Beit Yeshua
2012
October to December
SUKKOT
Feast of Booths
Beit Yeshua Family
Sukkot
Curtis & Carolyn
Jonathan, Andi
& Cayla
SUKKOT
CELEBRATION
"The Feast of
Booths"
Machol Dancers
"Mashav Ruach"
The
Ancient Jewish
Wedding
Drama
The Betrothal
The Bride
Price
The Ketubah
The Bride's
Consent
The 1st
Cup of Wine
Betrothal Gifts
The
Chadar/Chuppa
The Mikvah
The Bride is
Consecrated
The
Bridegroom
Cometh
The
Catching-Away
The Bride
Encompasses
the Bridegroom
7 Days
Alone
Rejoicing
Together
Coronation
of the King
Drama
VIDEOS
Guest Speaker
Cathy Hargett
Highway to Zion
Machol Dancers
"Let Us Adore"
Father's Heart
Ministry
Frank &
Carol
LaPorta
Friday,04 Nov 2012
Hanukkah
with
Beit Yeshua
Families
December 2012
(Left to Right) Eastern Gate, Lions Gate, Dung Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate
Psalm 122
1I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
2Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Isaiah 62
6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you.
Carolyn and I (Curtis) build a sukkah every year in our back yard, but it seemed as if the rain was going to prevent us from doing so in 2012. Fortunately the rain subsided on Sunday (Erev Sukkot - the day/evening before Sukkot) and we were able to get the sukkah constructed - with some help from our son-in-law, Brad, and granddaughters, Savanna and Alexandria. First the sukkah frame was constructed from 2 x 4s that are stored yearly in an outside utility building. Wooden strips and lattice were added to the top of the sukkah to support the tree branches, and three walls of the sukkah were covered with fabric (which we store yearly in the attic). We also use two curtain panels that can be closed if necessary to provide additional protection from the wind during the September/October weather.
Three different styles of sukkot for the festival - and all are correct. It's suggested that your sukkah have 3 and a half wall and there be slats on the top to hold up branches of trees. In Leviticus, the names of the branches to be used are the pine, the myrtle, the willow, the palm, and many other can be used depending on where you live. In my area of Catawba County, NC, I use Dog Wood branches (which are nice because of the red berries), pine branches (offer an aromatic odor to the sukkah that is very nice, the will is wispy and the crepe myrtle is very fragrant. Palm branches are great if you can find them - I've used Banana leaves but the sap could damage the decorative fabrics from the dripping sap. They most important thing about the sukkah is that you must be able to see the sky through the branches - so you don't want to close it up completely. Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. Sukkot can take on many sizes and be decorated in many many ways.
Curtis, Carolyn & Brad did the basic construction 
Adding tree branches to the top of the sukkah Ali helps with the branches while Savanna takes some photos 
Loftin's Family Sukkah Construction Video 1 - Click Here
[Adding Branches to the top of the sukkah]Loftin's Family Sukkah Construction Video 2 - Click Here
[Adding the first decorations]Loftin's Family Sukkah Video 3 - Click Here
[Savanna & Ali sitting in the family sukkah]A table and chairs are added to the sukkah - placemats for the table - and some decorations We were able to eat together as a family before the rains returned on Monday & Tuesday
Beth, Carolyn & Ali
Carolyn, Brad, Savanna and Willie Sukkot with all the Family One of my favorite parts about the Biblical Feast of Sukkot is sharing it with others - especially family. At the end of Sukkot, Curtis & Carolyn planned a cook out for his mother, as well as their children and their spouses (Beth & Brad and Philip & Leslie) and grandchildren (Savanna, Ali, and Kayli). We decided to grill hotdogs (all beef) and hamburgers. There was homemade coleslaw and chili, chopped onions, dill pickles, chips (more specific "Doritos), but all the extras of mustard, mayonnaise and catsup. There was even Pecan Pie and a Jello Congrealed Salad for dessert - and the weather was perfect. Curtis did the grilling - Beth and Carolyn set up the food table Our own home sukka didn't get as many decorations this year due to time and effort we put into
Beit Yeshua's Sukkot Celebration in Lincolnton - Next year more home decorationsCurtis & Carolyn's son, Philip, with his family, wife Leslie, and daughter, Kayli
Kayli's first Sukkot and her first time in our sukkaPhilip, Leslie and Kayli with Beth & Brad's daughter's, Savanna and Ali (Left) Curtis & Carolyn's Daughter-in-Law, Leslie, with baby Kayli (age 6 weeks old)
(Right) Curtis' mother, Willie, with Kayli
Beit Yeshua's newest family [Jonathan, Andi & Cayla] celebrate their first Sukkot.
