Naomi Evangeline

Seek First

Today is a big day for our family, with Mark starting his new job with Sitecore as a Sales Engineer.  It was really cool to witness how God provided this job, so I want to share it!

Last Fall, we knew that the time had come for Mark to move beyond our family business that we’ve had for 13 years.  After some intense work in shutting down the storefront and moving all inventory to a different warehouse (where it’s now running online-only with the help of our wonderful employee, Elizabeth), Mark planned to take a brief rest, and then hit the ground running in January 2016 to find a new job.

Right before that, in December 2015, Mark drove our van, filled with young adults and a youth pastor, to the One Thing conference in Kansas City. It was a fabulous time of worship, teachings and fellowship – Mark’s first time to attend One Thing, and definitely something he hopes to do again!  While he was there, he felt that the Lord impressed upon him a redirection concerning looking for a job (we didn’t grow up knowing that Jesus is not only alive and well, but He speaks to people!... now we know better - Jesus wasn’t messing around when He said that His sheep hear His voice).  

Instead of Mark’s previous plan, he felt that he was to simply focus on Jesus – keeping Him first – and not strive to find a job.  Practically speaking, this may seem nuts, but nevertheless, Mark spent his time at the Lord’s feet instead of getting aggressive with a job hunt.  We’ve seen the Lord at work in wild and crazy ways in the past, and recognize that His ways are unusual to say the least!

 Within days of returning from One Thing, Mark got a call from a great guy that we know in the neighborhood, out of the blue. The man had an opening to fill in several months that he thought would be a fit for Mark’s background.  Not only would the position be exciting to Mark - using his high tech background as well as his experience from our family business - but he would office from home.  The several month delay was also a good thing, allowing Mark time to work on our family business in specific ways so that it could be maintained in a healthy way.  

We’re really thankful that God is intimately involved in our lives, and excited about this new season He’s given us!

The Feasts of the Lord

Here's a pulling together of info on a topic I LOVE!...

And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”   Gen. 1:14

signs = Hebrew word oth, which means “signal” (in the sense of appearing).  The same Hebrew word, oth, is used for Cain’s “mark” (Genesis 4:15) and for Noah’s “token (meaning the rainbow–Genesis 9:12). 

seasons = Hebrew word mo’adin, which means “appointed time; appointment.”  The same Hebrew word, mo’adin, is used for “Feasts” in Lev. 23:1-2.

A note on the Biblical calendar:  the Lord’s calendar is based not only on the sun (to define years), but also on the moon (to define months).  The Gregorian (Babylonian) calendar is based on the sun, and the Muslim calendar is based on the moon.  

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my Feasts.”   Lev 23:1-2

 Feasts  = Hebrew word mo’adin, which means “appointed time; appointment.”  The same Hebrew word, mo’adin, is used for “seasons” in Gen. 1:14.

convocations  = Hebrew word miqra, which means “rehearsal; the act of practicing in preparation for an event.”

holy  = Hebrew word qadash, which means “to be set-apart; sanctify.”

 

Here’s a “Rebecca’s translation” summary pertaining to the Feasts of the Lord, using the context above:  

The lights in the heavens are for signals and for the Lord’s divine appointments.  The Feasts are set-apart rehearsals of the Lord’s divine appointments. 

Notice that the Lord says these are His appointments, not the Jews’...  “These are My Feasts.” Lev. 23:2.  While the Jews do celebrate the Feasts, and the Lord will use the Feasts to unveil Jesus to them, the Feasts are not limited to Jews alone.  Gentile foreigners or sojourners joined in with the Jews to celebrate the Feasts, and we have opportunity to know the Lord more intimately through His appointed times as well.  Consider Naomi (a picture of the Jews) and Ruth (a picture of the Gentiles) who married Boaz (a picture of Jesus, our kinsman-Redeemer).  Ruth humbly said, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”  Satan has encouraged division between the Church and the Jews, with many negative ramifications.  One is that we lose out on the beautiful context behind things such as the Feasts, which actually point to Jesus.  We miss out on practical implications of the Feasts which pertain to Jesus’ second coming!

