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When we hear these words as a timely warning, we immediately think of a physical storm weather wise and make an effort to be prepared. Usually the preparation will be according to the forecast of how bad and strong the storm will be. Windows are shuttered, loose items tied down etc. In other words we take action to prevent as much damage to property, and then find safe locations for ourselves and our families, hoping the storm will pass us by.
In the life of a disciple\believer in Messiah, this storm is a spiritual one and is reflected in Matthew 25, the parable of the 10 virgins and in Yeshua/Jesus own words in Mark 13:33 He told us to stay alert and be ready, in season and out.
Several times we are warned to be awake and ready, to be prepared for spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6. We need to understand we are in a constant battle and will be all the days of our lives on earth. There is a reason this message is repeated often it’s because many of us drift back to sleep immediately the danger is over, as we get through one storm in life then we relax, heaving a big sigh of relief; that is when the enemy will attack when we let our guard down, because being comfortable raises casualties.
In the same way we keep our eye on the weather and physically prepare when a storm is coming, we are to be alert, on guard and watching spiritually for storms in the spiritual realm, the dimension we cannot see with physical eyes. The devil is looking for those he can devour, those who are like the five bridesmaids who were not only asleep but were not prepared, they had no oil. Waiting until the storm hits, is not the time to prepare, we need to be in a continuous state of spiritual preparedness.
We have many gadgets and gauges to help us determine the weather conditions and temperature, thermometers, barometers, hydrometers etc. etc. Weather stations for wind speeds; even in nature pine cones know if is wet or dry.
In the believers life, we have our Heavenly Fathers’ Holy Spirit to help us discern the signs of the times; we need to be aware of the increase in the intensity of the spiritual storm that is coming.
We may know
where we are and
who we are
but do we really understand
where we are?
This too has application in both realms. We know where we are physically, a location and address, but where are we spiritually in our faith walk and relationship with the Lord? Have we grown and matured in the last year?
We know who we are physically, our name, our mode of life, occupation, abilities, identity status etc. but do we know who we are in the spirit? Are we identifying ourselves with what the word says we have become in Christ and are we operating in the spiritual gifts imparted to our born again from above spirit? Are we warring a good warfare by the words spoken over us?
1Timothy 1:18 -21 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before concerning thee, that thou by them mightest wage a good warfare, and, “Hold fast to faith and to a good conscience.”
Finally and probably the most important point, do we know when we are?
In the natural according to age it may mean the stage all being at high school, College, University, career, a level on the occupation ladder or marital status, raising a family or retired etc. All the stages of the natural life. However do we appreciate the spiritual significance of when we are? Meaning our position in the timeline of our Heavenly Fathers plan of the ages.
Since Yeshua/Jesus day, He declared we are in the last days, acharit ha-yamim, the end times and that was two thousand plus years ago. John said little children this is the last hour. 1John 2:18.
The Greek phrase “in the last days” (ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις) refers to the prophesied “End of Days,” sometimes called acharit ha-yamim (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים) in Hebrew. Eschatos (ἔσχατος) refers to the end point of a sequence, indicating its outcome or final expression.
Many think the last days are yet to come, but we were born into the last days and they are rapidly coming to a close. The signs of the times are evident all around us, the increase of violence being one of the more obvious indicators. 2Tim.3. The decline in moral standard and family unity, plus the falling away from the truth of God’s word. The days of Noah and Lot were not just destructive floods of water and fire from heaven they were times of horrendous spiritual conflicts caused by fallen angels who perverted and corrupted all of creation. Gen. 6:7. Is.24:1.
So much so that the Lord God had to destroy their meddling. But He also promised in Genesis 9:11 that He would not destroy the earth again by water, so we can expect only localized flooding and fire from heaven in the form of fire balls and other space debris falling to earth. The biggest flood will be spiritual in nature- challenging our beliefs and our faith. 2 Tim 3:1-13 warns of deceptions, false christs, fallen angels of light and temptations fed to us by demonic entities who are inter-dimensional by nature, not from other planets. They will offer alternate explanations of who we are, where we are from, and when we are. It behoves us to be prepared and fixed on the firm foundation of the rock of our salvation in Messiah Yeshua haMashiach. Matthew 7:24-26. See that you are not deceived.
