The Divine destiny connection, the chain that links us together.
Saturday, December 31, 2022
THIS IS NOT THE NEW YEAR
Exodus chapter 9
Today we are walking in: This Is Not The New Year
Job 36:4
For truly my words shall not be false: H8267 he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
FALSE
Today we look to the word H8267 sheqer--lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood; deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one)
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 20:17
Thou shalt not bear false H8267 witness against thy neighbour.
Exodus 23:7
Keep thee far from a false H8267 matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked
Deuteronomy 19:16
If a false H8267 witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
The prophets proclaim..................
Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, H8267 and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
Jeremiah 23:32
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false H8267 dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 37:14
Then said Jeremiah, It is false H8267; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 7:14
Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. H8267
Proverbs 11:1
A false H8267 balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Proverbs 14:5
A faithful witness will not lie: but a false H8267 witness will utter lies.
Today is NOT the beginning of the biblical new year
Happy New Year!!!! NOT Biblically speaking of course.
Even though January 1st is celebrated as the beginning of the year over the world, as Hebrews, we need to consider that the Biblical New Year is far more important to us, than a day that was picked by the Romans.
1st of January and the beginning of the standard western/christian calendar
The month of January is named after an ancient Roman god named Janus/Ianus, who was the Roman god of doorways & archways, depicted having two faces, as the Romans believed he looked at the future as well as the past. As far back as 153BC, Roman consuls came to power on January 1st. In 45BC, when Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar, January 1st became the official new year of the Roman Empire which has continued to be so, for more than 2000 years.
This ancient Julian Calendar which went through a few refinements in the year 1582 by Roman Catholic Pope Gregory XIII, is now known as the Gregorian Calendar. January 1st, remains from more than 2000 years ago, as the beginning of the Roman Year, a creation of the Roman Empire.
1st of Abib and the beginning of the Biblical calendar made by our Heavenly Father
The month of Abib/Aviv does not coincide with a month in the standard western calendar in any way. This means that the 1st day of the Biblical Year could fall on any day in the season of March/April. The biblical calendar is not one which is set in paper, but which is set in the heavens. When our Creator made the Sun, Moon & Stars, He proclaimed “let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years”.
What is Abib?
In the book of Exodus, as Moses brought about the 7th Plague which was “Hail”, we read the following
“Exo 9:31,32 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear(Abib), and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up“
The Hebrew word “Abib” is translated here as “was in the ear”. The Strong’s Hebrew Concordance explains it as – H24 – אביב – aw-beeb’ – a young ear of grain; hence the name of the month Abib or Nisan
Abib is the Hebrew word used for the state of a crop which is, in between the stage of green colour ripening and completely ripe golden streaks. It is the stage when the grain is a light yellowish green colour. In the above passage we see that the barley crops were destroyed by hail while the wheat and rie were not damaged. The reason being, grains which are early in its development are flexible, becoming brittle as it ripens. The barley was destroyed and the wheat was not, as the barley had reached the stage in its development called Abib, becoming brittle enough to be damaged by the hail, while the wheat and rie were still early in their development, where they were flexible enough not to be damaged.
Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Exo 13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
Exo 34:18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
We know that after the 7th Plague mentioned in Exo 9:30,31, two more plagues came over Egypt (namely locusts & Darkness for 3 days) before the 10th plague (Death of the Firstborn). The Passover happened on the 14th day of the First Biblical Month (Exo 12:2,6,11) freeing the children of Israel from slavery. As per Exo 9:30,31 the Barley was in the state of Abib, at the time of the 7th plague. Exo 12:2, 13:4, 34:18 further proves that the month in which the Children of Israel were set free from slavery was the first month, as per Yah’s directions. Not only is “Abib” the first month, it derives its name from the state of Barley known as “Abib” in the Scriptures.
But how does one go about uncovering the beginning of the biblical Year on his/her own?
The Biblical month is calculated by the revolutions of the Moon. One cycle of the moon, where it goes from dark to fully lit and dark again is known as a month. In fact, the words “Month” and “Moon” are interchangeable in the Hebrew language. At the time when the first sliver is visible in the evening sky, the new month has begun.
With the information from the Bible in hand, we can easily figure out the first month of the Biblical year. When the Barley is in the state of “Abib” and when you sight the sliver of the moon, a new Biblical Month has dawned. May you celebrate our Creator’s Appointed times as per His Commandment and as imitators of Hamachiach!
Friday, December 30, 2022
UNDERSTANDING YAH’S TIMING: THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING YOUR SHIFT
Joshua chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing: The Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
KEY
Today we look to the word-KEY- H4668 maphteach--key, opening instrument
The Torah testifies...............
****
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 22:22
And the key H4668 of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
The writings bear witness...........................
Judges 3:25
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, H4668 and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
Key #6:
We Must Live in Complete Obedience
This sounds so obvious that it seems I wouldn’t need to mention it. After all, don’t we always have to obey Him? Yes. But Yah greatly emphasizes obedience in this transition chapter. The word “command” is used eight times in the first chapter of Joshua.
Yah commanded Joshua; Joshua commanded the leaders; the leaders commanded the people and Yah made reference to what He had previously commanded. The phrase “be careful to do” is used twice, as is the word “obey” or “obeyed.” All together, the concept of obedience is seen 12 times in these verses.
During transition times, it is absolutely imperative that we obey the Lord and do it quickly. He knows how things must be done. We may not understand the importance of doing things His way, but He does, and it is essential that we do it His way.
Key #7:
We Need to Realize There Will Be Battles We Have to Fight
The fact that we’ve moved out of chronos into kairos, and perhaps even close to fullness as with a mother who is delivering a baby doesn’t mean the struggle is finished. Victory may be very, very close, but often that is when the battle becomes the most intense.
Yah told Joshua: “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, lust as I spoke to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). The word “tread” is translated from the Hebrew word darak. This word not only means to walk on, but it is even a stronger term that means a warrior’s march or tread. A warfare term, it is the word used for “bending the bow” when about to shoot an arrow.
This Hebrew word is still used today in Israel for the command, “Load your weapons.” Yah wasn’t telling Israel that everywhere they walked or stepped was theirs. He had already marked off the perimeters of the inheritance. He was saying symbolically, “Every place that you are willing to load your weapons and take, I’m going to give to you.” Yah was telling Joshua that there would be a battle.
Destiny is always contested and we must know that the evil one will try to rob our destinies from us. He will try to steal from the Church the harvest that Yah wants to bring in this hour. He will try to keep us from experiencing the breakthroughs Yah wants us to have and for which we have been fighting or believing, in the areas of our family relationships, our health, our churches. The enemy will not give up easily. We are guaranteed success, however, if we fight the good fight of faith. But we will have to fight.
Key #8:
We Must Recognize Our Need for Help
In verses 12-18 of Joshua 1, Yah mentions the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, which had been given an inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. When given this inheritance, they had been told by Moses that they would still need to go and help their brothers take their inheritance. Joshua reminds them of that.
We are to see in this example the need to fight together to stand together. It is important when we walk through difficult times and transitions to acknowledge our need for help. We need to humble ourselves and ask for prayer, counsel or encouragement. Don’t hesitate to seek help; it is proper to do so.
Key #9:
We Must Let His Peace Sustain Us
Joshua 1:9 states: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your Yah is with you wherever you go,” The word “dismayed” comes from the Hebrew word chathath, which means to crack or break.
Yah was saying to Joshua, “This transition into your kairos stage and toward fullness will be stressful. There will be unexpected challenges, difficulties and warfare. While under the pressure of leading, Joshua, you are going to have to make sure you walk in peace. Don’t crack under the stress.”
Notice the word “let” in Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of Hamachiach rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” We must allow the peace of Yah to rule. We have a choice. We can stress out by focusing on the problems and neglecting the basics, or we can take the time to quiet ourselves before the Lord and keep our faith strong.
As we move forward into Yah-given destinies, it is reassuring to know that Yah has already been there. Every chronos, kairos and fullness season He has seen before. The “new” and “hidden” places are only new and hidden to us. Yah understands full well how to open the doors of breakthrough, victory and fruitfulness because He, the incarnated Yah, has been here before.
“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8).
Reflection
What are your responsibilities before Yah to your family, friends, colleagues and country?
How can you encourage those who have waited for months or years for something from Yah?
Which people, places and events serve to give your faith solace, strength and continuity?
Why is it important to have such things during the various seasons of life?
What are specific steps you can begin taking right now to further your pursuit of Yah and His fullness?
Define Yah’s peace in your life.
Why is it important to have such peace as you transition through different stages in life?
Are you ready for the divine shift?
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing: The Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Matthew 16:19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
KEY
Today we look to the word-KEY- H4668 maphteach--key, opening instrument
The Torah testifies...............
****
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 22:22
And the key H4668 of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
The writings bear witness...........................
Judges 3:25
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, H4668 and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
Key #6:
We Must Live in Complete Obedience
This sounds so obvious that it seems I wouldn’t need to mention it. After all, don’t we always have to obey Him? Yes. But Yah greatly emphasizes obedience in this transition chapter. The word “command” is used eight times in the first chapter of Joshua.
Yah commanded Joshua; Joshua commanded the leaders; the leaders commanded the people and Yah made reference to what He had previously commanded. The phrase “be careful to do” is used twice, as is the word “obey” or “obeyed.” All together, the concept of obedience is seen 12 times in these verses.
During transition times, it is absolutely imperative that we obey the Lord and do it quickly. He knows how things must be done. We may not understand the importance of doing things His way, but He does, and it is essential that we do it His way.
