Passover 2018 happens to fall on the same day as Good Friday this year, which I believe is not a coincidence.  Many Christians really aren’t aware that Good Friday and Easter were dates that the Catholic Church created as “holy days” to honor Christ.  Through this adoption of Good Friday and Easter into our Christian culture, the body of Christ lost all connection to the Feasts calendar God established to honor His son.  But by the grace of God, Passover (Good Friday) and the Feast of Firstfruits (Resurrection Day) are identical dates this year, so we will be synced to God’s “appointed time” by chance (or is it!).

The problem of “changing God’s time and law” isn’t new since Christ came (Dan.7:25).  In the Old Testament, it most notably happened after the reign of King Solomon when the Israelites split into two kingdoms(families). Ten of the tribes of Israel formed the House of Israel and removed themselves from Solomon’s son’s reign. But out of fear that the people would return to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts and not return, the leader of the ten tribes, Jeroboam, decided to change the Feasts times, laws, and place of worship (1 Kings 12:26-33).

“So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month he had devised in his own heart” (1 Kings 12:33).

This change opened up the door for the iniquitous roots that would plague the House of Israel in years to come, and which is why most of the kings who ruled that we read in 1st and 2nd Kings were wicked and rebellious towards God.  

Looking at the pattern in the New Testament, Jesus and Paul the Apostle made sure they didn’t miss a Feast.  All of Paul’s missionary work was targeted to adhere to the Feast schedule.  He understood the importance of honoring those Feast times.  But the Feasts needed a New Covenant revelation of why and how they were to be celebrated.  They were not to be pegged to an “earthly Jerusalem” any longer:

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, NEW Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.(Rev. 21:2).

The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD would actually help “cut off” the Old Covenant tradition of looking to a “temple” in Jerusalem to honor the Feasts.  With the New Jerusalem, the believers are said to be join together in the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, united as one body, one heart, and one sound worshipping the Lord.  Since believers are the temple of God (2 Cor. 6:16), there is no need for a temple made of hands to worship the Lord.  We just need to align ourselves with God’s blueprint of corporately coming together to honor Him in truth.  This blueprint is what God wants to awaken us all to.

Prior to every “fresh start” and new outpouring of God’s mercy and power, there is a pattern of a remnant of God’s people who are “awakened” to His truth. This awakening usually resulted in repentance and a turning toward the ways of God.  The story of King Hezekiah is just one example of this awakening, which followed with a reinstatement of the celebration of the Feasts of the Lord that brought joy and healing to the people and the land (2 Chron.30,31)

Given that this Hebrew year has a significance of new beginnings for God’s remnant, an “awakening to God’s truth,” and a release from bondage, I was led to another similar “awakening” pattern in the biblical history found in the book of Ezra.

After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Judeans (Jews) were able to return to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  Led by Ezra the High Priest and Nehemiah, the Jews were given an opportunity to start again.  Ezra was used by God to “awaken” the remnant to God’s truth by sharing the Law.  The construction of the temple had just finished, and after hearing about God’s “Holy Days” found in the pattern of the Feasts, the Jews chose to celebrate the Passover:

“And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.  For the priests of the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean.  

And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.  Then the children of Israel who had returned from captivity ate together will all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel.  

And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread, seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel” (Ezra 6:19-22).

Ezra directed the Jews back to honoring the Feasts, which resulted in joy and gladness amongst the people.  BUT also included was favor with the heart of the king.  Even Nehemiah goes into detail in chapter 8 on how they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles according to the blueprint of the law, which hadn’t been done since the days of Joshua!

Unfortunately, as time went on, God’s people had not separated themselves from the cultures and idolatry of the people who lived in the land.  Ezra was besides himself since they had just come out of the 70 year bondage.  So he pleads with the people to separate themselves for God’s service, and to see they have been given a second chance:

“Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilt, and of our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day.

“And now for a little while grace has been shown form the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage” (Ezra 9:7,8).

This Hebrew year, I believe that God is awakening us all to His Calendar truth and to separate ourselves from the “holy calendar” that man has made. This will give the body of Christ what Ezra and the people experienced,  “a measure of revival in our bondage,” which will ultimately lead to healing and joy for the Church at large. And how about the timing today?  It will be 70 years that Israel has been a nation, and it’s time our eyes are adjusted shift to the NEW Jerusalem.  NOW is the time of awakening.