Each Feast points to Jesus and is beautifully fulfilled by Him.  Leviticus 23 lists seven Feasts.  A side note on “seven…”  Seven is the biblical number for completion and perfection.  The Feasts will be completed in the seventh month of the Lord’s calendar by Jesus Himself, with all three fall Feasts being in the seventh month.  After Jesus has fulfilled the seven Feasts, the Golden Age will begin – an age of completion and perfection. 

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.   Hosea 6:3

The Feasts are celebrated in two distinct seasons corresponding to agricultural seasons.  In Israel, there is the time of rain in the spring (former rain) and in the fall (latter rain). As Hosea 6:3 mentions, the Lord has come to us as the former rain already, through his first coming.  We watch expectantly for Him to come unto us as the latter rain through His second coming, fulfilling the fall Feasts perfectly - right on time, as He did with the spring Feasts.

The Spring Feasts

Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread/Feast of the Firstfruits are connected to the barley harvest. These first three Jewish Feasts come in rapid succession and all occur within the span of one week.

Passover (14^th day of the Hebrew month Nisan (March/April)) – Redemption - Jesus’ death

During the first Passover in Egypt, a lamb was sacrificed for each Jewish home, and its blood was applied to the door post. Homes marked with the blood of the lamb were passed over by the angel of death, sparing the life of the firstborn child of that home. Jesus, our Passover lamb, was crucified on Passover, thus fulfilling this Jewish Feast.  He is our sacrificial and substitutionary lamb.  

Passover speaks of Jesus’ redemptive work through the stages of the Feast. Just like the Matzah bread in the Feast, Jesus was broken (died), wrapped, and hidden away (buried). Finally, the Matzah is brought back at the third cup of wine (resurrected the third day).

After the Passover meal, children have fun looking for the broken piece of Matzah that was wrapped and hidden away. This is known as the “afikomen,” which is a strange word. It doesn’t exist in the Hebrew language, so many rabbis have simply considered it to mean dessert, since it is eaten last.  Yet, afikomen does show up in the Greek language – the language of Jesus’ day. It means, “I came.”  Rabbinic tradition holds that afikomen now represents the lamb eaten during Passover dinner, and therefore everyone must eat of it.

When Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples in the upper room, He broke the bread known as the afikomen and distributed it to His disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 1 Cor. 11:24. 

They would have understood the Messianic claim that He was making.

Feast of Unleavened Bread (begins the day after Passover – 15^th day of Nisan) – Sanctification - Jesus’ burial

The Israelites were to only eat unleavened bread every year during Passover to remember their Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Since the children of Israel left Egypt in haste, they didn’t have time for their bread to rise, so it was made on that very first Passover without leaven, also known as yeast.

In preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jewish women would sprinkle leaven (breadcrumbs) throughout the house in every nook and cranny and then, on the first day of the Feast, they would sweep ever speck of leaven into the kitchen, take it outside and burn it.  In the Bible, leaven symbolizes sin.  It is the agent that causes fermentation.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread proclaims that Jesus’ physical body would not decay in the grave.  He was set apart.

Feast of the Firstfruits (occurs the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the 16^th of Nisan) – Jesus’ resurrection

This Feast focuses on the lifting up of the firstfruits of all crops to God & the resurrection of the Firstfruit of all who will rise again – Jesus – who was the First to have risen from death (Jesus rose on the day of First Fruits). When the barley harvest (the first crop planted in winter) ripens, the first sheaf, referred to as the firstfruits, is cut and presented to the Lord.  The Lord’s acceptance is His pledge of a full harvest.  

This Feast was fulfilled with Jesus’ resurrection, as spoken of in 1 Corinthians:

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  1 Cor. 15:20

Jesus became the perfect wavesheaf offering that was waved on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He would have ascended to present Himself in the heavenly temple to His Father. When Mary Magdelene wept over the empty tomb and encountered Jesus, He instructed her not to touch Him yet, because He had not yet gone up to His Father (John 20:17). This is because the first barley sheaf could not be touched until it was offered to God. Yet later (Matt. 28:8-10; Luke 24:39) the women clasped His feet and worshiped Him without Jesus giving restriction, and then Thomas touched Him so that he might be convinced of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. There was no problem with the disciples touching Him because Jesus had already presented Himself as a wave offering before His Father.  God reaped the best and first of His spiritual harvest in Jesus. What is the importance for us? He is our perfect Firstfruit. According to Romans 11:16, if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is holy.