Key #7:
We Need to Realize There Will Be Battles We Have to Fight
The fact that we’ve moved out of chronos into kairos, and perhaps even close to fullness as with a mother who is delivering a baby doesn’t mean the struggle is finished. Victory may be very, very close, but often that is when the battle becomes the most intense.
Yah told Joshua: “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, lust as I spoke to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). The word “tread” is translated from the Hebrew word darak. This word not only means to walk on, but it is even a stronger term that means a warrior’s march or tread. A warfare term, it is the word used for “bending the bow” when about to shoot an arrow.
This Hebrew word is still used today in Israel for the command, “Load your weapons.” Yah wasn’t telling Israel that everywhere they walked or stepped was theirs. He had already marked off the perimeters of the inheritance. He was saying symbolically, “Every place that you are willing to load your weapons and take, I’m going to give to you.” Yah was telling Joshua that there would be a battle.
Destiny is always contested and we must know that the evil one will try to rob our destinies from us. He will try to steal from the Church the harvest that Yah wants to bring in this hour. He will try to keep us from experiencing the breakthroughs Yah wants us to have and for which we have been fighting or believing, in the areas of our family relationships, our health, our churches. The enemy will not give up easily. We are guaranteed success, however, if we fight the good fight of faith. But we will have to fight.
Key #8:
We Must Recognize Our Need for Help
In verses 12-18 of Joshua 1, Yah mentions the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, which had been given an inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. When given this inheritance, they had been told by Moses that they would still need to go and help their brothers take their inheritance. Joshua reminds them of that.
We are to see in this example the need to fight together to stand together. It is important when we walk through difficult times and transitions to acknowledge our need for help. We need to humble ourselves and ask for prayer, counsel or encouragement. Don’t hesitate to seek help; it is proper to do so.
Key #9:
We Must Let His Peace Sustain Us
Joshua 1:9 states: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your Yah is with you wherever you go,” The word “dismayed” comes from the Hebrew word chathath, which means to crack or break.
Yah was saying to Joshua, “This transition into your kairos stage and toward fullness will be stressful. There will be unexpected challenges, difficulties and warfare. While under the pressure of leading, Joshua, you are going to have to make sure you walk in peace. Don’t crack under the stress.”
Notice the word “let” in Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of Hamachiach rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” We must allow the peace of Yah to rule. We have a choice. We can stress out by focusing on the problems and neglecting the basics, or we can take the time to quiet ourselves before the Lord and keep our faith strong.
As we move forward into Yah-given destinies, it is reassuring to know that Yah has already been there. Every chronos, kairos and fullness season He has seen before. The “new” and “hidden” places are only new and hidden to us. Yah understands full well how to open the doors of breakthrough, victory and fruitfulness because He, the incarnated Yah, has been here before.
“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8).
Reflection
What are your responsibilities before Yah to your family, friends, colleagues and country?
How can you encourage those who have waited for months or years for something from Yah?
Which people, places and events serve to give your faith solace, strength and continuity?
Why is it important to have such things during the various seasons of life?
What are specific steps you can begin taking right now to further your pursuit of Yah and His fullness?
Define Yah’s peace in your life.
Why is it important to have such peace as you transition through different stages in life?
Are you ready for the divine shift?
Thursday, December 29, 2022
UNDERSTANDING YAH’S TIMING: THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING YOUR SHIFT
Joshua chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing: Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Deuteronomy 28:2
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake H5381 thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
OVERTAKE
Today we look to the word-OVERTAKE- H5381 nasag--to reach, overtake, take hold upon, attain to, cause to reach, to be able to secure, have enough, overtake
The Torah testifies...............
Deuteronomy 28:45
Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake H5381 thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
The prophets proclaim..................
1 Samuel 30:8
And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake H5381 them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely H5381 overtake H5381 them, and without fail recover all.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 18:37
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken H5381 them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
Keys to Unlocking the Shift
In this section of our study, we will look at nine keys from the first chapter of Joshua that will help us successfully make the divine shift with Yah from chronos to kairos and on to fullness. The Israelites were about to go through one of the greatest shifts in history. If we can remember the strategies Yah gave them, during our own transition times, that knowledge will greatly assist us in our pursuit of fullness.
Key #1
We Must Accept Responsibility to Do Our Part
Yah will do what only He can do; we must also do what He expects and requires of us during the time of transition. Don’t make the mistake of overemphasizing the sovereignty of Yah. In other words, it is dangerous to believe that Yah will make sure we get to fullness, no matter what we do. The generation of Israelites who perished in the wilderness is proof that fullness is not automatically guaranteed.
Chapter 1 of Joshua marks the transition of Israel moving into their kairos season. Ultimately, if they followed the Lord completely, they would move on into fullness. Joshua 1:2 states: “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”
In saying this, Yah was doing more than just telling Joshua that Moses was dead. Yes, Moses had gone away by himself, and Yah took him on to heaven without anyone being around to witness it. But Yah was also announcing to Joshua, “It’s your time now. You can no longer look to the man who mentored you and made the decisions for the nation. You have been trained and equipped; now you are the one, Joshua. It’s your turn. Accept the responsibility! You must rise up to your place of leadership and lead this people.”
The fact that we have responsibilities in this process is also implied by the use of the word “giving” in the above verse. It is translated from the Hebrew word nathan, which means more than to give (in the sense of bestowing something upon another). Nathan means to give in the sense of an assignment. Yah’s gifts are also His assignments. He is going to gift us with the fruitful stage. He will bring us into fullness. Though His gifts are coming, they are also assignments. There will be a part for us to play.
When Yah “gave” the land to Abraham and his descendants, He was saying more than, “I am giving you the land.” He was also saying, “I am ‘assigning’ this land to you.” They would have to go in and possess it, fulfilling the assignment of the Lord, in order for Yah to do through them what He wanted to do.
The same will be true for us. We will have to be faithful to do our part in the transition time, fulfilling the assignments of the Lord. We must act responsibly, walking in truth and wisdom. If we do, we’ll reach fullness.
Key #2:
We Will Have to Move in Great Faith
During the Transition Times This is especially true as we approach fullness. Sometimes more faith is required to move into this stage than was needed in the chronos season.
In Joshua 1:2 Yah said to Joshua, “Cross this Jordan,” He was making the important distinction that it was not the Jordan of several months earlier or of a few months later. but this one that was in flood stage (see Joshua 3:15. It was probably a mile wide and very deep and, as far as these Israelites were concerned, impassable.
But Yah told Joshua that he was going to take these people men, women, children, animals, possessions across this Jordan. What an incredible faith it took to receive this word from the Lord! We, too, will face impossible situations and insurmountable odds at times when we are moving in the kairos stage toward fullness. It will require much faith. We will have to believe that Yah is going to come through and do His part – the impossible – in order to get us to where we need to be.
The seasons of maintaining do require patience but may not necessitate a great amount of faith. But when Yah says it’s time to move forward, there will be steps of faith required on our part. We must be ready to move in faith.
Key #3:
We Must Be Very Flexible
Joshua 1:11 states: “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your Yah is giving you, to possess it ‘ “. After the Israelites had waited 40 years in the wilderness for the promise of Yah to be fulfilled, you would think He could have given them more than three days notice to pack up all their possessions and prepare to move on.
Anyone who has ever moved knows how difficult it is to pack and uproot. But Yah said, “In three days, you are to cross.” The shifts of Yah can come suddenly. He has reasons for doing this. Sometimes He lust doesn’t want us to have a lot of time to think about it, because we would probably mess things up somehow. He wants us to move quickly without the paralysis of analysis an often overused but accurate statement.
Unexpected events will also require flexibility. I can assure you that when the transition begins, especially when we are walking through kairos the strategic, opportune stage there will be unexpected opportunities and challenges. Yah brill do things in ways we really didn’t anticipate. We have probably envisioned how things should happen. Yah will most likely do it differently, however, and we must be very flexible.
Key #4:
We Must Remember the Basics
When Joshua was about to lead this generation of Israelites into their fullness, Yah put great emphasis on His Word. Joshua 1:7-8 states: Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Yah was bringing to Joshua’s attention the vital importance of His Word. “Don’t neglect the Word, Joshua. Keep it before you. Keep speaking it. Keep meditating on it. Then you will be successful.” When we are going through difficult times and transition is certainly that it is not the great, deep revelations of truth that keep us. It isn’t our eschatology. It isn’t our ability to exegete the Scriptures. It is the basics that keep us during times of transition. Remember to focus on the Word. Remember to spend time with the Lord. Remember to fellowship regularly with other believers. Keep yourself in prayer. Do the basics!
Key #5:
We Need to Hold Fast to Past Promises
Joshua 1:6 states: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore (promised) to their fathers to give them”. Yah called Joshua back to the promise He had made to Abraham and other forefathers. When we go through times of transition, it is imperative that we remember what Yah has spoken to us in the past. This will give us comfort, direction and something to which we can anchor.
Paul told Timothy to wage a good warfare through the prophecies that had been spoken over him (see 1 Timothy 1:18. In other words, during the difficult time Timothy was experiencing, Paul told him to go back and recall what had been spoken over him and to use those words as a weapon with which to fight. He was challenged to let the past affirmations sustain his faith.
“When Yah takes us to new levels or begins to shift us to levels of favour or success, we are often very short-sighted about it.We think it is simply to bless and reward our faithfulness, when in reality it is often because of, and to bless, others and generations to come.