So you may be asking yourself again, “Why would God create these Feasts, call them His “Holy Days,” that He wanted us to honor for all generations?”  And the simple answer is because they layout the blueprint in detail, in relation to their meaning and timing, of how Jesus would become our Savior and return as King.

Time is the one common denominator that ALL the world is on the same blueprint.  We are all accountable to our days, months and years to the time established universal.  Now is the time we all need to awaken to God’s calendar so we can sync into His plan of redemption in the earth. The Feasts give us the corporate pattern of how we become what God prophesies about, “The New Jerusalem!” That alone should get every Christian interested in discovering their value.

I pray you have a blessed Passover!

 

 

 

This Hebrew New Year began at sundown on March 17th, and continued until sundown, March 18th, 2018.  As I began writing in my journal 3/18/18, the Pastor told us to go to John 18. The Holy Spirit grabbed my attention to the number 18.   It is fascinating to me how God’s Word lines up with numbers that share His heart and timing in matters that concern His Kingdom come.

The number 18 in the Bible signifies oppression or bondage.  The 18th time Abram is mentioned in the Bible is in Gen. 12:18, which is when Pharaoh is asking Abram why he had lied to him by not telling him Sara was his wife but rather his sister:

“And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me?  Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?”

Pharaoh and his house had been plagued by great plagues because he had taken Sarai into his house. Abram was afraid that he would be killed if Pharaoh knew Sarai was his wife.  So he asked Sarai to lie and say she was his sister. Pharaoh then took her into his house (to be one who is prepared to be his wife) because she was beautiful.  And because Pharaoh liked Sarai, he treated Abram well, giving him much livestock that produced great wealth.

God alone protected Sarai, but it wasn’t until Pharaoh confronted Abram was she released.  Abram had to confess and tell the truth.  He was forced to confront his fear, and trust God in that moment that He would turn the heart of Pharaoh.

“The kings’ heart is in the hand of the Lord.  Like the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes”(Prov. 21:1).

Not only did Pharaoh let Abram and Sarai go, but he also sent them off with all that Abram had acquired in wealth.  Afterwards, they left Egypt and went back to the Promised land. The plagues were halted against Pharaoh as well, and it was shortly afterwards that God releases a “kingly” anointing over Abraham as he led 318 of his trained servants to go against all the kings in the land to save Lot (Gen. 14:14-17).  This victory earned Abraham the respect of all the leaders in the land.

Abraham is mentioned for the 18th time in Gen. 18:19, when the Lord is speaking to him about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, a picture of bondage and sin.  This is the chapter where Abraham stands in the gap for his brother Lot, and God promises to save him out of the destruction coming to the city.  Lot is pulled out by the angels of God.

In the New Testament, a woman who was bound for 18 years was finally set free:

“And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”  And He laid His hands on her, and IMMEDIATELY she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:11-13).

These Old and New Covenant scriptures give us some clues as to the number 18. It is God’s desire to show us that we may put ourselves in bondage through our own sinful choices (Abram lying to Pharaoh), or we can be under oppression because of the nation we live in (Sodom and Gomorah), or we can inherit bondage (18 years of infirmity), or we may be oppressed by rulers who despise Godly laws (Pharaoh), but in all situations, when it’s God’s time, THE LORD DELIVERS HIS PEOPLE OUT OF BONDAGE and sets them apart for His service. AND, when they come out, they come out better off than they were before.  More provision, more freedom, more authority, and more opportunity to move ahead.

John 18 is the chapter when Jesus is arrested by the Roman soldiers through the help of Judas, the betrayer.  Even though Jesus is about to go into bondage by the Chief Priests and Pontus Pilate, the real people in bondage were those who cried out for him to be crucified.  In all that time, Jesus was in control.  He knew the Father’s plan, and He executed it perfectly.  On the other side of the cross, Jesus would then set us all free from the bondage of the debt of sin.  The point is, that whatever bondage we are in, if we are seeking the Lord’s help in humility, there is a time appointed by God to set us free. We must remember, GOD IS IN CONTROL!

With all of this in mind, how amazing it is that we are coming into a year of God’s timing to break free His people from the bondage of the enemies strongholds.  This is a personal release that is tied to a corporate release.  Nationally, God is breaking down the “Mystery of Babylon” that has strangled the nations under its control.  This will shake also our nation.

In all these situations where the Lord moved to set His people free from oppression, there was seen a huge distinction between those who are His, and those who His enemies.

Lastly, God Himself is removing these barriers that He has placed upon His remnant to keep them hidden until HIS RELEASE.  As we go through Passover this year, hear by faith God’s command once again, “LET MY PEOPLE GO!”  See the seas parting, and cross into this year with the hope of new beginnings birthing forth.

