One of the most sobering truths in Scripture is that how we treat Israel directly affects how God deals with us. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is unambiguous: those who bless Israel are blessed, and those who curse Israel come under God’s judgment. This principle is not a relic of the Old Testament but a timeless spiritual law that continues today. I for one do not ever want to be cursed by God, yet some would invoke such a curse on their lives.

God’s Covenant Promise

When God called Abraham, He declared:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
— Genesis 12:2–3

This was not merely a promise to an individual but a covenant binding God’s people Israel to His eternal purposes. To curse Abraham’s descendants is to oppose God’s chosen instrument for blessing the families of the earth (and nations) – including the very Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came through Israel.

Balaam’s Warning

The prophet Balaam learned this truth the hard way. King Balak of Moab hired him to curse Israel, but every attempt failed. Why? Because God Himself had blessed Israel:

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
— Numbers 24:1

Balaam finally declared:

“Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
— Numbers 24:9

Balaam recognised that to curse Israel was to invite disaster upon oneself. The same principle holds today: nations, leaders, and individuals who speak curses or spread hatred against the Jewish people bring spiritual consequences upon themselves.

The Danger of Modern Anti-Semitism

We are witnessing in our own day a disturbing resurgence of anti-Semitic rhetoric—even among influential media figures. Commentators like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have platformed dangerous stereotypes and conspiratorial attacks on the Jewish people. Such rhetoric is not merely political speech—it is aligning with the spirit of those who have historically sought Israel’s destruction.

Christians must be clear: anti-Semitism in any form is a direct affront to God’s covenant and invites His judgement. As Paul warns in Romans 11:18, Gentile believers must “not boast against the branches,” for it is God who sustains Israel in His redemptive plan.

Standing with Israel: A Biblical and Moral Imperative

On the other hand, there are courageous voices like Charlie Kirk who boldly affirmed Israel’s right to exist and defend itself as the only democracy in the Middle East. Such a stance reflects the heart of Genesis 12:3—those who bless Israel will be blessed.

Supporting Israel does not mean ignoring its imperfections, but it does mean recognising God’s eternal covenant, defending the Jewish people against hatred, and praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

The Choice Before Us

Every believer and every nation stands at a crossroads: bless Israel and align with God’s promise, or curse Israel and invite judgement. Scripture leaves no middle ground.

Jesus Himself affirmed that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). To despise Israel is to despise the very root of our faith. To bless Israel is to walk in step with God’s eternal plan of redemption for all nations.

Please take note that the last supper was shared with Jewish men, Jesus disciples. The new covenant was promised in Jeremiah and was FIRST to the Jews (Romans 1:16). The birth of the Ekklesia (Church) was on the day of Pentecost where120 Jewish believers, waiting in the upper room, received the Holy Spirit; and then Peter preached boldly and 3,000 were added that day.

The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah
— Jeremiah 31:31

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
— Romans 1:16

As Christians, let us reject the poisonous curse of anti-Semitism, stand boldly with God’s people, and be among those who receive the blessing promised to Abraham.

I choose blessing over cursing, life over death, truth over lies, and the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness.  Please pray for repentance in the heart of those who are cursing Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.
— Psalm 122:6

King Jehoshaphat (יְהוֹשָׁפָט meaning ‘Jehovah has judged’; son of king Asa and himself king of Judah for 25 years; one of the best, most pious, and prosperous kings of Judah) visits the King of Israel (Ahab אַחְאָב  a wicked king) and although we know the King of Israel had 400 ‘prophets’ (1 Kings 22:6) Jehoshaphat asks is there a prophet of the Lord!  In other words the 400 prophets that the King of Israel had gathered were useless as they were simply a bunch of ‘yes men’.

Jehoshaphat wanted a true man of God to speak!

1 Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?”

The King of Israel says there is one man of God, but he does not like what he says.  The King of Israel wanted his ears tickled, but did not want to face up to the consequences  his own sin and the sins of his people.  He was offended by the word of the Lord because it found him wanting.

1 Kings 22:8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

Micaiah (מִיכָֽיְהוּ meaning ‘who is like God’; a prophet of Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of king Ahab of Israel) was a true prophet, not afraid to speak the true word of the Lord regardless of what others thought or the consequences.  The King of Israel hated Micaiah because Micaiah spoke the true word of the Lord.  If the King of Israel had repented and turned to the Lord all could have been made right.

We are facing a plethora of critical issues in Australia (Trans and gay agendas, ‘safe  schools’, euthanasia, abortion, prostitution, people trafficking, etc. ) and it is time we the Church need to be the word of the Lord to a nation desperately in need of salvation.

This is the word I felt for Australia, especially the Church, at this time.  I asked the Lord the same question that Jehoshaphat  asked: ‘Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?’.

I felt the Lord say that there will not be a single person to speak, but He wanted His Holy, Apostolic, Prophetic, Bride – His Church – to speak as one.

Sometime ago I saw a vision of leaders in every pulpit in the nation speaking the word of the Lord with power and truth.  Every congregation were on there knees crying out for His righteousness and truth.

The word being preached was without compromise, it was offensive to sinners and some saints alike, the word of the Lord was also life and salvation through repentance and belief.

As the clear word of the Lord was declared in unity across the nation many were convicted and fell to their knees crying out to the Lord for help and salvation.

Now is the time for all of us to be the prophet that Jehoshaphat had asked for, we all need to declare the truth of the word.  We the Church are called to manifest the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We will not win any popularity contests, but we will be His voice in a dry and thirsty land.

His Church is awesome and powerful, it is truly apostolic and prophetic.  The Lord is calling all of us to rise up and be His voice of truth in a land that has hundreds of false prophets who speak vanities.

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

In hebrew  בְּאֵר  לַחַי  רֹאִי    Bĕ’er la-Chay Ro’iy  is the
“well of the Living One seeing me” so let’s break down the words and understand the meaning of the place name.  Names have incredible meaning in scripture and we often overlook searching into names to find nuggets of truth.

• Be’er = water well (e.g. Beer-Sheva, Abrahams wells, aka well of seven)
• la-Chay = living one (same root as L’Chaim = to life)
• ro’iy = seeing me (similar to Roeh is a seer prophet)

Isaac found his destiny (wife Rebekah)  by coming the way of the “well of the Living One seeing me”.  It is so important that we travel on the heart journey by way of Beer Lahai Roi thus allowing the Lord to deal with deep heart issues.  Until we deal with our deep heart issues it is impossible for us to reach our destiny.

A well is a place of refreshing, spiritually we need to be refreshed on our journey.  It is the Holy Spirit that brings refreshing to us today. The living one seeing me is the process of refreshing when we allow it.  As we drink of Him we open our hearts for the Lord to see into our heart.

In our times of meditation and worship God looks into us, particularly into our hearts.  He is looking for people after His own heart.  We must travel this way often and ideally on a daily basis.

In the context of our heart journey, allowing the Lord to see into our heart is critical to us finding true identity, relationship, purpose and destiny in Him.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Once we understand the need for us to open our hearts transparently to the Lord  we are then in a place where He can sort out the eternal issues of our lives. Issues include sin, loneliness, anxiety, distrust, and doubt etc.

There are examples of journeys taken by those before us. The bible describes Peter at three different points in his life. In Mark 14:26-31 and Mark 14:66-72, we see a fearful, embarrassed Peter (Simon) denying Jesus three times immediately following his arrest in Jerusalem. A different Peter is seen in Acts 4:5-20 after Jesus was crucified. This much-changed, empowered Peter healed the lame and boldly proclaimed Jesus before the Jewish authorities. John 21:1-19 provides yet another view of Peter’s heart journey. In this scripture, Peter and the other disciples encounter the risen Lord on the sea of Galilee, the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples after being crucified. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?…then feed my sheep.”  Peter needed Jesus to see into his heart in John 21 to be restored to Peter the rock and not just be the Simon he had been.

King David also knew this and even when he had sinned grievously knew he needed a complete repentant change of heart that only our relationship with the Lord can produce.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It is when our hearts are open that we can be healed of the orphan spirit that separates us from Abba Father (Romans 8:15).  This is what Jesus did for us on the cross and is what the Holy Spirit is ministering to us right now.

Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly. My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

The heart cry of us all is to know Him as God our Father. This is true whether we know Him or not. It is only when we are in true heart relationship with Him we are truly free.  So our prayer for you all today is that you would know the Lord and your heart would be His.  We pray that you would come by the way of Beer Lahai Roi and allow the Lord into your heart so that your heart beats in sync with His heart.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 ‘This is the first and great commandment.’ 39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

Harry Bell

16 year old Christian – Harold Wickham (Bell) who gave his life for his mates and for Israel was a young farmer who attended a Presbyterian Church.

John 15.13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Harry enlisted under his uncle’s surname and lied about his age. On the 31st October 1917 he charged Be’er Sheva with the rest of the Australian Light Horse.

He could see little orange flashes and could hear whistling overhead. “I wonder what that is?” Harry thought. His answer came all too soon, as a machine gun round smashed into his leg. He never thought such pain existed – the force of the round threw him from the horse. He bounced along the ground and came to a halt in the dirty, broken soil. The sound of thundering hooves warned him to cover his head as another wave of horsemen galloped over him.

He glanced down at his leg, it lay at a grotesque angle, the result of the bullet shattering his femur. Then things started to blur as he succumbed to the pain, which lapsed him into unconsciousness.

As he struggled to regain consciousness, he felt the warmth of morphine, interrupted intermittently by the sharpness of excruciating pain.

As the padre sat next to him, Harry asked how the regiment had fared. “We took the town Harry, and the blokes and horses are enjoying a good drink.”

Harry lapsed in and out of consciousness throughout the night. In the morning he was still alive but only just. The padre again called on him. “Make sure they get the headstone right,” Harry screamed, and with that the young trooper went limp.

Harry (Harold Bell) wanted his real name on his tombstone.

Exactly 100 years later, to the day 31/Oct/2017, we see the fruit of Harry’s and others sacrifice in the following photograph at the Be’er Sheva street parade held after the memorial service.

Australia and New Zealand win together

The capture of Beersheba (Be’er Sheva in modern Israel) was a turning point in the struggle between the British and Ottoman Empires in the Middle East in the First World War. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade played a key part in the capture of the town by the Australian Light Horse.

Twice in 1917 the British-led Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) had failed to take Gaza, the gateway to Palestine. Its third attempt focused on Beersheba, on the eastern (inland) flank of the Ottomans’ defensive line. While three British infantry divisions attacked the main Ottoman defences on the outskirts of Beersheba, the Australian Light Horse rode in a wide arc to the east to attack the town from the rear.

On the morning of 31 October 1917 men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade attacked Tel el Saba (now called Tel Be’er Sheva), a fortified hill 3.2 km north-east of Beersheba. After six hours of hard fighting the New Zealanders captured the hill which was held by 3 Turkish heavy machine gun companies.

Of biblical note is that Tel Be’er Sheva is the ancient Be’er Sheva of Genesis where Abraham dug wells and made covenant.  These wells have been re-dug by the Israeli government and have sweet water once again.

The way was now clear to attack Beersheba itself, but daylight would soon fade. In a daring action, the 4th and 12th Australian Light Horse regiments charged in from the south-east with bayonets drawn, taking the Ottoman defenders by surprise. The town and its important wells were soon secured and the enemy retreated. By the end of the day at least eight New Zealanders had been killed and 26 wounded.

Without the brave action by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade the 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade charge would have failed miserably due to withering Turkish machine gun fire.

With time running out for the Australians to capture Beersheba and its wells before dark, Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel, the Australian commander of the Desert Mounted Corps, ordered Brigadier General William Grant, commanding the 4th Light Horse Brigade, to make a mounted attack directly towards the town. Chauvel knew, from aerial photographs, that the Turkish trenches in front of the town were not protected by barbed wire. However, German bombing had forced the 4th Brigade into a scattered formation and it was not until 4.50 pm that they were in position. The Brigade assembled behind rising ground 6 kilometres south-east of Beersheba with the 4th Light Horse Regiment on the right, the 12th Light Horse Regiment on the left and the 11th Light Horse Regiment in reserve.

The Australian Light Horse was to be used purely as cavalry for the first time. Although they were not equipped with cavalry sabres, the Turks who faced the long bayonets held by the Australians did not consider there was much difference between a charge by cavalry and a charge by mounted infantry. The Light Horse moved off at the trot, and almost at once quickened to a gallop. As they came over the top of the ridge and looked down the long, gentle open slope to Beersheba, they were seen by the Turkish gunners, who opened fire with shrapnel. But the pace was too fast for the gunners. After three kilometres Turkish machine-guns opened fire from the flank, but they were detected and silenced by British artillery. The rifle fire from the Turkish trenches was wild and high as the Light Horse approached. The front trench and the main trench were jumped and some men dismounted and then attacked the Turks with rifle and bayonet from the rear. Some galloped ahead to seize the rear trenches, while other squadrons galloped straight into Beersheba.

Nearly all the wells of Beersheba were intact and further water was available from a storm that had filled the pools. The 4th and 12th Light Horse casualties were thirty-one killed and thirty-six wounded; they captured over 700 men. The capture of Beersheba meant that the Gaza-Beersheba line was turned. Gaza fell a week later and on 9 December 1917, the British troops entered Jerusalem.

And one of the things that is very interesting is that the Light Horse had the highest number of Indigenous soldiers in any regiment within the AIF in WWI.

Fighting Mac (Chaplain)

In August 1914, war was declared and Fighting McKenzie (William McKenzie, Chaplain thanks to Warwick Marsh) was one of 416,809 volunteers who served in the Armed Forces. The population of Australia was fewer than 5 million people at the time. On a country by country basis, Australia had more troops at war per head of population and suffered higher death rates and casualty rates, than any other country that fought in the first World War.

Fighting Mac personally buried hundreds of young Anzacs, often in the middle of a hail of bullets. During this period, he developed a life-long hatred for war. He wrote:

“Many of the bravest and the best are gone… War is nothing short of insensitive folly. It is inconclusive in its results and devastating in its ultimate consequences.”

Other soldiers described the duty and demeanour of this humble but courageous chaplain:

“Among the duties of this Anzac chaplain – dubbed ‘Anzac Mac’ or ‘Fighting Mac’ by the men who had grown to love and respect him – was searching for the wounded and dead, as well as identifying bodies and giving them a decent burial and advising relatives by letter. Although officially forbidden from remaining in the front lines or from taking part in battles, Mac had no intention of standing idly by while, ‘my boys fight’.”

Prayer

The mateship, self-sacrifice and bravery, in the face of impossible odds, shown in the battlefields of World War I, exemplifies the values that have made Australia great.

May the Anzac and Light Horse anointing of God, mateship, honour, strength, service, bravery, and self-sacrifice rise in Australia for the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

We pray that these eternal values rise again in Australia, that the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ stand and proclaim the truth of the Gospel, that this nation of Australia repent of its sins and fully turn back to the Lord.

We also call forth the Joseph calling and anointing that Australia will fulfil its God given call to provide to the nations, both physically and with Christian mission.

Father in heaven, we ask that you be the head of this nation of Australia, and that you bless us your sons and daughters in service for your Kingdom.

Lest we forget.

Photos from October / November 2017 Israel trip.

Background

As a bit of background, we will quickly look at Malachi 4:2. Once we understand this passage, we will be able to see the basis of the woman’s faith that caused her reach out and touch the hem of His garment.

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;

First, the translation of ‘sun’ can also be translated ‘servant’ as it is the same word (shin mem shin) with different vowel pointings (which were added around 600AD).  This then renders as the servant of righteousness which is clearly Yeshua or Lord.

Secondly, the word wings in Hebrew is kanaph and can be translated corner or skirt, as well as the wings of a bird. The knots of the tassels at the corners (wings) of the prayer shawl, were called tsiytsiyt, or fringes.

Refer to Ancient Hebrew Research Center – The Tsiytsiyt and the Sun of Righteousness this for a detailed look at Malachi 4:2.

This prophecy of the Messiah from Malachi was fulfilled when the woman who had the issue of blood touched the ‘hem of his garment’ which can also be translated from the Greek as fringe or corner.

So when the woman reached out to touch Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt, she was acting on the word of God. It was not just a random idea, but a purposeful, faith based action based on scripture.

Daughter

I have been looking at these passages of scripture over the last few weeks, and came to an amazing revelation!  All sermons I have ever heard on this story focus of the woman’s faith, yet miss a key word. The faith message is true and powerful but misses something much more important.

They key word of this passage is the word Daughter!!  Let me explain…

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Due to her condition, this woman was continually ceremonially unclean.  This meant she was disconnected from her family and community. She was ostracized, rejected, shunned, treated as unclean, and unable to attend temple or synagogue to worship for 12 long years.

Further, if she touched a man such a Pharisee, especially if that happened in Jerusalem, she, under the Pharisaical interpretation of law could have been whipped and possibly stoned. So when she touched Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt she was taking a huge risk as she technically made Yeshua unclean until sunset. The Pharisees could have had her whipped, yet she knew she would be healed if she acted on His word.

Yeshua’s first word to her was Daughter (Hebrew: בַּת (Bat) ) !!  In that one word every rejection, every hurt, all loneliness, all pain, and all disconnection was made whole.  Yeshua did not call her woman, but the intimate family word Daughter.  Such freedom, such deliverance, such life came from using that one word.  Her relationship with God changed in an instant. This was and is an eternal miracle that completely transcended the physical healing she received.  Yeshua was 100% representing Abba (Father) when He called her Daughter and recognised her as part of the family of God.

Understanding

The change of perspective of this amazing account is quite revolutionary. It leads us to see again that the basis of faith is relationship – i.e. not something we work or strain for but something we live in due to who our Abba is.

Often we hear ‘just have faith’, or ‘only believe’  etc. yet this, for some, leads to some sort of works in terms of something we seem to need to do.  Once we know we are sons and daughters we believe without struggle as we know and trust our Lord.

At anytime we can just touch His tsiytsiyt and be made whole.  Healing is the children’s bread, and again children trust their mums and dads.  We trust Abba as children for all of our needs.

What was her name?

The scriptures do not explicitly tell us the lady’s name. However, let me share a story from a trip to Israel. We were hiring a car from El Dan car rentals in Jerusalem and the young  lady serving us had a name tag that said בַּתאֵל, and in English ‘Batel’ , that was her name. It stuck with me as it literally means Daughter (בַּת Bat) of the Lord Almighty (אֵל El) . I thought that was a wonderful and awesome name, we even chatted about it briefly.

My name for the woman in the scriptural account is Batel, Daughter of the Lord Almighty!  It is easy to infer this name, at least as a new name for her.   I’m sure this is a good extrapolation from scripture that is part of her story of healing and restoration. No longer the unclean woman, but instead Daughter of the Lord Almighty. In an instant, with one word from the Lord she is transformed.

Prayer

Papa God I come to you as your son/daughter and receive your love afresh at this time.

I reach out and touch your tsiytsiyt and receive Your healing for all my needs.

I thank you for the power released to me, and see that I am made whole.

You are awesome, and I love being in Your presence. Let me go out and bless others with your healing word, your love, and your power.  Amen!

Does the anointing break the yoke?
Absolutely YES!