This also served to bring Joshua an important perspective: What was about to happen wasn’t only about them, but it was also about Abraham and others before them. And though not mentioned in this passage, it was about generations to come. When Yah takes us to new levels or begins to shift us to levels of favour or success, we are often very short-sighted about it. We think it is simply to bless us or reward our faithfulness, when in reality it is often because of, and to bless, others. In Joshua’s day Yah wasn’t only rewarding this generation of Israel, He was furthering the redemptive purposes of history. Remember that others will be impacted by your successful shifting.
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing: Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Deuteronomy 28:2
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake H5381 thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
OVERTAKE
Today we look to the word-OVERTAKE- H5381 nasag--to reach, overtake, take hold upon, attain to, cause to reach, to be able to secure, have enough, overtake
The Torah testifies...............
Deuteronomy 28:45
Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake H5381 thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:
The prophets proclaim..................
1 Samuel 30:8
And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake H5381 them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely H5381 overtake H5381 them, and without fail recover all.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 18:37
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken H5381 them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
Keys to Unlocking the Shift
In this section of our study, we will look at nine keys from the first chapter of Joshua that will help us successfully make the divine shift with Yah from chronos to kairos and on to fullness. The Israelites were about to go through one of the greatest shifts in history. If we can remember the strategies Yah gave them, during our own transition times, that knowledge will greatly assist us in our pursuit of fullness.
Key #1
We Must Accept Responsibility to Do Our Part
Yah will do what only He can do; we must also do what He expects and requires of us during the time of transition. Don’t make the mistake of overemphasizing the sovereignty of Yah. In other words, it is dangerous to believe that Yah will make sure we get to fullness, no matter what we do. The generation of Israelites who perished in the wilderness is proof that fullness is not automatically guaranteed.
Chapter 1 of Joshua marks the transition of Israel moving into their kairos season. Ultimately, if they followed the Lord completely, they would move on into fullness. Joshua 1:2 states: “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”
In saying this, Yah was doing more than just telling Joshua that Moses was dead. Yes, Moses had gone away by himself, and Yah took him on to heaven without anyone being around to witness it. But Yah was also announcing to Joshua, “It’s your time now. You can no longer look to the man who mentored you and made the decisions for the nation. You have been trained and equipped; now you are the one, Joshua. It’s your turn. Accept the responsibility! You must rise up to your place of leadership and lead this people.”
The fact that we have responsibilities in this process is also implied by the use of the word “giving” in the above verse. It is translated from the Hebrew word nathan, which means more than to give (in the sense of bestowing something upon another). Nathan means to give in the sense of an assignment. Yah’s gifts are also His assignments. He is going to gift us with the fruitful stage. He will bring us into fullness. Though His gifts are coming, they are also assignments. There will be a part for us to play.
When Yah “gave” the land to Abraham and his descendants, He was saying more than, “I am giving you the land.” He was also saying, “I am ‘assigning’ this land to you.” They would have to go in and possess it, fulfilling the assignment of the Lord, in order for Yah to do through them what He wanted to do.
The same will be true for us. We will have to be faithful to do our part in the transition time, fulfilling the assignments of the Lord. We must act responsibly, walking in truth and wisdom. If we do, we’ll reach fullness.
Key #2:
We Will Have to Move in Great Faith
During the Transition Times This is especially true as we approach fullness. Sometimes more faith is required to move into this stage than was needed in the chronos season.
In Joshua 1:2 Yah said to Joshua, “Cross this Jordan,” He was making the important distinction that it was not the Jordan of several months earlier or of a few months later. but this one that was in flood stage (see Joshua 3:15. It was probably a mile wide and very deep and, as far as these Israelites were concerned, impassable.
But Yah told Joshua that he was going to take these people men, women, children, animals, possessions across this Jordan. What an incredible faith it took to receive this word from the Lord! We, too, will face impossible situations and insurmountable odds at times when we are moving in the kairos stage toward fullness. It will require much faith. We will have to believe that Yah is going to come through and do His part – the impossible – in order to get us to where we need to be.
The seasons of maintaining do require patience but may not necessitate a great amount of faith. But when Yah says it’s time to move forward, there will be steps of faith required on our part. We must be ready to move in faith.
Key #3:
We Must Be Very Flexible
Joshua 1:11 states: “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your Yah is giving you, to possess it ‘ “. After the Israelites had waited 40 years in the wilderness for the promise of Yah to be fulfilled, you would think He could have given them more than three days notice to pack up all their possessions and prepare to move on.
Anyone who has ever moved knows how difficult it is to pack and uproot. But Yah said, “In three days, you are to cross.” The shifts of Yah can come suddenly. He has reasons for doing this. Sometimes He lust doesn’t want us to have a lot of time to think about it, because we would probably mess things up somehow. He wants us to move quickly without the paralysis of analysis an often overused but accurate statement.
Unexpected events will also require flexibility. I can assure you that when the transition begins, especially when we are walking through kairos the strategic, opportune stage there will be unexpected opportunities and challenges. Yah brill do things in ways we really didn’t anticipate. We have probably envisioned how things should happen. Yah will most likely do it differently, however, and we must be very flexible.
Key #4:
We Must Remember the Basics
When Joshua was about to lead this generation of Israelites into their fullness, Yah put great emphasis on His Word. Joshua 1:7-8 states: Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Yah was bringing to Joshua’s attention the vital importance of His Word. “Don’t neglect the Word, Joshua. Keep it before you. Keep speaking it. Keep meditating on it. Then you will be successful.” When we are going through difficult times and transition is certainly that it is not the great, deep revelations of truth that keep us. It isn’t our eschatology. It isn’t our ability to exegete the Scriptures. It is the basics that keep us during times of transition. Remember to focus on the Word. Remember to spend time with the Lord. Remember to fellowship regularly with other believers. Keep yourself in prayer. Do the basics!
Key #5:
We Need to Hold Fast to Past Promises
Joshua 1:6 states: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore (promised) to their fathers to give them”. Yah called Joshua back to the promise He had made to Abraham and other forefathers. When we go through times of transition, it is imperative that we remember what Yah has spoken to us in the past. This will give us comfort, direction and something to which we can anchor.
Paul told Timothy to wage a good warfare through the prophecies that had been spoken over him (see 1 Timothy 1:18. In other words, during the difficult time Timothy was experiencing, Paul told him to go back and recall what had been spoken over him and to use those words as a weapon with which to fight. He was challenged to let the past affirmations sustain his faith.
“When Yah takes us to new levels or begins to shift us to levels of favour or success, we are often very short-sighted about it.We think it is simply to bless and reward our faithfulness, when in reality it is often because of, and to bless, others and generations to come.
This also served to bring Joshua an important perspective: What was about to happen wasn’t only about them, but it was also about Abraham and others before them. And though not mentioned in this passage, it was about generations to come. When Yah takes us to new levels or begins to shift us to levels of favour or success, we are often very short-sighted about it. We think it is simply to bless us or reward our faithfulness, when in reality it is often because of, and to bless, others. In Joshua’s day Yah wasn’t only rewarding this generation of Israel, He was furthering the redemptive purposes of history. Remember that others will be impacted by your successful shifting.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
UNDERSTANDING YAH’S TIMING: THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING YOUR SHIFT
Galatians chapter 4
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing: Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Today we look to the word-FULFILL- H4390 male'--to fill, be full; to be full, fulness, abundance, be accomplished, be ended, to consecrate, to satisfy
The Torah testifies...............
Genesis 29:21
And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, H4390 that I may go in unto her.
Genesis 29:27
Fulfil H4390 her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
The prophets proclaim..................
2 Samuel 7:12
And when thy days be fulfilled, H4390 and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
Jeremiah 44:25
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled H4390 with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Kings 8:24
Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled H4390 it with thine hand, as it is this day.
2 Chronicles 36:21
To fulfil H4390 the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil H4390 threescore and ten years.
The Fullness of Time
When Yah shifts us from a general chronos time to an opportune kairos time, it doesn’t mean that the process and the fight of faith are finished. It means we have shifted into a very strategic season where the opportunity is great, but we’re not yet to full fruitfulness. There is still a persevering that needs to happen.
The Bible speaks not only of chronos and kairos, but also of a pleroo, or fullness of time. Galatians 4:4 Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) reads, “But when the fullness of the time came, Yah sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” This word “fullness” indicates fully completing or finishing something. Whereas kairos indicates opportunity to perform a task or produce fruit, pleroo means it has been accomplished.
This could be likened to the process of bringing forth children. After conception, a woman goes through all three stages of timing: chronos, kairos and pleroma.
For nine months, she faithfully endures the challenging but important developmental stage of chronos. Much is happening in the hidden place of the womb, but she cannot yet hold and fully enjoy the fruit she knows is coming. She then moves into the kairos stage of labour and delivery. She hasn’t yet come to fullness, but it is near.
A kairos time can be difficult, critical and crucial, and opportunity doesn’t guarantee success. Often, there will be much work, pain and pushing if the fullness stage if birth is to be reached.
The Nature of Birthing Something New
Spiritual births are also difficult and dangerous. Unlike a woman in labour, however, we can give up during these strategic times and stop the delivery process. It is often a hazardous and precarious time; disillusionment, weariness, confusion and other problems can easily arise.
