text:
Vladimir Putin's most ominous bit of saber rattling over the Ukraine has involved allusions to the "nuclear option." For him, that's not a metaphor.
The problem with nuclear weapons is the collateral damage. Sure, you might win the battle. But everyone loses the war. I worry that both Governor Cuomo and the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) are playing with "nuclear" weapons.
Let's agree, first, that public education in NYS could be, should be, must be improved. We'll not make an impact on urban poverty, particularly in Rochester, if we don't raise the levels of literacy and numeracy among children in poverty. Eventually, young people have to make their own way in the world and the labor market has no mercy on people without the academic basics. Second, let's agree that both Governor Cuomo and New York's teachers want children to succeed. The governor isn't an evil megalomaniac clawing his way to national prominence on the backs of children. And teachers care about far more than just their paychecks and prerogatives.
Changes in education law won by the governor in the budget were secured by his threat to fire off a tactical nuke—holding up the state budget. (Odd bit of power this. Over nearly two decades we'd become accustomed to budgets being days, weeks, even months, late. "Late budget again? So what?" After only four years, timeliness re-emerged as a virtue and the Legislature was unwilling to be blamed for breaking the streak.) Oh, and the governor also accepted the creation of a commission aimed at raising legislator's salaries. A threatened veto of this provision is another tactical nuke.
The changes extorted from the Legislature are stunning:
- The probationary period before teachers are granted tenure increases from 3 years to 4.
- Teachers, once certified for life, must now be recertified every 5 years.
- The State Education Department (SED) will establish statewide admission standards for teacher prep programs and have increased power to close ineffective programs.
- Most galling to NYSUT, the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) will be dramatically strengthened and made even more reliant on state tests.
- If a teacher is rated "ineffective" on the "state measures"—based on test scores—no local measures can reverse the finding.
- After a teacher has been for scored "ineffective" for 3 consecutive years, districts are obligated to begin dismissal proceedings.
Wow. We know that good teaching matters. Stanford's (formerly UR's) Rick Hanushek estimates that the lifetime earnings impact of the best 15% of teachers on a single class of 20 students is about $400,000—the weakest 15% have the opposite effect. (http://hanushek.stanford.edu/publications/valuing-teachers-how-much-good-teacher-worth)
But here's the rub: The Commissioner of Education (position currently vacant) is to have these changes in place by June 30. Districts are to put the new rules in place by November 15. SED and its then-Commissioner, John King, were widely criticized for too-hasty implementation of the Common Core standards and associated tests. And much work remains to be done. (Full disclosure: As asserted in prior columns, I support standards—don't you? And I find much to applaud in the Common Core. But I agree that King rushed implementation, thus setting off a counterproductive CC backlash.)
SED doesn't have enough time for a reliable roll-out. Despite its best efforts, the odds of SED making major mistakes, spurring yet-more backlash, are too high. Governor, please propose a modest delay in implementation: You've won the battle; don't risk the war. The Legislature will gladly go along.
NYSUT's response has been to invoke its own nuclear option: Urging parents to boycott the state tests. Oh, my. Do most of the state's teachers believe that assessment is bad? Don't most of them (and us) want a robust, challenging curriculum and fair, effective assessment? How will students and parents discern the difference between assessments? "Mr. Brown, I think that the pithagasaurus theorem is just stupid—why do I care how long the hippopotamus is? And my mom says that she never learned it and that she did just fine. So I'm not going to take the test on Friday. You said that the state tests are stupid and I think that this one is, too."
This is a contract dispute between NYSUT and the Governor. Let's not let our children become collateral damage.


text:
Focus Passage: Zephaniah 3: 14-20
Memory Verse: "The King of Israel, the Lord, is here with you
Items for Preparation
- If you have access to a Hebrew Bible or a minister who knows Hebrew, make a poster with the Hebrew printing of the words for The Day of the Lord, Yom Yahweh.
Read the adult lesson in Baptists Today and additional material online at Nurturing Faith. We'll explain how good The Day of the Lord is, in terms children will understand, by re—writing the passage in words they'll know.
Children's Sermon
Say: We are going to re-write this passage from the prophet Zephaniah so that we can understand what the prophet was saying. He was talking about The Day of the Lord. In Hebrew, that's called the Yom Yahweh. Say that with me, Yom Yah-weh.
[If you have the printed Hebrew words, show them here, and let kids know that Hebrew is read from right to left, not from left to right like English.]
Say: Zephaniah wanted the people to know a good day was coming, and just listen to all the good things that were going to happen on that day. Listen and count the good things.
Sing out loud, shout, O Israel!
Get happy with all your heart, Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the ways people blame you,
he has told your enemies to get out of here.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is right near us;
we won't ever be afraid of anything.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
You don't have anything to be afraid of, so stay strong.
The Lord, your God, is right here near us;
like a soldier who wins a battle,
God will be happy about you,
God will make your heart feel loved and warm inside;
God will do a happy dance beside you,
like the dance you do at a party.
I will take away everything bad,
so that you will not be blamed for anything.
I will deal with all the people who bully you.
And I will save the sick and weak ones,
and will let the shy, unpopular kids sit by me at lunch,
And I will change their shame into praise.
At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I come to get you;
for I will make everybody like you
among all the people of the earth,
when I bring back everything you have lost,
says the Lord.
Say: Wow! That's a really good day! Do you get the idea from Zephaniah that God loved the people very much? That's the idea we want to get, too. God loves us very much, and God wants these good things for all people.
Prayer: Say these words after I say them.
O Holy Lord,
Be right beside us today,
And let good things come to us.
Let good things come to every person
In every part of the world,
On the Day of the Lord,
In Jesus' name, Amen.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|main menu | standard categories | authors | new stories | search | links | settings | author tools
|Timothy and Tabitha Tadbit (standard:adventure, 504 words)
|Author: Anonymous
|Added: Apr 20 2011
|Views/Reads: 2536/0
|Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
|About two twines, one boy and one gril, and decribes their bedroom - his side and her side.
Timothy and Tabitha Tadd-Bitt Exploring our Bedroom Timothy and Tabitha Tadd-Bitt were twins. They did everything together as long as they could remember They were just a tad bigger than a small tabby cat. They even shared the same room together since they were so small. One side of the room was decorated with Timothy's things and the other side was decorated with Tabitha's things. Even the curtains had dancing stars on one side and racing cars on the other all tied back with golden garlands. Tabitha's wallpaper had dancing stars on it, while Timothy's wallpaper had racing cars. The dresser sat on Tabitha's side of the room next to her bed with its four colorful draws. The toy box sat on Timothy's side next to his bed all neatly arranged with one side for her and one for him. Tabitha's side had colorful dolls and stuffed animals all neatly arranged in a straight line. Timothy's side had cars of many colors and soldiers lining his walls all in order. In Tabitha's corner on the floor was a doll house full of colorful dolls In Timothy's corner there was a track of racing cars. The dolls, stuffed animals, cars, and soldiers all went from the window to the door. The dancing stars and the racing cars started from the window between them and met at the door. As they looked at their walls, all that separated the dancing stars and racing cars were pictures of themselves on their walls. Not at all like looking out side at all the fall colors with its leaves and all. Gee how we wish we could be outside in the leaves of fall, as they both fell fast asleep. By Robert Chambers Timothy and Tabitha Tadd-Bitt Our back Yard Timothy and Tabitha Tadd-Bitt were twines They had a yard that was as big as a park. It was full of trees and other plants just like a big park. A swing and a slid, with a sand box on one side that was all brightly colored in red. The slide was on the other side all shiny and bright, just like a big park. A fish pond with golden fish glistening in sun light in one corner and a play house with brightly colored trim sat in the other corner. A wagon, a trike, and all sorts of other toys were scattered about. But the only thing that Timothy and Tabitha like to play with the most, sat all by its self under a big oak tree. A brightly colored pile of leaves with orange and yellow autumn leaves. Timothy and Tabitha like to jump and play in the big colorful pile of leaves. As they played in the colorful pile of autumn leaves, a gray squirrel with a bobbed tail came running out from under the colorful autumn leaves. Timothy and Tabitha looked at the gray squirrel as it ran up a tree that was covered with autumn leaves and pointed as they said, it's a Bobit. Tweet
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text:
George Wesley [Band] Live at Split Rock Wine Festival on 2010-06-13
Audio Preview
George Wesley [Band] Live at Split Rock Wine Festival on 2010-06-13
- Publication date
- 2010-06-13 ( check for other copies)
- Topics
- George Wesley
- Collection
- GeorgeWesleyBand
- Band/Artist
- George Wesley [Band]
01 Strong
02 Hold On
03 Roots, Rock, Reggae
04 You Can't Always Get What You Want
05 I Want To Be A Cowboy
3pm Set:
01 Forward
02 Precious
03 Same Old Song
04 Fading Away
05 Iko Iko
06 Get Up, Stand Up
5pm Set:
01 When I'm Next To You, I Feel Lucky
02 Dance To Jah Music
03 Your Love's Got A Hold On Me
04 Red Red Wine
05 Where We Gonna Go
06 Hustlin'
07 Could You Be Loved?
Related Music (Beta) question-dark
Versions - Different performances of the song by the same artist
Compilations - Other albums which feature this performance of the song
Covers - Performances of a song with the same name by different artists
|Song Title
|Dance To Jah Music
|Hold On
|Iko Iko
|Same Old Song
|Could You Be Loved?
|When I'm Next To You, I Feel Lucky
|You Can't Always Get What You Want
|Your Love's Got A Hold On Me
|I Want To Be A Cowboy
|Fading Away
|Roots, Rock, Reggae
|Where We Gonna Go
|Get Up, Stand Up
|Red Red Wine
George Wesley Band
Split Rock Wine Festival Day #2
Lake Harmony, PA
June 13, 2010
George Wesley - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Chris Condel - drums, percussion, vocals
Peter Fritz - bass guitar
Annette Miraglia - Percussion & Vocals
Source: Schoeps MK21's>Schoeps VST62ui>Sound Devices MP-2 + Soundboard>Sound Devices 744t
Transfer: SD744t>Sound Forge Pro 10 (Mix of both sources, Fades, iZotope MBIT+ Bit depth conversion to 16 Bit/44.1khz)>CDWAV>FLAC
- Addeddate
- 2010-06-14 03:31:08
- Identifier
- gwb2010-06-13.wklitz.schoeps.sbd.flac16
- Lineage
- SD744t>SF10>CDWAV>FLAC
- Location
- Lake Harmony, PA
- Type
- sound
- Venue
- Split Rock Wine Festival
- Year
- 2010
678 Views
Uploaded by Unknown on


text:
From coast to coast, teal pumpkins are making Halloween more fun and inclusive for millions of children with food allergies and other dietary restrictions thanks to the Teal Pumpkin Project®, an annual awareness campaign from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
Only in its fourth year as a national initiative, the Teal Pumpkin Project has become a household tradition for many families across the United States. This year, word of the Teal Pumpkin Project has reached millions of people through social media as well as through partnerships with national retailers who have shown their support for children with food allergies.
"It has been absolutely amazing to see families continue to embrace the Teal Pumpkin Project, whether they are personally affected by food allergies or not," said Lois A. Witkop, Chief Advancement Officer at FARE. "We know that it's making a difference in so many lives and we are thrilled to grow this campaign on behalf of children who have food allergies, which are potentially life-threatening."
New in 2017, FARE sent customized Teal Pumpkin Project kits to 225 elementary schools in underserved neighborhoods in Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, San Diego and San Francisco as part of its community engagement initiative. The program aims to inform students, parents and school personnel who may have limited access to allergists and food allergy education.
It is estimated that more than 40 million children nationwide go trick-or-treating annually in their neighborhood and during special Halloween events in their local communities. The Teal Pumpkin Project is not intended to replace the tradition of giving out candy on Halloween. Many families across the country will have available both candy and non-food treats for trick-or-treaters. To help promote a safe experience, FARE suggests that families who are giving out candy in addition to non-food treats keep sweet treats in a separate bowl or container from non-food treats.
FARE also recommends families managing food allergies keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Enforce a "no eating while trick-or-treating" rule, so that you have time to review all food labels.
- Avoid candy and treats that do not have an ingredient label.
- Always have an epinephrine auto-injector available, if prescribed.
- Keep in mind that the mini-size, fun-size, or bite-size version of candy may contain different ingredients than their full-size counterparts. Make no assumptions, and read all labels carefully.
- Keep the emphasis on the fun, rather than the candy.
- Remember that a candy that has been safe for your child in the past may now have different ingredients. Read the label every time.
The Teal Pumpkin Project was inspired by an idea from the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET), led by support group leader Becky Basalone, who originated the idea to paint a pumpkin teal and place it on the porch to let children with food allergies know they would have a safe treat at that home.
It's not too late to participate – with a few simple steps, anyone can join the Teal Pumpkin Project:
- Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters
- Paint a pumpkin teal or buy a teal pumpkin at your local craft store or pharmacy, or print a free sign from www.tealpumpkinproject.org
- Place your teal pumpkin or sign in front of your home to indicate non-food treats are available.
FARE thanks the following Teal Pumpkin Project official 2017 partners: Ahold USA (including its brands Stop & Shop, Giant Food and Giant/Martin's), CVS Pharmacy, DBV Technologies, FunWorld, Hy-Vee, Learning Express, Magic Power, Market Street, Mello Smello, Michaels, Savers (doing business as Savers, Value Village, Unique and Village des Valeurs) and SCS Direct.
For more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project, visit www.tealpumpkinproject.org. For more information about food allergies, visit www.foodallergy.org.


text:
Customer Service Follow-up
This past Thursday I submitted what I thought was a second customer service ticket in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Basically it solved my issue.
It turns out that the same bug that ate my cartel coins also probably interfered with my ticket submission. So, waiting until Thursday to file a second ticket probably wasn't the best of ideas.
That said, Friday morning I had a response from customer service. They had refunded me my 600 cartel coins and informed me about what had probably happened to my first ticket.
I'm so glad that I was able to get through to CS after a while. I understand that they're hardworking people and they don't get a lot of gratitude (mainly because there's not any real feedback they can get unless they hang out on the forums and that place is the land of negativity). I love how quickly they were able to resolve things for me and I really appreciate the help. I didn't want to be frustrated with SWTOR and I'm glad I'm no longer.
I went and bought my 13th character slot on Saturday and then went and bought an unlock for a friend… and totally forgot that it takes a day and a half to cool down before I could trade it. Oops.
Anyway, I've been playing my Trooper Vanguard in SWTOR lately and I'd like to bang out some more of Taris tonight.
Until next time!
– Thomas
P.S. "Delighted customers are the only advertisement everyone believes." – Ron Kaufman


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Garden Admin CvOn March 31, 2016 by admin
Producing a highly effective cv is important in all of the that skilled farms. Some sort of cv gives you out ones accreditation to get a certain job. The idea is among the most the majority fundamental paperwork inside your occupation seek process. A great garden admin can be a individual who coordinates with several garden assignments together with designs. Considered one of their serious assignments is in addition to enhance farming.