Yes, the anointing of the Spirit of God does break the yoke of captivity! As Jesus powerfully declared in the synagogue at Nazareth, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him because the Lord had anointed Him to “proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” ( Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61:1-3 ).

The Spirit’s anointing brings liberty to captives, and that means breaking yokes (see also Acts 10:38 Jesus anointed with power). At the same time, it is a mis-translation in the King James Version of Isaiah 10:27 that gave rise to the saying “the anointing breaks the yoke.”

In the KJV, the end of the verse reads, “and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”

Transliterated from Hebrew to English , the passage reads, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of shamen” (pronounced Sha-Meyn).

What does the word shamen mean? The KJV translators understood it to be the equivalent of shemen [oil], which seemed to lead them to think of oil for anointing, and then to the anointing of The Spirit itself.

Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible where the word shemen [oil] by itself means “anointing”. (it is okay for the KJV translators to equate shamen with shemen as they have the same shoresh (root) but different vowel pointings; the error is when they translated it “anointing”)

So what is the correct translation?
It is best to understand shamen  ( שָׁמַן )  here as “fatness” (pronounced Sha-Meyn), which would produce a literal translation of, “The yoke will be destroyed because of the fatness.”

The New International Version expresses it well:
“In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat.”

So what does this look like?
Here we see an ox with a yoke on its neck, enslaving it to the will of its master, forcing it to a life of servitude.
But eventually, it gets so healthy, strong, bulked up, and fat that the yoke simply bursts from off its neck. That ox is now completely free! This is the freedom that Christ has bought us.

Another illustration is the Marvel comics character Bruce Banner, who transforms into the Incredible Hulk. Imagine Bruce Banner trapped in a yoke, and then he transforms into the Hulk and absolutely smashes the yoke into pieces.

And that is a picture for each of us when we find ourselves bound or oppressed or beaten into submission by the enemy.

We need to feed our spirits with the living Word of God day and night, we enter into His courts with praise, we continue in worship, we pray in faith, and share communion; and little by little we get so healthy, strong, full, and “fat” that suddenly the yoke of oppression has to be shattered. The fatness destroys the yoke!

Three things we need to action to be fat in the Spirit.

First, Psalm 100, especially verse 4 also Ephesians 5:19-20.  We enter His courts with praise and thanksgiving. This is so essential that we praise and give thanks. We need to sing and shout His praises.  Maybe read a Psalm a day if you need help in praise and thanksgiving.

Secondly, we need to feed on His word. John 6:51, 1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-14 all show us the need to be full of His word. We graze on His word, chewing it over and over by mediation on His word.  This is how we become fat and strong.

Thirdly, we need to speak the truth in faith. Matthew 17:20 tells us how mountains are moved by faith.  We also need to persist, hang in there, keep knocking, even when circumstances don’t align with His word. Matthew 7:7-8 (ask, seek, knock).  He is faithful and true and we put all our trust in Him.

Now we have the full revelation of this verse we can put it into full action in our daily walk. As we do so we are blessed.

It is time to smash the yokes that are holding us back!

It is a time to see Australia turn around and thousands come to Christ and be set free from the yokes of unbelief, humanism, and materialism.

There is much spiritual warfare in this season. This is evident by assassination attempts, Israel fighting for its survival, fraudulent elections, abhorrent laws being put forward by godless politicians (late term abortion, babies surviving abortions left to die, euthanasia, gender issues, legalising prostitution etc.).  We need to be able to fight, not flesh and blood, but in the heavenlies.

Habakkuk 3 – A Hymn of Faith

Let us look at Habakkuk 3 – a passage entitled ‘A Hymn of Faith’ and in particular v19.  Verses 17 and 18 are well known and a great statement of faith.

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labour of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls –
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician (or Chief Singer) . With my stringed instruments. ESV

A while ago Nel and I were discussing v19 and Nel quoted Habakkuk 3:19 from the Septuagint:

The Lord God is my strength, and He will perfectly strengthen my feet; He mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by His song.

We also looked and v19 from the OJB:

Hashem Adonai is my strength, and He will make my feet like the feet of a deer, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

Let’s look at the last part which is an instruction (don’t ignore the instructions like ‘selah’ etc.) – ‘To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.’ which comes from two Hebrew words:

נָצַח natsach to excel, be bright, be pre-eminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring
a. (Niphal) enduring (participle)
b. (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief

and

נְגִינָה nĕgiynah music, song, taunt song
a. music (of stringed instrument)
b. song
– taunting or mocking song

From drilling down we see idea of going to high places (where our authority and victory are). This is done via a song and music from the chief singer which in itself carries the idea of authority.  We have the ability to be the chief singer in our lives and metron (the realm of authority we are given by the Lord). This is worship (thanks and praise) which we know is key of Da’vid.  All the time we spend in worship brings forth His agenda and entering into His authority.

We also have the powerful idea of mocking our enemy.  As we worship the Lord the enemy is mocked!  We are seated in heavenly places with Christ! We enter into our rest, power, authority, all the promises we have in Christ when we are in Him; we connect via worship.  We are independent of our circumstances!

This is the word for this season.  We mock the enemy with a song of faith, thanks, praise and worship.  By doing so we mock the enemy as we overcome in Christ!

Eight Keys to Standing Strong in God’s Steadfast Authority

Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle

1. Abide in Christ – As you abide (rest), you are able to pray the things that are on God’s heart (agenda).  This is our starting point.
2. Mix praise and thanks and prayer together – Worship is the atmosphere where truth dwells. There is power released in worship warfare. God is greater than all enemy attacks.  This is the key of Da’vid.
3. Be steadfast in prayer and ready for battle – Know that you are in enemy territory, and you are here to fight for God’s Kingdom in prayer. Watch for those fiery darts, hold up your shield of faith, and put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6).  Hang in there!  The Lord is with you.
4. Stand upon the promises of God – Do not listen to the enemy. Speak God’s promises over your family, neighbourhood, city, and nation.
5. Know and Pray God’s Word – The Bible is filled with Scripture you can pray. Declarative prayer is a key way to exercise your authority in prayer. Try praying Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:3-19.  Declare the promises from the Pauline epistles.
6. Focus on God during times of warfare – The enemy will try to discourage you as to your authority. Focus on God instead of the things you see happening in the world. Remember, we have all authority in Christ.
7. Practise fasting on a regular basis – Fasting gives us spiritual power and strength to steadfastly stand against the enemy.
8. Let God’s peace rule in your heart – Come in the opposite spirit of the world system. An attitude of peace and joy in the midst of darkness is powerful (Colossians 3:15).  The shalom of the Lord comes as we spend time with Him.

This is how we battle, this is how we are victorious, this is how we prevail in prayer!  Singing our high praises and worship to the Lord.

We win by changing our focus from the issues to focussing on the Lord Jesus and our standing in Him.  We also must do this both individually and corporately as the Ekklesia.

Join Together for Prayer

If you do not have a good regular corporate prayer connection please consider joining us on the regular Canberra Declaration Zoom prayer meetings. Normally Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights 8.00pm AEST (Sydney Time) and other special prayer times.

It is really important that we pray together – the Kingdom is not about lone rangers; but that we should be one together.  This is where we gain power in prayer especially when dealing with major community and national issues. We support and encourage one another when we are family.

[Updated September 2024, Hebrew Elul 5784]

As requested, here is a copy of the blessing plus some explanation of the Awesome Power of Blessing (a book by Richard Brunton https://www.richardbruntonministries.org/  , bulk order here https://ruach-hakodesh.com/book-order/ ).

Richard writes in his book about the French words for cursing and blessing; ‘malediction’ (bad speaking) for curses and ‘benediction’ (good speaking). He says if ‘bad speaking’ was powerful, then ‘good speaking’ should be at least as powerful and, with God, much more powerful!

We know this is true from the bible which tells us to watch what we speak. It is best understood from Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Also Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

As Dads what we say matters, our words impact our family especially our children.  Controlling our words helps us control all aspects of our lives.

In Genesis chapter 25 Jacob gets Esau to sell his birthright, and in Genesis chapter 27 Isaac blesses Jacob.  I will not go into the details, but Jacob valued his father’s blessing and Esau traded it for a pot of red lentil stew. Blessing matters and has power! Jacob later becomes Israel.

I asked the group at the Men’s Leadership Summit if they had ever been blessed by their own fathers.  Only a few put their hands up, which was to me quite sad.

I asked a couple of Fathers with their sons to stand with the fathers’ hands on their sons’ shoulders as an example (thanks Warwick & Nathaniel, Rodney & Luke). We then declared a Father’s blessing over everyone and recommended they then bless their children individually when they got home.  This was an impactful moment for many.

Here is the blessing we declared over everyone; please take it, adjust/adapt it personally for each of your children, and use it to bless each child separately.  As you speak this blessing over each child in faith expect the Lord to answer this prayer and see what God will do. You can also pray a blessing over your wife!

I pray that our Father in heaven blesses each one of you who blesses others.

The Father’s Blessing

My child, I love you! You are special. You are a gift from God.
I thank God for allowing me to be a father to you.
I am proud of you, and I rejoice over you.

And now I bless you….
I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.
I bless your life with fruitfulness: good fruit, abundant fruit and fruit that remains.
I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath.

I bless the gifts that God has given you.
I bless you with wisdom to make good decisions and to develop your full potential in Christ.
I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others.

I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with your Lord.

You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

I bless you with good friends. You have favour with God and man.
I bless you with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you with an abounding and overflowing love, from which you will minister God’s grace and Gospel of salvation to others. Many will hear of the Lord from your mouth.

You will minister God’s comforting grace to others.

May you have intimacy with the Father in heaven and that this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.

You are blessed, my child!

You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

I bless you with all of these good things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Understanding the Gaza Conflict means acknowledging an unpopular truth: Palestinians are responsible for everything that is happening to them.

Up front I am a Zionist! To some this maybe a controversial statement for a Christian leader to make.  Let’s consider what it means: A Zionist is simply someone who supports the idea of a Jewish nationalist movement that has as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in the ancient traditional homeland of the Jews (Hebrew: Eretz Yisraʾel, “the Land of Israel”).

It is time to get the facts regarding the root of the Israel Gaza conflict. So here is a short summary that hopefully will clear up some misconceptions.

Palestinians are still whining about a war they lost 75+ years ago (1948/1949) and are unable to move on. Imagine if Germany would still bombard Russia and Poland daily out of spite for losing WWII. Every nation moved on from losing wars, even Egypt and Jordan, but not Palestinians.

Theodor Herzl – Father of Zionism

Theodor Herzl talked about returning to the homeland of the Jewish people, and he advocated doing this by buying land from Arab sheikhs, which Jews did.

This is what Theodor Herzl said: “It goes without saying that we shall respectfully tolerate persons of other faiths and protect their property, their honour, and their freedom with the harshest means of coercion.”

Now what did the Arabs do? They committed multiple massacres against Jewish immigrants, which naturally led to radicalisation from the Jewish side which is why militias like Haganah and Irgun emerged. Did Palestinians really think they could get away with murdering and massacring Jews for decades? What happened in 1948 was very much a story of reaping what you sow.

But what about the Balfour Declaration?

Nothing in the Balfour Declaration implies or suggests that there was any kind of colonization master-plan to expel Arabs. Also it was literally just a letter, and this is what was written: “It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed in any other country by such Jews who are fully contented with their existing nationality.”

The state of play in 1967

Now fast forward to 1967 the “Palestinian” land is controlled by Egypt and Jordan, Palestinians never owned the land or had sovereignty. Israel won again and legally annexed territories (from Egypt and Jordan) just like any other country during a war. Now pro Palestinians would like you to think that Israel has been brutally occupying, oppressing, and killing Palestinians between 1967 and 1987 (the year Hamas was founded) which is false, there is zero evidence that Israel was targeting Palestinians during this period. These are just lies common in muslim nations to demonise Jews.

Occupation?

There’s no occupation. They have their own governments (albeit dysfunctional and corrupt). In the Judea/Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza. They are not living in a prison. The wall around Gaza is on Israeli soil and it was built in response to terror attacks, and Gaza receives millions of dollars each year and Hamas leaders are billionaires. Not to mention they have 5 star hotels and resorts. They have schools, hospitals, they have everything. It was possible to turn Gaza into another Dubai but they chose not to do this. The people in Gaza chose and voted for Hamas, a group that is hell bent on destroying Israel and the genocide of the Jews.

Palestinians are responsible for everything that is happening to them. Israel should not be blamed for the bad choices that the Palestinians have made.

Further we must consider the historical Arab attempts at colonising from the 7th century onwards.   Refer: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1061707164860545

It is worth considering Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s comments on the subject.

“Until 1967, Israel did not hold an inch of the Sinai Peninsula and the West Bank, the Gaza Strip or the Golan Heights. Israel held not an acre of what is now considered disputed territory. And yet we enjoyed no peace.

Year after year Israel called for pleaded for a negotiated peace with the Arab governments. Their answer was a blank refusal and more war.

The reason was not a conflict over territorial claims. The reason was, and remains, the fact that a free Jewish state sits on territory at all.”

The question of Genocide?

Right now Hamas are the genocidal ones. A ceasefire enables Hamas who will continue to attempt to kill all Jews (which is their well published manifesto). Israel must end Hamas once and for all for everyone’s security.
Reference:  Israel is not committing genocide, but Hamas is.

To quote the article:

The crime of genocide, coined in 1944 by the Polish-Jewish jurist Raphael Lemkin to describe the systematic extermination of Jews by the Nazis, is one of the most serious accusations that can be leveled in international law. Today, it has a very specific definition under Article II of the Genocide Convention of 1948, meaning committing acts, including by killing, that are intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

It is important to underscore that the commission of genocide has nothing to do with the number of civilian casualties; the key element of the crime is the need to possess relevant “intent.” Whatever criticism one may have of Israeli policies or Israel Defense Forces (IDF) actions in Gaza, Israel is not seeking to destroy the Palestinian people, whether in whole, in part, or in any manner.

During a Nov. 20 briefing, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby eviscerated the inappropriate use of the term genocide to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza, forcefully stating:

“Israel isn’t trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel isn’t trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. So, if we’re going to start using that word, fine. Let’s use it appropriately.”

Whose land is it anyway?

Israel owns the land legally!
While there are some disputed territories; pro-palestinians saying ‘”From the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean), Palestine will be free” is in fact calling for the genocide of the Jews. The phrase is a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) to Hamas, which called for Israel’s destruction in its original governing charter in 1988.

Here is a detailed documentary by Hugh Kitson explain in great detail why Israel own the land legally:

Here is a much shorter presentation that also answers the question:  Melanie Phillips explains Israel’s right to the land.

In addition, this article (PDF) adds light to the subject.

How do we pray?

Please pray for peace by all means. We must pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). But, we must also pray that Israel prevails and that they will quickly put and end to Hamas which will help stabilise everything in the long run. Any long term peace deal must include Israel’s right to exist.

Finally עם ישרעל חי Am Yirael Chai – the people of Israel live.
All Israel will be saved Romans 11:25.

Yesterday I had a very interesting discussion with Papa Gideon Chiu regarding Ephesians 3, especially Ephesians 3:9-11.  These are my thoughts on this passage and contextual verses.

Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [Paul establishes his credentials, recognising his past, the saving grace of God, and his call to proclaim the good news]

9 and to make all [yes that is you and me] see [perceive, understand, comprehend, have revelation of] what is the fellowship [this is the family of God] of the mystery [what is the mystery? We are one family! see ^#1 below], which from the beginning of the ages [since creation, it has always been God’s plan] has been hidden in God [in God, we are in Christ and Christ is in us; this the mystery is revealed] who created all things through Jesus Christ [this mystery is revealed 100% through the work of Jesus on the cross];

10 to the intent that now the manifold [complete and multi dimensional] wisdom of God might be made known [revealed and understood] by the church [Ekklesia, family of God, body of Christ] to the principalities [rulers] and powers in the heavenly places [Ref: Ephesians 6:10-20, this is the basis of our authority, that we the family of God (Ekklesia and body of Christ) that are in Christ have all authority to deal with principalities and powers, so that Gospel will be proclaimed and the family will increase, people set free and healed],

11 according to the eternal [beyond this age, the 5 fold ministries has a time limit, but the family of God is eternal] purpose [this purpose is not ministry or our works which end when He returns, but is the creation and building of the family of God] which He accomplished [already done through the cross] in Christ Jesus our Lord [we are in Christ, this is a crucial understanding of who we the family of God are],

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him [Not because of what we have done, but who we are as family, sons and daughters of the most High].

13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. [Ref John 17:22 The glory of God manifest that we would be one]

When we understand the mystery and it’s purpose from the perspective of the eternal family of God everything makes complete sense.

It is as family we have authority and the call to proclaim the full gospel of the Kingdom, that people can be saved, delivered, and healed; and as a result the family of God increases.

The family of God, i.e. who were are as sons and daughters, is the basis of our existence, and the power and authority we have to do the will of the Father.

^#1 Mystery

Ephesians 3:4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body [family, also Ekklesia], and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel [we are one family]

Did you know the term ‘pure blood’ is completely demonic?

It comes directly from the J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter witchcraft books and movies.

The phrase was picked up by some extreme anti-vaxxers and has gone viral. Sadly Christians are using this phrase without grace or humility or concern for the Body of Christ.

Roots of the phrase ‘pure blood’

In the Harry Potter series, wizards and warlocks with the most magical progeny assigned as ‘pure bloods’ or ‘half bloods’; as opposed to ‘muggles’ who are mere humans who practise magic.

The character of Lord Voldemort in the book series was inspired by the same ideologies that gave rise to Adolf Hitler’s crusade during World War II.

Lord Voldemort’s ideology is centred around the superiority of ‘pure blood’ wizards, and his desire to rid the world of Muggle-born wizards and half-bloods; like Hitler who wanted to rid the world of Jews and non-Aryan ‘lesser races’.

According to Hitler, ‘blood purity’ would ensure the survival of the Aryan race and the ‘1000 Year Reich’. Laws were introduced to ensure blood purity within Nazi Germany and anyone who acted outside of these laws was deemed to have committed the crime of ‘rassenschande’, which translates roughly as ‘racial pollution’ or ‘racial crime’.

Refer to https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/blood-purity-and-nazi-germany/ for more information.

Inspect the Fruit (Judge rightly)

The fruit of this language is, sadly again, division in the Ekklesia, the Body of Christ.

Many Christians have very strong views either way; debates on this issue are fruitless and bring deep division in the body. Please read Romans 14 and understand the division issue.

By using such language Christians are opening up curses and attacks on themselves and their brothers and sisters in Christ.  This grieves me, and more importantly grieves the Lord.

God hates division!

These bible verses need to be prayed with a humble heart if needed.

Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him … especially 19b … And one who sows discord among brethren.

This division, is again, from the pit of hell and has no part in the Body of Christ. If you are using this phrase I humbly ask that you repent for the damage you are causing and potential curses upon yourself.

Jude shows us how to deal with these sorts of words. In verses 20 and 21 Jude calls us to pray in the Holy Spirit, keeping love central, and recognising the Lord’s mercy.