Many people have asked me this question over the past 7 years of studying the Hebrew roots and God’s blueprint; “What benefit is it to learn about our Hebrew roots/blueprint or understand the Hebrew calendar?  

This is a great question I have pondered for so many years now, because the simplicity of loving and accepting Christ as Savior and then loving others is the gospel message we are commanded to share and be.  And in it’s simplicity, we don’t need to know anything else because it is FAITH alone that moves the hand of God and brings us into a relationship with Him.  It has nothing to do with knowledge or wisdom or even understanding of God…It is simply by FAITH we become a child of God.

All of this being true, there are still so many questions our soul as believers longs for answers.  I believe God puts that longing in us to step into the adventure of discovering those answers when we are ready.  Questions like, “What does God look like?  What does love look like?  If God is love, what are His thoughts, His passion, His DNA, His character, and His master plan in creating me and heaven and earth?  What does heaven look like?  How do I recognize the voice of God?  Now that I am “born again,” what am I “born into?”  And when Jesus returns, what is going to happen?

For many Christians, the journey of discovering these answers to those questions begins through reading the Bible and praying, trials and triumphs, and learning about our gifts and talents God gave us to share with others.  We have become “pregnant” with God’s truth, His righteousness, His power, and His purpose the moment the Holy Spirit was deposited in us.  ALL the answers are already in that deposit because the Holy Spirit is TRUTH.  God reveals more of the truth that is already in us as we spend more time getting to know Him.  But quite honestly, we will never have all the answers fully to our questions UNTIL the birthing of the Millenium when Jesus returns.  Until then, we are all excited with great anticipation, and trusting God is forming everything in HIS TIME.

Having said that, many believers have a lot of revelation of who they are in Christ, but they have little clues as to how they fit into the bigger picture of God who is forming each body part (individual), so that when it’s God’s time, ONE BODY is birthed that is fully functioning in the earth.  It takes an understanding of the bigger picture, the master plan, the “Blueprint” to see how all the parts are formed, connect, and built together, as well as how long these parts need to be developed into maturity.  The bigger picture is what is on the horizon.  Don’t you want to see what that picture looks like?

The following analogy is what God gave me to share for the “WHY” a New Covenant believer today would want to take the time to peek into the Old Testament and discover how God designed the Hebrew Blueprint so we can understand the bigger plan:

If you have ever been pregnant, or have been a father to be, there is always a rejoicing the minute you find out you are pregnant (similar to when we become “born again Christians”). From that moment, life changes, and a new life is forming that you cannot see with the naked eye. But each day, that “seed” is growing in the womb.  The mother may experience symptoms to inform her that their is a new life inside of her taking shape.  The pregnancy test is proof she is.  But to anyone who has not been told the “good news,” they cannot see with their natural eyes.

For several months, there still isn’t even a bump (sign) looking at the stomach to indicate that the mom is pregnant.  When the mom does starts popping out, she almost feels she needs to proclaim or convince everyone who looks her way that she is pregnant, and not fat! Around the 7th month, most expectant mom’s have showers to celebrate and bless the coming birth.  But it takes 9 months (or 40 weeks which is the biblical number representing a completion of time of trial/probation) for the gestation time to come to full term.

In the 9th month (9 in biblical terms means the “time of visitation”), right before giving birth, the mom feels she doesn’t have the strength to carry the baby any longer. But in the “fullness of time”, her water breaks.  Labor begins, and the painful process to get that baby out of a tiny birth canal begins.  She has NO choice but to go through the process of pushing, so she learns how to breathe and to rest between contractions.  Finally, the LAST push which comes from somewhere deep from within, breaks through the seemingly impossible barrier and the baby’s head begins to crown.  Life fully formed pours forth from this hidden place, the womb, and out into the open.  A cry opens the lungs that breathe air for the first time, and the cord is cut.  PEACE fills the room, and the baby is washed, wrapped in linen, and comforted in the arms of the parents.  NOW the parents can SEE what God had been creating.

All throughout the journey, both the Father and Mother know they are parents, but they aren’t able to really step into that role UNTIL the baby is born.