Today, we can discuss several items you must take into consideration even though producing a great garden admin cv:
1. Cv purpose It can be surely the main component of ones cv. You should come up with a target that will holds the interest in the company at the beginning case. It will not necessarily surpass a lot more than 6 : 8 key phrases. It ought to be appropriate together with concise. If you happen to generate longer content than the person who reads would probably weary. Ensure you don't generate job purpose that's obscure and universal.
2. Knowledge together with Schools That businesses are considerably serious to learn ones useful accreditation in regards to the effort you will be making an application for. With the following intending people should just converse just about all you've got produced inside your university or college lifetime with regard to knowledge. You may talk about any sort of link measure that you really get. Some sort of Bachelor's with Discipline measure with Garden sciences can be an likely measure for this purpose article.
3. Personalized Info together with Abilities It's very important to share with you a number ones abilities that will connect with that article you will be making an application for. You may claim you've got superior specialized know-how that will is important from this discipline. You have got to additionally condition ones adequate get hold of info inside cv. You might want to talk about ones contact number, home address together with inbox no ..
4. Occupation Historical past Your task historical past is important considerably. Which means that, ensure you talk about a few marks relating to your old businesses together with corporation. People ought to talk about most of the assignments you had to do inside your old office environment. You may claim you had to set up several pursuits which were environmentally friendly inside your old corporation.
These are typically everyday materials possibilities you must use in ones cv. Ensure you examine this informative article when.


text:
Enugu Govt signs 2017 budget into law
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State yestetday assented to the state's 2017 budget estimates, reiterating the commitment of his administration to the full implementation of the appropriation law for the benefit of the people of the state, whom he described as the true heroes of democracy.
Presenting the budget for the governor's assent at the Government House, Enugu, speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, commended him for the ways he has been managing the lean resources of the state.
The speaker also applauded the professionalism displayed by the state's budget office and the state executive council members during the budget defence, adding that the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature in the state is commendable.
In his remark, Governor Ugwuanyi commended the legislators for the thorough and speedy passage of the budget and assured that the budget will be fully implemented to realise the overall objectives of developing the state for the overall interest of the people.
The governor had on December 23, 2016 presented a budget estimate of N105.719billion tagged, "Budget of Economic Recovery and Inclusive Development" to Enugu State House of Assembly, explaining that the budget was so christened to reflect the determination to make huge investments in physical and social infrastructure both at State and Local Governments to stimulate economic activities at all levels for inclusive economic growth.
He had assured the people of the state that "the outcome of successful execution of the projects in this regard as articulated in the 2017 Budget will impact positively on the lives of our people in the 17 Local Government Areas of the State".
Governor Ugwuanyi further hinted that "attention will also be given to job creation through small and medium entrepreneurship development, skill acquisition and youth empowerment. We will also leverage on Public Private Partnership in agriculture, real estate development, and commerce and industry to drive our commitment to transform the State from public to private sector economy," just as he assured that within the fiscal year, the high level of security in the State will be sustained and made more formidable.


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The world was dark; buildings and skyscrapers towered in the dark distance. Looming further off and away was a huge castle; The Castle that Never Was, with a small, incomplete, heart shaped moon over it; Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. Its purpose for being there was, when finished, to give life to the Organization XIII. Around every corner of The World That Never Was, shadow beings rose from the darkened black streets; they were called Heartless. They seemed to form the most at the place called Memory's Skyscraper.
At the same time, a figure wearing a large black hooded robe appeared in the middle of a heartless swarm. He held his hand out, and as he did, a keyblade appeared in his extended hand; the Oblivion Keyblade. The person twirled the keyblade in his hands, and slashed the heartless down. But as they vanished, hearts started floating into the sky, and vanished as quickly as they came. Meanwhile, when that happened, the heart shaped moon in the background began to glow a bit, before dying down its glowing. The hearts that had vanished had become one with Kingdom Hearts, putting it one step closer to it's completion.
Watching from one of the rooms in the castle was another black robed man, except his hood was off. His black hair swayed in the wind like a flag in a heavy wind storm, his violet-black eyes sparkling in the darkness, and watched the fight closely. His name was XD003, a Neo-Nobody; a Nobody with a heart. He let out a soft sigh and began to rant.
Ugh. This is boring as hell. I mean look down there, Roxas is busy fighting heartless around the town, and the other Organization members are away on assignment like always. some are even at Castle Oblivion dealing with Sora, and reports of Riku being there as well would have made it more interesting if we got to go as well. I mean seriously, I am grateful to Xemnas finding us and recruiting us into the Organization, and for giving us these nice rooms, but come on, the only thing weve done since weve been here is spar with ourselves and the other members. We don't even have our own thrones yet! Grah, this sucks! XD003 turned to look back at 2 robed figures standing there against a wall.
One of the robed members pulled their hood off, and began to speak. Well, maybe its because we are Neo-Nobodies. They dont know how well react to killing someone, or how our hearts will affect our actions. Thats the only reason I see it to justify their actions. The figure stepped closer to XD003, and placed his hand on his shoulder.
XD003 shrugged and replied harshly That may be so, Xavier, but why havent tested us to find out. Its like they keep us from battle!
The other robed character pulled his hood off, and began to speak as well XD003, we cant do anything about that. The best we can do is stay here and wait for orders. After all, we are different then other Nobodies.
XD003 jumped off the windowsill, into the room, and scoffed, while turning his head to the one who spoke Xenvest, as much as I hate to admit it... you have a point I guess. But its just so dull waiting here for orders.
The three Neo-Nobodies - XD003, Xavier, and Xenvest all looked out the window, and watched as the Organization member named Roxas fought those heartless that appeared.
"The Key of Destiny, eh... Let's hope he can bring about that destiny." XD003 said in a soft voice, watching as Roxas pounded the heartless into a pulp.
The Organization was defeated, most nobodies had since vanished. Only XD003, Xavier, and Xenvest remained. From that day, they vowed to find any remaining Nobodies and reform the Organization. They left The World That Never Was and set off to find the Nobodies.
'Seems their destiny was only a dream they sought to make real...' XD003 thought to himself.
And so it began. XD003, Xavier, and Xenvest all left The World that Never Was in search of Nobodies. Their first stop was the Realm of Shadows. Using the portal system [Authors Note: Now you're thinking with Portals. And the Cake is still a lie], they traveled there in no less then an hour. Upon arrival, they scouted the area. Rumor was that in this world was a powerful vampiric like human, who wielded a Sword that had Vampire fangs in it.
While searching the Alleyways of the realm, they discovered a horde of one Heartless kind: Shadows. As they pulled out their weapons, a strangely hooded figure jumped down from the sky and pulled out a sword, and slashed at the Heartless. At first sight, it would appear the slash didnt do anything, but if you looked again, you could see fang marks on them. After a few seconds, the Shadow Swarm was obliterated. The three of them stood and watched with their mouths hung open. The rumor was true after all. The hooded figured turned and looked at the 3 of them; the face was shrouded behind the hood.
The first to speak up was XD003, as he said T-Thanks, Mister
Mister!? said the figure in a pissed, feminine voice. The figure pulled off its hood, and revealed itself to be a girl. XD003, Xavier, and Xenvests mouths hung even more open.
a girl? Xavier said dumbfounded.
The female bopped his head with a metal bat that she pulled out of nowhere [AN: lawl, Multiple anime references here] , and shouted, What else did you think I was A mutant!? Xavier rubbed his head and glowered at the woman darkly, his lip curling upwards into a scowl.
XD003 spoke quickly, saying No, no, no! Its not that. Its just, well. We didnt know. The rumors didnt say if you were a male or female.