Jude 1:16-21 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual (fleshly) persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Freedom

We stand for freedom of choice, recognising that many Christians in good faith and good conscience before God have had vaccinations and others are against them. Each person must be able to choose for themselves and their children.

Please don’t conflate the two issues and have abundant grace for others point of view and convictions.

One of the most insidious effects of the coronavirus pandemic that has held our world in a vice like grip for nearly 2 years has been an incredible spirit of fear.

Fear of the virus, fear of global agendas, fear of vaccines, fear of not being vaccinated, fear of Government overreach, fear of others with a different view, fear of authority, etc.

The fruit of fear is division and a complete lack of trust in the Lord. The level of fear, vitriol, and distrust between fellow Christians astounds me! So many spend more time chasing conspiracies (see below) than seeking and worshipping the Lord. We must not live in fear, but live in the love and fear of the Lord !! The fear of the Lord brings His peace.

We are exhorted on how to live in Romans 12 and the essence of this is God’s family love to Him and one another. Coronavirus fear has taken so many away from this core message. It’s time to repent from fear and start loving !!

Fear – Here is the cure

I understand the phrase, “Fear not” appears 365 times in the Bible – one for every day of the year.
It appears numerous times in the Psalms and was the anthem of Jesus’ ministry.
That phrase implies we have some control over the level of our personal fears.
Maybe we can ease the torment by guarding the information we ingest.

We can minimise and eliminate our fears by changing our focus and dwelling on the Lord and His word !!
We do this by praise and worship, reading the word, and spending time in His presence.
The victory over fear and situations is well illustrated by the account in 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 where the worshippers went out in front of the army and brought a massive victory without Israel having to fight.

A child may awaken in the night terrified by a nightmare or a scary noise outside the window.
They cry out to their father, who would come sit on the edge of their bed and reassure then that everything was all right.
Knowing he was there beside them, they feel secure enough to fall back asleep and rest in peace.

The answer to our fears is the presence of our heavenly Father.  He is with us even before we pray.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jonah 2:2 In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 

Romans 8:35, 37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

John 13:34  A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Romans 8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Conspiracies

While conspiracy theories often have some elements of truth, upon which supposition and lies are built, there is a bigger question…

How do we as Christians respond?

1. Don’t re-post them !!!
2. Point people to the truth of the word of God and especially the Gospel
3. Minister Truth, Love, Hope, Faith, Healing, Provision and above all the message of Salvation
4. We have the answer and His name is Jesus !!!
5. Our focus is the Kingdom of God
6. Our security is completely in Jesus Christ, crucified, raised, and ascended
7. We carry the word of God to a sick dying world !!!

Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. *See that you are not troubled*; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “*All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth*. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 8:12  Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the Prince of Peace. You came to give us your peace. It’s nothing like the world gives. It is peace born in the freedom we have in you, a gift to all God’s children—to guard our hearts and minds.

I can’t escape the troubles of this world. I may face financial difficulties, relationship breakdowns, a health crisis—so many scary challenges. But you tell me to “take heart,” to be encouraged, because you have overcome the world. You have overcome all the things that would discourage and defeat us. I am grateful for your peace that is beyond all my circumstances.

Elul is the month, Teshuvah is repentance, also the King is accessible, Also this is a time a charity.

The four letters of the name Elul (אלול) are an acronym for the phrase in “Song of Songs” (6:3): Ani l’dodi v’dodi li – “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.”

Jews read Psalm 27 daily.

It’s the 6th month, and is preparation for the 7th month (Tishrei), which has Rosh Hashanah (religious new year, yes there are 4 new years in Hebrew)

Rosh Hashanah is biblically Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎), literally “day of shouting or blasting”, and is also more commonly known in English as the Feast of Trumpets.

Then follows Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement.

Now (Elul) is where we are called to pray and repent, but God (the King) is accessible (in the field), this is to get our hearts right for the high holy days in the next month.

Of course this is Old Testament thinking, We have access all the time through Jesus.

Also Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is at this time. Beginning on the eve of the 15th of Tishri and commemorating the shelter of the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness. aka: Feast of Booths, Succos, Succoth, Sukkoth, Tabernacles.
This models God dwelling with us.

FYI The number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible and most often refers to a period of testing or trial.

Here are a few examples:

– Yeshua (Jesus) fasted for 40 days in the Judean wilderness following His mikvah (baptism) by John.
– The Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33–34).
– Moses tended sheep for 40 years for his father-in-law, Jethro, before he was called to lead the Jewish nation from captivity in Egypt. He also fasted on two separate occasions on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights while receiving the law from God (Exodus 24:18; 34:1–28).
– Jonah gave the people of Nineveh a 40-day warning: “Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ (Jonah 3:4)” In this case, the 40 days was a period of warning that allowed the people of Nineveh to repent and turn from their evil ways.
– In Noah’s day, during the Flood, the waters poured out for 40 days and 40 nights, judging the people of the earth.
– Both Moses and Yeshua fasted for 40 days as they communed with God during times of testing. The 40 years spent by the Israelites in the wilderness was a judgment of God.

So, we see, therefore, that God uses the number 40 to represent a period of testing or of judgement, and for that reason this next 40-day period is taken very seriously.

It is God’s presence that made the Israelites distinct from those nations around them. Without God, they were lonely, lost wanderers. With Him, they were following their Mighty Leader in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.

It is God’s presence that makes the journey of life not just bearable but victorious! Our God knows us personally! He knows our names, cares for our every need, and enables us to do exploits for His Glory. Why would we want to go anywhere without Him?

During Moses’ conversation with God, Moses asks to see God’s glory. I love God’s response:

Exodus 33:19 (a) Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.”

Exodus 33:20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

Can you imagine this scene? It’s amazing! Moses asked and God granted.  It gets better for us. Because of the work of the Cross we can behold His face 2 Corinthians 3:18 .

We carry the very presence of God as the Holy Spirit indwells us.  Colossians 1:27 tells us that Christ is in us, the hope of glory.

As carriers of His presence, we worship, pray, declare His name, preach the Gospel, and perform miracles.  2 Corinthians 4:6

Without the Lord we can do nothing, in Him we can do all things. My challenge and prayer is that we should be so full of Him that we shine His light to a dying and corrupt world.

The deep longing and desire for us to have a significant and meaningful relationship with God and each other is a major driver for our lives.  This is a God given call in our lives.  When we have genuine connections with God and each other there is real joy.

We then (sometimes) play at church; we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone’s head, sing a few songs, shake hands and say God bless you. But! How often do we walk with people through their troubles, how often do we get to heart issues and really carry each other? 

Derek Prince stated that the central purpose of the local church (local ekklesia) is fellowship supported by these 4 points:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:9 — We are called to the sharing together of Christ.
2. 1 John 1:3 — The New Testament was written to bring us into the fellowship of the apostles, sharing with them the fellowship of the Father and the Son.
3. 1 John 1:4 — This fellowship brings full joy (compare 2 John 12).
4. John 3:6 — Out of this fellowship the Holy Spirit brings to birth the purposes of God (compare Acts 2:1; 13:1–4). Without fellowship there can be no spiritual birth.

Local church is great! And a good worship service and a good preach is great value; but if we do not have real relationships then it is a game.   If we don’t open our homes, wallets, and hearts then we are missing the true purpose and connection between Christians.  When we get it right then there is purpose, life and joy.
Ref Matthew 7.

Obviously the level of relationship with people will vary, it can’t be the same for everybody, but if we don’t have some deep connections we are in big trouble.
If all our Christian relationship is contained within formal meetings then we are missing God’s love.

If we do not really know some of our brothers and sisters journey, including the ugly bits, then we are not living as Jesus has called us to.
If we have no-one to share our journey with, including the ugly bits, then we are missing a fundamental foundation.

We need to have people to speak into our lives, people to share our lives with and people we are speaking into.  Over the last few years Nel and I had the privilege of spending time with some global leaders including some from the Chinese underground church.

What made all of these leaders different was the very genuine heart relationship that was obvious and opened up for us.  There were true fathers and mothers in the faith and lived a reality that we in the west desperately need.

Above all we need to have the foundation of our Father’s love underpinning all our relationships. We love because He first loved us.

So why don’t we have these sort of relationships? This is the pressing question of modern western local churches.

In a word, fear!

We fear rejection and emotional pain!  It would seem we are scared to be open, because it means from time to time we will be hurt.
We need to take a risk! And be open and even allow being hurt.
When we get hurt, we learn to forgive and heal. It is (in part) how we grow.

Not having pain means not growing.  This is the price of maturity.  When we take relational risks we find that there are people we can share life with and our calling and purpose become manifest.

When we are hurt, we have a healer – the Holy Spirit who carries us when needed; we also have good people that God has put into our lives to help in the healing process. But if we don’t have the right relationships we are alone – which is so wrong.  But in relationship we have the life of God and things really start happening.

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

Being alone is the worst situation we can be in; we have been designed to be in relationship.  We need to build our relationship with the Lord and each other.  This is not a chore but fun!

Fellowship is not just church meetings, it is about just hanging out and being together. We need to make time for each other beyond formal meetings.
It is the only way we can build meaningful relationships!  We have real relationships with several small groups and in turn connect with the wider Church in this city and nation.

Once relationships get real, Papa God will enable a whole bunch of fantastic things to happen!

On to fathers and mothers in the faith

Being fathers and mothers in the faith is where we all need to get real.  This is the natural outworking of relationships in the body of Christ.  Without this relational base to our walk with the Lord forget any aspirations to revival etc.

1 Corinthians 4:8 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

I would have one real father than 10,000 teachers/instructors!  We are privileged to have some genuine fathers in the faith.  In our most difficult times and when we need these fathers are there for us.  Also they celebrate our good times and we theirs.

This blog is a call for fathers and mothers in the faith to rise and turn their hearts to their children.  This is the imperative of the last verse of the old testament.  Without the reconciliation of generations, reconciliation of intercessors and church leaders, reconciliation of first nations in the land and so forth we cannot really progress.

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

When the Lord’s reconciliation comes, and we pray, He will move in our land and the nations!  Now is the time Malachi 4:6 is being fulfilled.  The age of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle is here!

How do we make this happen?

It is very simple!  We can start by spending regular time with other Christians, have a meal, or a tea/coffee, talk with each other, and even pray together.  Just be real with each other.  As Danny Silk said “If you minister to someone they might feel loved. If you love someone they will be ministered to”  In other words don’t try to be ‘spiritual’ just be a friend first.  Everything else will flow from loving each other.

There is always a good number of people praying each night on Zoom, and some are there every night.  Warwick even had to purchase a larger package on Zoom to accommodate even more intercessors the time when our Prime Minister Scott Morrison came on the call to pray during the prayer intensive 29th March 2020.

Kym and I have walked with Jesus since the seventies and in more recent times the Lord has placed us with different prayer ministries and so our prayer journey has deepened.

The people who really rule the world are those who know how to pray.
~ Derek Prince

Why prayer?

Prayer is the cry of the human heart to Creator God.  It can come in many forms; verbal, silent, groaning or tears.  Jesus, Our Lord taught us to pray to Our Father and many of us know the words of this prayer off by heart.

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.
~ Luke 18:1 HCSB

We pray because we want and need answers for the things that we cannot change on our own in this world.  Because God is a good Father, we know that He hears us and answers us.

And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.
~ 1 John 5:15 HCSB

I am sure that many of us have prayed and prayed until we have peace and then we know that the answer is on the way.  And when the answer comes, we rejoice and tell others about the goodness of Father God.

Effects of prayer

Prayer does not only change an individual, but it also changes nations.  When an individual believer is in the place of prayer with the Lord, he is transformed.

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB

After walking with Jesus for several years and having had various encounters, the cry of my heart was “Lord, I don’t want another experience – I want a changed life.”  The Lord took me very seriously, and so my journey has been perhaps a bit different from the experience of others.  We can minister from a place of His grace and He will bless others, but there is a greater spiritual authority when one has experienced the Father’s power in a certain area of life.  This gives us keys to share with others to help them with their breakthroughs.

Rees Howells, in his book Intercessor, shared many examples of prayer that made a difference in WWII and ultimately gave the victory to the Allies. We also have seen the turnaround for national issues through corporate prayer. It is a season to come together and see Australia changed.

The power of corporate prayer by the Ekklesia in unity and oneness is unstoppable.

Calling the Church to prayer

Even before my conversion, my friends who were sharing Jesus with me took me to a Tuesday night prayer meeting, and I had not even attended a Sunday service.  Right from the beginning, Father has been immersing me in prayer.

I was born again in 1971, and Ps Reg Klimionok was the Pastor of the Mt Gravatt church in Brisbane.  I walked a journey with this man, and he modelled to me and the congregation what a life of prayer looked like.  There were regular fasting times, all days of prayer for him in the church building alone on Saturdays. Sunday mornings, even before the service commenced, he was on the front steps of the church by the altar about half an hour before the service, kneeling and praying, and we joined him on those steps.  This was an awesome example of faithful prayer, and without it all other gifts will be lacking.

Jesus Himself did not draw strength from the Synagogue or Temple, but He drew aside frequently to pray to His Father in Heaven.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
~ Luke 5:16 HCSB

How much more do we need to be in that place of prayer and remain like it says in Psalm 91:1?

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
~ Psalm 91:1 HCSB

The first verb here, yashav  יָשַׁב means to sit, sit down, remain and the second verb, dwell, Lun לוּן means to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.  So, one goes from sitting and staying, to lying down and staying for a while.  To stay in His presence and not leave that intimate place is the ideal place for a believer.

Individual, congregational, and unity prayer

Many of us understand the benefits of individual prayer and intimacy with Jesus.  Fewer understand the importance of congregational or corporate prayer.  Many pastors have a prayer life and in some places there are prayer meetings before the service, which is great; however, prayer has been declining in churches over decades to the point now where many churches do not have a weekly congregational prayer meeting at all.

This photo shows us more clearly the prayers of years gone by where groups prayed on their knees for hours and found not only sweet consolation but glorious results.

So where to from here?

On Monday 25th May, as I was waking up I had a vision and a message from the Lord, which I shared with Warwick Marsh on the phone, and he encouraged me to write this article as I feel that the Lord has a message for us in it.

These are some of the salient points that the Holy Spirit showed me.  I saw a picture of a cul-de-sac which looked like a U-shape on the right-hand side.  The Lord was sharing with me that the churches were enjoying the benefits of the combined prayer of the people during this Covid-19 season.  He went on to share with me that now in order to maintain this current move of the Holy Spirit, congregations need to have their own prayer meetings, or the results will not last.

The right-hand side represents God’s side.  The cul-de-sac is a dead-end street. Combined prayer is really powerful, and each one of us who has been interceding on these Zoom prayer meetings knows that things are changing now as we come out of the Covid-19 season and back into a “new normal” routine.

The “now” message which I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate to us is that the prayer in the next season needs to move back into the congregations.  Perhaps you could invite other believers to your homes to pray, or you might like to share with your Pastor the blessings of what we have learned through the Zoom sessions and request a weekly prayer meeting in your congregation.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from being with mainland Chinese believers is that continual repentance sustains revival.  Many of us have been in moves of God that dissipate and we need to seek God for another move.

It is all about the heart, dear one, it is all about the heart.  May we learn from our Chinese brothers and sisters, how to cleanse our hearts with repentance, keep a clear channel with the Lord and with each other, then together we will see Father God move in our lives, congregations and nations to bring wonderful transformation that only He can bring about, and He will receive all the glory.

Well family, we have been travelling on this prayer journey together and now the “take home” message I received from the Holy Spirit is that we need to take this new level of prayer back to our local congregations.

The word Moed (Hebrew: מועד, “Festivals” also “appointed time”) provides specific instructions for the rituals, observances and laws related to holidays and festivals. It also carries the idea of God’s dynamic powerful appointed time. Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment.

This Pentecost has been such a time and represents at launch pad for the Ekklesia (Church). We are in a Chronos time by calendar but also Moed / Kairos appointed dynamic God time!

Which raises the question of what is this specific Moed / Kairos time?

It is HARVEST TIME!

Pentecost (feasts of weeks) celebrates, among other things, the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest. In Bible times, barley was much more widely cultivated than now and was the main food of the poor. It was always valued less than wheat (2 Kings 7:1 ; Revelation 6:6).

Biblically wheat is associated with rebirth and resurrection. It is also used to describe the harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matthew 13:30)

God greatly values this wheat, which is how he sees the lost right now, as valued people! So valuable He sent Jesus for us all. It is the appointed (Moed / Kairos) time for us to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, of The healer, The deliverer, The provider, and above The Saviour Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamaschiach.

We prophecy that this wheat harvest is a rich harvest, a quality harvest, a bountiful harvest! In the parable of the sower our Lord speaks of grains of wheat which in good ground produce a HUNDRED-FOLD. So, we pray for both good soil and workers to be sent into the white harvest fields. There has been much preparation in prayer, equipping via initiatives like https://go2020.world , online outreach via the #hopestory hashtag with 60 second testimony and much more. It is time for the reaper to overtake the sower and see this end time harvest come into its fullness.

To bring in this harvest requires us all to be activated as ministers of the Gospel. It will be in the streets and shops the harvest will come in. Large meetings/rallies may happen, but the bulk of the harvest is up to us to reap in the form of every believer evangelism. Every believer is a witness.

We are already getting daily reports of new converts via hope stories and others just sharing Jesus with people in their daily lives. This is being multiplied over the planet, but is somewhat hidden as we don’t see mega meetings. Hundreds of millions of people have heard the Gospel in May this year alone.

We are launching into a great season of harvest. Those that recognise and understand the times and seasons are seeing this now and going forward this year and beyond.

The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. (Joel 2:24)

Notes: Pentecost 5780/2020 (Shavuot – Feast of Weeks) was sunset, 28 May – nightfall, 30 May
Celebrates the end of barley harvest and the start of wheat harvest.
The word Shavuot means “weeks” and it marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. Its date is directly linked to that of Passover; the Torah mandates the seven-week (49 days) Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover, to be immediately followed by Shavuot.
The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan) for Orthodox Jews , and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the ‘fiftieth day’ hence ‘Pentecost’
Ref: Leviticus 23:9–21 and Deuteronomy 16:9–12

There are seven main feasts in the old testament and three of these have a requirement to go up to Jerusalem. Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot are the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Shalosh Regalim) during which the entire population of the kingdom of Judah made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Moedim (Appointed Times) of the Lord are often called the “Jewish Feasts,” but they are not solely for Israel. There are instructions for the “sojourner among you” to be able to participate along with Israel in the Feasts of God. Any follower of the Lord is eligible (but not obligated) to participate. We all will participate in the Olam Haba (the Age to come); see Isaiah 66 and Zechariah 14 when all of these feast are fulfillied in Christ.

The Moedim are divided by season. Those which start the Biblical year, i.e. the Spring Feasts, were brought to fullness during Messiah’s first coming, and those which start the Civil year i.e. the Autumn Feasts and Fasts, look forward to the Messiah’s return, when He shall come to permanently “tabernacle” among us.

This article is a simple comparison of the feasts and a brief explanation their fulfilment in Yeshua in the new covenant.