We can use the illustration of a beehive to compare the struggle of bees to that of the Hebrews: A beekeeper told me the story of a hive how, when the little bee is in the first stage, it is put into a hexagonal cell, and honey enough is stored there for its use until it reaches maturity. The honey is sealed with a capsule of wax, and when the tiny bee has fed itself on the honey and exhausted the supply, the time has come for it to emerge into the open. But, oh, the wrestle, the tussle, the straining to get through that wax! it is the strait gate for the bee, so strait that in the agony of exit the bee rubs off the membrane that hid its wings, and on the other side it is able to fly!
Without any strain or trouble, they would not be able to fly. Are you struggling to get to the next stage? Don’t give up. Your struggles won’t be wasted; they may even be necessary. The key is not to quit.
Consider the disciples of Christ. They went through three intense years with Yahusha. Then came kairos the Crucifixion Stake, the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost. They were very close to their fullness of time. But like many of us, they came extremely close to losing the “baby” in this transition between kairos and pleroo.
At one crucial point, they were confused because they didn’t understand what was happening. Yah was truly moving behind the scenes, but things were not unfolding the way the disciples had envisioned. In their confusion, they came to a point of frustration where they basically looked at one another and said, “What are we going to do?”
For three years, Yahusha had been there; then they watched Him die. He was raised from the dead and they were excited, but He left again and something about it seemed permanent this time. He was gone. He had talked about the Holy Spirit coming, but that didn’t make much sense. It would have seemed more logical if Yahusha had lust stayed.
Peter spoke up first (can you believe that?) and said, “I am going fishing” (John 21:3Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). He was essentially saying, “l’m going back to what I was doing three years ago. I’m returning to the only thing I know and understand. The dream is over. I don’t know where Yah is going, but I’m going back to my business. I’m going fishing.”
He and the others had come through the chronos season and had shifted into the kairos strategic time. Just before fullness, they came extremely close to losing the “baby.” Only a few days later, Pentecost occurred, and we see what they almost lost. Through Peter’s first sermon as a born-again believer filled with the Spirit of Yah, 3,000 people came to Christ. As a group, the disciples then proceeded to turn their world upside down (see Acts 17:6 KJVOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)). Fullness had come.
Be Ready When the Divine Shift Comes
At the Pool of Bethesda. Yahusha came to the man who had been in his paralyzed condition for 36 years and asked him what seemed to be a strange question: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6, NIVOpen in Logos Bible Software (if available)). The man’s answer revealed that although he was waiting at the pool, he really had no hope of being healed. He was in a kairos moment, close to fullness, but hopelessness had set in.
“We must not become so accustomed to working hard and seeing little fruit that, when the time for the divine shift comes, we don’t have the faith to move into the new.”
Yahusha asked him this question to make him realize that, although he was waiting for the miraculous stirring in the pool, he had lost all hope of actually being healed. Only seconds away from experiencing the new, just a handclasp away from total restoration, the man was too disillusioned to recognise it. Somewhere along the way, as he went through the processes of time, he lost his expectation. There wasn’t anything within him that could respond in hope to Yahusha’ question.
When Yah brings a shift, we must be ready to shift with Him. If we’re not careful, we won’t believe that He can bring us from the chronos stages through the kairos seasons and into fullness. We must not become so accustomed to working hard and seeing little fruit that, when the time for the shift comes, we don’t have the faith to move into the new.
Yah wants to bring the divine shift to our lives, our churches, our communities and our nation. When He says it’s time to shift, we must take His hand and shift with Him, knowing He can and is willing to do it.
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
UNDERSTANDING YAH’S TIMING: THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING YOUR SHIFT
Genesis chapter 18
Today we are walking in; Understanding Yah’s Timing: Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Habakkuk 1:11
Then shall his mind change H2015, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
CHANGE
Today we look to the word- CHANGE- H2015- haphak- a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert:—become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow overturn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).
The Torah Testifies…………….
Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that werewith him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change H2015 your garments:
Leviticus 27:10
He shall not alter it, nor change H2015 it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change H2015 beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
Leviticus 27:33
He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change H2015 it: and if he change H2015 it at all, then both it and the change H2015 thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
The Prophets Proclaim………
Jeremiah 2:36
Why gaddest thou about so much to change H2015 thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
Zechariah 3:4
And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change H2015 of raiment.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change H2015 not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
The Writings witness……………
Job 14:14
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change H2015 come.
Psalm 102:26
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change H2015 them, and they shall be changed:
Proverbs 24:21
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change H2015:
The Joining of the Seasons – What Time do you Keep
There are two different New Testament Greek words for time, chronos and kairos. (The word chronos refers to the general process of time or chronological time. The word kairos refers to the right time, the opportune or strategic time, the now time.)
Often chronos and kairos different phases of the same process. Kairos, in many ways, is an extension or continuation of chronos. As the processes of Yah’s plans unfold, chronos becomes kairos. The new is connected to the old and. in fact, is often the result of what happened in the old. Kairos, the opportune time, is literally born of chronos, the general time. When we’re in a nonstrategic general season of life’s daily routine, plodding along in the chronos time, Yah doesn’t totally start over with a kairos season. His overall agenda does not change. He simply takes us through one phase of a process in which our perseverance and faithfulness have allowed Him to shift us into the next phase a strategic season. He changes the time and season, transforming chronos into kairos.
This should be a great encouragement to you. Perhaps you’re in a chronos time where you don’t feel like anything exciting is happening. This season of your life may even be tedious a time of ploughing, standing, believing and persistent praying. You must understand that all of that is part of a bigger picture. The chronos season, however frustrating, is not unimportant. If you press on, doing what is necessary in these general times, the process will shift into a kairos season of reaping. Galatians 6ÿg says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time (kairos) we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
Story
When complimented on my homemade chicken soup, I said, just consider what goes into the making of the soup. The seasonings themselves doesn’t taste good, neither does the celery and carrots nor the chicken broth nor the other ingredients. However, when I mix them all together and put them in the pot, they come out just right.”
Much of life in the chronos season seems tasteless, even bad, but Yah is able to combine these ingredients of our lives in such a way that a shift occurs resulting in a banquet.
Life is a series of changes a process of going from the old to the new from chronos to kairos. Growth, change, revival all are processes. Life is connected. Not understanding this, we tend to despise the chronos times of preparing, sowing, believing and persevering. Our preference is to always live in the kairos times of fresh and strategic opportunities. It is important to realise, however, that our actions and attitudes in the chronos times are what determine whether or not Yah can shift us into the kairos times. It is in the chronos times that the necessary ingredients are added.
The old and the new – are inseparably linked – different but related. The new doesn’t come in spite of the old; it comes because of what we did during the old. Understanding this will enable you to not grow weary or lose heart in doing good during the chronos times.
“Our actions and attitudes in the chronos times of preparing, sowing, believing and persevering are what determine whether Yah can shift us into the kairos times of fresh and strategic opportunities.”
Often, as we continue working through difficult times, a mind-set comes to us that life will always be this way. We begin to believe that the kairos time is never going to come. If we’re not careful, we lose our expectation and our faith begins to waver. We’ve prayed so long, ploughed so long, believed so long and held on for so long that we begin to live with a “so long” mentality.
Disillusionment then sets in and our faith is gone. Yah wants to shift our thinking from becoming discouraged during these times to realising the necessity of chronos seasons. We’re not losing or wasting time, we’re investing it. And if we do so faithfully, the shift will come. Knowing that we are cooperating with Yah and giving Him what He needs to bring the new, we can rejoice over, rather than despise, small beginnings. We won’t despair about prayer meetings that go on for several years with little apparent fruit. Our faith is based only on the truth of Yah’s Word and obedience to it.
Biblical Examples of the Joining of the Seasons
Let’s look at some biblical examples to help us see this concept more clearly. Abraham received a glorious promise from Yah that he would have a son through Sarah and that his descendants would be in number as the stars in the sky. He then moved into a 24-year chronos season of having to persevere and walk by faith. After this, as recorded in Genesis 18:10Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), Yah appeared to him and said, in essence, that a divine shift was about to happen:
“I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (The word for “time” is eth, the Hebrew counterpart for the Greek word kairos strategic, or opportune, time.)
After so many years in the chronos season, Abraham and Sarah laughed at this prospect. Abraham even tried to get Yah to fulfil His plans through Ishmael. But true to His word, Yah created the shift; He changed the times and the seasons. Because Abraham had walked with Him even though he didn’t do it perfectly through this long and sometimes tedious season, Yah changed it to a strategic, opportune time. Abraham and Sarah moved from chronos to kairos. The new sprang forth from the old, and Isaac, the son of promise, was born.
Another example can be seen in the process the Israelites went through in their journey to the Promised Land. Israel was in a difficult chronos season of having to persevere and wait in Egypt. Suddenly, the shift sprang forth. When the time was right, Yah, in His great wisdom and power, moved quickly and said, in effect, “I am changing the season.”
As a part of the process, Yah came to Moses, who had ended up on the backside of a desert for his own 40-year chronos season, and told him He was about to shift things through him. Moses essentially said, “Shift them with somebody else, not me.” But Yah made it clear to Moses that he was the one to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, and Yah brought about the divine shift for Moses and for the nation of Israel.
In a sad turn of events, these Israelites weren’t able to lay hold, by faith, of this kairos season, and they lost it. They ended up in another chronos season, wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The next generation, who would eventually go in and possess the land, also had to wait through this difficult chronos period. Suddenly, Yah came to Joshua and said that in three days they were to go across into the Promised Land.