She let out a low groan Great, theres rumors about me now! Ugh! She sat down on a box in the corner of the ally and sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Just what I need. MORE attention!"
XD003 walked over to her and outstretched his hand, and said Well, sorry about the assumption. Anyway, my name is XD003. Those 2 over there are Xenvest, and the one you bopped on the head, Xavier.
Names Zilx the woman said, as she stood up Im assuming you three are Neo-Nobodies?
They nodded and asked how she knew about the Neo-Nobodies.
Well, said Zilx, It just so happens Im one too She stood there and smirked
Xavier and Xenvests mouths fell open in shock, while XD003 just grinned. Well then, Zilx. How would you like to join us? asked XD003, and continued Were rebuilding the Organization, and well need all the Nobodies, and in this case, Neo-Nobodies, we can find
Zilx stood up, stared at his hand, and began to think about his offer for a few seconds, before finally shaking his hand in agreement.
'If it'll help me find and get back to them, then I'll join up with these guys... Zilx thought to herself as she stared at XD003, who was smiling happily at her.
This was indeed the beginning of the new organization... hopefully.
XD003, Xavier, Xenvest, and their new partner, Zilx, all decided to stay behind in the Realm of Shadows for one last day. Unfortunately, they wouldnt have a pleasant nights sleep.
Alright, Im going to bed. Its been a rough day. Said XD003, referring to all the searching they did that afternoon for Zilx, the rumored person.
Zilx had jumped into one of the beds, curling up on it, trying to get comfortable
Heh remarked Xenvest, You act as if you havent had a decent nights sleep in a long time
Zilx looked up at him, her voice quaivering as she spokeWell, thats the thing. I havent. More so, no one in this town hasnt, either. She said, pulling the covers tighter around her, a shiver running down her spine.
XD003 and the others looked at her from their own beds, and asked What do you mean. Why cant anyone sleep peacefully here?
She shook her head and began to retell the tale of why.
Well she started, It all began around two years ago, when I first arrived here. She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. Sometime around then, the sky grew darkened, and when people slept, they began to have nightmares, if you can even call them that; more or less, they were flashbacks of their darkest memories. For me, though, I dont understand it. I had a flashback memory of all these people standing around test tubes, all congratulating themselves
She stopped abruptly and waited a while before continuing. Thats as far as it got and Ive not had anything further then that. So after a while, I got tired of it, and just stayed awake, like most people did.
When she finished, XD003, Xavier, and Xenvest started thinking. All three of them came to the same solution, and told Zilx not to worry, and get some sleep.
As they began to drift into sleep, a strange wind began to blow. The windows blew open, and a strange purple haze blew into the room, and went into the bodies of all four of them.
Inside their minds, they all were thinking of the same thing: The memory Zilx described. The four of them ended up meeting up in the dream, and watching what happened. They hid behind one of the desks, peering over it occasionally to watch.
One of the memories began to speak. Well, its done. All 13 of them are made! He held up a drink glass, as tweleve others did as well.
Another spoke A toast, to rebirth! His voice was sort of deep, like someone in their late teens
The 13 of them clanked their glasses together and drank. Their faces were too blurry to see, much less.
When one of them turned to one of the terminals to turn it on, something happened; the machine exploded! Soon after, the test tubes began to crack open, spilling out all the water inside them. From the blast of energy all thirteen of the creations made, everyone was blown backwards. One of their heads hit the emergency detonation button, setting off the timer for Self-Destruct. The thireen scientists panicked. In a desprate attempt, they opened up random portals, and threw the thirteen creations into them, sending them to random locations. After that, they opened new portals, and sent nine of the people into them, leaving four behind in the exploding lab.
Zilx, who was watching in silent fear, closed her blue-grey orbs tightly and screamed, No! I cant watch anymore! XD003 grabbed onto her to calm her down.
You have to watch he said. Its the only way to defeat it!
Zilx looked at XD003, her eyes were wide and frightened, like a childs. Her head nodded in agreement, and she looked back at the dream.
The last four people in the lab ran out quickly, straight into the open field. The lab detonated into a huge cloud of smoke, flames, and lab materials.
XD003 got a close look through the smoke, and what he noticed was that one of the people looked like-
Suddenly, they all awoke, the strange Purple haze floating around them. They stood up and ran in the direction the haze was coming from.
Meanwhile, on an island in another world, in the ruins of a burnt down lab, stood a man gazing into the setting sun with a soft smile on his face.
'So... It's began, has it? Well, let's hope they see it through straight to the end.' The man would think to himself
As XD003, Xavier, Xenvest, and Zilx followed the strange purple mist, they apparently left the town mid-way through. The reached where the trail led to; it was a large castle with a very weird background scenery.
Zilx noticed a sign and directed the others to it. As XD003 read it, he noticed the sign was worn down and missing letters: "Ca...t...e O....v..on" His eyes widened as the name became familiar from the letter fragments. He shifted his gaze to the castle, and muttered in a low voice "Castle Oblivion... Home of the Cards..." [Authors Note: Cards wont play a part in the story] His eyes began to shake as thousands of emotions flooded his body. The 4 of them walked into the castle, taking note of every step, watching the surroundings carefully.
As they entered, the door slammed shut, making the ground shake a bit, as the 4 of them jumped up into the air. They looked around and noticed that the castle was basically in disarray; parts of the wall were cracked, and some walls, as well as statues had huge holes in them. Zilx heard rumors that Magic once was cut off in this castle, so she pulled out her sword, and formed black flames at the tip, sending them at the wall, burning a huge hole into it. When the flames vanished, some mechanical parts fell from the hole, scorched and broken, making it unidentifiable. The other 3 jumped back in shock, as their bodies twitched watching her.
XD003 shouted "What was that for!" Zilx turned around after looking at what fell from the hole. She faced him, and while staring at him, bopped his head in with a metal bat softly on the head. XD003 fell to the ground with a large thud.
"Baka" she said quietly "Keep your voice down" she studied her surroundings - The walls, ceilings, floor - and came to a conclusion; they were being watched. She rose to the normal height, and held her sword above her, letting out a blast of lightning which was attracted to every mechanical item on the floor. When it hit the ceiling cameras, part of the ceiling fell to the ground as well. As XD003 was about to speak, he was cut off by the explosions all over.
XD003 fell backwards from the explosion of the wall next to him. Zilx smirked smartly at him and lifted him up. As she lifted him, she sheathed her blade, and pats his shoulders. "What was THAT for" he shouted, and Zilx pointed him to the broken camera. XD003 looked down at the cameral and started sweating bullets. He looked back at Zilx, his face full of regret.
XD003 fell backwards from the explosion of the wall next to him.
"Say it" she said.
Xavier and Xenvest looked on in shock, as XD003 answered her. "Fine, Im sorry... he said abruptly, then took a sigh, and continued, as he looked back into her eyes and grinned "Midget!"
That word made Zilx get an angry look on her face; it literally made her blood boil. She detested that word, no, not even detest could describe it. She bashed XD003's head down, shouting at him "Don't EVER call me that again!" This time, she didnt bother to help him up.
XD003 rose up, laughing as he did so, and told her "Calm down. I was just joking" he pat her shoulder and she shrugged it off. XD003 began to say again "Anyways lets move on ahead. We need to find out just where the aura is coming from" They nodded and ran after the dark purple mist hovering above them.
Meanwhile, in a large broken room, with pillars all over the ground, and a shattered throne, sat a man watching dozens of TV's hooked up to every floor. But one caught his interest; the one with 4 people running along the stairwell. "Come to me..." the man said in a menacing voice, "Come to me and call into my trap..." His laughter began to echo throughout the room, as he sat there and watched them.