1. Pesach (Passover) (Leviticus 23:5) – Pointed to the Messiah as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover at the same hour that the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover meal that evening (John 19:14).
2. Matzah (Unleavened Bread) (Leviticus 23:6) – Pointed to the Messiah’s sinless life (as leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible), making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’ body was in the grave during the first days of this feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the bread of life.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a feast that is generally mistaken for Passover. Passover however is only one 24 hour period while Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days.
3. HaBikkurim (First Fruits) (Leviticus 23:10) – Pointed to the Messiah’s resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on this very day, which is one of the reasons that Paul refers to him in 1 Corinthians 15:20 as the “first fruits from the dead.”
4. Shavuot (Feast of Weeks aka Pentecost) (Leviticus 23:16) – Occurred fifty days after the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and pointed to the great harvest of souls and the gift of the Holy Spirit for both Jew and Gentile, who would be brought into the kingdom of God during the Church Age (see Acts 2).
   The Church was actually established on this day when God poured out His Holy Spirit and 3,000 Jews responded to Peter’s great sermon and his first proclamation of the gospel.
5. Yom Teruah (Trumpets) (Leviticus 23:24) – The first of the fall/autumn feasts. Many believe this day points to the Rapture of the Church when the Messiah Jesus will appear in the heavens as He comes for His bride, the Church. The Rapture is always associated in Scripture with the blowing of a loud trumpet
   (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:52).
6. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) (Leviticus 23:27) – Many believe this prophetically points to the day of the Second Coming of Jesus when He will return to earth. That will be the Day of Atonement for the Jewish remnant when they “look upon Him whom they have pierced,” repent of their sins, and receive Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:1-6, 25-36). This is also fulfilled in as much as we no longer need to offer annual sacrifices because Jesus is sacrificed once and for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
7. Sukkot (Tabernacles or Booths) (Leviticus 23:34) – This feast day points to the Lord’s promise that He will once again “tabernacle” with His people when He returns to reign over all the world (Micah 4:1-7).  This feast is also fulfilled immediately for believers by the infilling (indwelling) of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4)

As we can see each of the feasts are already fulfilled, or will be soon fulfilled  (i.e. Trumpets). There is no obligation to observe the feasts for new covenant believers (refer Acts 15).  We do, on the other hand, learn from them and recognise the prophetic significance that all of these feasts point to the Messiah, Yeshua Hamashiach

We learn from the feasts, we also enjoy the freedom we have in the Lord. The fulfilment of these obligations is a message of freedom to the Jewish people.

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
(Colossians 2:16-17 )

Let’s consider what the true Passover is. First, it is the story of the final plague of Egypt (Angel of Death) passing over the Israelites who were captive in Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) All who had the blood of a sacrificial lamb painted on the door posts were saved from the death plague. It is in the Passover Lamb we are delivered.

Secondly, we need to also understand Yom Kippur ( יוֹם כִּיפּוּר ), the Day of Atonement. It is the most solemn religious fast of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur held on the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year). It is the day when a lamb, and other blood sacrifices, were made by the High Priest to cover the sin of the Jewish people.

Our understanding starts in John 1:29 where John the Baptist announced Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John was the final Old Testament prophet, the son of a priest, and as the chosen forerunner of Christ. He declared Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God. This is an absolutely powerful, complete, and transforming truth. Think of the awesome sequence of events God had planned just on the day of Christ’s crucifixion. On the day Christ died on the cross for our sins, it was the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 33 (best understanding).

At the third hour (9:00 AM), Israel’s High Priest placed the paschal lamb on the altar for sacrifice. At that exact moment outside the city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was nailed to the cross.

For six hours both the paschal lamb and Jesus the Lamb of God, awaited death. Finally, at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), the High Priest ascended the altar in the Temple and sacrificed the Passover lamb.

God the Father allowed the total sin of the world to descend upon His Son Jesus and it was at that exact moment, from the cross, Jesus Christ’s words cried out over Jerusalem and echoed to the whole planet, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Passover the most pivotal moment in all of history, as it is the work of the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice that frees us from sin and death.

Three days later, after burial, descent into Hades setting the captives free, and His resurrection; that we have healing, deliverance, provision, and above all salvation in Christ Jesus.

This is our prime focus, His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. He is the Lamb of God. It is from this place we have been given eternal life and all the benefits of the Cross which include healing and healing of the nations.

Our response is simple: recognise our wretchedness, sin, and our need for God’s forgiveness; then we repent from our sin believing in Him, receiving His grace through faith.

We proclaim the incredible Good News of God’s forgiveness to all the world, lifting up the Name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all this in mind and celebrating Passover (aka Easter) in a few weeks, we pray that the current plague will pass over.  We (the Ekklesia) stand in the gap and repent for the sins of our nation, and as grievous as those sins are, we ask for God’s mercy and grace at this difficult time.

We declare Passover for Australia.

We call Australia to repentance, faith, and salvation.

We call Australia to its Joseph anointing, a provider of things physical but more so a nation sending the Gospel of Jesus into the region (South Pacific) and to all nations.

This is the time for us, the Ekklesia (body of Christ), to shine, because we are salt and light, we have the answer to all the world’s issues, and that answer is complete in Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb of God.

It is all about our daily walk with the Lord and Him outworking His purposes in our lives.

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength Luke 10:27
2. Love your neighbour as yourself
   …then flowing from those two…
3. Preach the Gospel, making disciples of all nations Matthew 28:18-20

All these predicated on the fact we love because He first loved us !!!  1 John 4:19
In fact I see that ALL of our Christian activity must be based in the big three commands.  If our activity does not reflect at least one of these then why are we doing it?

We also need to fully understand that love is holy, i.e. to love requires holiness, and holiness requires love. They are inseparable.  We are called to both love and holiness.  This is in direct opposition to the spirit of this age.

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

The words of Jesus are self-explanatory. This is an outworking of His grace.  As Danny Silk says “Keep your love on” #KYLO

Of course, we are made righteous in Him by His grace. But grace, as we well know, is not licence to do what feels good, as the spirit of this age would try to impose on the Church.

We are called to repent, where we receive His grace through faith. It is His love that calls us to repentance and faith.  Repentance, often seen as a negative, is the door to fulfilment in Him.  When we have a clean heart He can do anything through us.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8 and Galatians 5:22-23

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30

As the year ends it is a time to reflect on His goodness in the last year and also look forward to the new year walking with the Lord and living out the Big Three Commandments through his love and grace.  As we do He will do great things.

As we enter the next year, be strong in the Lord, walk with Him, and expect Him do do mighty things.

Let’s pray:

Dear Papa God

Thank you that you make all things new. Thank You for all that you’ve allowed into our lives this past year, the good along with the hard things, which have reminded us how much we need You and rely on Your presence filling us every single day.

We pray for Your Holy Spirit to lead us each step of this New Year. We ask that You will guide our decisions and turn our hearts to deeply desire You above all else.

We ask that You will open doors needing to be opened and close the ones needing to be shut tight. We ask that You would help us release our grip on the things to which You’ve said “no,” “not yet,” or “wait.” We ask for help to pursue You first, above every dream and desire You’ve put within our hearts.

Forgive us for the times we have worked so hard to be self-sufficient, forgetting our need for You, living independent of Your spirit. Forgive us for letting fear and worry control our minds, and for allowing pride and selfishness wreak havoc over our lives. Forgive us for not following Your ways and for living distant from Your presence.

Help us to be known as great givers, help us to be generous and kind, help us to look to the needs of others and not be consumed by only our own.

May we be lovers of truth, may the fruits of Your spirit be evident in our lives – Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Shine your light in us, through us, and over us. May we make a difference in this world, for Your glory and purposes. Set Your way before us. May all Your plans succeed. May we reflect Your peace and hope to a world that so desperately needs Your salvation, presence, and healing.

To You be glory and honour, in this New Year, and forever.

In the mighty and wonderful name of Yeshua HaMashiach, Amen !

The challenge of the drought, strength of the Church and the humility to ask for rain relying on God’s grace.
Refer here to Canberra Declaration 

Key Scriptures

• 2 Chronicles 7:12-16
• Ezekiel 22:30
• Acts 14:17
  

  Reflection

We, in Australia are a nation of sinners who have sinned against God; including murdering our children and elderly, ignoring God’s moral law, and all manner of other actions against the Lord and His word.

So, do we have a right to pray for rain? Quite simply we do not deserve rain or any of the blessings we have from living in this amazing land called Australia. It is only by God’s grace that we have life and all the blessings of this land. It is His grace that allows us to ask for rain.

We the Ekklesia^#1 can stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30) in identificational repentance for Australia. Unlike Ezekiel there are people willing to say we will pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 and we are so grateful to all who stand with us for Australia during this month of prayer and fasting.

When we pray on behalf of someone else (the nation in this instance), we are standing in the gap on behalf of that person/nation before God. We are engaging in spiritual warfare on behalf of that person/nation.

Standing confidently in His grace and love enables us to pray effectively in faith. We have no other right than the shed blood of Jesus to ask for anything. But! What a right His sacrifice has won for us in that we have open free access to His throne.

Paul preaching to the pagans in Lystra Acts 14:17 says “He (God) did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness”.

So, we can ask for rain as a blessing and also ask for repentance and renewal in this land of Australia. In fact, it is incumbent upon us as believers to pray for the nation.

^#1 Ekklesia – Jesus used the Greek word Ekklesia to describe the Church. The word means “assembly, congregation, council”, or “convocation”. It carries a meaning of governmental authority. Jesus said Matthew 16:18  “on this rock I will build My Ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Prayer

Lord God, revive and renew your Ekklesia (the Church) beginning with me that we may stand in Your righteousness and grace.
Forgive us our sins and the sins of this land of Australia.
Heal our wounds, give us joy in our faith, draw all to share your life, and use us all in your service.
We humbly ask for rain in the time of rain; we give thanks for this land of Australia and all the good gifts you give us.
For Jesus Christ’s sake, Lord of the Ekklesia, build us the Ekklesia together in unity and oneness in You, that we may declare the gospel of Your Kingdom.
Amen.

Daily Prayer Points for October

1. REPENTANCE – Father, give us the grace to repent as a nation in Jesus’ Name. Acts 3:19
2. RENEWAL – Lord, we pray for renewal in our hearts, in the church, in the community and in the nation. Numbers 14:17-20
3. RAIN – Father, we pray as we unite together to pray the first two prayers, that You will give us the rain because of Your abundant mercies. Matthew 5:45

• אֲדָמָה Adamah – out of the earth God created  Genesis 2:19
• אָדָם (aleph, dalet, mem) Adam – man
• אָדַם Adam – the red (i.e. red earth) [same spelling, one different vowel]
• דָּם (dalet, mem) Blood (dam) – contained in the name Adam

Did the Lord God give a random and meaningless name to his first creation?  Of course not!  The combination of both ‘bloody’ and ‘earthly’ aspects form the original components not only of Adam’s identity, but of the Lord’s message to His creation: this ‘flesh and blood’ man.  We know that the Bible shows the significance of the blood ‘dam’ of living creatures, but it all starts here, in the name ‘Adam’.

What struck me was the idea that salvation through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) was embedded within the very beginning of our creation.  It is only by the shedding of blood there is forgiveness and salvation (Hebrews 9:22).

When Esau traded his bloodline birthright for some red lentil stew (Genesis 25:29-34). Esau traded that which was holy (his bloodline birthright) for that which was from the earth (literally give me the red (ha adam)).  This answers the question raised in Roman 9:13 as to why God hated Esau.  We must never trade what is holy for earthly flesh.  There is nothing more holy or precious than the shed blood of Jesus.

Leviticus 17:11 tells us that life is in the blood, and atonement comes by  blood sacrifice.  Hebrews 9:11-15 reveals that the blood of Christ sacrificed once and for all is our eternal redemption.

Let’s consider seven times Jesus bled for us, His blood was shed for all of us and for all our needs.

1. Luke 22:44 It was in the Garden of Eden that Adam lost his authority over earth when he sinned and ate fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was also in a garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, we find the first shedding of Jesus’ blood for us.
2. When Jesus acknowledged that He was the Son of God they spat in His face and beat and slapped Him with their fists (Matthew 26:67-68 ref Isaiah 50:6). From Psalm 133  we know that the beard speaks of unity. It is through this we come together as one.
3. Matthew 27:26 The Roman Governor, Pilate, ordered Jesus flogged. Jesus paid for our healing from all disease. Isaiah 53:5
4. Matthew 27:29 The crown of thorns was mockingly pressed onto Jesus’ head and so he bled. This precious blood gives us the pathway to a renewed mind and Godly decision making, healing of depression and other mental illnesses.
5. Jesus bled when they drove spikes through his wrists/hands into the cross. Again, this is reflected at the beginning in Genesis 39:3.  We are also the recipients of this blessing: for with our hands we have the power of Jesus to bless, heal and take authority over all things in the name of Jesus.
6. Jesus bled  when they drove spikes through his feet into that Golgotha cross. With our feet we can take dominion over every place the sole of our foot touches (Deuteronomy 11:34) and with our feet we can exercise the Great Commission of Mark 16:15 where we are commissioned to go into all the world.
7. Finally, Jesus bled when the soldier drove a spear into His side to make certain he was dead as John 19:34 shows that blood and water poured out. By this time Jesus was dead. He had given up His spirit and laid down His life to redeem us, being made a curse hanging on a tree. He died in physical pain and agony.  But he also died in unbelievable suffering under the weight of our sins, for the first time in His life, he felt the total and absolute separation from His Father.

We can truly sing there is power in the blood of Jesus!  From the very beginning of creation of man (Adam) the blood has been embedded into history where ultimately it was God’s own blood that bought us out of hell itself.

Here is a wonderful worship song by Joshua Aaron in Hebrew and English which we hope you will sing.

Oh the blood of Jesus, Oh the blood of Jesus It washes white as snow
Ho damo shel Yeshua, Ho damo shel Yeshua K’sheleg malbeen

Some of this word may apply to you or not; we trust that the part the Holy Spirit quickens what you need to hear.

Here is a quick study on the name Deborah and what I felt the Lord is encouraging this generation of women of God to pick up.

Deborah in Hebrew is Dev·ō·rä’ דְּבֹרָה

The name Deborah is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Deborah is: Bee. Deborah was the Biblical prophetess who summoned Barak to battle against an army of invaders.  After the battle she wrote a victory song which is part of the Book of Judges ch 4 and ch 5; please have a read of this mighty account.

The Hebrew meaning of Bee can be:

1. an ordered set of insects
2. a place of order
3. things brought into order.

The shoresh (Hebrew root) of Deborah is Dabar – dä·var’ דָּבַר
which has a complex meaning: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, to lead away, put to flight, or sing.

From this understanding I feel this is what the Lord is encouraging mighty women of God with:

First, each of you has been raised as a commander and are bring order to people with great gifts that don’t have a constructive way to use those gifts. You are ordering things for Kingdom purpose, arranging people so they are in the right place, with the right support, at the right time to fight the battle, but also to build the house of the Lord in an ordered and glorious manner.

Secondly, your song and command has great power.  Understanding the shoresh (Dabar) of the name Deborah is a key. There are hidden attributes and gifts in each of your lives that need to be brought forward. Those hidden promises of the Lord are either ripe and ready or soon will be. It is time to speak His word to people with great power and authority.

Thirdly, you are giving good wise counsel and judgement to people in your care. This is the mother’s heart; you are mothers in Israel. People will come to you seeking advice, you hear from the Lord and always guide them to the Lord. The Lord is looking for hearts open to Him and wants an even more intimate relationship that you can also impart to others on their journey.

We pray your are encouraged and built up in your faith through this word.

Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.  5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgement.

Judges 5:7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.

The name of the Lord is known theologically as the Tetragrammaton and consists of 4 Hebrew letters יהוה  yod hey vav hey (right to left) and is usually transliterated into English as Jehovah, Yahweh, or YHWH.  In this post we will look at the meaning of this name and also the meaning of the ancient Hebrew characters that name up the name of the Lord.  Typically in some English translations of the bible the form LORD (all uppercase) is used to denote the name of God.

In Judaism the name of God is not usually written (other than the scriptures, i.e. the Torah) and is usually spoken or written as HaShem (The Name) or Adonai (The Lord) out of reverence for the Lord. The meaning of the word is “I am” or “I continue to be” or even more accurately “the self existent one”.
This also explains why some people write G-d for the Lord especially when written by Jewish people.

We know from the ancient Hebrew each character is derived from a pictograph.  See the chart below. As I have studied this and prayed I felt the Lord show me a deep understanding of His name.

The first two characters are yod י and hey ה.
Yod is like a small tick and its ancient pictograph is a hand, especially a right hand help up as a sign of authority, it also can signify a spark or lightning.  This is symbolic of God the Father’s authority.
The pictograph for Hey is that of a man with his arms raised and also has a meaning of breath. This is symbolic of the Holy Spirit of God.
I felt that these two letters together speak of the Genesis creation and the creative nature of God. In Genesis 1 we know the Lord spoke (with complete authority) and His Spirit hovered over creation.  This gives us the idea of God creator of everything.

The second pair of letters are vav ו and hey ה.
In ancient Hebrew vav is shown as a tent peg or nail. We need to always remember that Hebrew words are most always about function so we need to consider the function of a nail which is to join together or to build, and in the case of a tent peg to hold the tent ropes securely.
To me these two letters together speak of reconciliation, i.e. a nail holding or building together in the Spirit. Also, obviously to us today, the nail also speaks of Jesus on the cross albeit the Hebrews did not know of crucifixion until the time of the Romans.  We do know the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (John 1:29).  So we have the idea of God who reconciles everyone.

Putting these two ideas together we get the concept that God’s name describes all of scripture, i.e. the Lord who creates everything and the Lord who reconciles everyone to Himself which sums up the whole Bible in His name.  It is incredible that His name, which means, I continue to be who I continue to be, also has in it His complete purpose of creating everything for us to be in reconciled relationship with Him.

So if we consider a verse such as Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you and keep you; (and based on the Aaronic Blessing ) can be rendered in an hyper-amplified form as:

Number 6:24 Yahweh (The self existent one, He who creates everything by His Authority and Spirit, and Reconciles everyone by His Spirit) will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.

WOW!! This so captures the nature of God and His love towards us.

If we consider the third commandment and the meaning of the Hebrew word shem, meaning name, but more fully character and nature; then we see something amazing.

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name (HaShem) of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Not taking the Lord’s name (His character and nature) in vain means:

You shall not take the character and nature of The self existent one, He who creates everything by His Authority and Spirit, and Reconciles everyone by His Spirit in vain.

We can see this really gives depth to this verse.  It is not about swearing when we hit our thumb with a hammer; but is a guide to how we live.  E.g. If a business man, who professes to be a Christian, but operates his business in a dishonourable manner he is besmirching the very character and nature of God.  On the other hand Jesus taught us how to live in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10).

When we read the name of God, in our minds we can substitute ‘The self existent one, He who creates everything by His Authority and Spirit; and reconciles everyone by His Spirit’ and mediate on that verse we will have a much deeper understanding.