Yah was creating the divine shift. The wandering time was over, and He moved the nation into a new phase. He quickly brought them from chronos into kairos. If we have been in a long chronos season, our tendency is to think that it’s not possible to shift quickly into a kairos time. But it is imperative for us to be prepared to change when Yah says He’s bringing the shift. We have to move with Him, or we will miss what He wants to do. If we don’t understand the ways of Yah, we can become so confused and frustrated that we aren’t able to reach out in faith and change. Like the first generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt, we end up in the wilderness and never reach the promise.
However, if we comprehend the ways of Yah, this will decrease the frustration during the waiting time. We can move into peace and rest, knowing that Yah is in control and we are walking with Him.
Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, received a divine visitation from Yah on the road to Damascus. When the Lord revealed Himself to Saul, he experienced a dramatic conversion a kairos time. He then shifted into a routine chronos season where, for 12 to 13 years, Yah was transforming him and bringing great revelation. When the time was right, as recorded in Acts 13, the Lord declared that Paul was to be separated for the work to which he was called. This chronos time became kairos time as Yah released Paul into the fullness of his ministry. The routine time wasn’t wasted. It was all a part of the process of training and preparation for what Yah was going to launch him into. Chronos shifted into kairos, and the world has never been the same since.
Today we are walking in; Understanding Yah’s Timing: Keys To Unlocking Your Shift
Habakkuk 1:11
Then shall his mind change H2015, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
CHANGE
Today we look to the word- CHANGE- H2015- haphak- a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert:—become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow overturn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).
The Torah Testifies…………….
Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that werewith him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change H2015 your garments:
Leviticus 27:10
He shall not alter it, nor change H2015 it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change H2015 beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
Leviticus 27:33
He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change H2015 it: and if he change H2015 it at all, then both it and the change H2015 thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
The Prophets Proclaim………
Jeremiah 2:36
Why gaddest thou about so much to change H2015 thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
Zechariah 3:4
And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change H2015 of raiment.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change H2015 not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
The Writings witness……………
Job 14:14
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change H2015 come.
Psalm 102:26
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change H2015 them, and they shall be changed:
Proverbs 24:21
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change H2015:
The Joining of the Seasons – What Time do you Keep
There are two different New Testament Greek words for time, chronos and kairos. (The word chronos refers to the general process of time or chronological time. The word kairos refers to the right time, the opportune or strategic time, the now time.)
Often chronos and kairos different phases of the same process. Kairos, in many ways, is an extension or continuation of chronos. As the processes of Yah’s plans unfold, chronos becomes kairos. The new is connected to the old and. in fact, is often the result of what happened in the old. Kairos, the opportune time, is literally born of chronos, the general time. When we’re in a nonstrategic general season of life’s daily routine, plodding along in the chronos time, Yah doesn’t totally start over with a kairos season. His overall agenda does not change. He simply takes us through one phase of a process in which our perseverance and faithfulness have allowed Him to shift us into the next phase a strategic season. He changes the time and season, transforming chronos into kairos.
This should be a great encouragement to you. Perhaps you’re in a chronos time where you don’t feel like anything exciting is happening. This season of your life may even be tedious a time of ploughing, standing, believing and persistent praying. You must understand that all of that is part of a bigger picture. The chronos season, however frustrating, is not unimportant. If you press on, doing what is necessary in these general times, the process will shift into a kairos season of reaping. Galatians 6ÿg says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time (kairos) we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
Story
When complimented on my homemade chicken soup, I said, just consider what goes into the making of the soup. The seasonings themselves doesn’t taste good, neither does the celery and carrots nor the chicken broth nor the other ingredients. However, when I mix them all together and put them in the pot, they come out just right.”
Much of life in the chronos season seems tasteless, even bad, but Yah is able to combine these ingredients of our lives in such a way that a shift occurs resulting in a banquet.
Life is a series of changes a process of going from the old to the new from chronos to kairos. Growth, change, revival all are processes. Life is connected. Not understanding this, we tend to despise the chronos times of preparing, sowing, believing and persevering. Our preference is to always live in the kairos times of fresh and strategic opportunities. It is important to realise, however, that our actions and attitudes in the chronos times are what determine whether or not Yah can shift us into the kairos times. It is in the chronos times that the necessary ingredients are added.
The old and the new – are inseparably linked – different but related. The new doesn’t come in spite of the old; it comes because of what we did during the old. Understanding this will enable you to not grow weary or lose heart in doing good during the chronos times.
“Our actions and attitudes in the chronos times of preparing, sowing, believing and persevering are what determine whether Yah can shift us into the kairos times of fresh and strategic opportunities.”
Often, as we continue working through difficult times, a mind-set comes to us that life will always be this way. We begin to believe that the kairos time is never going to come. If we’re not careful, we lose our expectation and our faith begins to waver. We’ve prayed so long, ploughed so long, believed so long and held on for so long that we begin to live with a “so long” mentality.
Disillusionment then sets in and our faith is gone. Yah wants to shift our thinking from becoming discouraged during these times to realising the necessity of chronos seasons. We’re not losing or wasting time, we’re investing it. And if we do so faithfully, the shift will come. Knowing that we are cooperating with Yah and giving Him what He needs to bring the new, we can rejoice over, rather than despise, small beginnings. We won’t despair about prayer meetings that go on for several years with little apparent fruit. Our faith is based only on the truth of Yah’s Word and obedience to it.
Biblical Examples of the Joining of the Seasons
Let’s look at some biblical examples to help us see this concept more clearly. Abraham received a glorious promise from Yah that he would have a son through Sarah and that his descendants would be in number as the stars in the sky. He then moved into a 24-year chronos season of having to persevere and walk by faith. After this, as recorded in Genesis 18:10Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), Yah appeared to him and said, in essence, that a divine shift was about to happen:
“I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (The word for “time” is eth, the Hebrew counterpart for the Greek word kairos strategic, or opportune, time.)
After so many years in the chronos season, Abraham and Sarah laughed at this prospect. Abraham even tried to get Yah to fulfil His plans through Ishmael. But true to His word, Yah created the shift; He changed the times and the seasons. Because Abraham had walked with Him even though he didn’t do it perfectly through this long and sometimes tedious season, Yah changed it to a strategic, opportune time. Abraham and Sarah moved from chronos to kairos. The new sprang forth from the old, and Isaac, the son of promise, was born.
Another example can be seen in the process the Israelites went through in their journey to the Promised Land. Israel was in a difficult chronos season of having to persevere and wait in Egypt. Suddenly, the shift sprang forth. When the time was right, Yah, in His great wisdom and power, moved quickly and said, in effect, “I am changing the season.”
As a part of the process, Yah came to Moses, who had ended up on the backside of a desert for his own 40-year chronos season, and told him He was about to shift things through him. Moses essentially said, “Shift them with somebody else, not me.” But Yah made it clear to Moses that he was the one to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, and Yah brought about the divine shift for Moses and for the nation of Israel.
In a sad turn of events, these Israelites weren’t able to lay hold, by faith, of this kairos season, and they lost it. They ended up in another chronos season, wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The next generation, who would eventually go in and possess the land, also had to wait through this difficult chronos period. Suddenly, Yah came to Joshua and said that in three days they were to go across into the Promised Land.
Yah was creating the divine shift. The wandering time was over, and He moved the nation into a new phase. He quickly brought them from chronos into kairos. If we have been in a long chronos season, our tendency is to think that it’s not possible to shift quickly into a kairos time. But it is imperative for us to be prepared to change when Yah says He’s bringing the shift. We have to move with Him, or we will miss what He wants to do. If we don’t understand the ways of Yah, we can become so confused and frustrated that we aren’t able to reach out in faith and change. Like the first generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt, we end up in the wilderness and never reach the promise.
However, if we comprehend the ways of Yah, this will decrease the frustration during the waiting time. We can move into peace and rest, knowing that Yah is in control and we are walking with Him.
Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, received a divine visitation from Yah on the road to Damascus. When the Lord revealed Himself to Saul, he experienced a dramatic conversion a kairos time. He then shifted into a routine chronos season where, for 12 to 13 years, Yah was transforming him and bringing great revelation. When the time was right, as recorded in Acts 13, the Lord declared that Paul was to be separated for the work to which he was called. This chronos time became kairos time as Yah released Paul into the fullness of his ministry. The routine time wasn’t wasted. It was all a part of the process of training and preparation for what Yah was going to launch him into. Chronos shifted into kairos, and the world has never been the same since.
Monday, December 26, 2022
UNDERSTANDING YAH’S TIMING: THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR SHIFT
Luke chapter 19
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing – The Key To Unlocking Your Shift
Deuteronomy 9:3
Understand H3045 therefore this day, that the LORD thy Yah is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.
UNDERSTAND
Today we look to the word-UNDERSTAND- H3045 yada’--to perceive and see, find out and discern
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 36:1
Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know H3045 how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
Deuteronomy 1:13
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known H3045 among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 6:9
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive H3045 not.
Isaiah 29:24
They also that erred in spirit shall come H3045 to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
Isaiah 41:20
That they may see, and know, H3045 and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
Jeremiah 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known H3045 me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. H3045
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know H3045 thou the Yah of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Job 28:23
Yah understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth H3045 the place thereof.
Psalm 82:5
They know H3045 not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Introduction
The story is told of a man who rushed into a railway station one morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket man: “when does the 8:01 train leave?”
“At 8:01 was the answer. “Well,” the man replied, “it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which time am I to go by?” “You can go by any clock you wish,” said the agent, “but you cannot go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left.”
Yah’s time is moving forward hour by hour, minute by minute. There are multitudes who seem to think they can live by any schedule they choose and that, in their own time, they can turn to Yah. But His time is the right time.