The stairs seemed to go on forever; it was as if they were going nowhere, fast, in a never-ending loop. Finally after hours of running, they arrived at the top floor. Upon entering, the door behind them slammed shut and bars sealed it down. The 4 of them jumped up and looked ahead, as the lights turned on, making everything in the room visible now. The purple mist still lingered over their heads, but stopped over the far side of the room. Inside the chamber was a Crystal Ball atop a pedestal in the center of the room, and a semi-shattered throne on the far side, which was what the smoke lingered over, as well as large pillars, at least 2 feet in width, lie smashed and broken on the ground.
XD003 was the first to remark after noticing the state the room was in. God
damn... This room looks like a bulldozer struck it. But seeing as how the mist stops here, the person controlling it must be here as well. He said as he looked about the room.
Indeed it is, young XD003. A loud voice from nowhere spoke up. As the 4 of them gazed to the throne, a figure appeared in a shadowy black-purplish smoke. His body looked like a tall muscular figure; he had long purple hair swaying down his neck and a bit past it, as well as over one eye; he wore a black colored scientist coat that seemed far too big for his body, and his face looked like XD003s, except his eyes were a shade of purple and he had a mysterious feeling about him.
My name, young ones, is Rion. The person said as he bowed to the four of them. Welcome to my home. He raised himself back up and smiled at them.
Castle Oblivion is your home
? Zilx had asked him confusedly.
Why yes, Rion exclaimed Its quite comfy, and Ive lived here since the Organization XIII members that occupied this castle were defeated. I must give thanks to the Keyblade Master for that. Rion turned and looked at the wall, and back at them. So, what reason do you have for being inside my home?
Xavier spoke up, Well, were here investigating the source of the purple mist thats been causing nightmares for everyone in town. So, are you the one causing them? He asked Rion.
Yes Rion said, as his smile became a dark scowl, and the room became engulfed in dark shadows. And just tell me, Young ones No, I should say Neo-Nobodies, do you plan on doing to stop me?
The four of them pulled out their weapons; XD003 with the Dual Kaltra Blades hes had since his birth; Zilx with the Vampiric fanged sword held above her shoulder; Xavier with his Dual Dragon skinned blades; and Xenvest holding his hands out for Hand-To-Hand telekinetic powers.
Come at me with your best shot! Rion shouted, as the four of them ran at him from the front.
The four of them had vanished before striking him, knowing if they hadnt, theyd be caught in his trap, if he had one waiting. Rion had somewhat figured theyd do this, so he sent out a dark cloud of purple haze. When the four of them reappeared around the haze, Rion was gone. A thick mist of a darker purple went under Zilxs feet, as the mist behind her reformed into Rion. He held his palms out, ready to ensnare her in a toxic smog. Zilx looked down and saw Rions shadow, so she pulled her sword to her and turned quickly, facing him, and impaling her sword in his left hand, which sent a wave of Venomous blood into his body, paralyzing his entire left side. His eyes widened in shock, but his left one shut quickly and wouldnt open. Dont ever try to touch me there again, you sick old man Zilx said with a hiss.
Damn you, you vile vampiric witch. Rion said to Zilx through a series of mumbling. He rose to the ceiling with his smoke, and let out toxic smog from all sides. What he didnt expect, however, was Xenvest using a telekinetic barrier to Stop and deflect the smog back at Rion. The smog did no damage to him, and he sucked it back into himself.
Rion was growing annoyed as Xavier used his dragon swords to blow flames all over the room, burning up the mist and haze. Rion, who was no longer supported by the smog anymore, fell to the ground slowly, and landed on his feet. He pulled out a Purple smog colored curved sword.
Indeed, you put up a good fight. But anyone whos ever gotten to this point has never survived. Prepare to die a slow and painful death. Rion shouted while mumbling, his paralysis starting to affect his whole body now. He rammed the sword into the floor and Toxic Flames spewed up from the floor, ensnaring the four of them within it. Rion laughed devilishly, and that made the Paralysis infect his body worse, as it started to reach the right side of his body. They saw this as the perfect chance. The 4 of them ran at Rion and prepared to finish him off with 1 final blow. But they didnt expect what would happen next. A huge toxic barrier rose around Rion and blew them back. The 4 of them landed on the ground, poisoned, and getting weaker.
There has to be a way to knock the barrier down
XD003 said, as he glanced over at his sword, which wasnt protected by the barrier. I got it
He whispered to them The sword, attack the sword. That must be causing the barrier.
The four of them glanced at the sword and held their weapons at ready. Rion glanced at them, knowing they figured out the barriers weakness, and he raised his hands up to direct the toxic flames at the 4 of them. They just smirked at him and vanished.
Rion looked around frantically trying to find them. NOW! shouted XD003 from nowhere, but it sounded like he was above Rion. Rion looked up and as he did, he didnt notice as Zilx slashed his sword in half, breaking the barrier, as well as the Toxic flames. When the barrier broke, so did their poisoned state. Thats what you get for calling me a Vampiric Bitch, you nigger* [Auth Note: yes, she says this word irl, not in the racist way]
Agh! Rion shouted, and then XD003 appeared above Rion, holding his two swords, as he brought them down into Rions Body. Rion fell to the ground, his paralysis broken, but his life ending quickly.
In his last breath, Rion let out his last words You defeated me
He pointed to the button on the control panel close by, and continued In order to get out of this room
you must press that button. Itll remove the bars on the door so you can get out
He shut his eyes, beginning to fade away, and his last words were I have no reason to lie; that button will open the door
His body vanished and became smoke and evaporated into the air.
XD003 looked at the others and nodded. He pushed the button on the control panel, and the bars on the door opened. They rushed out of the Castle, their travel downward easier then the uphill struggle.
Meanwhile, under the Castle slept a being inside a test tube. His face was covered by the bubbles rising from the bottom of the tube, and he appeared to be asleep. To the side of the tube, was a sign. A sign with a different language on it. Only 1 thing, however, was readable; Katagama: Destroyer of the 13 Half ones.
XD003, Xavier, Xenvest, and Zilx had opened a portal to leave The Realm of Darkness; their next destination, a mystery.
The night was dark and stormy; so stormy, that not even the sky could be seen from above. People walked around in this world as if it was normal, but for them it was, as rain like this happened every night. One man, no, one person, however, stood atop a skyscraper, watching the city from there. In his hands, he gripped a sword. There appeared to be inscriptions of a strange language on it. The persons green eyes shown in the night sky, but not bright enough to be seen by the people, as he looked down at them.
So, the man started saying, They came. Ive been waiting for them. The man vanished from the building laughing to himself.
XD003 and the gang had finally appeared in the next world they were in. The sun shone brightly down on them when they arrived, as if it was hugging them tightly. Zilx cupped her hands over her eyes, squinting from the light. Agh. Its too bright here she said, not ever experiencing light this bright before. The others laughed slightly at her, and patted her back. Zilx shrugged it off and pulled her hood up over her head to block the sun.
While they were walking through town, a lady ran up to them, and nearly ran XD003 over.
Oh! Im sorry The lady said in a panic and bowed at them. As she bowed, she handed them a flyer and said Its the annual city festival. You should come She raised her head and ran off in the other direction.
The four of them blinked, and looked down at the flyer, which read Annual Port City festival: Tonight at 8:30 PM to 12:30 am. One part, however, stood out to XD003. Free Food and Drink the entire evening His eyes widened in excitement as he rushed off to the town square screaming YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, FREE FOOD! Xenvest and Xavier looked at each other and ran after him. Zilx was also running after him, but was thinking That woman looked familiar
They finally caught up to XD003, who was standing there, looking up. What
did you
stop for Zilx asked while panting. XD003 pointed ahead. And everyone looked at what he saw. It was a hugeashell skyscraper; It had to be nearly 130 floors. Their mouths hung open.
thats huge said Xenvest. Huge, however, was an understatement.