Feast of Weeks (count seven weeks from Firstfruits, then this Feast is on the next day - Day 50 - Pentecost) Birth of the Church/Rapture Possibility

The Feast of Weeks is called Pentecost in the New Testament, which means 50^th.  For this Feast, two loaves of bread made with fine flour and leaven were brought to the Temple. Fifty days, two loaves and leaven all pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. The two loaves represent the Jew and Gentile, now one in Messiah through the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace…  Eph. 2:14-15

The two loaves have leaven (sin) in them, because believers have not yet been glorified.  During this age, while Jesus is still in the process of transforming our brokenness, sin is still present in the Church. We are justified through Jesus, yet we still have a long way to go in the process of sanctification.

Jesus, our unleavened head, rose on Firstfruits.  The process of the Firstfruits Feast would assume that Jesus ascended, untouched by human hands after His resurrection, to present Himself in the heavenly temple to the Father. After presenting Himself as the wave offering, He then spent 40 days with his disciples, then ascended to remain with the Father until Jesus’ return for His bride. Jesus told the disciples to wait and He would send his Holy Spirit. That happened ten days later, for a total of 50 days after his resurrection.

Though Pentecost has been fulfilled through the birth of the Church, some scholars wonder if it could be further fulfilled by the Rapture. The seven Feasts are prophetic. The first three, in the Spring, pertain to the First Coming of Jesus, while the last three, in the Fall, pertain to the Second Coming.  This in-between Feast could very well focus on the Church.

·       Gentiles are symbolized by wheat, which is what is harvested during Pentecost.

·       Pentecost is the only Feast of Moses in which leavened bread is allowed, which seems to give it a Gentile flavor.

·       Jews have always celebrated Pentecost by staying up all night, in which they read the entire Book of Ruth.

·       The Book of Ruth is the love story of a Gentile bride and her Kinsman-Redeemer, with rich parallels between the Church and Jesus. 

·       Pentecost is one of three “solemn” Feasts, along with Passover and Tabernacles - considered holy (set apart).  Possibly, besides the picture of Jesus’ sacrifice and Jesus’ reign on earth, the other “set apart” Feast may be when He comes for His bride.

·       The Talmud and Josephus refer to Pentecost as “Conclusion.”  It is possible that Pentecost could conclude the fulness of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25).

·       Some scholars view Enoch as a parallel to the Church, as he walked with the Lord, and was raptured before a time of judgment upon the whole earth (the Flood).  Rabbinical tradition says that Enoch was not only born on Pentecost (as the Church was born), but that he was also raptured on Pentecost.  The church is one body, as Enoch is one body.  He is known as a “Type” of the Church by many scholars.

·       Pentecost is also known as the “Feast of Harvest,” and harvest wording is used in Scripture, and by Jesus, to refer to His gathering believers to Himself.

His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.  Matt. 3:12

Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.  Matt. 12:30

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him…  2 Thess. 2:1

The Fall Feasts

Each major event of Jesus’ first coming occurred on the precise date of the appropriate Jewish Feast.  It follows that the major events associated with Jesus’ second coming will, likewise, fall on the appropriate Feasts.  The three fall Feasts – Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles –point to second coming events such as wrath for the unsaved, the salvation of Israel, and the establishment of the messianic Kingdom.  As with the Spring Feasts, the Fall Feasts will be fulfilled literally and right on schedule in connection with His second coming.

The Feast of Trumpets (first day of Tishri; occurs at the new moon; Rosh Hashanah; also known as the “Wedding of the Messiah”) – Second Coming of Jesus

The Feast of Trumpets is unique because it is the only one which arrives on the first day of a Hebrew lunar month.  Because it occurs at the new moon, when only a sliver of moon is visible, in ancient days the rabbi assigned witnesses lest clouds obscure the new moon.  Watchfulness was critical for this Feast.  The need for watchfulness and preparedness in connection with the Feast of Trumpets is echoed throughout the New Testament in connection with Jesus’ Second Coming.  Keep in mind that the Second Coming is a separate event than the Rapture.  The Rapture occurs with Jesus in the clouds, gathering His bride to Himself.  The Second Coming is when Jesus sets foot in Jerusalem.