Yahusha wept over Jerusalem, saying, “You did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). They missed the train. A group of Israelites decided to try and possess the land of Canaan the day after Yah told them the opportunity had passed. They were routed by the Canaanites (see Numbers l4:39-45). The train had already departed.
Ecclesiastes tells us that Yah is a Yah of timing: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). We need to understand the timings and seasons Yah ordains for our lives, ministries, cities and nations. Too often we try to reap during planting season, plant during harvest, run when we should be resting and rest when it is time to run. Doing even the right thing at the wrong time, well intentioned as it may be, will cause us to miss the train every time.
Discerning the Times
One of the tribes of Israel, the sons of lssachar, had an ability to discern timing: “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). Notice that it was their ability to understand the times that gave them insight as to what to do. Understanding Yah’s timing is often one of the keys to taking the proper action.
Yah wants us to understand and recognise the divine shifts in our lives, moments when Yah changes the times and seasons. That is the purpose of this study. Never again do we want to be sitting in the train station with our bags packed and ticket in hand, watching the train that was to carry us into Yah’s purpose for your life disappearing into the distance.
Yah’s Change into New Seasons
The following three verses in Isaiah speak of Yah’s change into new seasons:
You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, even hidden things which you have not known (Isaiah 48:6Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you (Isaiah 42:9Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
First, notice the phrase “spring forth” in the last two verses. These words mark a shift in time. Something new is about to spring forth. “Will you not be aware of it?” He asks. Often, Yah waits until the last moment to move. But it is also true that when He does move, it can transpire quickly. Never give up. Your shift may be closer than you think.
Second, notice the word “new.” Again, this word speaks of a shift. In the New-Testament, two Greek words are translated “new,” although they have different meanings. Understanding the difference is important. The word neos means numerically new but not different. For instance, if you buy a brand-new car of a certain make and model, you have a new car, but there are hundreds more just like it all over the country. It’s new but it’s not different. It’s the same as others it’s just new. The other Greek word for “new” is kainos, which means not only numerically new but also qualitatively new. This refers, for example, to a car manufactured today as compared to a model from previous years ago. Not only is this a numerically new car, but it is also qualitatively new because it’s different.
Distinguishing the difference between these two words neos and kainos is very important to our proper understanding of Scripture. Second Corinthians 5:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) says that we are new (kainos) creations. We’re not just duplications, or replicas, of something else, which would be neos. We’re new in the sense of being different kainos. We’re qualitatively new. We are new creations brand-new in kind and quality. Yah has put a different nature in us, transformed us and put the power of His Spirit in us. When we’re born again, we’re not just the same people with a few changes; we are kainos brand-new on the inside.
In Matthew 9:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), Yahusha used both of these Greek words in one statement when He referred to the practice of putting new wine into new wineskins. He said that new (neos) wine needed to be put into new (kainos) wineskins. This new wine of the Spirit is not something different but, rather, more of the same. The Holy Spirit can’t change and He cannot improve, so it isn’t qualitatively new wine. He desires to pour more of Himself into us – numerically new wine. Although the wine isn’t different, the wineskin does need to change.
We, the wineskins, need to be kainos, or qualitatively new. In order to get another dose of His Spirit poured into us, we must be transformed and changed from one stage to another. If we don’t become different qualitatively new we won’t be able to hold the new wine He is pouring out. We will miss this new “time.” To prevent this, He puts us through processes of change. If we let Him work in our lives to transform us, then He can put more of Himself, His Spirit, into us. He can put new (neos) wine into new (kainos) wineskins.
Thus, in order tor Yah to prepare us for the new season, He changes us. Yah doesn’t have the phrase “That’s good enough” in His vocabulary. He is continually preparing us for more wine, for another dose of pouring out His Spirit. These changes may not always be fun, but they are always good.
From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart; yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and finally their coffin. The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Ocean currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while at least, that old shell must look pretty good.
We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells a structure, a framework that we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when He bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow and leave our “shells” behind.
Like the lobster, we like the new shell; we just don’t like the process. These two Greek words for “new” are also used for the word “renewal.” By adding the prefix “ana,” which is equivalent to the English prefix to the words, we have the two different concepts of renewal. Ananeoo is numerically renewed. This is when Yah brings back to us something we had before. It isn’t qualitatively new, but there is renew-al or refreshing. Perhaps He restores to us our first love, or He restores us to a state of faith in which we previously walked. The other word is anakainoo, which means qualitatively renewed. In this type of renewal, Yah brings another stage of new-ness, and we are different from anything we’ve ever been before. This process not only restores us, but it also transforms us into the image of Christ. Rather than just renewing us to where we were, He renews us to a fresh new place. When He is finished, we don’t feel or look the same. We are, indeed, different and ready for a shift to more wine.
As another example, the word used for the renewing of the mind, written in Romans 12:2Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), is anakainosis, which means a qualitatively new mind. Yah wants to renew our minds in the sense that He radically transforms the u-ay we think so that we can participate in the changes He brings and the new – thing He does. Shifting with Yah requires kainos.
Yah is doing new things in the earth, both in the sense of neos and kainos. He’s giving us more of what we’ve had in the past, but He’s also making some radical changes. Unfortunately, some people won’t be able to receive these changes because their wineskins aren’t kainos. They won’t be ready to move with Yah in His process of bringing us from the old to the new. The shift is coming, but will we recognize the timing and will our wineskins be ready?
Finally, notice the word “hidden” in Isaiah 48:6Open in Logos Bible Software (if available). Have you ever noticed that when Yah begins to do something new, it is often something that was hidden? He often keeps it a secret right up to the last minute. Yah is changing the times and seasons. Be alert and flexible. Make sure your wineskin is new, ready for the new wine He is about to pour out. Get ready to shift!
Today we are walking in: Understanding Yah’s Timing – The Key To Unlocking Your Shift
Deuteronomy 9:3
Understand H3045 therefore this day, that the LORD thy Yah is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.
UNDERSTAND
Today we look to the word-UNDERSTAND- H3045 yada’--to perceive and see, find out and discern
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 36:1
Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know H3045 how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
Deuteronomy 1:13
Take you wise men, and understanding, and known H3045 among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 6:9
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive H3045 not.
Isaiah 29:24
They also that erred in spirit shall come H3045 to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
Isaiah 41:20
That they may see, and know, H3045 and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
Jeremiah 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known H3045 me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. H3045
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know H3045 thou the Yah of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Job 28:23
Yah understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth H3045 the place thereof.
Psalm 82:5
They know H3045 not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Introduction
The story is told of a man who rushed into a railway station one morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket man: “when does the 8:01 train leave?”
“At 8:01 was the answer. “Well,” the man replied, “it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which time am I to go by?” “You can go by any clock you wish,” said the agent, “but you cannot go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left.”
Yah’s time is moving forward hour by hour, minute by minute. There are multitudes who seem to think they can live by any schedule they choose and that, in their own time, they can turn to Yah. But His time is the right time.
Yahusha wept over Jerusalem, saying, “You did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). They missed the train. A group of Israelites decided to try and possess the land of Canaan the day after Yah told them the opportunity had passed. They were routed by the Canaanites (see Numbers l4:39-45). The train had already departed.
Ecclesiastes tells us that Yah is a Yah of timing: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). We need to understand the timings and seasons Yah ordains for our lives, ministries, cities and nations. Too often we try to reap during planting season, plant during harvest, run when we should be resting and rest when it is time to run. Doing even the right thing at the wrong time, well intentioned as it may be, will cause us to miss the train every time.
Discerning the Times
One of the tribes of Israel, the sons of lssachar, had an ability to discern timing: “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). Notice that it was their ability to understand the times that gave them insight as to what to do. Understanding Yah’s timing is often one of the keys to taking the proper action.
Yah wants us to understand and recognise the divine shifts in our lives, moments when Yah changes the times and seasons. That is the purpose of this study. Never again do we want to be sitting in the train station with our bags packed and ticket in hand, watching the train that was to carry us into Yah’s purpose for your life disappearing into the distance.
Yah’s Change into New Seasons
The following three verses in Isaiah speak of Yah’s change into new seasons:
You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, even hidden things which you have not known (Isaiah 48:6Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you (Isaiah 42:9Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
First, notice the phrase “spring forth” in the last two verses. These words mark a shift in time. Something new is about to spring forth. “Will you not be aware of it?” He asks. Often, Yah waits until the last moment to move. But it is also true that when He does move, it can transpire quickly. Never give up. Your shift may be closer than you think.
Second, notice the word “new.” Again, this word speaks of a shift. In the New-Testament, two Greek words are translated “new,” although they have different meanings. Understanding the difference is important. The word neos means numerically new but not different. For instance, if you buy a brand-new car of a certain make and model, you have a new car, but there are hundreds more just like it all over the country. It’s new but it’s not different. It’s the same as others it’s just new. The other Greek word for “new” is kainos, which means not only numerically new but also qualitatively new. This refers, for example, to a car manufactured today as compared to a model from previous years ago. Not only is this a numerically new car, but it is also qualitatively new because it’s different.
Distinguishing the difference between these two words neos and kainos is very important to our proper understanding of Scripture. Second Corinthians 5:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) says that we are new (kainos) creations. We’re not just duplications, or replicas, of something else, which would be neos. We’re new in the sense of being different kainos. We’re qualitatively new. We are new creations brand-new in kind and quality. Yah has put a different nature in us, transformed us and put the power of His Spirit in us. When we’re born again, we’re not just the same people with a few changes; we are kainos brand-new on the inside.