Security guards were everywhere patrolling the exterior of the massive skyscraper. XD003 and the others looked around; they figured something must have happened.
A lady approached them from behind and told them Thats the famous Lagatro Inc. Port City building. But ever since they lost contact from their boss about four and a half years ago, theyve been in a state of chaos. As the 4 of them turned around to see who was talking to them, the lady vanished. They looked at each other and shrugged, then back at the building wondering the same thing: Why does the name Lagatro sound so familiar
They checked into a hotel at around 4:00, and stayed there until the festival had started. At around 6:30 they went down into the lobby to wait for the festival. When they got down, the heavy rain had started to kick up.
how are we going to get to the festival now? Xenvest remarked, and XD003 just stood there and rubbed his already growling stomach.
Why, whatever do you mean? A male said from behind them. The four of them turned and looked at him. He looked like a normal 17 year old boy, and was about 6 feet 5 inches.
Well, Started XD003, Its raining heavily. Wouldnt that mean its canceled?
The boy laughed and said Oh, this little drizzle? It always rains like this every night. The people here in Port City have gotten used to it. We always hold the yearly festival in this weather.XD003 looked at him and nodded, and held his hand out, introducing himself and the others. Well, Im XD003. This is Xenvest, Xavier, and Zilx. Whats your name?
The boy looked at XD003s hand, and started to say Well, Im called Xy- He was cut off by the sound of the fireworks. Hey, come on! Lets hurry to the festival! The boy said as he ran out the door.
So, thats them eh? Well, thisll be fun. A voice said from outside the hotel in the crowd of people.
The gang of 4 ran to the festival zone in the, may I say, freezing cold and hurricane-like rainstorm that was dropping on them like a huge blizzard.
XD003 shivered and breathed out barely H..H..How the hell do these p..p..people live in this weather! He ran faster after every raindrop that touched his vulnerable skin.
I dont k...k...kn- ACHOO Zilx was starting to say, but sneezed. Her spit from the sneeze flew threw the air and froze into ice and shattered as it hit the ground.
The four of them finally reached the festival grounds, and were shocked at what they saw. People were out in the heavy rain, and a lot of them too; they were even dancing!
W...w...WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!? XD003 shouted at the top of his lungs. [Authors Note: Madness? No; THIS IS SPARTAAA!] The crowd of people at the festival looked at them and blinked. Zilx, Xavier, and Xenvest all stood there and waved, while smiling at them.
What weird people one person said.
They sure dont look like they came from around here. Said another.
As the crowd of people murmured under their breath, the boy from earlier ran up to them and waved. Hey guys! Glad you could make it!
The four of them smiled and waved back. The boy told them to follow him, and so they did. As they were walking around, they went to every booth and area there was. XD003, when he passed by the food booths, stole a bit of everything, and ate it quickly not caring what others thought. The other 3 of them watched XD003 and held back a barf, while the mysterious boy laughed a bit. At one of the food stands, while XD003 was getting food, a man walked up next to him and got the same exact food as him, in the exact same style.
You must have good taste if you came to this booth XD003 said to the person as he glanced at his plate.
The mysterious man said Yep, indeed I do. Apparently the same as yours The man smiled softly. His voice sounded somewhat like XD003s. Anyways, I should be getting back to where I was. The man started walking off behind XD003.
Yeah yeah
XD003 had thought to himself. He turned quickly to where the man was, but didnt see him. So he shrugged and went back to getting food. After he was done, he rushed to catch up to the boy and the others.
Come here, the boy said, and he ran off to a large underground bunker. The four of them looked at each other and ran after him. They stopped at an elevator, it seemingly looked manmade, and it went up only to one floor. As the door opened, they went inside, and pressed the only button. It took an average 5 minutes to get to the only stop, which happened to be the top floor.
They got out and looked around. Where are we? Xavier asked curiously, since he saw the sky.
The boy turned to them and smiled softly, replying The top floor of the Lagatro Inc. Office Building
They stood there stunned. How they got up to the top of the Lagatro Inc. Office Building was beyond them, and with a handcrafted elevator.
Why did you bring us here? Xenvest asked the boy.
The strange boy seemed too focused on the ground where the festival was. Look at all the pretty lights coming from down there. Its like a light show. The boy said slowly, his tone of voice getting different. A black aura started to glow around him, as a large sword formed in his hands.
The four of them jumped back a bit, as the stared at his body glowing and the sword that formed. They got their weapons at ready, and held them.
I guess now is the best time to introduce myself. The boy said in a sort of dark tone, as he turned and looked at them. My name is Exykl. The fifth creation, and the fifth Neo-Nobody. His bright emerald eyes shined at the four of them, as if they stared into their souls.
XD003 and the others were shocked speechless.
Y...Y...Youre a Neo-Nobody
? XD003 stuttered out.
Exykl nodded and chuckled as he did so. Whats the matter, frightened of me so soon? We were so close in such short time. Exykl had said while laughing. He held his sword out to them, and spoke again This, my dear friends is the Chaos Reaper Sword. Its the very sword that brought this town to an icy rainstorm every evening since my arrival 4 and a half years ago. His laughter started to grow darker, and as it did, the rain grew heavier.
So, Exykl started, Want to play a... game? He chuckled darkly, as he raised his hands, and snapped his fingers. When doing that, every light in the city flickered on and off in a repetitive manner, until they just suddenly stayed on. As the emerald green gem on his sword glowed, the rain froze in midair, and simply vanished. The people on the ground looked around and started to wonder why the rain had vanished.
XD003 charged at him with his dual blades, but was knocked back before he could even touch his skin.
Oh, did I forget to mention, Exykl started again, My sword acts like a barrier. It keeps a shield around me when I command it to do so. And right now its in its strongest defensive state. He let a smirk upon his face as he said that. He looked over at where XD003 was and saw he had vanished. This was no problem for Exykl, as his barrier could knock back any blow done to him; however, what he failed to notice was the others were missing.
Now! XD003 shouted from above. Exykl looked up at him and had his barrier at max strength. But it wasnt just XD003. The remained of them appeared around him and attacked the barrier, which couldnt handle 4 attacks at once. The blowback was so intense that it blew Exykl off the building. The four of them jumped down after him, teleporting every few seconds to catch up.
The people on the ground looked up and saw them falling. Their first reaction was Quick! Someone call an Ambulance! Another person, however, had said No. Theyll be fine. Just watch. The crowd of people watched the 4 of them, as the fell to the ground with a lard thud, as a dust cloud appeared in front of them. When it cleared, the 4 of them appeared unharmed.
Look, theyre ok! Just like that guy said they would be. One person remarked. The man who said theyd be ok stood there smirking, and thinking Good
show me your power now
XD003, Xavier, Xenvest, and Zilx all stood there at ready, staring at Exykl, who gripped his sword firm in his hands; the swords defense mechanism broke on it, so shielding was no longer applicable.
Heh, Was all Exykl said when he looked at his sword. He thought Hmph, so they broke my shielding. No matter
He then looked back at them and thought out loud
for soon I shall crush them anyways Exykl started laughing manically.
The crowd watched them closely and intently to see what would happen, but they knew nothing of what was going to happen next.
As Exykl laughed, he motioned his hand to the 4 of them, and said What are you waiting for, attack already! The 4 of them stood there, watching him closely to see signs of weakness. The battle that would determine the rebirth of the organization rested here.