This analogy of birth is one we are familiar with that has so many spiritual implications of the “blueprint” of all that God has created in His time (specifically Christ’s redemption story), but now I want to zero in on this analogy to pinpoint the relevance of the question of why we need to know God’s blueprint for today:

There is something exciting that happens during this pregnancy process around 8 weeks.  It is then that the parents are able to schedule an Ultra-sound to hear the babies heartbeat and to see the baby forming in the womb.  This incredible machine allows the parents to peek inside the secret place of the hidden womb, see what is growing, and give the parents data and information that brings comfort and joy.  The moment the parents HEAR the heartbeat and SEE the baby in the womb, a shift happens.

Instantly, pregnancy is not just a word.  It’s not just head knowledge that a baby is in the womb and coming 7 months later.  IT BECOMES REAL.  HEARING the heartbeat connects the parents hearts to the baby.  SEEING the baby floating around alive gives the parents their first picture of “family.”   Not only that, the parents can then IDENTIFY if the baby is a boy or girl, and can prepare accordingly.  A  miraculous new love streams through a parents heart instantly after the Ultra-sound, and the parents shift from just the idea of being parents to the reality of becoming parents.

It is privilege to be able to look behind closed doors (behind the skin and into the womb) and see LIFE being formed.   This technology wasn’t there years ago.  But we who live today are privileged to have access to the beauty of this technology.  It unlocks some of the “mystery” out of the womb.  It brings a new measure of JOY knowing that what is being formed is a product of love that will have both parents DNA traits.   It measures the TIME of which the baby is developing.  It brings PEACE knowing the baby is healthy.  It brings agape LOVE because you love this baby before it can even love you back.  It brings PATIENCE because you see the limbs need 7 more months to go to form.  It brings KINDNESS and GENTLENESS to the seemingly slow process because the mom realizes her life isn’t her own.  It brings SELF – CONTROL because the choices the parents make are done with the baby’s birth in mind.  It brings FAITHFULNESS to hold on to the promise that when the baby is fully formed, it will birth forth LIFE THAT WILL PRODUCE “A FAMILY!”

As a collective “Church,” for the past 2,000 years, the “Seed” that has been impregnated in all of us has multiplied.  When this “baby” is finally birthed, it will be the sign that confirms the beginning of the Millennium, and the world will welcome the Father (Christ the King) and His baby named “Son of light.” The earth will rejoice because the bible tells us that the earth is groaning and travailing for the revealing of the “sons of light” (Romans 8:19). The earth will recognize this new FAMILY.  It is so hard to imagine that ALL these Christians, both past, present, and future, are ONE BODY!  But we are, because eventually, we will be made in HIS IMAGE COMPLETELY! FULLY ONE! ONE FAMILY!

Learning about God’s blueprint, our Hebrew roots, and connecting them to the New Covenant Promises is like God allowing us to be a part of a sneak peak Ultra sound of the body of Christ that has been forming in the womb these past 2,000 years.  We are living in a time God is revealing the “mysteries of Christ” that have been hidden in the womb.  This baby is about to give birth.  God calls the baby “sons of light,” but He also calls the baby “His Bride” because when the baby is born, it will reflect the Oneness in Him: His light and glory, and love.  We are called to be His Family.  Discovering these Hebrew blueprints will open up your heart to SEE and HEAR what He is saying about this baby, YOU, His family, and His heart of redemption for ALL creation.

So the question God is asking us now is:  Are you interested in seeing what’s in the womb so you can be ready for this birth?  You not only make up a part of this baby forming, but you can sit where the Lord sits and see what He sees looking into this “Ultra-sound” and get a sneak peek at what is coming.  Past generations couldn’t see what God is revealing to us today.  But you can!

Blessings!

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many” (1 Cor. 12:12-14).

“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness into His manifest light” (1 Peter 2:9).

” And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as WE are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sentMe, and have loved them, as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:22-24).

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A Look into the New Hebrew Year 5778:

Let me begin by summarizing this Hebrew year of 5778, translating it into English to mean something like this: “God’s Eye is upon His Chosen People, those who have learned through tests and trials how to “abide” in His Word, whom are now going to birth forth (new beginnings) as His “Crowned Ones” with His resurrection power.”

Now, l would like to break it down into a little more detail. The first two numbers, 57, means “God’s eye.” This part of the meaning stays the same each year until we reach the Hebrew year 5800.

The last two numbers of 5778, 7 and 8, we need to examine separately first, and then together as they will give us clues of the significance of this New year in particular.