Jonathan enjoys a meal in their family sukkah
Cayla and Andi
Sukkot - The Feast of Booths
Chag Sukkot Sameach - A Joyous Sukkot Holiday
Beit Yeshua gathered on Friday, October 5th, 2012, to celebrate the Festival of Sukkot (Booths) in the Family Life Center of Covenant Bible Church. Thirteen from Beit Yeshua celebrated Sukkot in Israel in 2011 so we didn't have a large celebration last year. We decided to share "The Ancient Jewish Wedding" drama as part of our 2012 celebration. The set-up crew poses for a photo after set-up on Thursday evening
The color layout for 2012 was white, blue and gold - instead of our usual Autumn colors
Thanks to those who give of their time for set-up the evening before
so that we can share the festivals in a larger venueLeviticus 23: 34, 39
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. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.A closer look at the 2012 Beit Yeshua sukkah
Shofarot are sounded as the evening begins (Left to Right) Gloria, Christi, Chuck, David, Paul, Doug and Bill
Susan lights Festival Shabbat candles in our sukkah
and Paul says blessings over the bread and windDoug welcomes everyone and tells them about Carolyn Hyde's
Messianic music CD that was available on the merchandise table
MASHAV RUACH The Machol Dancers perform the Israeli Folk Dance "Mashav Ruach" To See the Israeli Folk Dance "Mashav Ruach", CLICK HERE
A special "THANKS" from me (Curtis) to the Machol Dancers. I'm really proud of the hard work and time they invested to learn the dance "Mashav Ruach". Since Sukkot is also known as the Festival of Joy, I knew this dance was perfect for our 2012 celebration. Dancer's ages range from 11 to 67 - with the majority of them being above the age of 50 - and this was definitely the hardest thing we've ever worked on. Practicing this dance 7 or 8 times during a dance class surely gave us a workout. "Todah Rabah!" (Thank you very much!) Congregational Praise, Worship & Dance A time of congregational praise, worship and dance Leviticus 23: 40 ... and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days 
The "Ancient Jewish Wedding" Drama Curtis shares introductory information about the drama
A. The first part of the Ancient Jewish Wedding was The BETROTHAL.
Hosea 2:19-20 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
In love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.The Bride is busy with their daily responsibilities B. Frequently the Bride had not met the Bridegroom before their Betrothal. C. The Bridegroom, his Father or his servant, would approach the father of his prospective Bride with the "Bride Price".
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
You are not your own; You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.The Bridegroom and His friend approach the Bride's Father D. During the Betrothal process, the Bridegroom would present a Wedding Contract to his Bride. In Hebrew, this is called “the Ketubah”. .
The Holy Scriptures are our Ketubah.
Jeremiah 31: 31-33 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with
their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my
covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make
with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and
write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Hebrews 8:10
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.The Ketubah is presented to the Bride's Father E. The Bride's Consent was requested.
Romans 10:9-10 …If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.The Bride is approached by her father concerning the proposed marriage F. If the Bridegroom’s family was wealthy, he even supplied her with beautiful wedding garments.
Ezekiel 16:8-13 8“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time
was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore
an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD.
9“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with
oil. 10I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with
fine linen and covered you with silk. 11I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists,
and a chain on your neck. 12And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful
crown on your head. 13Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine
linen, silk, and embroidered cloth.
Revelations 3:5 Yeshua says…
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from
the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”G. The Bridegroom would drink a cup of wine with his Bride to seal the deal.
Matthew 26:27-29 (At the Pesach Meal with His disciples Yeshua …) … took the cup, gave
thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not
drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in
My Father’s kingdom.”Every time we share in the cup of Communion we are re-affirming our marriage Covenant with our Bridegroom Yeshua.
The Bridegroom and Bride drink the first cup of wine H. The Bridegroom would then present Betrothal Gifts to his beloved Bride.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father ...
1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 8-10
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of
healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:Gifts are presented to the Bride I. At this point the Bridegroom would then start building the CHADAR which was another room onto his father’s house that would be their eventual home together. T
John 14:1-3
Yeshua said: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s
house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that
you also may be where I am.The Chadar (or Chuppah in this case) is prepared 
J. The Bride went through a ritual washing before the wedding, called a Mikvah, which we as Believers in Messiah call Baptism.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved. The Bride goes through her mikvah while her mother and friends watch The Brides shares her excitement with those around her K. The Bride was consecrated and set apart for a period of time while the bridegroom was away building the house.
Matthew 25 1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight
there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps
are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go
ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came
also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you,
I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh.The Bride is consecrated and set apart The Bride and her friends prepare their oil lamps L. She could tell that time was getting closer - that it would surely be soon when he would be returning for her.
Mark 13:32 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.The Bridegroom makes final preparations - anticipating "catching away" His Bride 
The Bride waits for her Bridegroom M. When the time was right the Bridegroom’s Father would tell His son that the room was completed and that it was time to go and “catch away” the Bride.
The Bride wears a gold crown resembling the skyline of Jerusalem Joel 2: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, &
those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.The Bridegroom cometh 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of G-d: 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.N. At Midnight, the Bridegroom would meet his Bride and take her to the Bridal Chamber - the room that had been built onto his father’s house.
Matthew 25
6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised i
mperishable, and we will be changed.The Catching-Away O. Based on Jeremiah 31:22, the Bride would walk around the Bridegroom seven times.