text:
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Feasts, Faith, & Fulfillment: An examination of the Appointed Feasts of Israel.
Presented by Richlon Merrill
Noah and his family had been adrift at sea for several months. How ironic that death prevailed round about them while Noah and his family performed their prescribed duties within the confines of their coffin shaped ark. Their vessel, a symbol of death, was to this family, their source of life. By God's grace they had been protected from the destruction which came upon the earth. It would soon be time to disembark upon an anomalous port-o-call. Noah sent forth the dove to explore the earth. Eventually the winged explorer returned with an olive branch… a symbol of hope. The ark had settled down on the mountain of Ararat (meaning in Hebrew, "the curse reversed") on the 17th day of the 7th month. This date, according to the Hebrew calendar, also happens to fall within the week long Feast of Tabernacles which was later to become one of the Lord's seven appointed feasts for his coming chosen people; the nation of Israel.
Our Lord sat upon the Mount of Olives, possibly holding an olive leaf in his hands as he spoke of things to come. His disciples, conscious of the coming kingdom on earth foretold by prophets where their Messiah would reign in righteousness, desired to know when this new kingdom would emerge. "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" they asked. Jesus shared with his beloved disciples the kinds of signs that mankind could perceive with their eyes. He knew signs perceived only through spiritual eyes had been previously revealed through the scriptural words of Moses and the prophets. The Holy Spirit would one day open the eyes of the Lord's servants to His special revelation. Jesus continued. "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah." (Matt. 24:37). Jesus then continued to expound upon this reference to the "days of Noah". Jesus conveyed hope intermingled with warning. "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." He said. (Matt. 25:13)
Jesus, like Noah's dove, was holding out hope of God's appointed day when the earth would produce new fruit… a day of deliverance and refreshment. The account of Noah's deliverance from death foreshadows an ultimate day of glorious deliverance for the people of earth. Deliverance from the devastating flood, just as Jesus' account of deliverance from this evil age, is combined with warnings and judgment. Deliverance will be for those seeking His Lordship but judgment for those who turn a deaf ear. We are told elsewhere in Scripture that Christ's coming Kingdom will reign upon earth for 1000 years. It is referred to as the Millennial Kingdom. Six thousand years, according to the Biblical timeline, have come and gone since the days of creation. "Six days you shall toil", said God to his chosen nation, "but on the seventh day you shall rest." (Exodus 34:21 & Lev. 23:3) The earth is on the cusp of experiencing a glorious 1000 year rest and an ultimate fulfillment of appointed feasts by our Lord Jesus Christ, ushering in His long awaited Kingdom.
Through his servant Moses, the Lord began to reveal his principles, requirements, instructions and desires for this newly formed nation of the Sons of Israel. Never before had the Lord revealed himself in this manner to an assemblage of people. It was the Lord's intent to utilize this nation in order to reveal himself to the entire world. Embedded within the Lord's required ordinances were his holy convocations, also referred to as His appointed feasts. These were implemented in order that the children of Israel would continue to remember and acknowledge the Lord their God who had delivered them out of bondage. These feasts additionally hold a profound message for you and me.
In order to gain a greater understanding of these holy days, it is necessary to address the calendar used by the Hebrews which God used in establishing the days for observing these feasts. The calendar is based on the phases of the moon. One month constitutes one complete cycle of the moon which is 28 days. One could approximate which day of the month it was by simply observing the phase of the moon. Each month began with a new moon, reaching a full moon at the mid-way point or 14 days later. It is also important to note that a new day began at moon-rise in the early evening hours. This is alluded to in Genesis 1:5, "And the evening and the morning were the first day." Sun worship was a leading form of paganism, especially in Egypt from where the Israelites had been delivered. Thus, the lunar calendar was utilized.
Every feast finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As each feast is examined, a further explanation as to its messianic fulfillment will be supplied.
The first appointed feast and remembrance is that of Passover. It occurs early in spring.
"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening is the Lord's Passover." (Lev. 23:5)
The first month is the first month of spring or the new moon after the blooming of the almond blossoms. This occurs near Easter in about late March or early April of our calendar. Passover commemorates the Passover of the angel of death back in Egypt when the first born of Egypt perished in one night. Only those who had the blood of the sacrificial lamb applied to the doorposts of their home were spared. The Hebrew people, by faith, were diligent to apply the blood and therefore were delivered from death. The feast of Passover is observed on the very date when the Israelites were delivered out of bondage from the land of Egypt. Clearly this is synonymous with the sacrifice of the "Lamb of God", Jesus Christ. Through the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God we too are delivered out of death and bondage while given new life.
It is no mere coincidence that Jesus Christ was crucified on Passover. Just as the sacrificial lamb was to be without blemish, so too Jesus Christ was without sin. He was obedient to the Father even to the point of fulfilling every appointed feast. This brings us to the second feast, that of unleavened bread.
The feast of unleavened bread occurs the day after Passover.
"On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread." (Lev. 23:6)
Leaven, or yeast, in the bible, symbolizes sin. Jesus is described in the Gospel of John as the "Bread of life." He was born in Bethlehem which, in Hebrew, means the "house of Bread." During the Passover meal in which Jesus established the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, He referred to the bread as His body. Anyone who has seen the Jewish matzoh (bread used in the Passover meal), will notice that it is striped and pierced. The imagery is astoundingly clear as it pictures our Savior who was flogged and pierced on our behalf. As part of the Passover ceremony, the bread is divided into thirds. The middle slice is wrapped up in a white linen cloth and hidden or "buried". The children are to then find it and produce the unburied bread. Jesus, the second person of the trinity, who died on Passover, was buried on the day of the ordinance of unleavened bread. The imagery just keeps getting clearer and clearer. The next feast to be observed during the week of Passover is the feast of first fruits.
"Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it." (Lev. 23:10-11).
The feast of Passover would occur on various days of the week from year to year depending upon the date of a full moon during the first month of spring. But the feast of first fruits was to always occur on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath (Saturday) during the Passover week. Planting would occur in late winter in order to take advantage of early spring growth. The first gleanings of the harvest or "fruit" would soon appear. This first fruit was to be offered to the Lord in recognition of his provision. After-all, it is the Lord who produces the harvest. The term "first fruits" is used frequently throughout the torah (books of the law). For instance, the tithe is referred to as the first fruits of our labor. Quite simply, the Lord should occupy top honor in our affections and agendas.
Christ is referred to as the first fruit of the resurrection. "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:12). Christ was resurrected first, followed by the great harvest of souls to be resurrected at the end of the age. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (1 Corinthians 15:23). Of particular interest is this curious account tucked within the description of bizarre events surrounding the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. "And the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many." (Matt. 27:52-53). Upon His resurrection Christ brought with him the first fruits of souls offered to the Lord. Jesus Christ continued to fulfill the Lord's appointed feasts.
Jesus Christ, the "sacrificial Lamb of God", was crucified on Passover. Jesus Christ, the sinless "Bread of life", was buried on the feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus Christ, the" First Fruits of the resurrection" harvest, was raised on First Fruits. As the old expression goes, "You couldn't even make this stuff up." And it just keeps getting better and better. The next feast to be fulfilled is Pentecost or the "Feast of Weeks."
"You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord." (Lev. 23:15-16)
Doing the math and counting down the days puts this feast day on a Sunday in about mid-May. Some of the wheat harvest was used to bake two loaves of bread as an offering to the Lord. These loaves were different from the loaves used in the feast of Unleavened Bread. These loaves were to be made using leaven. Scripture specifically notes that this offering is to be a "holy" offering to the Lord. Holy means "set apart for a special purpose." Have you caught some of the imagery and implications of this feast day yet?