E.g. Psalm 23:1a can be thought of as:

Psalm 23:1 he self existent one, He who creates everything by His Authority and Spirit; and reconciles everyone by His Spirit is my shepherd (shepherd, ruler, teacher, friend);

We pray this study encourages the reader and allows you to come to know the Lord in a deeper way.

Hebrew Names of God

Here are some well known names of God from the Old Testament.  Thanks to my wife Nel for this table.  This helps us understand how much the Lord loves us and how we enter into such a blessing when we are in Him.

Try reading these names knowing the name of the Lord!

Ancient Hebrew Chart

This chart courtesy of Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Research Centre.  It is an easy way to get some understanding of the ancient Hebrew alphabet (a.k.a aleph bet).

Aleph Bet (Hebrew Alphabet)

This is a simple block letter version of the Aleph Bet.

Paul says something that is more true today than ever, we have many instructors (or mentors ^#1) but not many true Fathers (and Mothers) in the Church family.

Let us have a quick look at the difference between a Father and an Instructor (aka teacher/mentor).

Instructors provide information; Fathers give of their heart and lives for their children

2 Timothy 2:2 shows a generation model, Paul loving and teaching Timothy, loving and teaching faithful men; who in turn love and teach others.  God’s model has always been family. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the 12 Tribes etc.

Father’s primary method of teaching and impartation is via modelling Jesus in their own lives for their spiritual children. Fathers live by the saying “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Instructors search for students; Fathers seek sons and daughters

Instructors enjoy nothing more than being in a room full of hungry students that can pull knowledge, information, and insight out of them. Those wired by God to father only view the classroom as an entree to find potential leaders they can have long-term connections with toward a process of aiding them in their journeys of becoming mature sons and daughters of Christ.

Sometimes we also need to seek out fathers and mothers in the faith.  If you don’t have genuine spiritual parents, then find them!

Instructors are motivated by impartation of understanding; Fathers are motivated by transformation of hearts and lives

For the small number of children in the faith God has given to Nel and myself we are motivated to see the teachings bear fruit from personal heart transformation. We walk with them, sometimes correct them, always encourage them, and assist them in their journey so they will attain their fullest potential in Christ. This includes just having fun together, meals, outings and so forth.

We have many instructors; We do not have many fathers

Though there are countless instructors, mentors, and coaches in the body of Christ who can edify all of us, each person is has one or maybe a couple of fathers for their life’s journey.

When Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 4:15, he is also referring to the fact that so few in the church ever continue to mature enough in the faith so as to take on the role of a spiritual father or mother. This grieves me as Jesus was a father and revealed The Father to the disciples. Formal Bible study and education will never take the place of the model of nurturing leadership modelled in the Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the epistles. One of the reasons for so much disloyalty and splitting in the church is because of a lack of fathering between senior pastors and their spiritual children, because children will have resentment and rebel against fathers who do not spend time with them.

Our legacy will be our children in the faith and the exploits they do for the Kingdom.

Instructors enjoy academic success; Fathers enjoy life success

Instructors are thrilled when their students do well in school and become great students of the word. John said that he had no greater joy than to find his children walking in the truth–not in his children merely having the truth (2 John 4; 3 John 4).

Instructors have an intellectual/mental connection with their students; Fathers have a heart connection with their children

Instructors love a debate, discussion, Q&A. They love amen’s to their preaching.

Fathers are driven more by a heart-to-heart connection than an exchange of the minds. Heart-to-heart connections delve into the heart, the mind, the soul, and the emotions of a person; they enable a father to delve deeper beyond the surface into the real life issues of a son or daughter.

Instructors desire the opportunity to teach; Fathers seek opportunity for their sons and daughters to minister

Instructors desire to teach, even for free if needed.  They are always wanting a platform to get out their knowledge through preaching, teaching, social media, books, CD’s, DVD’s, and all other forms of available media. Success is measured by the reach (number of people) who receive their teaching.

Fathers see their success by the changed lives and maturity of their children.  We fathers have huge pleasure being in the background while those they have poured into are sent forth to bear much fruit! To see your children prosper in the Lord and the father others is complete satisfaction.

When our children go out and minister the gospel of the kingdom; and become fathers and mothers in the own right we are filled with joy.

Conclusion

Instructors, teachers, mentors, and coaches are great and needed.  Not every Godly relationship is, or can be, a father/mother and child releationship.  We all need to learn and gain knowledge, be equipped, and helped through our life journey.

We also desperately need at least one father/mother in our lives.  That special relationship of deep trust, a safe and honest relationship where we can go with our deepest needs.

When our son went to be with the Lord in 2015 it was our spiritual Dad that we called first.  It is the one we know we can call in the worst life crisis that is our true spiritual dad or mum.

I pray that all that read this become a father or mother in the faith.  There are so many out there that need a father or mother.  This is His Kingdom truth.

Notes

^#1 As a side note (thanks Graham Taylor) we need to stop using the word mentor and use the word father/mother. Let me explain. Consider the following three models of teaching.

1. Guru/disciple (as in maybe a buddhist or other situation). If the disciple messes up (sins) then they get the left boot of fellowship and the relationship ends.
2. Mentoring. This is a secular business term. If the relationship between the mentor and mentee is strained, then they both just walk away. There is no deep abiding commitment in mentoring.
3. Father/son heart relational. As a father when my child sins I will continue to reach out in love. Consider Luke 15 and the prodigal; the father never stopped looking for the return of his son, and when the son returned he was loved and restored. The son can always turn to the father when things go wrong and be restored. Sons need the input of love and discipline from their fathers. So stop being a mentor and start being a father to those who God has put in your life.

Psalm 40:7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.”

and is quoted in Hebrews 10:7.

Nel and I were discussing the feast of Purim (feast of Esther) which was celebrated earlier this week.  One of the requirements of the feast is to read the megillah, i.e. the scroll or book of Esther.  Jewish people just say to read the megillah at this time, it is understood as to which book to read.

I felt to look at the very detailed understanding of the word scroll.  Esther fulfilled her calling and purpose to see all of the Jews saved from Haman’s evil plan to kill them.  We all have  a unique calling and purpose in the Kingdom.

The word megillah מְגִילָּה is the Hebrew word for scroll . We will look at the ancient Hebrew letter for the word scroll (megillah) and see something very insightful.  You can refer to the full chart at the end of this post.

Psalm 40:7 shows that our lives are written on a scroll (or book).  Using the ancient Hebrew symbols your scroll can be interpreted as having a meaning of:

A mighty walk in authority and worship, taught and bound (connected) with the Spirit of the Lord

While this is not hard doctrine it is a very good way to understand walking out God’s calling and purpose for our lives.

To us the following stand out from this understanding:

1. Our walk is mighty in the Lord, He is our strength, we can do nothing without Him.
2. We have authority to execute our scroll (calling and purpose) via worship. Psalm 100:4 is a key here as well (thanksgiving and praise).
3. We must be and remain connected to Him, we are in Him and He is in us (Colossians 1:27), we are bound by His Love for us; we are His love slaves.  Also we abide in the vine (John 15).
4. We walk in the Spirit, not by sight but by faith and love (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As we commit ourselves to walk out our calling and purpose, the Lord reveals details of things he wants us to do. But we always keep our prime focus on the Lord abiding in Him,  and not the things we do.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 tells us that He is faithful and He will do it.  It is not up to us but the outworking of His grace in our lives.

So what is my specific calling and purpose?

This is the big question for most of us!  The answer is quite simple!  First, we clear blockages by repentance and renewing our minds.  We then enter in through  thanksgiving, praise, and worship; then the Lord will make it clear to us from His word and what He speaks to our hearts.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Too many of us stress instead of being quiet and waiting on the Lord.  We need time with Him and in His word on a daily basis and when we do this everything becomes clear for our specifics.

The Lord wants to reveal our scrolls and we just need to abide, listen, seek, and wait then He will speak clearly.

We pray that this little study will help you come into the fullness of your calling and purpose in the Kingdom of God.

Ancient Hebrew Chart

This chart courtesy of Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew Research Centre.  It is an easy way to get some understanding of the ancient Hebrew alphabet (a.k.a aleph bet).

The political landscape will appear to be a moral and ethical bloodbath as people generally keep heading away from God and his righteousness.  Sounds terrible doesn’t it?  Yet in this we (the Church) will rise up glorious as the Lord brings His life and salvation to anyone who will listen. 

Psalm 2 is a call to repentance for the nations.  This is a key passage that shows the truth of what will happen in 2019 and onward. The Psalm is titled ‘The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom’ in the NKJV and is need to navigate our lives in turbulent times.

The first three verses Psalm 2:1-3 talk about the pride of man and kings; how nations rage and plot vain things; how leaders purposefully rail against the Lord.  This is  a clear picture of the anti-God agenda being thrown at us via the media, Godless politicians and the #leftist immoral agenda.

The next three verses Psalm 2:4-6 tell the truth of the power of God in the face of vain earthly kings.  The Lord laughs, holds them in derision; then He speaks to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.  Ooops! How out leaders have it so wrong.

The next passage Psalm 2:7-9 tells of Messiah’s inheritance of the nations and His rule of the whole earth.  How incredible and powerful is He!  These evil rulers will be broken with a rod of iron.  This is also our right as His bride, the Church.

The final passage Psalm 2:10-12 shows His mercy when we repent and the blessing we have in His salvation as we trust in Him fully.

This leads to the obvious question, how do we appropriate the overcoming victory in the mess that our society is at this time?

First, we need to be centred in Jesus and our living relationship with Him. John 16:31-33 gives us the hope we need.

Secondly, we need to pray like Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18 and 2 Kings 19 (these chapters should be read in full).  Hezekiah was facing a huge threat as the Assyrians were planning to invade Judah and destroy Jerusalem.

The Assyrians tried to bribe and threaten the people of God but Hezekiah stood strong and took the letter the Assyrians had sent with its unholy threats to the temple (the main place of worship), the courts of the Lord, and laid that letter before the Lord.  He also called on the prophet of the Lord (Isaiah) who gave Hezekiah God’s word.

So in humble prayer, in the presence of the Lord, acting on God’s word, Hezekiah called out for his nation.  The Lord answered!  2 Kings 19:35-37 one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians were destroyed.  Hezekiah and Isaiah had sought the Lord and had a huge victory.

We need to use the key of David (Isaiah 22:22 and Revelation 3:7), that is we need to worship and praise the Lord; and then we overcome.  The battle is the Lord’s, we just need to obey Him and His word.

2019 will appear to be a bad year from a natural perspective, yet as we stand in Him and on His word there will be awesome breakthroughs, salvation, healing, miracles, and a national transformative work of the Gospel of The Kingdom.

Here is the mechanical translation of verse 25.

He~will~make~LIGHT(Verb) (יָאֵר / ya’eyr) YHWH (יְהוָה / YHWH) FACE~s~him (פָּנָיו / pa’naw) TO~you(ms) (אֵלֶיךָ / ey’ley’kha) and~he~will~PROVIDE.PROTECTION(Verb)~you(ms) (וִיחֻנֶּךָּ / wi’hhu’ne’ka)

YHWH will make his face shine toward you and he will provide you with protection.

The Hebrew word for face is paniym ( פָּנִים ). The word paniym appears several times in the Old Testament in combination with God or the Lord. In most cases, the face of the Lord is a reference to God’s presence. For instance, when Moses asked God to assure him that he, God, would go with the people to the land of Canaan, God told Moses: ‘My face shall go before thee’ (Exodus 33:14 DRA). Most modern translations use the word ‘presence’ to translate the Hebrew word for face, but face is so much more than just His presence.

The root of  paniym is panah ( פָּנָה ) which means to turn towards or away from.  So we have in this case God turning his face towards us in blessing.  We know in the Old Testament people could not look upon the Lord and live. Under the New Covenant Jesus has made a way where we can behold His paniym (face) and worship in intimacy.

In Exodus 33:15 Moses says (my paraphrase) if your presence (face) does not go with us I’m not going anywhere! This maybe the smartest thing Moses ever uttered.  Moses knew that without the Lord’s favour, blessing, and face towards himself and Israel there was no point to anything.

The word for light/shine is ‘owr ( אוֹר ) meaning to be or become light, to be illuminated.   The same word is used in the following verse.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

So we see a connection to his face (presence) shining on us and both His word and us worshipping Him.

It is in the intimacy of worship and meditating on His word we see the Lord’s face turned toward us and we can behold the beauty of His holiness.

The second phrase of verse 25 is ‘and be gracious to you’ which is better translated as ‘and He will provide you with protection‘.  This is such a powerful statement.  As we are in His presence, with His face turned towards us we have protection from all the attacks of the enemy.

This concept ties in with the keys of David and the tabernacle of David which are the ways for us to overcome in praise and worship.  The more time we can spend in praise and worship the stronger we become in Him. We see the manifestation of verses such as  Colossians 1:27 Christ in us the hope of glory.

This blessing which is often used as a benediction at the end of Church services is much more than a way to close a service, it is a direction for our lives!

I close with this verse:

Psalm 21:6 For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

PS: The photo at the top of this post is the Oasis at Timna in the wilderness of southern Israel.  This is a place of rest in the harsh southern desert.

God reveals a powerful truth in Isaiah 55:8-9.  First, that his thoughts and ways are very different to ours.   Secondly that his thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

How does this work?
We find the answer in all the previous verses of the chapter.  In all that God has promised in free forgiveness and grace, and what he has offered in blessing and love, which is all far beyond our human understanding and experience.

Forgiveness does not come easily to us.   Human forgiveness is almost non-existent even for small offences and transgressions, but God, who has been injured so greatly by us all (humanity), is ready to love us and forgive us and freely pardon us.  How open are the arms of God to all, even the deepest of sinners – Come … Come … Come … Come … is the repeated cry in the two verses Isaiah 55:1-2.

God has opened his arms to us such that there are no conditions which would make it difficult for us to come, and there is no cost which would exclude us.

How wonderfully loving is God in that he has made it possible for our sin to be forgiven without any injustice or denial of his holiness or law.  It is virtually impossible for us to understand high thoughts and ways.

How much higher than our thoughts and ways is this eternal covenantal promise spoken of in Isaiah 55:3, which was God promising Himself to die in our place in the person of his Son, and suffer all our deserved pain. Christ when he went to the cross did not count the cost but set his face firmly to go to Jerusalem. He submitted to the will of the Father without any question even though the cost was an eternity of Hell that He had to suffer.

How high and wonderful is God’s actions that in this way he made himself near to us and able to be found ( Isaiah 55:6 ) and so full of mercy and pardon to all who seek him.

How wonderful is God’s way that to seek the Lord is to find him, because he is ready to be found and is near.

There is nothing in the wisdom of man that could conceive such sure and complete means of blessing; and nothing in the heart of man that could conceive such blessing and love; and there is nothing in the will of man that could act in such self-sacrificing love.

It is Australia’s time to come to the Lord, it is a season of His grace.  We as a nation are morally bankrupt, we are poor in spirit, yet it is an awesome season of grace; it is time for us to repent, believe, and be saved.

It is time! Just just to prophesy and speak the word of the Lord (which we do); but also a time to see the fulfilment of the word.

An Invitation to Abundant Life

55 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), literally meaning the head (beginning) [of] the year is the Jewish New Year (Rosh = head; Ha = the; Shanah = year)
2018 dates Sunset, Sun 9 September – nightfall, Tue 11 September – start of 5779

Here is a short video explaining the blowing of the Shofar for the new year.

The Jews get a bit legalistic, they end up blowing the Shofar 100 times to make sure they meet the legal requirements, overkill to the max as they only need 30 or possibly 3

The reasons for blowing the Shofar at Rosh Hashanah are:

• It is a time of Judgement. First to confuse and minimise the prosecution satan, secondly, strengthen the mercy of the judgement from the Lord [interesting in terms of the Courts of Heaven]
• It is a time of cleaning our hearts and repentance [to me is also the Holy precursor of REVIVAL]
• It is to remember how Abraham brought Isaac as a sacrifice and that God provided
• It is to celebrate that the LORD (HaShem) is King

Don’t forget we are not under law, but His grace!! We can learn from this but have zero obligation to do it.

Prophetic understanding of this new year

The year 5779 Hey, Zayin, Zayin, Tet – is the end of the 8th decade and here are some thoughts on this year.

There are nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This will be a year to look and see how genuinely we have produced them.

There are nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) Word of wisdom, Word of knowledge, Faith, Gifts of hearings, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing between spirits, Tongues, Interpretation of tongues. The will be a major increase in the operation and flow of the gifts in the Church.

This will be a year to look and see how much you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. A heart that speaks from unbelief cannot declare thy Kingdom come. Let the sound of this year be, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

This 5779 year will be the culmination of everything God’s been preparing us for to step into the next season – “Pey” (8th decade) the decade of the mouth, speaking and declaring the Kingdom into Earth.

5779 will also be a year of deep revelation. God has been inviting us to “see” what He is saying, and this will increase this new year. We will also have deep understanding of the enemy snake and the Lord will give strategies to enable us to have full overcoming victory. Worship will increase and be the main weapon.

We are speaking and declaring the Gospel, the word of the LORD, new life, blessings, healing, truth, freedom, godly prosperity, and release of captives.
Declaring the Lord and His Kingdom to the nations.
As we speak things happen in the heavens and manifest on earth.

Jeremiah 33.2 Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name):
3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

The word mighty is Batsar in Hebrew meaning inaccessible, hidden, fenced off, cut off.

Subsequently I received the following word during worship this morning:

The LORD is saying He is opening things that can only be accessed in Him.
Doors open that have been closed.
Things legally cut off restored.

Impossible made possible!

In Him in His grace in His purposes all things mighty are normal, open, and free.
We are in the beginning of fresh open heaven.
The wave of His Spirit is increasing.

Amen!

Then both sermons today had a high level of faith teaching and impartation. It is time to grab hold of the things the Lord has promised.

This article takes a different look at politics, neither left nor right, authoritarian nor libertarian, but brings a Gospel Kingdom perspective.

For those who don’t have a deeper understanding of politics I pray this article will help you better understand God’s Kingdom and our role as Christians in politics.

Basic political understanding

Politics is not just left/right but multi dimensional

We need to get some definitions before we can make sense of politics.  See this for a definition of the Political compass which allows us to have a simple model for understanding political ideologies.

Quote: The underlying theory of the political compass is that political ideology may be better measured along two separate and independent axes. The economic (left–right) axis measures one’s opinion of how the economy should be run: “left” is defined as the desire for the economy to be run by a cooperative collective agency (which can mean the state, but can also mean a network of communes) while “right” is defined as the desire for the economy to be left to the devices of competing individuals and organizations. The other axis (authoritarian–libertarian) measures one’s political opinions in a social sense, regarding the amount of personal freedom that one would allow: “libertarianism” is defined as the belief that personal freedom should be maximised while “authoritarianism” is defined as the belief that authority should be obeyed.

While this model is not perfect it does allow us to grasp a basic understanding of various political ideologies.

Where are conservatives and others on the chart?

This chart shows approximate positions of the main ideologies we see today.  Personally I see conservatives less authoritarian and the greens more left and more authoritarian than shown on this chart.  The reasons is that conservatives usually want smaller less intrusive government and greens have been want bigger government.