Jeremiah 31:22 ...A woman shall compass a man. Under the Chuppah The Bride walks around the Bridegroom seven times The Ketubah was signed by the Bridegroom, Bride and the two witnesses. The Ketubah is signed P. The Bridegroom and His Bride would spend 7 days alone in the Bridal Chamber. In Hebrew the word for Bridal Chamber or Canopy is Chuppa.
Seven days alone in the Bridal Chamber After the marriage was consummated, there was an enormous Wedding Feast or Marriage Supper.
This is also a Theme of the Festival of Sukkot.The Second Cup of Wine Q. On their wedding day, the Bridegroom is seen as a king and his Bride as a queen.
They are lifted up on chairs by the men and danced around in a circle.The Bridegroom rejoices with his Bride R. The Coronation of King Yeshua is another major theme of Yom Teruah
(The Feast of Trumpets). Messiah’s Coronation will happen in heaven prior
to His physical return to Earth.Revelation 5:11-14
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and
ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on
earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living
creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.The Coronation of the King Revelation 19:7-9
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his
wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write,
Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me,
These are the true sayings of God.Messiah Yeshua is coming back for a bride that is without spot or blemish. When He returns for His Bride, she may not look like the traditional church of the past, but will more than likely she look more like a young Jewish virgin.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
Now as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
Isaiah 62: 5 … as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
"The Ancient Jewish Wedding" VIDEOS
We're pleased to finally be able to provide videos from the 2012 performance of "The Ancient Jewish Wedding"
Ancient Jewish Wedding Video, Part 1, CLICK HERE (9:07)
Ancient Jewish Wedding Video, Part 2, CLICK HERE (10:05)
Ancient Jewish Wedding Video, Part 3, CLICK HERE (8:01)
Ancient Jewish Wedding Video, Part 4, CLICK HERE (9:06) Thanks to the entire cast of the Ancient Jewish Wedding
especially Andy and Carolyn for narrating the dramaGuest Speaker: Cathy Hargett Curtis introduced Cathy Hargett - who was the guest speaker for the evening
Cathy is the Director of Highway To Zion Ministries in Charlotte, NC
Cathy shared from her passion concerning the love relationship
between the Bridegroom and His Bride based on Song of Solomon
Cathy Hargett Part 1, CLICK HERE Cathy Hargett Part 2, CLICK HERE Cathy Hargett Part 3, CLICK HERE Cathy Hargett Part 4, CLICK HERE Chuck led the group in a prayer for Israel Dance Performance - "Let Us Adore" The Lady Machol Dancers danced to the song "Let Us Adore" by Paul Wilbur
To See the Dance "Let Us Adore", CLICK HERE
Curtis closes the evening with the Aaronic Benediction
Frank & Carol LaPorta
The Father's Heart Ministry
Beit Yeshua hosted Frank and Carol LaPorta of The Father's Heart Ministry in Haifa, ISRAEL, on Friday, November 04, 2012, 7PM, in the Family Life Center of Covenant Bible Church in Lincolnton, NC.
Frank and Carol minister to those in need in Israel
and are associated with David & Karen Davis' congregation in Mt. Carmel.
Their areas of ministry include drug addicts, physically handicapped children, the elderly,
and working in a soup kitchen.
The evening begins as Paul, Frank and Chuck sound shofarot
Susan lights Shabbat candles and Paul says blessings over the bread and wine
Curtis welcomed everyone and then led the group in the in the Sh'ma ... ... followed by a time of praise, worship & dance Frank & Carol shared about The Father's Heart Ministry
through testimony, photos and even a short video
To watch & hear the last part of what they had to share,
check out the following YouTube video: Click Here (7:48)A merchandise table provided the opportunity to further support their ministry through
the sale of t-shirts, scarves, and other Jewish-Roots/Messianic memorabiliaTo learn more about Frank & Carol, as well as "The Father's Heart Ministry",
check out their website at:http://cometozion.org/fathersheart.htm
Hanukkah - The Feast of Dedication
The feast of Hanukkah/Channukah (also called the "Feast of Lights" or the "Feast of Dedication") is one of the minor festivals on the Jewish calendar occurring from Kislev 25 to Tevet 3 (in November/December) each year. The feast is observed for 8 day commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the defeat of the Syrians under Antiochus IV (also called Antiochus Epiphanes).
Beit Yeshua gathered on Friday, December 14, 2012, to corporately observe Hanukkah at Doug & Lynda's home in Lincolnton, NC. Eli, Doug & Lynda's youngest grandson, lights the candles for the 6th night of Hanukkah
The Hayes family shared a photo from the first night of Hanukkah Johnathan, Andi & Cayla get creative as they celebrate their first Hanukkah
Curtis & Carolyn light Hanukkah candles at their home
Jim & Linda shared Hanukkah photos and greetings with us from Jerusalem "As we get ready to kindle the Chanukah lights on day 2, outside our window,
God gave us a beautiful picture of His Chanukiah as He set the clouds afire with this evening's sunset.
Chanukah Sameach! (Happy Chanukah!),
Jim & Linda"
Looking out of their window on the 3rd night toward the lights of the city of Jerusalem
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