The Feast of Trumpets is called the “Feast that no man knows the day or hour of” or the “hidden Feast” because of the challenge of not knowing of its arrival until the new moon is seen.  When Jesus said, "no man knows the day or hour," there is strong inference to the Feast of Trumpets to those familiar with the Lord’s appointed times.  Also, "of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked when his wedding will be.  He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time.  Some do wonder if the Feast of Trumpets could also be an appointment for the rapture, when Christ comes for his bride, the Church.  It would be possible for the rapture to occur on this feast, with the Second Coming falling on this feast on a later year.

Ezek. 46:1 mentions the gate of the inner court that will be opened in the day of the new moon, which points to the Feast of Trumpets.  Many scholars believe this "open door" can be seen in Matthew 25, Revelation 3 and Revelation 4:1.

The Day of Atonement (nine days after Trumpets on the 10^th day of Tishri; Yom Kippur) - Redemption

There are seven “days of awe” between the two-day Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. Some interpret these to picture the seven years of Tribulation. Also, corresponding to seven days, in the Jewish Wedding the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night" to take (seize/rapture) her away and into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. The bride and groom remain hidden away together in the bridal chamber for seven days.

According to Jewish tradition, three books are opened in heaven on the Feast of Trumpets.  One is the Book of Life for the righteous. The second is the Book of Life for the unrighteous. The third is the Book of Life for those in-between. If a man is righteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the righteous at the Feast of Trumpets. If he is unrighteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the unrighteous and he will not survive the year. If a man is deemed in-between, judgment is delayed from the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement. During this time, he can repent before the Book is closed and his destiny sealed. 

Some believe that at the Feast of Trumpets, God’s wrath will commence on earth, resulting in many being saved before the Book of Life is closed forever. These new believers will enter the messianic Kingdom still in mortal bodies (as distinct from the raptured and glorified Church, who will inhabit New Jerusalem).

Feast of Tabernacles (15^th day of Tishri) – Rejoicing; Messianic Kingdom

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”  Revelation 21:3

This is a seven day Feast that usually occurs in October.  Observant Jews erect huts or “booths” from bulrushes as a reminder of the temporary housing erected by their forefathers during the Exodus wanderings.  Samples of the fall crop are hung in the booth to signify God’s faithfulness and provision.  Each day the High Priests and tens of thousands of worshipers left the Temple Mount, stopped at the Pool of Siloam, and filled a pitcher with water from the pool.  Then they went back to the Temple Mount by a different route.  Back at the Temple Mount, the High Priest poured the water out of the pitcher onto the altar.  In Israel, the rain usually stopped in March and there was no rain for seven months.  This ceremony was intended to invoke God’s blessing on the nation that he might provide early rains in October and November so that there would be a spring crop and avoid famine.  The Feast of Tabernacles speaks of the messianic Kingdom – a new beginning without the ravages of the curse of sin.  Righteousness will become a reality on earth.  This Feast signifies the day when the Messiah Himself will tabernacle among men and bring in the utopian age of the “Golden Age.”

Suggested Resource:  Howard, Kevin, and Marvin Rosenthal.  The Feasts of the Lord.  Nashville, TN:  Nelson, 1997. 

Our Experience With Samaritan Ministries

With the birth of Noah, our sixth child, we were able to experience something we had never experienced before. We received checks from others around the country to completely pay for our midwife assisted home birth. With prior births, we had to pay for the midwife out of pocket since no insurance plan we have ever had actually covered that. We'd like to share what we have learned with you and invite you to check it out for yourself.

About a year ago we decided to finally check out some of the medical expense sharing organizations we had heard about for a few years. We were intrigued with the idea of helping others with their medical bills, and then if we needed help, we could share our needs with others too. When we looked into the details, we were astonished to learn that what we were paying for high deductible (like $5K and $10K) medical insurance was more than we would need to share every month through most of these plans. We also learned that those who participate in a medical expense sharing plan are exempted from the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." Encouraged by these discoveries, we went about researching the various options out there.

After researching several options we chose to go with Samaritan Ministries and it has been a real blessing. As of June 2012, we are one of about 21,000 families sharing medical expenses around the world. Our total sharing amount is $355 a month (for a family of 8), and we can share any medical expense (there are some limitations) over $300. This encourages us to consider what we choose to spend our medical dollars on, while helping to cover us when we have a larger need.