Extreme groups like Antifa and Nazis are very similar in that they both are authoritarian.  This is proven by the fact that if you disagree with them they get violent. Nazi’s by policy are also socialist so on the left side of the chart.  This is so strange that they yell and scream at each other yet are almost identical by policy and by actions.  Antifa calling Conservatives Nazi’s if quite a joke.

So where do we fit as Christians?

We are not just conservative, or libertarian, or socialist, or left, or right. Instead we bring grace, love, compassion, power, truth, freedom, charity, and holiness in God’s harmony to the world!

Christians don’t (or should not) fit any one world model, but bring the full Gospel of the Kingdom (not just salvation) to the world.  Christianity is a radical change from the world system.

We need to understand God’s values and perspective on the world.

What are Godly values?

Christianity brings the following values (among others):

• Honour, love, and worship for God
• Respect for people, subject to God’s law
• Personal responsibility for sin leading to salvation (repentance from sin, faith, receiving His grace)
• Moral truth (eg. Holy matrimony (marriage), family)
• Work for a living
• Be generous and have compassion

These have a lot, but not all, in common with conservatism.

Social Justice and Political Correctness

Many Christians are deceived by terms like ‘Social Justice’ and ‘Political Correctness’ as they sound good but are fundamentally wrong because in the end they devalue both the individuals and God’s values!

How?

We need to understand Social Justice vs True (legal) Justice in the light of so called progressive identity politics.  I do NOT believe in ‘social justice’, rather I do believe in justice (unqualified justice); Martin Luther King also did not believe in social justice !

 Quote: ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.’

To have justice based on a person’s social grouping (i.e. their group identities, eg. race, religion, etc.) rather than their individual character is a travesty of justice.
Martin Luther King Jr nailed it in his dream speech in the quote above in his phrase ‘content of their character’ which is the only basis a person should be valued.

The whole concept of social justice is based on a false foundation of a notion of group membership defining who you are and your values, rather than the God given individual character, conscience, spirit and soul that we are.

Political correctness is simply legitimising intolerance of the Kingdom worldview.  We need to remember tolerance is not acceptance or celebration of views that are contrary to God’s word.

According to David C. Rose, social justice is a solution in search of a problem. I believe that we should show compassion for all people, but when social justice requires compromise on moral and spiritual issues it is desperately wrong.

Rose says, “Social justice is both misguided and dangerous. It is misguided because it regards observed inequality as prima facie evidence of injustice because of insufficient understanding of how a free market economy actually works. It is dangerous because social justice advocates therefore attempt to solve a moral problem that doesn’t exist and, in so doing, reduce a society’s ability to solve moral problems that really do exist.”

The Social Gospel

Consider the social gospel, which has surreptitiously found its way back into our churches. The social gospel embraces ministries that provide help to the needy – clothes closets, food banks, and health-clinics – almost anything that would contribute to the welfare of society.

Churches should be engaged in these social ministries, but these ministries should not be the primary objective. Every social ministry or act of kindness should create a bridge to share the Gospel.

Good deeds (the works of faith) are very important, but there are countless service organisations that help the public. Christians not only have the privilege of putting a man in a new suit, but putting a new man in a suit as a result of the change wrought by sharing the Gospel.

Worldly view of tolerance

The menacing worldly view of tolerance has raised its ugly head in the church. There was a time when lifestyles (not the people) embodied in the LGBTQ… community were universally condemned.

Today because of the normalising of this deviate behaviour in the media, the propagandising of students in the schools, and the sensitivity training of corporate Australia we are getting too comfortable with sin and tolerant of aberrant lifestyles.

The pulpit must not be silent in this day of tolerance lest our congregations become lukewarm. George Whitefield said, “Congregations are lifeless because dead men preach to them.” Adrian Rogers said, “The sins we once hid in the back alleys, we now parade down Main Street.”

 Economics

Quote: If you are not a socialist when you are young you have no heart and if you are not a free market capitalist when older you have no brains.
This is an old quote that holds some truth.

As a Christian we can have best of both!  Both systems fail in the end for the same reason – greed.  Unfettered, both systems want to take from others.

It is interesting that free market capitalism has set more people free from poverty than any other system in history. Yet greed can also warp this system, especially when God is not in the picture.

Socialism works until you run out of other people’s money and has been a proven failure.

No economic system is capable of saving us or bringing in the Kingdom of God. Nor is any single economic system perfect. Yet one is more compatible with biblical teaching and our imperfect, sinful world.

The Bible as a whole supports an economic system that respects private property and the work ethic. (See especially Proverbs 31; Isaiah 65:21–22, Jeremiah 32:43–44, Acts 5:1–4 and Ephesians 4:28.) Rodney Stark’s definition of capitalism is bionically sound: “Capitalism is an economic system wherein privately owned, relatively well-organised, and stable firms pursue complex commercial activities within a relatively free (unregulated) market, taking a systematic, long-term approach to investing and reinvesting wealth (directly or indirectly) in productive activities involving a hired workforce, and guided by anticipated and actual returns.”

The Christian worldview embraces a form of democratic capitalism that allows for the peaceful and free exchange of goods and services without fraud, theft, or breach of contract as the biblical view. First, the Bible grants us the right to private property and calls us to be good stewards of our resources. Second, a free enterprise system affords the greatest opportunity to steward our resources responsibly by creating wealth and opportunity. Third, the competition in a free market system works according to the principle of comparative advantage, which affirms our inherent worth as individuals.

The thousands of years of experiments with socialist economic systems have resulted in nothing but failure and tragedy—Fascism, Nazism, and Communism relied on the faulty ideas of socialism and Darwinian evolution. Their catastrophic failings are documented in Igor Shafarevich’s The Socialist Phenomenon, Ludwig von Mises’ Socialism, and Joshua Muravchik’s Heaven On Earth: The Rise And Fall Of Socialism.

Socialism’s call for economic equality is countered by capitalism’s call for the biblical requirement of equality before law. The biblical view does not cause the rich to get richer and the poor poorer as socialists contend. Rather, the biblical view encourages the rich to create more wealth, thereby aiding all of society (we are to be generous and giving from the heart not Governmental imposition). Policies of forced redistribution of wealth, including welfare systems, only multiply problems for the poor by creating needless bureaucracies and concentrating too much power in the hands of the government. Capitalism, on the other hand, encourages freedom in the political sphere, minimising the danger of granting sovereignty to the state instead of to God.

We can expect to receive just wages and odly increase from the Lord, while being compassionate and loving. This is sustainable. Only under the Lord’s hand can we truly live in harmony.

The Gospel of The Kingdom

The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33).

Secondly, we must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can.

The Church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism.  This does not mean we cannot lobby and have a voice, just that we have a higher calling and focus.

Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. We can speak up and vote but if our primary efforts are political not not the Kingdom we have missed the point.

The New Testament gives us some broad principles on how we are to respond to our government. Romans 13 declares that the origin and institution of government is something that God has ordained. I Timothy 2 reminds us that we are to pray for those who have authority over us. If God has established the government for our good and asked us to pray for those who rule over us.

Our mission lies not in changing the nation just through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Kingdom attributes

Jesus preached the Gospel of The Kingdom which includes the following attributes (among others):

• Salvation
• Healing
• Deliverance
• Reconciliation
• Prosperity (as our soul prospers, trusting the Lord)
• Charity and giving
• Transformation of society – to a Godly set of values and behaviours

This means that God rules all spheres of society i.e. the seven mountains:

1. Education
2. Religion
3. Family
4. Business
5. Government/Military/Health
6. Arts/Entertainment/Sports
7. Media

In this is the true authority of God and His word.

God’s authority manifest through the Church

We live in a representative democracy and have the power of the vote. We need to be God’s voice in our community to speak the gospel of His Kingdom.

God transcends all forms of politics. He rules beyond time and space. He gives us His authority, the Authority of the name of Jesus to deal in heavenly places, to deal with principalities and powers. He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He is sovereign.

We are His servants, called in His name. We (The Church) manifest His Kingdom on earth. We are Kings and Priests under the Lordship of Christ. We are His sons and daughters, blessed to be a blessing, made rich by His sacrifice, set free to set others free.

It is from this place we see the corrupt world system and bring His truth, love, holiness, freedom, and deliverance.

So who should I vote for or should I vote?

This is the obvious question.  We have an obligation to vote.

Vote for the candidate who has the values that align best with God’s word and His Kingdom!

Use your preferences wisely.  In Australia we have a preferential voting system so it is easy to vote for a minor candidate and still preference the major parties as you feel to.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Conclusion

I pray this information gives you a better and different understanding of politics and how we can change our society for the better, i.e. towards His Kingdom.

Gideon’s 300 shouted “the sword (word) of the Lord” and the Lord won the battle for God’s people by turning the enemy on itself.

Today we face battles for our families and nation, and the Lord is saying it is time to be ready and shout and decree His word of the Lord to all these situations.

• We have a shout of victory! and not despair
• A shout of faith! A shout of hope! A shout of His power!
• A shout of deliverance that set the captives free
• A word of wisdom like that of Solomon in confusing situations
• A shout that releases the anointing of the Lord our healer for healing of spirit, soul and body
• A shout of the victory of the shed blood of the Lamb and the work of our Lord Jesus on the Cross
• A shout of resurrection power in the name of The Lord!

Rise up and SHOUT unto the enemy using the sword of the Lord which is His word!

It is time for breakthrough and victory, a time for salvation, a time for healing, and a time for deliverance.

Judges 7:19 So Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” 21 And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the (ememy) army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Prophetic Symbology of my Sword of Solomon

I recently acquired a ceremonial sword that is called the Sword of Solomon. This sword has various symbols on it the I have explained below.  1.22 metres in length (48″) and is quite heavy.

King Solomon was the second son of Uriah the Hittite’s wife, Bathsheba, whom his father, King David, had married after orchestrating his death.

King Solomon reigned in Israel between 970 and 931 B.C.E. and was known and respected as a wise, fair and powerful king. King Solomon raised the Israelite monarchy to the maximum grade of peace and prosperity. King Solomon built the Jerusalem Temple, and a wall around the city as well as cultivated the sciences and the arts.

The bible records that there was a case in which two women were fighting for a child and King Solomon, in order to find out which one was telling the truth, King Solomon gave his sword to a soldier and ordered him to split the baby in two, giving one half to each of the women. The real mother begged the king not to kill the child and to give him to the other woman. In this way, King Solomon knew immediately which one was lying, showing great wisdom and fairness.

The sword is two edged and in the shape of a cross.  We know swords are talked about many times in scripture and generally speak of power, authority, and action.

A sword represents authority. A sword qualifies you to fight. A sword is not a shield. A shield is defensive, but a sword is offensive.  The gospel preached is offensive to a sinful world.

The sword is the only item listed by Paul that serves in an offensive capacity. Even if we have all the rest of the armour equipped perfectly, without our sword, we amount to little more than heavily armoured moving targets.

Spiritually a sword speaks of the word of the Lord and speaking the word of faith.  By this means we fight and have victory in Him.

Star of David on the pommel

The star, or more correctly Shield of David, is on both sides of the pommel.  The shield historically is the shape of six sticks tied together in a star shape that then had layers of wet animal skins stretched over them to make a shield.

This is a symbol of our faith in the Lord and an impartation of the gift of faith. We live by faith and the shield shows the protection the Lord gives us.

The Star of David reminds us that despite our efforts to accomplish in this world, just like God decided that King David would be successful in defeating armies much greater than his own, so too, will God help us accomplish our goals. This is why we say, ‘Blessed are you Lord, Shield of David’.

David took the sword of Israel’s enemy and used it to remove Goliath’s head.  The Lord has given you a sword (His word) and in doing so will strip away the weapons of the enemy.

Menorah

On one side of the cross piece is a menorah ( seven-lamp candelabra) which is a symbol of the Light of God (the gospel) and the seven spirits of God. [Revelation 5:6, Isaiah 11:2-3]

The Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of fear of the Lord. These  are the seven Spirits, which are before the throne of God.

Ark of the Covenant

On the other side of the cross piece of the sword is an image of the ark of the covenant which symbolises the holy presence of the Lord.

The ark also symbolises the mercy seat of atonement which is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.

The Ark was at the very centre of the Tabernacle. To reach it, the high priest (note: today we all now have access through Jesus) had to walk through the host of Israel and past the Levites. He had to enter the courtyard and past the Brazen Altar, the Laver, the Table of Shewbread, the Candlesticks, the Golden Altar, and through the veil (now rent in two). The coverings of the Tabernacle, the incense of the altar, the blood of the Atonement surrounded or covered the Ark. Holy anointing oil was sprinkled upon it. The Ark was at the centre of the Tabernacle, and the Tabernacle was at the centre of the nation. Almost always the Ark was kept in the very centre of the camp – even when the nation was moving. And the Ark was the place of meeting with the Lord.

The ark is the place we meet the Lord in intimacy.

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Winged Lions, wearing Kippahs

At the ends of the cross piece of the sword are winged lions with the face of men.  These are a Persian symbol but they are each wearing a kippah.  Jews were a kippah to signify that they are under God’s ultimate authority.  Thus these are a symbol of the world systems being under God’s ultimate authority.

This also symbolises the authority that the believer has in Christ Jesus. Using the sword (the word) by faith we speak with God’s authority.

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Significant scriptures that speak of swords (reference)

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

1 Kings 3:23 And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” 24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”
But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”
27 So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

Exodus 17:13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Joshua 11:10-12 Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.

Joshua 19:47 The territory of the sons of Dan proceeded beyond them; for the sons of Dan went up and fought with Leshem and captured it Then they struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and settled in it; and they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father.

Judges 20:17 Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

2 Samuel 24:9 And Joab gave the number of the registration of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

2 Samuel 23:10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

1 Samuel 21:8-9 David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.” Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

2 Samuel 23:12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

2 Samuel 1:14-16 Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died. David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.'”

1 Samuel 15:33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 17:51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

1 Samuel 22:18-19 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.

1 Kings 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2 Kings 19:37 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Joshua 6:21 They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

1 Samuel 31:4-6 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me ” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid So Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

Acts 16:27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Genesis 3:24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Numbers 22:21-23 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

Deuteronomy 33:29 “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places.”

Leviticus 26:6-8 ‘I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. ‘But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

Ezekiel 32:11-12 For thus says the Lord GOD, “The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. “By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your hordes to fall; all of them are tyrants of the nations, And they will devastate the pride of Egypt, And all its hordes will be destroyed.

Psalm 45:3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendour and Your majesty!

Micah 5:6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory.

Exodus 5:3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

2 Chronicles 20:9 ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgement, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’

Psalm 7:12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.

Isaiah 31:8 And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of man will devour him So he will not escape the sword, And his young men will become forced laborers.

Jeremiah 50:35-37 “A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the LORD, “And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her officials and her wise men! “A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered! “A sword against their horses and against their chariots And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!

Ezekiel 11:8-10 “You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you,” the Lord GOD declares. “And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. “You will fall by the sword I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 21:3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.

Ezekiel 33:2 “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

In the well known chapter 1 Kings 19  we find the account of what happened after fire fell on Mt Carmel in chapter 18.  After calling down fire and seeing God’s power demonstrated Elijah ( אֵלִיָּה meaning my God is Jehovah) started complain to the Lord as Jezebel was after him (1 Kings 19:14).

The Lord then told Elijah to get up and go v15-16 and anoint a couple of Kings (as you do) and also call Elisha  ( אֱלִישָׁע meaning God is salvation) as his successor.  The Lord also told Elijah in v18 that he was not alone as there were 7,000 who had not compromised and bowed to Baal.

In Australia at this time there has been significant compromise on moral issues by the people and sadly many Christians as well.  But the Lord has a significant number who have not compromised to the modern day Baals. We need to be encouraged by this fact.

It is time for this generation Fathers and Mothers to find their Elisha(s); that is their spiritual sons and daughters.

This current Elijah generation is aging.  It is time to go and find our Elishas. That is our spiritual sons and daughters.

There is a generation that God is raising up, an Elisha generation that carries a double anointing, a double mantle, and a double impact.  This is anyone under 40, it is time to start connecting into the Fathers and Mothers in the faith.  This is turning the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and Children to the Fathers.  Be that Father and Mother to empower the younger ones, love them, build them, release them … RELEASE them!

You will need to invest time, not just a prayer in a meeting, but real time, sharing meals, talking, and doing things together.  Encouraging them, hearing their stories, empowering and releasing this next generation, this Elisha generation.

To the under 40’s you are the Elisha generation.  You will come into a double anointing, a double portion; find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith.  1 Corinthians 4:15 says you have 10,000 instructors but not many Fathers.  Find your Fathers and Mothers in the faith, be released by them. Find those that will love you, support you, build you, and release you in your gifts and service.

As a family we should walk together, encourage and build each other, particularly this next generation, that 7,000 that have not bowed to baal. This next generation will reach out to many, many, many others.

The Lord is wanting us to genuinely connect and build, and build, and build.  Because He is building His Church, but this is how He is doing it.

1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?‘

14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’

15 Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’

And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?’

21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

I handed Dexter a bottle of anointing oil which he used on Todd and Rachel. The oil was from Bethlehem Israel and scented with frankincense, we had brought it home from our last trip to Israel.

As papa Dexter was praying the Holy Spirit reminded me of the significance of this particular oil and what it meant for Todd, Rachel, and Field of Dreams Church.

First, frankincense is symbolic of things royal, holy, kingly and priestly.  This represents, in part, the calling on Todd and Rachel, also the purpose for the City of Dreams vision.  There is a huge push forward for the Kingdom of God as the body of Christ comes together in the city.  This push will see captive and bound people set free as they come into the power of salvation in Christ.

The release of the captives brings them into a royal, holy, and righteous place where the most downtrodden is lift to a place of honour.

Secondly, Bethlehem (Beit Lechem בֵּית לֶחֶם – House of Bread) is the more significant point of this word.

There was a great sense that City of Dreams was to be a House of Bread and that bread is the Bread of Life (Yeshua) .

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

There will be an abundance of bread to be given freely to those in need under a Joseph anointing of provision in a time of famine. People will come to the Lord’s house to receive abundantly and then go out again to provide to others.   This is both a spiritual and physical provision.  The Lord is calling people to the House of Bread to release and distribute the Bread of Life to the city, nation and the nations.

Isaiah 55:1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

The bread and drink the Lord is providing meets the deep longing people are crying out for; it truly satisfies and is without price.

City of Dreams is a house of bread, a place to eat and drink freely of all the Lord has to give; and then to release this blessing to all in need.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

Here is the mechanical translation:

HEAR {שְׁמַע / shê’ma} Yisra’eyl {יִשְׂרָאֵל / yis’ra’eyl} YHWH {יְהוָה / YHWH} Elohiym~us {אֱלֹהֵינוּ / e’lo’hey’nu} YHWH {יְהוָה / YHWH} UNIT {אֶחָד / e’hhad}

This then unlocked a stream of revelation from Holy Spirit which I will unpack here.

The first thing to note is that Elohiym is a plural word.  This is very significant in understanding the trinity but I will leave that for a later post.

