings 3:15 – 4:1
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
In Chapter 41 we read about Joseph’s divine gift of interpreting dreams, including Pharaoh’s nightmare of the seven healthy cows and seven weak cows, which represented seven prosperous years and seven years of drought and famine. read more…

David & Josie Silver, Out of Zion Ministries, Mt Carmel, Israel

John 10:22-23 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Yeshua walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. (NKJ)

As the secular year rapidly approaches its end, Jewish people in Israel and around the world, are preparing to celebrate Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. This non-Levitical feastival commemorates the defeat of the Greco-Syrian dictator Anitochus Epiphanes 180 years before the birth of Yeshua. read more…