Beit Yeshua
2018
January to April
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PURIM
Lincolnton, NC
PESACH
Passover
Lincolnton, NC
Hebrew
Class
Celebrates
Galia's
Birthday
Newton, NC
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you.
Psalm 132:13-18
For Adonai has chosen Tziyon, He has wanted it as His home. "This is my resting-place forever, I will live here because I so much want to. I will bless it with plenty of meat, I will give its poor their fill of food. Its cohanim (priests) I will clothe with salvation, and its faithful will shout for joy. I will make a King sprout there from David's line and prepare a lamp for my Anointed One. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on Him there will be a shining crown." Deuteronomy 16:11
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place His name there. PURIM - The Feast of Esther - The Feast of LOTS
Beit Yeshua gathered on Friday, March 02, 2018, to observe the Feast of Purim. Purim, which is also called "The Feast of Lots", is mentioned in the
book of Esther and tells us how GOD used Queen Esther, a Jew, to save the Jewish people from annihilation by the evil Haman, an Agagite.Iline Morrison wrote and directed the 2018 Purim play which was a LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE parody.
Like always, the script is not seen until Purim and all parts are assigned impromptu.Kevin Loftin was King Ahashuerus while Curtis & Carolyn Loftin won the roles of the evil Haman and his wife Zeresh. 
Allie Morrison was assigned the part of Queen Vashti - King Ahashuerus' first wife. (LEFT) Queen Vashti (Allie Morrison) gets some not-so-good advice from Zeresh (Carolyn Loftin)
(RIGHT) Mordechai the Jew (Chuck Anthony) convinces Esther (Rachel Loftin) that she must follow the King's edict and go to the palace.
Esther finds favor with King Ahashuerus and becomes the new queen.
(LEFT) Alex Childers, Doug Morrison, Lynn Campbell, Carmen McNeil, Kevin Loftin; (RIGHT) Alex Childers, Rita Richards, Wane Daroux 
Haman hates Mordechai and the Jews and hatches a plan to have them all killed. Haman (Curtis Loftin) is shocked when King Ahashuerus decides to honor Mordechai (Chuck King).
Haman is told to lead Mordechai (who is on the king's horse) through the streets proclaiming how King Ahashuerus is honoring him.
(Left to Right) Chuck Anthony, Iline Morrison, Curtis Loftin, Rachel Loftin and Kevin Loftin
Eventually, Haman is sent to the gallows that he had built to execute Mordechai on.
(Left to Right) Iline & Doug Morrison, Lynn Campbell, Kevin Loftin, Chuck Anthony, Curtis & Carolyn Loftin, Wane Daroux and Rita Richards
(LEFT) Kevin & Rachel Loftin, Curtis & Carolyn Loftin; (MIDDLE) Kevin & Rachel Loftin, Alex Childers, Allie Morrison;
(RIGHT) Kevin & Rachel Loftin, Chuck & Janice Anthony, Bianca Pittman
THE FULL CAST
(Left to Right - Back Row) Doug Morrison, Alex Childers, Chuck & Janice Anthony, Myrl Peeler, Bianca Pittman, Bianca's Friend, Allie Morrison,
Curtis & Carolyn Loftin, Carmen McNeil, Tina Fletcher, Rita Richards and Lynn Campbell
(Left to Right - Front Rows) Kevin & Rachel Loftin, Iline Morrison and Wane DarouxA special thanks to Duke Peeler for providing photos for the website PESACH / PASSOVER Beit Yeshua hosted their annual Pesach/Passover Seder on Friday, March 30, 2018, in the Family Life Center of Covenant Church in Lincolnton, NC.
Attendance was about 200 and we were so honored to have so many friends to join us for this annual event.This mural that we've used for over 10 years came from a design on a Tallit showing the old city of Jerusalem We've made so many sweet friends from other ministries over the years, that when we get together for Pesach it's like gathering for a family reunion.
There are always lots of hugs and big smiles. Many of these friends we only get to see once a year. It's a fun evening for Jews & non-Jews alike.