Secondly, one  {אֶחָד / e’hhad} is unit, not just a singular one.  The word is strongly connected to the word unity {יְחָד / yakh’·ad} in Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Holy Spirit then showed me a picture of army units, a section, a company, a regiment, a brigade, a division, and a complete army.  Each unit was tasked with an objective, each working together with other units for a single overall purpose of defeating an enemy and establishing sovereign ruler-ship. Whilst any sub-unit may have a specific task and goal, the overall purposes are the same.

I then saw each army unit being specialised ministries, home groups, local congregations, movements, and ultimately the whole body of Christ working together for the Kingdom purposes; ministering salvation, healing, and freedom for the captives.  As a unit we are one; God’s power manifested as a force to transform our region, city, state, and nation.

The next thing that Holy Spirit reminded me of was 1 Corinthians 12 and that the body is one (unit) but many diverse parts. All the parts contribute to the unit objectives.  All the parts are vitally needed.  So whether you are an up front ministry, or a prayer warrior in the quiet place; or on the streets, on the mission field, or working in any of the seven mountains you are vitally important to His Kingdom.  There is no difference between the calling to ministry or to the market place.  In fact all the 12 disciples were market place people.

Finally we are reminded of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21

‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.’

We see here that the oneness is that of a unit and is very much the nature of God to reconcile and bring people together in Him.

It is out of being one in unity with each other and the Lord that we have true power over the forces of darkness and are able to manifest the Kingdom and God. The Lord commands a blessing when we are one unit (in unity) (Psalm 133:3).

Opportunities to bless and manifest the Kingdom are not limited to what takes place among gatherings of Christians (local Church).  The Lord calls us to serve Him in many ways. As Colossians 3:17 teaches, ‘And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.‘
So as a unit (with other brothers and sisters in Christ) we have many ways to manifest the Kingdom of God!

First, 2018 be a year for return and restoration

People that have be away or distant will be drawn back to the Lord and will return to their true calling and purpose. The hearts of the fathers being turned to the children and children to the fathers. The outworking of return will be restoration of relationships in right order before the Lord.

Fathers (and Mothers) in the faith need to connect with their children. We need to empower, restore, build, encourage, guide, love, teach, and release the children the Lord has given us.

There will also be a return of things stolen and a restoration of right. This will outwork in both health and finances. Where things have been destroyed, damaged, stolen, or demoted the Lord will bring His justice and redemption.
Expect to see miracles of restoration.  Restoration will not be just same for same, but will include an overflow abundance that will include the David’s spoils of war (ref 1 Samuel 30:16-20).

Healing gifts will be restored and released. When you pray in faith expect miracles to minister to those you are loving and praying for.

Seek to love people!  As Danny Silk said ‘If you minister to people they may be loved, but if you love people they will be ministered to’.

Secondly, 2018 will see a return to Holiness in the Church and a restoration of the Church’s authority in society

2018 will be glorious, but we need to live this year with penitent, broken, and humble hearts that seeks the Lord and His Kingdom above all else. We cannot received the personal return and restoration promised without fully embracing His holiness.

The Church has lost much authority over the last 50 years, we have let significant moral issues be stolen by evil people and agendas in society (SSM, abortion, euthanasia, porn, divorce, adultery, and compromise).  These sins are fully manifest in the Church, both in leaders and the people. We will start regaining our authority through deep repentance and recognising His true Holiness.

Some reading this post will feel uncomfortable and/or challenged, if you do, then cry out to the Lord now for His holiness and truth to come into your life, those around you, and into our nation.

A catch cry of the SSM proponents was ‘love is love’, but the truth is love is holy. We cannot have God’s love without His holiness. This is a key we need to to grab hold of!

We have a short window of time to cry out to the Lord in repentance.  In many cases parts of the Church need to own up to grievous sins (child abuse, financial misappropriation, abuse of authority, and all sins of immorality, porn, etc.).

Australia is on a trajectory of destruction, darkness, and death.  The Church of our Lord Jesus is the only answer, but only from a place of Holy repentance.

Again 2018 will be glorious as we lay hold of all the Lord has for us.  It is His purpose that His Church rise up and take its rightful authority and see transformation of our nation into righteousness.

He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

For some it maybe time to grab the horns of the alter in prayer.
This is a 4 horned alter at Tel Be’er Sheva in Israel today.

I have a sense that the Lord has something for Revival SA/AHOPFAN, Lutheran Renewal/Overflow, and all city wide community focused groups/congregations.

1. Building the Kingdom via reconciliation and relationship.

The body of Christ needs to come together in unity more than ever. It is time for barriers and differences to fade and be replaced with genuine relationship. This may mean reconciliation and repentance.

Reconciliation is only the first step as reconciliation becomes cooperation; then cooperation becomes covenant. The Lord wants us in relationship with each other to the same standard as our relationship with Him and the Father.
Leaders need to open up to each other and congregations need to start working together on a regular basis. There are some groups moving in this direction very strongly and others that need to get on board.

The outline of this Psalm of praise is sharp and clear; the call to praise (verses 1-3), the cause for praise (verses 4-19), and the conclusion (verses 20-22). The call is directed toward the righteous, for whom praise to God is fitting. The cause for praise is twofold: The Lord is dependable in both word (verses 4-9), and work (verses 10-12), and the Lord is just and loyal in dealing with His children (verses 13-19). The conclusion is an expression of the joyful hope of the godly in the Lord.

While meditating on this Psalm two consecutive passages spoke strongly to me.  First, verses 8-9. Secondly, verses 10-12.  These two passages have particular relevance in the current moral issue situation in Australia.

The first part I felt the Lord saying that we need to stand up and position ourselves from His perspective.  The battle is always the Lord’s!  He is awesome and all of creation bows before Him.  It is from this place we should seek Him, pray, and declare His righteousness and love.

In the second passage I felt the Lord saying He is is complete control.  We must put our trust in Him and call out for Australia to make Him Lord of all our land and peoples.  This is a distinct prayer strategy given of the Lord for this seemingly difficult time.

Whilst many activities are being executed by godly people to declare family, righteousness, and life into the moral debate (these activities are needed and good), the Lord says the battle is won in praise and worship of Him.  The prophets chamber, houses of prayer, and corporate congregational prayer are the real battle ground.

It is time for the Church to rise and call on the Lord for things on earth to be as it is in heaven which is the Gospel of the Kingdom mandate.  The Lord is encouraging all who are praying and hear the call of this message to be bold and fear no man; but to now stand and declare Him Lord of all.

In Joshua 5:13-15 we read the account of Joshua asking The Angel of the Lord ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ to which the Lord replied ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come!’. In other words we are not asking if God is on our side, but are we on the Lord’s side of things.  This is the key to winning the battle, we must align with the Lord and His word.  We must seek Him and His righteousness and from that place of humility we will find His victory regardless of circumstances.

The Sovereignty of the Lord in Creation and History

Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skilfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.

Hebrews 5:6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”;

This raises the obvious questions, who was Melchizedek? and why was he significant?

We do not know much about Melchizedek other than his interaction with Abraham in Genesis 14 and one reference in Psalm 110.
1) Genesis 14:18-20 there are three short verses

Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

2) Psalm 110:4 about 1000 years later than the Genesis reference, which is quoted in Hebrews

Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

To get a better understanding we will look at the name Melchizedek in Hebrew and discover the root meanings of this wonderful name.  In particular Hebrews 7 gives a detailed understanding of Melchizedek as a type of Christ.

Melchizedek מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק (Malkiy-Tsedeq) which means “my King is Sedek” and is made up of two Hebrew words, Melek מֶלֶךְ (King) and tsedeq צֶדֶק (right, righteous cause, righteousness, and justice).

Melchizedek was also King of Salem שָׁלֵם (peace), i.e. he was both King of Justice and Righteousness and King of Peace. [Note: The town of Salem becomes Jerusalem later on].

Our western Christian understanding of the word ‘righteousness’ (tsedeq) doesn’t come near to understanding the wide, deep meanings of the idea in Hebrew, and sometimes confuses us when we read the Scripture. Our nominal understanding of this idea is correct performance of regulations and legal perfection. When we hear about the ‘righteousness of God’ people often cringe, thinking that out of righteousness, God is somehow angry with us when we fall short of the mark.

The phrase tzedkot Adonai (righteous acts of God) in Jewish versions of the Bible is translated as ‘kindnesses’, ‘abundant benevolences’, ‘gracious acts’, and ‘gracious deliverance’. This is because the word tsedeq means more than just legal correctness; it refers to His covenant faithfulness, often resulting in rescuing those in distress and showing mercy, especially to sinners.

This is why King David says to God, ‘Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me’ (Psalm 35:24). He is actually appealing to God’s grace, and mercy to those that are under His covenant, rather than His legal judgements.

This idea of tsedeq as mercy is even found in Jesus time. A common idiom in use by Jews from that time (and still used today) was to use the word tsedeq to refer to charity and giving of alms. Jesus uses it this way when he says not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ in front of others, and then he goes on to speak about giving to the poor (Matthew 6:1-4).

We see now that the word tsedeq goes beyond ‘legal perfection’. How is it that people are spoken of as righteous in the Old Testament, even though they are not in any way perfect.

How can we be called righteous too?
Let’s understand the righteous biblically as:
People who in humility and faithfulness, trust and believe in the Lord, despite our sin (missing the mark), persecution, and oppression; people who seek to live rightly, without pride of heart, depending on the Lord for all protection and vindication.
Righteousness here is not ethical/moral perfection, but that obedience and uprightness of the faithful who trust God for a favourable decision, not so much to be justified against an adversary, but, in an absolute sense to be accepted and saved by His grace.

This is the perfect picture of who Jesus is! He is our righteousness and our peace!

The little we know about Melchizedek shows he was a type of Christ in that he was:

1. Priest of the most high God
2. Royal priest possessing personal majesty and authority
3. King of righteousness and justice
4. King of peace
5. The one who blessed Abraham and prophesied over Abraham
6. He prophetically brought out bread and wine to Abraham; this is foretelling both Passover and the last supper (communion)
7. The one who received the gifts of God’s people represented by Abraham
8. Not owing his priesthood to natural genealogy
9. A priest beyond the bounds of the Levitical limitations (before the law of Moses was given)

Melchizedek was a Prophet, Priest, and King. A rare combination also found perfectly in Jesus. As we are now grafted in and are part of the seed of Abraham we also receive the same blessing imparted to Abraham by Melchizedek in that we have all blessings in Christ Jesus.

From the little we know of Melchizedek  there is still a wealth of blessing in knowing Jesus is our our righteousness and our peace according to the order of Melchizedek!

When we face difficulties and challenges our high priest and King Jesus is the one who intercedes and fights for us. He is beyond all earthly limits and has all power. He is the one who blesses us and who we give gifts of praise and worship to.

Hebrew letters are not just ordinary letters. Each letter is a symbol, full of many inner meanings, from literal straightforward meaning, to deeper spiritual meaning. Understanding the letters provides a wonderful insight into the deeper meanings of the Word.

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Background understanding

Let’s have a deep look at two key words in this verse, brethren (אָח – ‘ach) and unity (יַחַד  – yachad).  [read Hebrew right to left]

The word ‘ach has the meaning of:
Noun:
– brother of same parents
– half-brother (same father)
– relative, kinship, same tribe
– each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

The word yachad has the meaning of:
Noun: union, unitedness
Adverb: together, altogether, all together, alike

The Hebrew letters for the word ‘ach are Aleph אָ and Khet ח which have the root meanings of strong and wall. Thus the root image of brethren is a strong wall.

Yachad contains Khet ח and Dallet ד. Dallet has the root meaning of door. Thus the root image of unity is a wall with a door.

Insight

True brothers and sisters are a strong wall that is a place of strength, covering, protection, and provision.  In the body of Christ we are to be that place of love, acceptance, and strength to each other.  We know that the world will know we are His disciples by our love.

Jesus is our older brother who is the ultimate strong wall and fortress that we can run into.  He is our first and best example of brotherhood and unity.

The greatest love we can have is to lay down our lives for each other as Jesus modelled to us.  There is a cost that we are called to pay to love one another.

Understanding that unity is pictured as a wall with a door shows us that unity is about connection and relationship.  Unity must become practical on the ground not just some theological concept.  The outworking of unity will be laying down agendas, control, selfishness, and then to serve one another personally and corporately.

When another person or congregation has success or is stepping out in a faith initiative we come and support, celebrate, encourage, and sow into them.  The time for jealousy, criticism, selfishness, and doubt is over.

On a personal level we need to ensure we have good relationship with other brothers and sisters in Christ as far as it is possible for us to do so.  It is time to heal hurts, release, forgive, and above all love.

It is time to genuinely love one another, not just seek ministry. As Danny Silk once said: ‘If you minister to people they may be loved, if you love people they will be ministered to.’  #KYLO (Keep Your Love On)

On a corporate level the Church, made up of many congregations, needs to come together as brethren in unity and each local congregation needs to support other congregation in a local geography and beyond.

This unity is beyond just the occasional joint event, but leaders in regular fellowship and prayer, then local congregations relating and working together for gospel transformation of their geographic region.

Psalm 133:3b For there the LORD commanded the blessing – Life forevermore.

The end of Psalm 133 has a commanded blessing when brethren dwell together in unity which is ‘Life forevermore’.  Unity is not an option, but is an eternal mandate.  It comes from us being a strong wall to each other and being connected in both an agape (God like selfless) and phileo (brotherly)  love for each other.

Prayer

Abba Father ! We pray as Jesus prayed…

John 17:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

We ask that we all receive a deeper revelation and understanding of brethren dwelling together in unity.
We repent of selfishness, control, jealousy, denominations, agendas, and above all not loving one another.
We repent of not fully recognising Your body the Church.
We ask again for the gifts and blessings we need to serve one another in love.

We declare that we are one in Christ Jesus!

We bless the reader of this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen!

Numbers 6:23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:’
24 ‘The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’

A much fuller translation of the blessing based on the full Hebrew rendering is:

24 Yahweh will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.
25 Yahweh will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.
26 Yahweh will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.

This full translation gives us a deep insight into the heart and ways of the Lord.

In this part 1 I will unpack verse 24.

Two phrases stand out in vs 24 – bless you (בָּרַךְ baruch) and keep you (שָׁמַר shamar).

First, the full meaning of baruch is to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit).

The idea of the Lord kneeling before us is very confronting, and when I first considered it I felt that I should be kneeling before Him and worshipping Him.
I felt the Lord say that I needed to let Him to wash my feet, and as soon as I knew that I realised that it was exactly this that Jesus did at the last supper.
It is the nature of the Lord to bless and then in turn, as we receive His blessing, we are then well able to bless others.

We need to humble ourselves to allow the Lord to bless us! He wants to bless us and we often are too hung up with issues that prevent His blessing. Don’t reject the Lord’s blessing, receive it with humility and grace and then give it to others.

If you want a really good understanding of blessing check out Richard Brunton’s book ‘The Awesome Power of Blessing’.

James 1:17 Every good gift (blessing) and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Of course blessing is outlined in Matthew 5:3-11 (the beatitudes).

Secondly, the full meaning of shamar is to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, observe, to preserve.

As we come into His blessing we also come into His protection. This protection of the Lord is something we need to actively receive and apply in our lives.
When life issues come along, we need to run into His protection. He wants to guard us, but often we go outside His boundaries and protection.

We can stay within his protection by simply following Him. The shortest sermon ever was when Jesus said ‘Follow me’. When we obey that call we come into His protection and have the ability to deal with anything in His grace and His strength.

Proverbs 4:6 Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Psalm 5:11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Prayer

Dear Abba Father
We humbly pray for people reading this that You will kneel before us presenting gifts and You will guard us with a hedge of protection!
Allow our hearts and minds be open to Your word, Your truth and Your life.
Let us humble ourselves and receive all that You have provided for us.
We bless the reader in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; amen!

Releasing the Aaronic Blessing – Part 2

This video from the Ancient Hebrew Research Centre will bless you…

We desperately need to know that Father God is so much more about restoration than punishment. The wages (and consequences) of sin is death, but the Lord wants us to receive His life and restoration via repentance and belief in the Lord.

The word restore means ‘to return someone or something to a former good condition, place, or position.’

If we think about cars and furniture, two things you often hear about as being restored. At some point in the past, every car and every piece of furniture was brand new. But, with use and wear’n’tear, they will become worn out and sometimes degrade into a state of disrepair.
If they aren’t restored, they often end up in the Sims scrap metal yard or the rubbish dump left to rust and rot away.

The are skilled people who restore old cars and furniture. We have seen rust buckets turned into show cars (with some significant TLC). We have seen restoration shows on TV where rotting furniture is brought back to life and use by the hands of a skilled restorer.  Jesus is the ultimate restorer.

Sometimes Christians fall into a useless state due to sin and failures. Long after the joy and zeal of knowing Jesus has faded, and after we’ve allowed sin to cripple us, we find ourselves in need of restoration.  Sadly, once we reach this point, we often allow Satan to accuse us and shame us into thinking we could never be of any use to God’s kingdom. ‘Look at you,’ he says. ‘What good are you? You’ve sinned/failed/crashed, you haven’t followed, and you’re worthless. God will never use you again.’

I’ve been there.  We’ve all probably been there.

Thankfully and graciously the Lord doesn’t see things this way. In John 21:15-19 we see the restoration of Peter after he did what he said he would not, that is he denied the Lord.

Jesus can and does restore the worst of us to a brand new life, holiness and usefulness.  I’m totally convinced that the Lord desires for those of us who’ve failed, slipped, messed up, and crashed to live completely restored lives.

In John 21 Jesus asks Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’.  The the first two time Jesus asks Peter, the Greek word for love is agape, i.e. Do you love me with God’s sort of selfless love.  Most of us understand this.

The third time Jesus asks Peter He uses the Greek word phileo or do you love me as a brother.  My Australian paraphrase of this is ‘Are you my best mate?’.
This is really important to understand.
Most of us get the idea of God’s sort of sacrificial selfless agape love; but the Lord also wants us as His best mate! He wants us in a relationship of intimacy, love, meaning, and hope.

In our culture we understand what a best mate is; it is the person we can trust in everything, we can rely on our best mate, our best mate will be there when we are in trouble, and they will be with us when we celebrate high points in life.  Jesus is, and wants to be, our best mate.

We need to have both sorts of love. First the sacrificial selfless agape love of the Lord. Secondly, a deep relational ‘best mates’ kind of love.  The Lord has our back at all times, He is there even when we have crashed and burned.  He never leaves us even when we turn our back on Him.  He always wants to restore our souls.

When our love is flowing in the ocean of His love we are restored.  It is only in His love that we can be restored.

My prayer is that we all would simply turn to Him and receive His love and let Him work whatever is needed to change us to be more like Him.

Judges 4 tells the story of Deborah, Barak her General in charge of the Army of Israel, and Sisera the General of the enemy Canaanite army.  The Lord delivers the Canaanites, who were attacking Israel, into Barak’s hands and he defeats them in battle, but the enemy General Sisera escapes but is delivered in to the hands of Jael a woman of Godly honour.

Deborah was a mighty woman of complete authority who led Israel against King Jabin’s army led by General Sisera.

General Barak led Israel’s army under Deborah’s orders to a great victory over the Canaanites.  God won the battle by confusing the enemy who were destroyed except for Sisera who escaped (he literally ran away from the battle and his Canaanite forces; he was a coward).