We must wake up to the realization of when we are in the plan of the ages. Time is short, don’t let it run out before we are ready. Don’t be caught unawares or taken by surprise. We are not to be afraid or scared whether the storm is physical or spiritual, we are to be prepared; and the time for that preparation is now. If we are following the days of counting from the Omer to Shavuot/Pentecost this is also a reminder for spiritual preparation. The disciples were told by Yeshua/Jesus to wait in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem for 49 days, preparing, so they would be ready for the Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit, to be imparted to them at Shavuot/Pentecost. They received power from on high, to equip and enable them to fulfill their callings and destiny in Him. We have freely received and should also be ready, following the count to Shavuot helps in that preparation, especially if we have been taking a spiritual nap!
Fill that oil lamp today, don’t be distracted and put off what we know we must do and be about our Father’s business. Be ready so we can help others and point them to the answer to life; to the truth of where we are, who we are, and when we are… because a storm of supernatural proportions is surely coming and having done all, we are to stand and see the salvation of our Lord. Be certain that He will come as surely as daylight chases away the darkest night. Let us be ready, prepared and looking for His return and be found that good and faithful servant, then we will enter into the full presence and joy of our Heavenly Father. Matt. 25:23.
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
In Matthew 5:8 we read that Yeshua/Jesus said
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.
When we read familiar verses we think we know what they mean however if we were to offer an explanation to someone else what would we say?
What did He mean to be pure in heart and
how can we see God as we are told in
Ex. 33:20..
no man has seen god and lived.
Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
Purity is not the same as innocence, it’s much more. Purity makes us think of undefiled, in the way we would think of a small child who still does not know what evil is or the difference between right and wrong. But the purity Jesus/Yeshua spoke of is the result of continued spiritual harmony with our Heavenly Father. It is something that increases and we have to grow in purity by our walk, our lifestyle. The only way we can be truly pure in heart is to give our lives to Messiah and ask Him to do the cleansing work. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” God is the one who makes our hearts pure –
Our life with the Lord may be right with Him and our inner purity cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb, however, from time to time we may have spots, stains and wrinkles on our outer life. We are not protected from these by our Father because this is the way we become aware of the necessity of keeping our spiritual vision through personal purity. If there is anything on the outer level of our spiritual life that is out of alignment with Him we must stop immediately and focus on putting it right. Yeshua/Jesus said the pure in heart will see God. This is not literal as in this physical realm, it’s spiritual vision which is dependent on our character.
Initially our Heavenly Father makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace/chen, however we must be continually vigilant on a day to day basis. We are not to become casual in our walk or relationship with the Father or we will inevitably become a casualty. The spots, wrinkles and stains of sin come to us through our physical interactions with other things and people that we encounter and interact with; including other points of view and the temptations of worldly pursuits, activities and pleasures. Not only must our inner courts and sanctuary (some translations say temple), be kept in right relationship with the Father, but also our outer courts must be brought into perfect harmony with the purity our Heavnely Father gives us through His grace.
The outer court of the gentiles was where everyone (sinners) was welcome but the inner court/ the holy place, and the holy of holies/the sanctuary, only the priests were allowed and no sin was to enter. We are to relate this to ourselves and our physical bodies as the temple and sanctuary where His Holy Spirit resides within us in the innermost part of our being. The Temple is the whole construction, the whole building equal to the complete person.
The root of most of our problems is not our Heavenly Father’s fault. Through physical relations with ungodly things and people and activities, we open ourselves up to spiritual relationships with the demonic entities that are at the root of everything that is contrary to His Word and will for us. There is no grey area, it is either black, evil, anti god/Christ or it is white, good, godly and pure. The world and all its systems are not our Fathers…yet, they are all part of the satanic kingdoms developed by the adversary; these same ones offered to Messiah in Luke 4:6.
We have to come out and be separate (2Cor 6:17), from everything that is tainted, if we don’t then we risk yielding to those original sins of pride and disobedience. In these we open the door to having other ‘gods’ before Him, just like Solomon with foreign wives, lovers, things and people we yield ourselves to, which in turn lead us to entertain foreign demonic entities and other gods. Those things and people to whom we join ourselves/cleave to, have a relationship with in the physical, will directly affect to what and whom we cleave/join ourselves to and have a relationship with spiritually.
Our spiritual vision and understanding is immediately blurred and compromised when our outer court has spots and wrinkles; so if we want to maintain personal relationship with Yeshua and the Father, it will mean not doing or thinking certain things. It will require cutting off those areas or individuals that cause us to stumble and as we mature, some things that are acceptable for others will not be acceptable for us in our Fathers eyes.