Here are some other things we really like about Samaritan Ministries:

• We send our checks directly to someone who has a need every month
• There are no hidden administrative costs - only one check for $175 a year covers all administrative costs
• Prayer requests and non-covered needs (like pre-existing conditions, oral surgery, etc) are shared for all to consider
• Samaritan Ministries is a non-profit charitable organization
• Their staff has been very helpful and servant-minded every time we have interacted with them

~ Mark

If you would like to learn more you can fill out this very simple form and they will send you a packet of information about the plan. If you do, there is a spot to mention how you heard about them. We kindly ask that you mention us in that spot: Mark & Rebecca Miller.

Noah's Birth Photos

 

Thank you, Lauren, for taking pictures for us - you have a natural gift!

Naming Noah John

On Wednesday, October 3rd at 3:14 PM, our Noah John was born.  The plan was for Mark to share what his name would be after he was born, but we had a funny thing happen earlier in the week that changed that!  People kept asking me what the name would be, and I kept telling them I didn’t know – Mark would decide.  Mark and I have been joking for a while that the birth would be like when Elizabeth had Jesus’ cousin and Zechariah, the father, asked for a writing tablet and wrote his name after his birth. 

Noah, moments after birth

In the past, I'd come up with names, and Mark would let me know if he didn't like something.  But he didn't typically come up with ideas for names, so one of the names I'd brainstormed would be what we went with.  Based on that pattern, I’d been pondering names for many months.  For most of the pregnancy, the name Levi was at the top of my list.  But as time went on, I felt in my spirit that he was really Noah, which means “rest.”  About the time that transition happened, Mark communicated a new kind of leading in choosing our son's name, which was certainly welcome to me.  Mark wanted to take some time to figure out what the name should be.  In an email, I forwarded my 'list,' comprised of about a dozen names and meanings for him to take into consideration.  Some of my favorite middle names were Shiloh, meaning “tranquil, peaceful” and Jeremiah, meaning “God will set free.”

Sweet joy and relief!

In general, the birth of our children have been good experiences, though never easy for me.  Throughout Noah’s pregnancy, if I started thinking about the birth and the pain involved, I would simply push the thought away.  But, about a month before his birth, the Lord poured out a special peace and expectancy over me that was clearly supernatural.  When thoughts of birth came up, there was nothing to push away – there was just peace.

Unbeknownst to me, Mark didn’t want to be influenced by my list, but rather he just wanted to hear from the Lord what the name should be.  When looking over names that had to do with peace or rest, Mark felt his name was to be Noah..  Looking up names that had to do with ‘grace’ – with the idea of resting in the Lord’s grace – Mark felt that the middle name should be John.  We’ve always tried to avoid common names, however, since our last name is very common.  Mark felt sure that I wouldn’t be happy about going with ‘John.’ 

Sunday, Mark mentioned that he knew what the name would be, but he wasn’t sure I’d be pleased with the middle name because it is common.  I immediately heard from the Lord, ‘John.’  This name had never been one we considered in the past, but I did remember reading the meaning of it before and thinking how great the meaning was.

Monday night after Mark returned home from the church men’s meeting, he mentioned a friend joking that the baby should be named “Steven Mark” (because the friend’s name is Steve  : )  I joked with Mark and said, “or Mark John.”  Now I knew the name "Mark" was not a consideration in Mark’s mind, but I was feeling playful and wanted to see his reaction regarding the middle name.  He was really taken aback and asked how I knew.  He kept laughing and couldn’t get over how cool it was that the Lord spoke the same name to me.  So he shared then that the first name would be Noah, which I was thrilled with – and I was of course thrilled with “John” as well.  Though it's common, how could I not be pleased with a name the Lord led Mark to, which is the name of a disciple Jesus dearly loved, as well as his cousin John the Baptist who lived and died so passionately for him.

It occurred to us at the end of our conversation that the name that Zechariah wrote on his writing tablet was “John!”  How neat that our little joking comments regarding Zechariah actually tied in to this middle name that the Lord gave us for our sweet new baby.  So, we pray that our Noah John will rest in the Lord – rest in His grace.