As 7:00 p.m. rolls around, shofarot are sounded to begin the evening (Left to Right) Fran Hoover, Doug Morrison, Vincent Loftin, Henry Loftin, Tim Johnson, Alex Childers, Guest, Chuck Anthony, Wane Daroux, Dave Greene, Bill Shupp Chuck welcomes guests, Alex gives a brief history about Beit Yeshua, Curtis discusses some of the Hebrew words guests will hear during the evening,
and Cathy Hargett is invited to share about Highway To Zion Ministries.
We move into a time of praise, worship and Israeli folk dance. Curtis quit teaching Israeli folk dance in 2010, but he always enjoys having the opportunity
to lead congregational dance during our time of praise and worship. We're so pleased to have so many men join us in this time of worship.
The evening becomes more solemn as we move into the Seder -
yet there's a sense of rejoicing when we remember that Yeshua became the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Janice leads the ladies in the blessing over the festival candles 
Each table was arranged with Haggadahs, a bowl of water and cloth for hand washing, candles and a Seder plate.
The Seder plates held the traditional items of Pesach - Parsley, Salt Water, Horseradish, Charoset, Roasted Egg and the Shank Bone of a Lamb.Pouring the first cup of grape juice 
The ritual of "hand washing" is a part of the Seder Vincent Loftin asks the four questions 
1. On all other nights we eat bread or matzah. Why on this night do we eat only matzah?
2. On all other night we eat all kinds of vegetables. Why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. Why on this night do we dip them twice?
4. On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining. Why on this night do we eat reclining?
Our friend Galia, and her family, were some of the Jewish guests we had with us for Pesach. Galia is a Sabra, meaning she was born in Israel.
She and her parents moved to the US when she was 19. This same year, 2018, Galia celebrated being a US citizen for 50 years.Like Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, the matzah is pierced and striped 
"On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on Passover we eat maror, bitter herbs. As sweet as our lives are today, let us still remember how bitter life was for the children of Israel in the land of Egypt. As we scoop some maror (horseradish) onto a piece of matzah, let us allow the bitter taste to cause us to shed tears of compassion for the sorrow that the children of Israel knew thousands of years ago." From the look on Wane's face, you call tell it was a good strong horseradish "On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once, but tonight we dip them twice. We have already dipped the parsley into the salt water. Now we dip the bitter herbs into the charoset. The children of Israel toiled to make treasure cities for Pharaoh, working in brick and clay. We remember this task in a mixture called charoset, made from chopped apples, honey, huts, and wine. Let us once again scoop some bitter herbs onto a small piece of matzah. But this time, before we eat, let us dip the herbs into the sweet charoset. What is the spiritual meaning of eating the bitter herbs and charoset together? We have all had bitter experiences in our lives. The message God is communicating to us is His desire for us to press through the bitterness to experience the sweetness. The horseradish represents the trials and tribulations which come into our lives. Like the horseradish, many trials and tribulations are so bitter they make us cry. If we allow these trials and tribulations to make us bitter toward God, we will never experience the sweetness of God’s deliverance for our life. However, if we press through them, with God’s help, we will taste and experience the sweetness of His promises contained in His Word for us." Each person scoops some horseradish and charoset on to a piece of matzah As the plagues of Egypt are recited three times, a drop of grape juice is place on a napkin "Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of the Firstborn" 
We pause for the meal 
After the meal we resume for the last part of the Seder
Just like Messiah Yeshua, the Afikomen is hidden, found and redeemed
A special thanks to Duke Peeler for providing photos for the website NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM Hebrew Class Celebrates Galia's Birthday
The Hebrew Class that meets at Curtis & Carolyn's house took the opportunity to celebrate Galia Waters' birthday at the Blue Moon in Newton, NC. Galia is a Sabra from Israel who came to the US when she was 19 years old. She helps Carolyn teach the Hebrew class - and she always has interesting stories to share. We were also honored to have the opportunity to be with her at an earlier time when she celebrated 50 years of being a US Citizen.
(Left to Right) Beverly Hall, Galia Waters, Curtis & Carolyn Loftin, Jennifer Hasa and Monica West
Go to 2018, Page 2
Zechariah 12:2-3,10
2“Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
10“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
A special thanks to Duke Peeler for providing photos for this website