Trying to see others as our Father sees them and not measuring by our standards or those He has set for us, will help us keep personal purity in our relationships with others. Phil 1:6 He who has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion…with our co-operation. Let’s allow Him to do that work in us, time is running out.
The pure in heart will see God our Heavenly Father in a spiritual sense and awareness while on earth, knowing His presence continually; and eventually we will see Him when we leave this physical realm when
we shall be like Him, 1 John3:2 and
we shall behold His glory face to face.
2 Cor. 3:18
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
When our Heavenly Father said He loathed their sacrifices concerning the feasts/appointed Times/moedim, and the other requirements, it was not that He despised the ordinances themselves. Why would He? He set them in as the seasons of the annual cycle of life and the prophetic representation of Messiah who would fulfill all the feasts and meanings of them. If Yeshua/Jesus is God the Father in the flesh, He would not, as the Son, change the Fathers ordinances. God, our Heavenly Father does not change His mind, He is not a human; He is Spirit. He perceived that they were performing the sacrifices as an expression of self-righteousness, showing their indifference to the claim that God was in their hearts; and heart motivation is extremely important. Proverbs 21:2,3,4,27.
All His ordinances are good and Holy/ set apart/ in harmony with Himself, but they are to be entered into with deep sincerity and with an honest awareness of their true significance. To sacrifice in carelessness and ignorance will cause damage to our own souls, so we must never allow our spirit to become callous and hardhearted.
Now, is always a good time to check just what is our heart attitude?
The Pharisees and Sadducees were full of themselves, they added laws and ordinances to those given by the Lord. They saw themselves as better than the people, not equal to them; they did not keep a servant hearted attitude and much of what they did was just for show. Look at Yeshua/Jesus’ statement in Luke 11:37 – 44 …Woe to you Pharisees… . it was the same in His day just as at the time referred to in our title, the loathing… pride, arrogance and holier than thou attitude.
They had changed the truth of God to their religious standard for the people, but didn’t keep it themselves. Yeshua/Jesus was hard on this behavior because He knew what He had come to do, as he said in John 17:4. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
His purpose was the Father’s purpose in the process of being fulfilled for 4000 years; which was the redemption of mankind in the fullness of time. No one killed Yeshua/Jesus, no one murdered Him by their choice. The death of Messiah is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of our Heavenly Father. There is no place for seeing Yeshua/Jesus as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him, something that might have been prevented. His death was the very specific reason He came, it was His determined purpose.
We must never build our case for forgiveness simply on the thought that God is our Father and He will forgive us just because He loves us; that contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach; and it makes the cross unnecessary and the redemptive work as nothing.
Our Father God forgives sin only because of the death of Messiah.
A life for a life, because the life is in the blood (Lev 17:11), and He cannot forgive people in any other way than by the death of His Son because of the established covenant. (Abraham and the willingness to offer his son Isaac.)
Hence all of the animal sacrifices and the appointed times which followed until Messiah came. Yeshua/Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. We see Jesus/Yeshua in Hebrews 2:9 for the suffering and death crowned with glory and honor. The greatest cry of triumph ever heard in the ears of a shocked universe was that which was released from the cross – it is finished. That is the final word in the redemption of humankind and the fulfillment of the promise in Genesis 1. If the devil had known the fullness of the Fathers plan he wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of Glory. 1Cor. 2:8. This was the hidden mystery of the gospel revealed in His death and resurrection – a whole new being, eternal in nature, unknown until that process was completed/ finished. He was the first born from the dead, both physical and spiritual, no longer separated from the Father.
Anything that lessens, detracts from or completely obliterates the holiness of our Heavenly Father through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of Him as revealed by Jesus/Yeshua. We view love from a standpoint of a human emotion, a feeling; it’s not the same as the love of our Heavenly Father, His Love is truth. We must never allow ourselves to believe that Jesus/Yeshua stands with us and against the Father out of pity and compassion, or that He became a curse for us out of sympathy for us. Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach, became a curse for us by divine degree, something we often do not fully comprehend. Our part in realizing and understanding the tremendous meaning of the curse which He became is the conviction of sin. Galatians 3:13. Conviction is given to us as a gift, to stir up shame and godly sorrow which leads us to repentance; it’s the great mercy of our Heavenly Father. Jesus/Yeshua hates the sin in people and Calvary’s cross is the measure and extent of His hatred. Ephesians 1:7 in Him we have the forgiveness of sin.