In Matthew 9:17Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), Yahusha used both of these Greek words in one statement when He referred to the practice of putting new wine into new wineskins. He said that new (neos) wine needed to be put into new (kainos) wineskins. This new wine of the Spirit is not something different but, rather, more of the same. The Holy Spirit can’t change and He cannot improve, so it isn’t qualitatively new wine. He desires to pour more of Himself into us – numerically new wine. Although the wine isn’t different, the wineskin does need to change.
We, the wineskins, need to be kainos, or qualitatively new. In order to get another dose of His Spirit poured into us, we must be transformed and changed from one stage to another. If we don’t become different qualitatively new we won’t be able to hold the new wine He is pouring out. We will miss this new “time.” To prevent this, He puts us through processes of change. If we let Him work in our lives to transform us, then He can put more of Himself, His Spirit, into us. He can put new (neos) wine into new (kainos) wineskins.
Thus, in order tor Yah to prepare us for the new season, He changes us. Yah doesn’t have the phrase “That’s good enough” in His vocabulary. He is continually preparing us for more wine, for another dose of pouring out His Spirit. These changes may not always be fun, but they are always good.
From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart; yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and finally their coffin. The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Ocean currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while at least, that old shell must look pretty good.
We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells a structure, a framework that we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when He bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow and leave our “shells” behind.
Like the lobster, we like the new shell; we just don’t like the process. These two Greek words for “new” are also used for the word “renewal.” By adding the prefix “ana,” which is equivalent to the English prefix to the words, we have the two different concepts of renewal. Ananeoo is numerically renewed. This is when Yah brings back to us something we had before. It isn’t qualitatively new, but there is renew-al or refreshing. Perhaps He restores to us our first love, or He restores us to a state of faith in which we previously walked. The other word is anakainoo, which means qualitatively renewed. In this type of renewal, Yah brings another stage of new-ness, and we are different from anything we’ve ever been before. This process not only restores us, but it also transforms us into the image of Christ. Rather than just renewing us to where we were, He renews us to a fresh new place. When He is finished, we don’t feel or look the same. We are, indeed, different and ready for a shift to more wine.
As another example, the word used for the renewing of the mind, written in Romans 12:2Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), is anakainosis, which means a qualitatively new mind. Yah wants to renew our minds in the sense that He radically transforms the u-ay we think so that we can participate in the changes He brings and the new – thing He does. Shifting with Yah requires kainos.
Yah is doing new things in the earth, both in the sense of neos and kainos. He’s giving us more of what we’ve had in the past, but He’s also making some radical changes. Unfortunately, some people won’t be able to receive these changes because their wineskins aren’t kainos. They won’t be ready to move with Yah in His process of bringing us from the old to the new. The shift is coming, but will we recognize the timing and will our wineskins be ready?
Finally, notice the word “hidden” in Isaiah 48:6Open in Logos Bible Software (if available). Have you ever noticed that when Yah begins to do something new, it is often something that was hidden? He often keeps it a secret right up to the last minute. Yah is changing the times and seasons. Be alert and flexible. Make sure your wineskin is new, ready for the new wine He is about to pour out. Get ready to shift!
Sunday, December 25, 2022
HANUKKAH IS THE OPPOSITE OF CHRIST-MASS
Matthew chapter 5
Today we are walking in: Hanukkah Is The Opposite Of Christ-Mass
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light H215 upon the earth: and it was so.
light
Today we look to the word H215 owr--to be or become light, shine; to become light (day); to shine (of the sun)
to become bright; to be illuminated; to become lighted up; to give light, shine (of sun, moon, and stars); light up, cause to shine, shine; to kindle, light
The Torah testifies...............
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; H215 to go by day and night:
Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light H215 over against the candlestick.
The prophets proclaim..................
And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten H215 our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light H215 in the way wherein they should go.
The writings bear witness...........................
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light H215 in the night.
Scripture Reveals “Eight” Dedications
Some people rationalize that Hanukkah is not mentioned in scripture. But did you know that the word “Hanukkah” (dedication) is mentioned a total of eight times in the Torah, Tanakh and the Briyth Chadashah (Renewed Covenant Scriptures) in reference to the re-dedication or The Most High’s Temple? Beloved, this is no small coincidence! It becomes increasingly more evident that the number “8” keeps on popping up everywhere in connection with the dedication of our Heavenly Father’s Temple!
If our Messiah, Yahusha is the “Living Torah” that became flesh and he said that “one jot or title shall in no wise pass from the Torah until heaven and earth passes away,” (Matthew 5:17-19), this means that people who speak evil about Hanukkah by calling it pagan are actually speaking evil against the Torah, our Messiah, and the altar in the Temple!
If you want to make a distinction between the Talmudic man-made traditions that have been “added” to Hanukkah that is one thing, but to call Hanukkah evil is to express the epitome of ignorance and worse yet, it is to speak blasphemy against the altar in the Holy of Holies. There are a total of ten references for the word “dedication” in scripture.
Two of these references describe the dedication of King Nebuchadnezzar’s abominable golden statue in Daniel 3:2-3. But if you take away these two references from Daniel 3:2-3, you end up with 8 references for the word “dedication” that are pertaining to the altar of The Most High:
Bemidbar (Numbers) 7:84 This was the dedication (Hanukkah) of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Yisra’el: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold:
Bemidbar (Numbers) 7:88 And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication (Hanukkah) of the altar, after that it was anointed.
2nd Dibre ha’Yamiym (Chronicles) 7:9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication (Hanukkah) of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
Ezra 6:16 And the children of Yisra’el, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication (Hanukkah) of this house of Elohiym with joy.
Ezra 6:17 And offered at the dedication (Hanukkah) of this house of Elohiym an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Yisra’el, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisra’el.
Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 12:27 And at the dedication (Hanukkah) of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
Daniyel (Daniel) 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication (Hanukkah) of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Daniyel (Daniel) 3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication (Hanukkah) of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Yahuwchanon (John) 10:22 And it was at Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
The Attitudes of Ephrayim & Judah
There is a common argument that I hear among those within the Hebraic Root’s community against celebrating extra Hebrew feast day. They often cite this verse:
Debariym (Deuteronomy) 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
The rationale here is that those of us who observe Hanukkah and Puwriym are “adding” to the commandments.
But my response to these people is the same as what the Apostle Sha’uwl (Paul) spoke about in Romans 14 when he wrote the following:
Romiym (Romans) 14:
4 Who are you that judges another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be holden up: for Elohiym is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regards the day, regards it unto The Most High; and he that regards not the day, to The Most High he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to The Most High, for he gives Elohiym thanks; and he that eats not, to The Most High he eats not, and gives Elohiym thanks.
Many Christians have taken these verses to mean that Paul was making the Feasts of The Most High and the Sabbath days optional, but that is not what Paul was suggesting in these verses. Paul’s letter to the Romans was specifically addressing kosher meat diets versus vegetarian diets, and also days when these foods would have been abstained from---in other words, fasting days. Paul admonished the body of believers not to judge one another regarding these issues that are not Torah commandments.
The House of Judah honored certain fasting days to commemorate times of their deliverance while in captivity (see Zechariah 7:5-6). But the other tribes were judging the Hebrews for honoring these fasting days. Paul wrote to those who were judging one another over these fasting days not to do so for these were not commanded in the Torah, yet they were still biblical days since they are mentioned in Zechariah 7:5-6.
And so I submit to you that Hanukkah and Puwriym fall into the same category as these “fasting days” that Paul admonished that we should not judge one another for. Both Hanukkah & Puwriym (like these fasting days in Zechariah) are biblical, even if they are not specifically commanded in the Torah.
As I also mentioned earlier, both Hanukkah and Puwriym were decreed by those who were chosen and selected by Yah to save the House of Yahuwdah (Judah). Ya’aqob (Jacob) spoke this prophecy over his son Yahuwdah (Judah):
Bereshiyth (Genesis) 49:10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Yahuwdah (Judah), nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
This means that Yah honors the decrees issued by Esther & Judah Maccabees to celebrate these important times of The Most High’s deliverance for his people. I am not commanding anyone to celebrate Hanukkah or Puwriym. Celebrating these biblical Hebrew feast day like Hanukkah & Puwriym is no different than a married couple celebrating their annual wedding anniversary with their spouse.
No place in scripture are we commanded to celebrate a wedding anniversary. But is it against the scriptures to do so? No! Likewise, if The Most High healed you of a disease on a special day like for instance, let’s say that on February 7th 1985, you were healed of cancer supernaturally, and you want celebrate every year on that date and remember that The Most High did something special for you, is that a sin? Of course not! We are commanded many times in scripture to remember the wonderful miraculous things that our Heavenly Father has done for us.
These special times in Hebrew history were important to our beloved Messiah, and so they should also be important to us. I have heard some argue the fact that although our Messiah was at the Temple on the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), as recorded in John 10:22, they argue that he was not there to celebrate the feast. But my response to that kind logic is this: “there is nothing in scripture that is there accidentally or because of happenstance.” This event would not have been recorded for us if it was not important, and our Messiah would never have given the “appearance of evil” if there was something pagan about celebrating Hanukkah.
The reason why this argument is not a valid one, is because we read in the 7th chapter of John, that Yahusha remained in Galilee (90 miles away from Jerusalem) while his disciples went to the Feast of Tabernacles. He did not go to the Feast of Tabernacles right away because he knew that the religious leaders were trying to kill him. And so when he finally made his way to the Feast of Tabernacles, he went “incognito” (in secret). Three chapters later when he came to the Feast of Dedication, why would he risk his life to be there once again if it was not important?