7 is the number that represents blessing, and the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is ZAYIN. This letter is translated as a crowned weapon, and spiritually speaking refers to one anointed (Christ and Christ-ians) with the sword of the spirit; the WORD. Individuals who are abiding in God’s Word and have learned to use it as a weapon of warfare are crowned with God’s blessing. Many times the training for this weapon is learned through the sufferings that teach us obedience to trust God at His Word, period! However, after the test comes the blessings. Expect to see blessings in the areas that have been dried up because the testing has come to a time of completion.

The 7th letter also signifies completion, which I believe we have completed the Pentecost Age (Church Age), and we are crossing over into the Tabernacles Age. What did God say to Joshua before he was called to cross over the Jordan? “Moses is dead.” Billy Graham dying was one sign of the death of this past age that had to happen before the Lord’s time to cross over into the Tabernacles Age. The nation of Israel turning 70 is also a sign because 70 is an appointed time of judgment. God has given us many SIGNS in the sky to warn or signal us of this shift with the blood moons and eclipses. This crossing over is more of an individual shift that is linked to a corporate kingdom blueprint, not just an individual shift alone. Nations will be moved toward Christ or away from Christ’s righteousness.

David was anointed when he was young, yet did not take the throne until years later after many trials while serving King Saul. Many who have been tested as David will arise from out of the oppression and hidden places. You know, the ones called “outcasts.” The ones the world says are of no value because they lack a title, platform or finances. The ones who have kept believing in the Promises but have not seen any come to pass.The ones kicked out of churches because of the doctrines of men, or rejected by family. And like David, they have had to endure an assassination assignment that Satan executed through the gates of jealousy, envy and pride.

Those who had the character like Saul caused many of God’s remnant to flee for safety after having suffered awhile. But in the hidden places and spaces, just like David, God prepared these outcasts to handle a kingship authority that they would be responsible for up ahead. When King Saul died, the oppression lifted, and God’s anointed could take their rightful positions of influence and authority. This too is in part of what is birthing forth.

Nations who have been under the oppression of the “Mystery of Babylon” will find that oppression break, and emerge out of it’s stranglehold.

Now lets look at 8. The eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is CHET. When the blood of the Passover lamb was placed upon the doorposts and lintel of each Hebrew home, that blood formed the shape of this letter Chet; which was synonymous with life, and eternal life through the sacrifice of Christ.

Eight is also the number for new beginnings. It was the eighth day (or first day of the week) Jesus rose from the dead. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and “LIVED” and because of him, 8 souls were saved through the flood.

God established a covenant with Abraham on eight occasions. Babies who were circumcised on the 8th day were a SIGN of the Abrahamic Covenant. David, the King of Israel, was the 8th son of his father, Jesse. When the temple was restored after the Babylonian exile, the outer area was consecrated for 8 days, and another 8 days were spent consecrating the inside. The Feast of Tabernacles, which anticipates the beginning of the Millennium is observed for 8 days.

When we put 7 and 8 together, we have a crowned one who is a weapon in the Lord’s hand because he walks in TRUTH (the sword of the spirit) and through a sanctification and wrestling process, has come to rest in the finished work of the cross because of grace. This then produces a new season, a new beginning, a FIRSTFRUITS REMNANT birthing forth out of the hidden place and into the light. NEW LIFE IS BIRTHED FORTH AND THE REMNANT REST IN AN ABIDING STRENGTH AND AUTHORITY THAT GIVES THEM POWER AND AN ABILITY TO BREAK FORTH OUT OF THE GRAVE AND INTO GOD”S RESURRECTION POWER!

It’s a supernatural thing when God releases HIS TIME to begin. If you have tried to do something God has put in your heart to do, and you finally ran out of strength trying, this year God will breathe new life into you. This is a corporate shift, so your passion and dream is connected to a remnant moving in a corporate blueprint God has designed. In it, we all take our positions and move this enormous unity wheel which takes dominion back to the King of Kings. So many of God’s remnant are tired and limping along without any more strength. They have finally come to a place of letting go and realizing ONLY God can get the glory if something changes. NOW you are poised for the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow you across the Jordan and into the Promises of God. And God gets ALL the glory because you know that you know it could ONLY be because God did it.

Jesus knew His appointed time to die. All throughout the Gospels, He repeated that it wasn’t His time. But when it was His time to die, He knew it and declared it. IT IS GOD’S TIME FOR HIS REMNANT TO ARISE!

I am truly believing that those who are reading this will experience that resurrection power in their hearts, mind’s and body and the Promises of God that seemed dead and done will SUDDENLY break forth….IT’S HIS TIME!

Blessings to YOU ALL THIS YEAR!