We must be aware of having a too cozy view of the father-hood of God, and our human thinking of Him as ‘daddy’ that we can twist around our little finger; that He is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought based solely on emotion, can’t be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which our Heavenly Father can forgive us, is the incalculable work of what was accomplished on the cross by Messiah. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy and unconscious blasphemy is actually denying Messiah and His victory over sin and death. The only ground on which He can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His presence and favor, is through the cross of Messiah.
There is no other Way, He alone is the Way.
Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the horrendous agony on that cross at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of His Holy Spirit and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to Him that made all of this ours for free.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of His free grace towards us. The cost to the Father was the cross of Messiah. To forgive sin while remaining a Holy God, this is the price that had to be paid. We must never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blocks out the atonement because the revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive; He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to Him through the atonement of the cross, and His forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm. Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small, sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. However what awakens the pouring forth of the deepest gratitude in an individual, is that our Heavenly Father has forgiven his or her sin. Paul never got away from this and neither should we. Once we realize all that it costs the Father to forgive each of us, we will be held tight, constrained by the love of God. Luke 11:37 – 44, 45.
Pesach/Passover week may be over but it is the crowning moment in time and eternity and we must not let our remembrance of it be for only once a year. Above all else, we must continue to preach Messiah/Christ and Him crucified, it is the power of God unto salvation....and in His resurrection we can live the new life He died to give us.
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
Once again we are at a Genesis,
the beginning of the spiritual year.
Nisan is the first month
of the Hebrew spiritual year
according to Exodus. 12:2.
Remembering this is a reminder to every believer that in this month the very first Passover took place.
This month becomes the starting point for the religious year, emphasizing the importance of the Passover event.
The concept of a new beginning is echoed in the Brit Chadashah/New Testament, where believers are called to a new life in Christ/Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:17).
it shall be the first month of your year.
Yes of course we remember that Messiah died and was resurrected at this season; and was the fulfillment physically and spiritually of the type and shadow in exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt.
The Exodus from Egypt was the birth of the nation of Israel. They cried out to the Lord because of their bondage and slavery to Egyptian rule, they desired to be free, to be delivered and saved. He heard their cries and came down to deliver them.
We cry out to the Lord to be saved and delivered from the slavery to sin, the bondage that we are born into that exists in the worlds systems, symbolically our Egypt; and He heard our cries and came down to save and deliver us.
Their protection from the final plague of the death of the firstborn of every family, was prevented by each household sacrificing a lamb and putting its blood on the door post and lintel of their homes. When the death Angel saw the blood of the sacrificed lamb the angel passed over that house and the firstborn did not die.
When I see the blood I will pass over you. Exodus 12:13
We focus so much all the wonderful and important events in Jerusalem during the days leading up to after the crucifixion of Messiah, we sometimes forget the importance of the shedding of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua’s blood.
Without the shedding of Messiah’s blood there is no forgiveness of sin,
Hebrews 9:22-28
because the life is in the blood. Leviticus 17:11.
Yeshua/Jesus’ blood was from His Heavenly Father and powerful enough to not only cover, but destroy and wipe away sin completely.
We are to spiritually apply the blood of Messiah to our lives, we are to place it spiritually by faith on the dalet, the doors of our homes.
The dalet,doors/entrances to our home/our physical bodies while on earth, these doors are the eyes, ears and mouths, entrances to the physical body.
In Leviticus 14:17, the blood was applied to the right ear, thumb, and right big toe of the priest, it signifies total consecration this in the areas of the mind, hearing, that the recipient would allow only and godly things to enter their ears and minds. Then in working, that the actions and occupations needing hands would be righteous and direction, walking, that the paths and places travelled to would be directed by the Lord. All secured first by atoning blood and then empowered by holy oil, symbolic of the Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit.
Yes it applies to believers as we are told in
Rev. 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. and 5:10You have made them to be kings and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.
When I see the blood I will pass over you.
When the Father sees the blood consistently applied to our lives, He passes over us and does not confer judgement on our lives because of sin, sin that results in death if not repented of. For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23
This should give us cause to rejoice not only at this time of the year but every day. Every time we stumble and repent and receive forgiveness, the blood speaks for us and cries mercy. Hebrew 12:24
This week rejoice in Messiah’s resurrection and the fulfillment of the plan of salvation set in place as an annual marker for everyone. Before Messiahs sacrificial death 2000+ years ago they all looked forward and for us we look back. But the verse in Exodus never changes..
when I see the blood I will Passover you.
More posts available for this season under
7 Festivals/Appointed Times on Homepage.
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
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