He traveled 90 miles from Galilee in the cold, rainy, winter season to be there and yet he had nothing negative to say about Hanukkah! If he was opposed to Hanukkah, he would have spoken up just like he did in John 2:14-15 about the money-changers tables. He obviously believed that Hanukkah was important or he would not have made his presence known in the Temple on the “Feast of Dedication” in John 10:22.
In Romans 2:28 we are told that if our heart is circumcised and we obey his Torah, then we are Yahuwdiym (Hebrews). If we are engaged to be married to the “Lion of the Tribe of Yahuwdah” (Revelation 5:5), then we should recognize that the bride must marry into the tribe of her bridegroom just as Ruth (a Moabite) joined the Tribe of Yahuwdah (Judah) before marrying Boaz, who was a Yahuwdiym (Jew).
If the book of Esther is “scripture” and the book of Maccabees was originally part of the Cannon of Scripture in the 1611 King James Bible, then we can accurately say that these books of the Bible were inspired by our Heavenly Father:
2nd Timotiyos (Timothy) 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of Elohiym, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Now that being the case, then Esther’s decree that we should remember the days of “Puwriym” and the decree of Judah Maccabee that we should remember “Hanukkah” are decrees from Elohiym himself! Esther & Judah Maccabees were no less inspired by the Holy Spirit than Moses was when he was given the
commandments for Yisra’el to keep the Sabbath and the seven annual feasts.
To those who do not want to observe Hanukkah or Puwriym---fine! But don’t judge those who want to remember what The Most High has done for us in delivering our people from the hands of the enemy.
The Apostle Sha’uwl (Paul) expressed in Romans 3:2 that “to the Yahuwdiy (Hebrews) were entrusted the oracles” (the mysteries of the Torah). Both Esther (who was from the Tribe of Benjamin) and Judah Maccabee had assimilated into the House of Judah by their obedience to Torah, and to them were entrusted these same oracles.
In recent years, as the Hebraic Root’s Movement has grown, I see an attitude of Pharisaism within the House of Ephrayim just as much as there is in the House of Yahuwdah (Judah). In their efforts to depart from the Pharisaism of the Yahuwdiym (Hebrews), they are just as legalistic and Pharisaic as Judah is in their own right.
It goes right along with what Sha’uwl said in Romans 2:1 “He that judges does the same things.” Thinking that they are more righteous than Judah, they become just as Pharisaic in their attitude because they judge wrongfully, and in doing so, they become no different in their attitudes.
Pharisaism comes in different packages. Ephraimite Pharisaism is just as hypocritical and legalistic as the Pharisaism of Judaism. Those from the House of Ephrayim have an attitude that is so rigid about the “letter” of the Torah (which kills), that they become blinded to the “spirit” of Torah (which gives life). The original intent and purpose of Torah is to bring us into a deeper revelation of who Messiah is (Galatians 3:24-25).
Is Hanukkah bringing us closer to Messiah and his Torah? Are there lessons to be learned by reading the book of Maccabees and remembering those who suffered and died for their love of Torah?
It would be consistent with what the Psalmist wrote here:
Tehilliym (Psalm) 72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Tehilliym (Psalm) 116:15 Precious in the sight of The Most High is the death of his set-apart ones [saints].
Our Messiah remembered the death of his set-apart ones when he visited the Temple for Hanukkah and he considered it no trivial matter. Not only was he there to remember the saints who died for their love of The Most High and his Torah, but he was there most importantly because he was zealous for his Father’s House. Only a few chapters earlier, in John 2, we saw the righteous indignation that he displayed over the way that his Father’s house was being defiled by the money-changers.
He was essentially doing the same thing as Judah Maccabees did 164 years earlier when he cleansed the Temple of all who would defile his Father’s house. Eight chapters later, he was once again displaying that he was indeed “zealous” about the re-dedication of his Father’s house. Beloved, this was no coincidence that he cleansed the Temple of the money-changers and then “8” chapters later, he was there to celebrate the Feast of Dedication!
Tehilliym (Psalm) 69:9 For the zeal of your house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me.
Yahuwchanon (John) 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of your house has eaten me up.
The five wise virgins in Matthew 25 are the ones who “follow the lamb wherever he goes” (Revelation 14:4) and this means that they imitate him and his way of worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth. Did our Messiah celebrate Hanukkah?Absolutely!
Let us therefore rightly divide the “word of truth” from the entire counsel of scripture (to include the book of Esther & Maccabees). And may we follow the example of our High Priest, Messiah Yahusha who is the author and finisher of our faith:
Ibriym (Hebrews) 12:2 Looking unto Yahusha the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the Taw (cross), despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of Elohiym.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
BENEFITS OF KINGDOM CITIZENSHIP
Matthew chapter 28
Today we are walking in: Benefits Of Kingdom Citizenship
Numbers 24:7
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom H4467 shall be exalted.
KINGDOM
Today we look to the word-KINGDOM- H4467 mamlâkâh, (mam-law-kaw') -dominion, (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm):—kingdom, king's, reign, royal
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 19:6
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Numbers 32:33
And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom H4467 of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom H4467 of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.
Deuteronomy 17:18
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, H4467 that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
The prophets proclaim..................
1 Samuel 10:18
And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, H4467 and of them that oppressed you:
Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Jeremiah 18:9
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom H4467, to build and to plant it;
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Kings 9:5
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom H4467 upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
1 Chronicles 17:11
And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom H4467.
Psalm 145:13
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Being a Kingdom Citizen is supposed to be about changing lives, not just changing locations. This is why people have been so weak. Our message has been off. Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, therefore go into all the world and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them the name of the Father, Son and Ruach HaQadesh teaching them everything I taught you and then I'll be with you. You do what Hamachiach says he'll be with you. What's the role of Yah’s children? Thousands of years humans have been around on earth officially established by Yahusha. The mandate he gave us was very clear and that was to influence and restore the world back to The Most High Yah's original purpose. Now write this down. Our mandate is to restore mankind back to The Most High Yah's original plan. That's our mandate as kings and queens. It is a very simple mandate. It's not to get people to heaven. There's been much confusion with regards to the purpose and the definition of us as a people. There's also been a problem or confusion about the relationship between us and the kingdom. I am here therefore to quickly clear up your confusion because I was confused myself for years until I began to understand how off we've been. Now take a look at this. Matthew 25 verse 34 you find these words written there. He says and He will call to those on his right and say unto them blessed are you of my father, receive your inheritance, the kingdom of The Most High Yah which has been prepared for you before the world began. That's found in Matthew chapter 25 verse 34. The kingdom of The Most High Yah existed before the world began. Matter of fact the kingdom has always been The Most High Yah's original purpose and plan for your life. Therefore the key to the kingdom was the influence of heaven on earth by the Ruach HaQadesh through the agency of mankind. That's what The Most High Yah wanted. The Most High Yah's kingdom was to come to earth, through the Ruach HaQadesh, living in mankind to influence earth until Earth begins to look like heaven. The Most High Yah wanted the kings of Earth, mankind, to rule earth for The Most High Yah by the Ruach HaQadesh living inside of man to influence earth with The Most High Yah's character and The Most High Yah's principles and The Most High Yah's precepts. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is supposed to be on earth without earth going to heaven. The fall of man therefore caused the departure of the Ruach HaQadesh from the spirit of man which therefore caused man to lose the kingdom influence of heaven on earth. You need to be connected. The Most High Yah's intent was for the Ruach HaQadesh to be your connection between heaven and earth to represent The Most High Yah. You cannot represent a government you are not in touch with. You cannot be an ambassador of a country you are not in touch with. So The Most High Yah's purpose for all of us is to be a family of ambassadors representing a government that's not in this world. It's out of this world and they are supposed to stay in touch with their government and when the government sends its directives to the Ambassador, he then administrates it in the territory. So whatever is happening in heaven begins to happen on earth because the ambassador is in touch with the government in heaven and he executes the government dictates on earth. That's why Yahusha said to the disciples, when they said teach us what to pray for, He said here's what to pray for. Our Father who is not on earth, holy is your name, pray thy kingdom come, thy will dictates, purposes be done where? On earth, just like it is in heaven. He said pray that. I want you to know that The Most High Yah has a plan to give you power over your circumstances. There's a power you can have that will give you authority over every disease that comes under your house. You drive it out by the power of the kingdom of The Most High Yah. You can have the power, the domination, the kingdom over your circumstances. When the Ruach HaQadesh left man, man became an ambassador on a telephone. A sinner is an ambassador without a telephone system, with a cut wire by disobedience. Yahusha came as the reconnecter. He said my prayer is in my father's will. Just how you would not give your son a stone if he asked you for bread or a snake for an egg even so my father is delighted, finds passion, in giving you the Ruach HaQadesh to reconnect you. We as Yah’s children are supposed to be an embassy. What are you connected to?Are you connected to a church or a heavenly embassy? We are supposed to be a family of ambassadors. What is the kingdom of heaven? The kingdom of heaven is the domain of heaven where the King The Most High Yah Himself rules and reigns. He exercises authority and power over that territory. The kingdom of heaven is a domain of heaven where the king The Most High Yah rules and reigns. Heaven is not earth. Heaven is a real place, it is a territory, it is an actual place. The Most High Yah is the king of the highest heavens.
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