Observe what occurred on the day of Pentecost after Christ's resurrection. After Christ was resurrected He remained with the disciples for 40 days before His ascension. (Acts 1:3) He told his followers, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) The disciples did as the Lord commanded. For ten days they waited. The day of Pentecost had arrived. Devout Jews had gathered to celebrate the feast of weeks. We'll pick up the story at Acts 2:2: "And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." (Acts. 2:2-4). What just happened? On that day, Christ ushered in the age of the Church. Now look at the correlation. The Church is made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. The offering to the Lord was of two loaves. The loaves were to be baked with leaven, a symbol of sin. Unlike Jesus Christ, the sinless "unleavened bread", we, the Church are made up of sinful, "leaven" filled followers of Christ. But the Church which in Greek is translated "Ecclesia" meaning the "called out ones", are made holy, set apart for service to the Lord. How many of you would agree with me that there are few aromas as sweet as fresh baked bread? Scripture tells us that we are a "fragrance of Christ" to the Lord. (2 Cor. 2:15)
This feast of weeks came just before the hot summer days of working the fields where the threat of pests and adverse conditions would require diligence on the part of the laborers in order to overcome and bring in a bountiful harvest. So too the Church labors in the field where "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few" (Matt. 9:37 or Luke 10:2) It would be several months before time to bring in the harvest. It would be several months before the next series of appointed feasts were to be observed on the Hebrew calendar. So too would it be several centuries of the Church age before Christ would bring fulfillment to the remaining three appointed feasts and usher in a new age. After two thousand years of working the fields, the "trump of God" may soon sound and the ingathering of the Harvest of souls will be upon us.
"Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.'" (Lev. 23:23-25)
This feast occurs in around late September or early October of our calendar. The days of laboring were just about over as it was time to harvest the crop and rest from your toil. The trumpet was called a shofar, or ram's horn. Several references to this shofar are found in Scripture. Ever since Isaac, Abraham's son, was spared by virtue of the ram's horn being caught in the thicket, God used the horn in proclaiming liberty and signaling triumph. The trumpet was blown by the priests, the people gave a great shout, and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. This was the first of many victories by the children of Israel upon entering their "promise land." Believers in Christ too will inherit a land of promise when the trumpet is blown.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
"Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15:51-52)
One more: "And I shall send forth my angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven." (Matt. 24:31)
Just as the Israelites "ascended up" (Joshua 6:20) into beautiful Jericho, the oasis city of flower gardens and citrus fruits, after their 40 year wanderings in the desert wilderness, so too will the Church ascend into our heavenly oasis after our wilderness wanderings here upon this earth. Even the leadership of then and now appear to be analogous. Joshua and Jesus are transliterations of the same Hebrew name, "Yeshua".
The message for the one who has received the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's sacrificial lamb, and given ownership of his or her life over to Christ is this: Listen for that trumpet blast. You are experiencing that 5th appointed feast, the Feast of Trumpets.
The message for the one who has turned a deaf ear to Christ's warnings and chooses to be the captain of his own soul, is this: You too will be experiencing this feast in the form of an "offering by fire" which also means you will be experiencing the 6th feast, the "Day of Atonement".
"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: It shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord." (Lev. 23:27).
The Day of Atonement occurred just 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets. The term "atonement" refers to the act of making amends or reparation for sin or a mistake. In Christian terminology it refers to the reconciliation between God and man through the death of Jesus Christ. The Day of Atonement, for the Jews, was the most serious and solemn of all days. It was a day of meditation and humility as one considered his standing before God. "It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute." (Lev. 16:31). This was the one day in which all of Israel's sins were atoned for through blood sacrifice. It was the one day in which the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and offer the sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel. Serious consequences occurred to those who would not humble themselves before God. "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people." (Lev. 23:29-30). It was a somber day indeed.
A day of atonement has occurred for everyone who places his or her trust in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). It was Christ's sacrifice which takes away our sins once and for all. "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming - not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship." (Heb. 10:1) "And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins; but He(Christ), having offered sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. (Heb.10:11-13)
An ultimate day of atonement still remains for the unbelieving world. We are reminded throughout Scripture that there is a coming day of wrath upon the unbelieving world. "Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Romans 5:9).
Through Christ's fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets believers will be delivered from this coming day of wrath. Scripture tells us that there will be seven years of tribulation following the rapture of the Church. It is during this time that those still living will be given an opportunity to humble themselves before God or will forever be "cut off" from the presence of the Lord. It was the Church's mission to take the gospel into the entire world. After the rapture of the Church and during the years of tribulation, the message of redemption will be handed off, once again, to the Jews. We are told in the book of Revelation that the Lord commissions 144 thousand Jews to be his special ambassadors during this time. The final offer of atonement through Christ will be made available to the earth's survivors during this dreadful outpouring of the Lord's wrath upon the earth.
Where are the Church and Old Testament Saints during this 7 year tribulation period? Some have speculated that the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" is taking place in heaven. (Rev. 19:9). The Groom has come to claim His Bride. It is a time of celebration and preparation for the Lord's marvelous protective Kingdom on earth.
Five days after the Day of Atonement the Jews were to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord." (Lev. 23:34)
This feast is often referred to as the feast of booths. A booth is basically a tent. This week long celebration commemorates the Lord's protection for the Hebrews during their 40 years of wilderness wandering. Even to this day the Jews set up small shelters and "camp out" during the week of festivities. Each day was to be a day of remembrance. An "offering by fire" to the Lord was to be made on each of these days. These were to be days of rest. No work was to be performed during this time. The feast concluded on the eighth day with a holy assembly before the Lord.
How fitting it is that this feast commemorating the Lord's protection should correlate with His protection during His millennial reign upon the earth. The prophets of old spoke often of this kingdom. Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah and other prophets made their message clear. The Lord spoke to Ezekiel saying, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet…" (Ezek. 43:7a). He was speaking of Jerusalem. This is to be taken literally and not figuratively. Christians often spiritualize this kingdom without considering the reality of an actual earthly kingdom with Christ reigning from Jerusalem. In addition to the many Old Testament references to this kingdom, the book of Revelation brings even more light to the reality of this kingdom on earth saying, "…but they (the Saints/believers in Christ) shall reign with Him a thousand years." (Rev. 20:6b) The book of Revelation has much to say about the tribulation period and the 1000 year reign of Christ. Picture, if you will, the day of Christ's return. The "beast" (anti-Christ) along with the false prophet and the armies of the earth assemble together to "fight against Him (Christ) who sat upon the horse and His army (Saints)." (Rev. 19:19). In one fell swoop Christ defeats these defiant ones and establishes His kingdom. All believers who either died before His return or were raptured will reign with Christ. "And I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them." (Skip to the end of verse 4) "And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (Rev. 20:4a & 4c) Those who heeded Christ's call and offer of salvation during the period of the tribulation and who survived will enter the kingdom as mortal men and women. They will continue to work, marry and have children. Satan is bound for the 1000 years but will be released for a short while at the end of Christ's millennial reign. He will once again deceive the nations and try and take the throne of God but will be defeated. He will then be thrown into the lake of fire, never again to deceive or destroy. At that time we are told in the book of Revelation that a "new heaven and new earth" will be formed along with the "new Jerusalem". Other than the descriptions provided in Revelation, I am not so sure that any of us can truly visualize what this will be like. What we know is this: Jesus Christ will continue to be our Shepherd, Protector, Guide, and Life. He is our Tabernacle. He is our Appointed Feasts unto the Lord.
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