100 Gates 100 Shofarot!

[Completed Israelite]

The term Rosh HaShanah [רֹאש הַשָנָה] brings such great connotations to my mind: a festival day, a day of joy, a day of fear, a day of family and friends, a day of teshuvah, a day of sweetness, as well as a day of eating apples and honey. However, this year, Rosh HaShanah takes on an entirely different meaning altogether. One of the names for this special day is Yom Ha’achdut [יום הַאַחְדות - the Day of Unification], where we pray for the fullness of the House of Israel. We often speak of the unity between Jew and Gentile, between the old and the new, between the heavens and the earth, and between the Torah and grace. However, during the Feast of Trumpets, another unification takes place as proclaimed by the prophet Ezekiel:
And you, O mortal, take a stick and write on it, “Of Judah and the Israelites associated with him;” and take another stick and write on it, “Of Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the House of Israel associated with him.” Bring them close to each other, so that they become one stick, joined together in your hand.

The unification between Messiah Son of David (representing normative Judaism) and the Messiah Son Efraim1 (representing Messianic believers) is the ultimate unification that we are seeking in the last days, so that “...the Lord will be one and His name will be one” (Zechariah 14:9). The question is: How do we achieve this oneness? We speak so often of unity, baseless love, and culture of honor, but how do we achieve it?
1Also known as Messiah son of Joseph

Rosh HaShanah arrives once a year to remind us of that. The fullness of Messiah is yet to occur and none of us live our lives under the fullness of the new covenant of Jeremiah 31. It is ironic that during Rosh HaShanah, Jeremiah 31:1-19 is read, because the reading stops short of the final words of the prophet:
See, a time is coming—declares the LORD—when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah… No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, “Heed the LORD;” for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more…

There is no doubt that this covenant is yet to be fulfilled to its fullness, yet the shofar’s blast during Rosh HaShanah comes to remind us what each and every one of us has to do to tilt the scale towards the fullness of the Messiah during this appointed time. The shofar [ram’s horn] is rooted in the word שפר – shafar. The sound of the shofar reminds us of the amniotic fluids in the womb that must be broken during the birth process. Indeed, the sound of the shofar invites each and every one of us to be “born-again,” yet it also reminds us of the responsibility of a woman in labor to “push- harder” to complete the phase of the birth-pangs. The word שִיפור [shipur], which is derived from the word shofar, means to improve, to push a little harder, to love a little more, to have just a slight improvement in: our prayer lives, our relationships with each other, and our relationship with the Master of the Universe.

Ahavat Ammi Ministries released this publication with two goals in mind that are related to the shofar: to see many people be born-again [שָ ִפ י ר - shafr] and to see an improvement [שִיפור - shipur] in the way that we view and approach God, the Messiah, each other, and ultimately the Jewish people.
I dedicate this publication to the born-again, improved bride from every nation, tribe and color. May you indeed hear the voice of the shofar. My simple prayer is that during the 100 Gates-100 Shofarot, the heavens will open up to each and every one of you to enter into the new covenant of Jeremiah 31, individually and corporately.
Shanah Tovah,
– RABBI ITZHAK SHAPIRA

 

"בְשָנָה הַזֹאת תְחַדְשו מַעֲשֵיכֶם

וְאֱמונַתְכֶם בָשופָר בְיֵשועַ הַמָשִיחַ

B’shanah ha’zot t’chad’shu ma’aseichem v’emunat’chem ba’shofar b'Yeshua hamashiach
"During this year, may we renew our actions, deeds and faith through the sound of the shofar in Yeshua the Messiah"

To Join in and Crown The King of Kings this Rosh haShana as in Heaven, and Learn How to celebrate Gods Festival, download a free copy of Rabbi Shapira's new book @ https://shofar.shuvu.tv 

THIS IS truly a Huge Historical event brothers and sisters.

Shabbat Shalom all. 

Messiah will return during the season of Rosh haShana! 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by CompletedJew

[Completed Israelite]

One may ask, if I am a Messianic Jew, a believer in Yeshua, why should I take part in this? It is important to understand that confessing our sins is an integral part of our salvation. “If we acknowledge our sins, then, since He is trustworthy and just, He will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.” (I John 1:9). John explains here, if we acknowledge our sins, they will be forgiven. If we do not acknowledge our sins, how can they be forgiven? In order to be forgiven, one must ask for forgiveness. This is true in everyday life. If someone harms you and does not ask to be forgiven, you have no power to forgive them. You may let go of hatred in your heart, and you should, but forgiveness only comes when someone confesses their error and asks to be forgiven. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to confess our sins before Hashem. We do this with the full knowledge that through Yeshua the Messiah we will be forgiven for all our sins that we confess.

There is another aspect of the Selichot service which is profoundly important. This is not just confession of our sins; this is our confession of the sins of all Israel.

This is the primary theme of the Days of Awe leading up to and including Yom Kippur. We can and should confess our own sins every day, but this special time of year, which culminates in Yom Kippur, is for the confession of the sins of the Nation of Israel.

We are Israel or are grafted into Israel As such, it is important that we take part in and embrace this time of communal confession. Recognizing that as believers in Yeshua, whether born of Israel or grafted into Israel, we are deeply connected to each other and Israel as a whole., There is no time of the year where this connection is more apparent than in the days leading up to and including Yom Kippur.
The Selichot service establishes and develops our kavanah (כַ ָ וָנ ה - intention or purpose) as a nation in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As you participate in the service, perhaps for the first time, our hope is that it will deepen your connection with Hashem and strengthen your identity as a part of the Commonwealth of Israel.

[R. Hartono]

The kingdom of God is not found in religious celebration but in the hearts that forgive n share happiness.