There is much that can be learned from this passage of scripture, but we will focus on Jael’s part of the story.

Jael was a wife and mother, honourable, faithful to God, faithful to her husband and family.

When Sisera came by her tent he was desperately trying to escape from the battle he had just lost (the Canaanites were completely humiliated by Israel).  He was parched from the battle and was running away for his life, so he asked Jael for water.

As Jael’s husband (Heber) was away fighting on side with Israel, taking a strange man into her tent was risking her honourable reputation.  But she did it anyway.  Jael then gave Sisera warm milk to drink, a very wise thing as it put him to sleep so she could easily deal with him.

It is important to note that the Canaanites were very evil and had been oppressing Israel for some years. (We know they performed human sacrifices, self-mutilations and other horrific things).  They are symbolic of all satan is about; i.e. one who is but a thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy.

Let’s look at Jael’s character as defined by her name.  Jael (Ya’el   יָעֵל  ) in Hebrew means ‘mountain goat’ or one that is swift and dwells in high places.

[This picture of a mountain goat taken by Kym at Ein Gedi, Israel]

Hunters will tell you it’s hard to catch a mountain goat, for they dwell on impossible high cliffs, are very cunning, quick, and extremely intelligent.

A mountain goat is unlike other goats. Regular goats forage in the rubbish around the camp or village; the mountain goat lives on clean fresh vegetation in the high places, and drinks pure mountain water.

Living in the high places speaks of living continually in God’s presence. Eating the clean vegetation and drinking pure water speaks of feeding of God’s word,  drinking of the Spirit, living a holy consecrated and prayerful life. We can take from this that Jael while seemingly ‘just’ a wife and mother, was in fact a mighty woman of prayer and knew the Lord and His ways.

This name Ya’el also speaks of a woman of faith, integrity, strength, wisdom and who is close to the Lord in worship (high places).

Jael enticed Sisera into her tent and he quickly fell asleep. While Sisera was asleep Jael hammers a tent peg through Sisera’s head into the ground, and we get in scripture “so he died” – D’oh!   {God’s great understatement }

So it is that Jael was the one who took out the enemy general, she is not a warrior in the natural sense but is a mighty warrior in the Holy Spirit.  Culturally it is a great shame on the Canaanites that women (Deborah and Jael) are responsible for their downfall.  Even more so that a ‘simple housewife’ would kill the great enemy general.

God uses the seemingly weak as His mighty warriors.

This is the word of the Lord to the women, wives and mothers that serve the Lord today:

You are my chosen ones, as I call you into deeper worship and intimacy with me I will deliver great victories to you as I did with Jael.

I have seen your quiet faithfulness, do not feel insignificant or consider yourself of little importance in My Kingdom, for I have called you and equipped you with My Spirit.

Lift up your eyes and see the victories I will bring.  You will see strongholds fall and people set free by My hand through your service.

Women of faith rise up!  As you pray I will hear and take action!

You are called as workers to bring in my harvest.  You will speak forth My faith and life bringing healing to those in need. You are called to love like I love you.  Be strong and secure in My love.

You wives and mothers will stand together with your husbands and be strong in Me says the Lord.  One will put to flight a thousand but two will put ten thousand to flight.

Know that you are Mine and I have called and equipped you to show forth My Glory and manifest My Kingdom.

Above all know My love is given to you, and you are My dearly beloved.

On a lighter note:

When I say I want a biblical wife …

What people think I mean: I want a wife who is passive and subservient.

What I really mean: I want a wife who is totally willing to drive a tent spike into a tyrant’s head should the opportunity arise!

You are warriors !

First, the vision was that of an Wedge-tailed Eagle soaring in the sky riding the winds watching with a sharp eye.
The word ‘audacious’ then came fresh to me which has a latin root audax (bold).

Secondly, I saw a view of Australia from high above and a giant Wedge-tailed Eagle wings outstretched from Cairns to Perth.
The eagle was soaring towards the north-east.

The interpretation of this revelation came in more detail today.

First, the Lord is calling His church to greater audacity in stepping out in faith for the impossible, and also speaking with boldness in preaching the gospel.
This audacity is not random, but very sharply aligned with the Father’s agenda and purposes.
The Lord will show us very specific impossible situations that we will take on and see His power manifest in miracles, healings, signs and wonders.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit is over Australia. He is calling to believers to come under His covering and empowerment.
We can do nothing without Him. The Holy Spirit is so awesome that the whole land is under the shadow of His wing. (Psalm 91)
He is asking us to look up and see Him and fall into line with His purposes to reach the lost and to bring glory to His name.

The north east direction speaks of north being His seat of  authority; and the east is telling us of the King of Glory coming in through the east gate and east also signifies a new day.
In other words this is about seeing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and the revelation of Jesus and the King of Glory.

Over the past week since Thursday 2017-04-06 there has been a significant word coming which I believe to be for the prophets in Australia.  It has three aspects and pictures to it which I share below.  I pray this word will encourage the prophets, the prophetic gifts, and challenge you all.

The three things that were shown are:

• the word Influence
• a skilled military sniper
• a very accurate arrow splitting another arrow that had already hit a target (like Robin Hood) and also Zechariah 9:14

Influence

First, I saw the word influence in the form of a very large 3D white letter word, a bit like the Hollywood sign in LA but bigger and brighter.

The Lord was saying that His prophets are coming to a time of great visible influence.  First in the church, and then government and business.  Where the word of the Lord, and the prophets themselves, had been rejected in the past  His word will now be received with honour.

Note: Rejection of the prophets has really meant a rejection of the Lord Himself in some areas.

Influence has started and will increase in both local and targeted remote situations.  The words that come will be accurate and very precise.  This influence is of the Lord and comes from a place of hearts surrendered to the Lord in humility, forgiveness, and grace.

The words delivered will be specific and accurate as the Lord reveals key and intimate details of situations.  The word of the Lord will convict and in many cases bring people to repentance and forgiveness.  These people will be leaders in the church, government, and business.

Sniper

The next picture was that of a skilled military sniper.  Then the thought of the sniper motto ‘one shot, one kill’ came; then the Lord said ‘one word, one life’.  A sniper kills, but the word of the Lord is life. (John 6:68).

The picture of the sniper is that of the word of the Lord hitting important, influential, and significant targets (i.e. people) who are in desperate need of the Lord in difficult circumstances.

The phrase ‘surgical strike’ also came indicating specific effective prophetic words that bring healing and restoration to hurting people.  There is an expectation significant signs and wonders will follow as the Lord speaks.  Do not be afraid to step out in faith expecting the Lord to perform miracles.

Snipers usually are deployed to hit ‘high value’ targets.  The Lord’s way of valuing a person is not by rank or position, but by the heart.  The prophetic words coming are targeting deep heart issues.

A sniper is unknown to his target, yet a sniper has great impact on the target.  The prophets who have been hidden in the quiet place with the Lord are arising with power and impact. The prophets are having influence and impact, from the Lord, for His Kingdom purposes.

Arrow

The third image was that of an arrow hitting a target splitting another arrow and then the scripture Zechariah 9:14 came to me.

Zechariah 9:14 Then the LORD will be seen over them,
And His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,
And go with whirlwinds from the south.

The picture of the arrow shows the prophetic word being so accurate that it hits the heart of the matter repeatedly.  It is also a very powerful arrow which signified words accompanied with signs, wonders, and miracles.

Zechariah 9:14 shows that the Lord will overshadow His prophets at this time, the presence of Lord is the vindication and not any efforts of man.
His word will be proclaimed with great power as demonstrated by lightning.  Lightning is a significant word in scripture that declares God’s awesome power. People will notice and listen as prophetic words are delivered with powerful anointing.

The verse also shows that the Lord will make a loud noise being the trumpets which signify both a warning and notice of something significant in the land.

Lastly the whirlwinds are the Lord stirring up things that need stirring.  Whirlwinds also show righteous judgement from the Lord.  The whirlwinds being from the south speak of the things of man being stirred up. The sides of the north the city of the Great King indicate the Lord’s truth and righteousness.  The south being a sign of the opposite of the north, i.e. man’s efforts, works, and the flesh.

The prophets are speaking the word of the Lord and declaring the truth of His Word with great power.

Future

The prophetic words coming will continue to challenge the ways of man, and in the place of man’s way will be a call to the heart, holiness, righteousness and forgiveness.

The prophetic word will always seek to bring life and the Lord into situations. This new wave of prophetic words will bring healing to people and the nation.  In essence the prophets will be part of the ongoing global proclamation of the gospel of Jesus  but in a more powerful way.

The time of prophetic frustration is coming to an end for many prophets.  While the word of the Lord will at times be rejected, you prophets will know the Lord in a deeper way and have refuge in His presence.  It is time to let go of frustration and disappointment.  The Lord wants your heart above all else, and He will lift you up as He sees fit.  Trust in the Lord.

Prophets, do not be afraid to speak but more-so to move in signs and wonders.  It is about lifting up the name of the Lord.

1 Corinthians  2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Background:

Shittim – Hebrew for Acacia, also known as Wattle in Australia.

In Exodus 25 the Ark of the Covenant and its poles, the table of showbread and its poles are described in detail and states that they are to be made of Shittim Wood from the Shittah Tree. Many of the structural features of the tabernacle were constructed of Shittim Wood. The brazen altar and its poles,  and the incense altar and its poles, all the poles for the hanging of the curtains as well as the supports were made of Shittim Wood.

There are roughly 1,300 species of Acacia worldwide, about 950 of them native to Australia, with the remainder spread around the dry tropical to warm-temperate regions of both hemispheres, including Africa, southern Asia, and the Americas.

Wattle is the national floral emblem of Australia from where we get the Green and Gold worn by our Australian sports teams.

Word:

A fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of the Wattle,
and shall water the valley of La Australia del Espíritu Santo
and shall water the valley of The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit
and shall water the valley of that is Australia

The Lord will pour out His Spirit as a fountain through His Body, the Church, and from this outpouring the valley of the Wattle will be watered.

Even as Australia needs water in time of drought, her people need the person of the Holy Spirit flowing out from the Church – the Body of Christ.

We the Church – the Body of Christ – need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so we are able to minister to the lost and preach the good news of Jesus.

The fountain will spring forth from the Church who will lift up the Name of The Lord Jesus.  As He is lifted up, Australia (our land) will be healed.  Those that are lost and don’t yet know the Lord will be saved.

Multitudes will cry out for mercy as they repent of their sin.  The Lord will hear them, heal them, save them and refresh them.   They will cry out to the Lord with a heart of worship as the Holy Spirit comes to them.

The people will say “Surely this is the Lord”.

Jeremiah 31:31 – “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them”, says the Lord.

This announcement is a key point in the timeline of God and his relation to his people. It is his promise of a new covenant, different from, and much improved, from the covenant made at Mount Sinai. This is the first biblical reference to a new covenant. The passage is quoted in the New Testament, Heb. 8:8-12.

If we look at

Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you”

Jesus declares the new and better covenant.

Let’s now look at the word ‘new’ in both passages.

Jeremiah 31:31 H2319 new (48x), new thing (4x), fresh (1x). Hebrew: chadash
a) new, new thing, fresh

Luke 22:20 G2537 New (44x). Greek: kainos
a) as respects form
– recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn
b) as respects substance
– of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of

It is absolutely clear that this is a new and not renewed or upgraded covenant, but is a completely new relationship between God and man. The error that is circulating in some Hebrew roots and/or Torah observant Christian groups is dismissed by both of these passages, among others.

Now let’s look at the benefits of the new and better covenant.

Hebrews 8:6 – But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

This verse, and much of the book of Hebrews, shows us that the new covenant is superior to the old.  There are many and significant benefits and advantages to the new covenant versus the old.

Here are 12 benefits of the new covenant

1. God forgives all our sins (Matthew 26:28, Acts 13:38). Our sins are not merely covered by the blood of bulls and goats, they are paid for and taken away by the Lamb of God (John 1:29). At the cross, justice was satisfied. His forgiveness is perfectly complete.
2. God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17; Jeremiah 31:34). In terms of justification it’s as if we never did them.
3. God promises never to be angry with us again (Isaiah 54:7-10). Unlike the obsolete covenant of law, the new covenant is an everlasting covenant of love and peace (Isaiah 54:10, 55:3). God will never stop doing good to us (Jeremiah 32:40).
4. God qualifies us (Colossians 1:12). It’s no longer a case of what we do (under the law covenant) or who we’re related to (under the Abrahamic covenant). It’s who we trust.
5. Jesus takes hold of us and never lets go (Philippians 3:12, Jude 24). Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39). Consequently we can speak of our hope as a “firm and secure” anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19).
6. God credits us with the perfect righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Righteousness is not earned, it is received (Romans 5:17). Because of Jesus’ sacrifice our status before God is “perfect forever” (Hebrews 10:14).
7. God gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us (John 14:26), empower us (Acts 1:8) and remind us of our righteousness (John 16:10). We no longer need priests to mediate for us, for now we can all know the Lord (Jeremiah 31:34). We are His royal priests (1 Peter 2:9).
8. God is for us (Romans 8:31) God justifies us and there is no more condemnation (Romans 8:1). When we sin, Jesus doesn’t judge us, He defends us (1 John 2:1). His grace enables us to overcome sin (Titus 2:12). He abundantly supplies all our needs (Philippians 4:19) that we might enjoy life to the full (John 10:10). God’s favour is unearned and unmerited.
9. God is with us (Ezekiel 37:27) Because of Jesus the door to the throne room is always open (Hebrews 4:16). We can approach Him with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).
10. God empowers us to overcome the enemy (1 John 5:4). We have His delegated authority over demons and disease (Mark 16:17). We live under His divine protection (Luke 10:19). We are destined to “reign in life” (Romans 5:17).
11. God offers us His rest (Hebrews 4:10-11). Under the old covenant it was do, do, do. Under the new covenant it’s done, done, done (John 19:30). We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
12. God gives us eternal life (Romans 6:23).

This is an awesome list of benefits. What Jesus gave us via the cross is simply incredible.

We obtain these benefits by His grace and through faith in Him.

We are no longer under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14–15). The Old Covenant has served its purpose, and it has been replaced by “a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22).

Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death. Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9–11), we share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God (Hebrews 9:15).

More than anything else the Lord had called (and is calling) Israel to consecration, i.e. the Lord wanted Israel’s hearts.

So it is the Lord is calling us (His Church) to a deeper consecration, a deeper heart relationship, a more intimate worship to Him.

I see a person kneeling and praying “I have nothing to give you Lord, except my heart.”
The Lord responds, “Your heart is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There is a fresh call to deeper consecration, holiness, intimacy, worship, love, unity, and holy apostolic community.

Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service of the Lord’s desire.
We do what He wants without reservation.
He wants our whole heart.

When the Lord has our whole heart He will use us to release captives, restore lives, and rebuild houses of worship.
This is His heart to work through us.

Be ready for Him with a clean heart.

Here are some thoughts I’ve pulled together from the word and various sources.

Most of you know that Replacement Theology claims the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan due to Israel’s rejection of the Messiah. Where Replacement Theology (also know as continuation theology) claims the only place for Israel is as part of the Church, some in the Hebrew Roots movement assert that the only place for the Church is as part of Israel.

So how do we sort out this mess?

Very simple!
We need to see the whole word of God and especially the trajectory of scripture from the old to new testaments.

TL:DR They are both wrong!

The truth is we need to recognise there is much to be learned about our Christian faith by studying the Old Testament, and especially the commandments and traditions surrounding the Feasts of Israel. We also must not come back under law (read Galatians and Hebrews) again which is anti faith alone and grace alone.

While extreme Hebrew Roots appears to teach that because of the Lord’s death, obedience to the Law is a privilege and not a requirement, a number of its teachers seem to be going well beyond that. They claim that in fact Torah observance is a requirement for all believers. Some have also abandoned the Greek based New Testament in favour of translations from Aramaic texts, due to alleged errors in the Greek based texts. They say those who call the Lord by His English name (Jesus) are actually worshipping a pagan god, which according to them makes traditional Christianity a pagan religion. They want us to believe that the *only* acceptable name for the Son of God is Yeshua (His name in Hebrew), and the only acceptable way to worship Him is by obeying the Torah and observing the Feasts of Israel. There as those that saw we should only eat kosher food.

Replacement theology (a.k.a. Continuation theology) is the teaching that the Christian Church has replaced national Israel regarding the plan, purpose, and promises of God.
“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob,’” (Romans 11:25-26).
Some replacement theologians would teach that any mention of “Israel” after Acts, chapter 2 (Pentecost), would be referring to the Christian Church, but the above Scripture cannot be used to support that idea. In fact, it plainly contradicts it. Obviously, God is not done with Israel. The text tells us that God has hardened Israel, but it also tells that disheartening is temporary.

One of the favourite tactics used by people on both ends of the spectrum who can’t find support for their beliefs in the Bible is to say it wasn’t translated correctly. And yet the best scholars of each generation have poured over the ancient manuscripts to give us the most accurate translations possible. There are about 5,600 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in existence, and cross checking has shown their consistency to be over 99%. In other words all these ancient Greek manuscripts essentially say the same thing. For additional support there are 19,000 early manuscripts in other languages. This exceeds the manuscript base for any other ancient book by a very wide margin.

Most reasonable people would agree that for all practical purposes our New Testament is an accurate rendering of these early manuscripts.
Therefore the only conclusions we can draw are that either:
1) all these scholars have somehow committed identical mistakes in their translation efforts, or
2) they’ve all participated in a massive conspiracy to mislead us that has spanned 2,000 years, or
3) the people who say the Bible is translated incorrectly because it doesn’t support their position are wrong.

But even more importantly, neither Replacement Theology nor Hebrew Roots seems to recognize that Israel and the Church are uniquely different and that both have roles in the fulfilment of end times prophecies that are mutually exclusive.

Ps Barry Manuel has published a couple of excellent documents on the extreme Hebrew Roots teachings. Message me for copies.

So where does that leave us:
1) We support Israel and recognise it’s divine purposes especially in these end times; we also learn from Israel and the Old Testament.

2) We understand the work of the Cross as being complete, and that we access His grace by faith.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

3) We can eat bacon and prawns as we are not under Mosaic law
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Also: Refer to Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem.

Just some thoughts to bring the truth of the word central to our thinking. This debate is not new.

In the earliest days of the Church there were those among the Jewish believers who insisted that the only path to salvation for Gentiles was to first put themselves under the laws and practices of Judaism. The council of Jerusalem put that idea to naught and authorized Gentiles to be received directly into Christianity. Still the “Judaizers” followed Paul from city to city trying to undo what he had done. Later, Gentiles who called themselves Christian forced whole communities of Jews to convert to Christianity upon pain of death. Both of these efforts were thought by their proponents to be pleasing to God, but in the end we can see that neither was.

That’s because when God looks into our future it’s not Jews and Gentiles He sees. It’s both Israel and the Church. Each has its unique origin and each has its unique destiny. Whether it’s called Replacement Theology or Hebrew Roots, or anything in between, the idea of making either one a part of the other is man made and cannot be supported in Scripture.

Also: Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.