Tonight at sundown our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, Feast of Trumpets, or Head of the Year. Remember, what takes place at the head sets the stage for the year that is to follow.
Commit to a Week of Prayer
And Atonement
This week is a solemn week in America as we remember lives lost on September 11, 2001 in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., as well as on September 11, 2012 in Benghazi. We continue to pray for the families and friends who lost their loved ones.
Freedom Is Not Free
As the summer fades into the fall season take some time to really search your heart and ask God to remove anything not of Him. Seek to bring your heart in line with His heart. Repent for anything that may grieve Him. If we each repent on a personal level we will then be equipped to come together in the spirit to repent as a Nation.
Any discordant thing in your life has at its root a dissonant heart issue. It is always a heart issue. Until you address issues at the heart level and let His Spirit change your heart from stone to flesh you will remain bound.
Jesus died to set you free but if you choose to continue in unhealthy heart patterns that freedom is elusive. Unhealthy heart patterns lead to unhealthy words and actions toward self and others. This can be an ongoing spiral that simply repeats itself over and over in some way in every relationship in your life.
If you continue in this life configuration you can claim freedom but you will not walk in it. He died to set you free but you must also die to things and heart patterns of the world to live that freedom to the fullest in Him. Choose His freedom today!
Are You a Surface Dweller or
A Friend of God?
The feast of Rosh Hashanah, called the Feast of Trumpets, begins with the blowing of the shofar to call all to a time of renewal and repentance. The High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah and end at the culmination of Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement.
This is a time of reflection to look over the past year and repent. The primary repentance is of course to the Lord. Second, this is a time to apologize to anyone you may have wronged over the last year.
This year, the Day of Atonement begins the evening of Tuesday, September 18, and ends the evening of Wednesday, September 19. This is a good time for each of us to fast and seek the Lord’s forgiveness for any wrongs committed. It is a time to really search your heart and determine if there is a portion you are withholding from Him or His ways in your life.. Are you “all in” or just in part?
How Do You Handle Distractions?
It is very easy to become distracted from the things of God. We live in very tumultuous times with wars and rumors of wars, famines, disease, earthquakes, nation rising against nation, offences and hatred abounding, deception, and lawlessness. Many are being brutally killed for allegiance to Jesus. It is during this season that we must decide to be “all in.”
Distractions will arise on a daily basis. To navigate in the storms of this time requires a complete and firm commitment to follow the Lord minute by minute. Much will take place to disrupt your walk. Daily seek the Lord for wisdom and discernment to readily identify the difference between a distraction and a God appointed situation to mature your heart and bring you closer to His holiness in your life.
Continually pray a mighty hedge of protection around your home and family. As you all venture into the world each day pray that you will remain in the world but never of the world. Pray for Godly people to share your journey.
Particularly now, wise counsel is vital. It is often difficult to see clearly into your own situation. Someone who walks closely with the Lord and genuinely cares can readily see what is clouded to you.
I recently had a situation in my own life where unrelenting distractions were troublesome and impeding my focus. God had been showing me the state of things but it was not until I sought counsel that all was clearly defined. In one sentence from one of our prayer warriors, He shifted everything back into right order in my spirit.
Seek wise counsel. If you do not have that now, pray that God will send you His best to walk your journey with you. He is faithful to provide.
Discern The Times
When the Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus, He said to them, “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:3b) We often get caught up in what we think is obvious. We allow offense to take us over concerning what we can see with our eyes and hear with our natural ears.
We can easily get enmeshed in things that are of little import. We can be living so much by worldly standards that we miss the Kingdom agenda. We can fail to discern the sign of the times. In so doing we miss our call to Kingdom action.
Let us purpose afresh to put on the whole armor of God daily. Pray diligently for our country. Pray that all will discern the signs of these times.
May God richly bless you, keep you safe under the shadow of His wings and grace you to discern the times. May He lead you in this season to fulfill His calling.
Now is the Perfect Time to Recommit!
During this week repent of whatever has kept you from being “all in.” Commit to fully serve the Lord and follow His lead. He will direct your steps. Look forward, never back at the negative.
Remember the good the Lord has done in your life. Reflect on all He has brought you through and know He stands with you today and always. Trust in Him. He will lead you step by step though you do not know the way!
I pray that you and yours will be led closer to the Lord today and in the coming year in your walk with Him. L’shanah Tova tikateiv v’tichateimu! This is Hebrew for: “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year!” I speak this Rosh Hashanah blessing for us all! May we may arise with clean hearts, united, in this auspicious season in our country’s history. May we unite throughout the world for His glory on earth as it is in heaven!
Quotes to Ponder This Week
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” ~Jesus, Matthew 24:6-13
“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Jesus, Matthew 28:20
“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Jesus, John 8:34-36
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” ~Jesus, John 14:6
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 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…” ~Jesus, John 15:15-16
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~Jesus, John 16:33
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” ~Psalm 37:5
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~Proverbs 3:6
“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” ~Proverbs 16:3
“But 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 darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” ~1Peter 2:9-10
“You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.” ~John Michael Talbot, “Be Not Afraid,” from the album titled, Table of Plenty
Please Join Me In Prayer
Father we thank You that You sent Your Son to set us free. We repent for any thought, word or deed committed that is not of You. We come before You with repentant hearts as individuals and as a Nation. Your Word tells us that where two or more are gathered You are in the midst.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are in our midst this day hearing our prayers and interceding at the right hand of the Father for us. Holy Spirit guide us in complete atonement to be equipped to go forth in this season for the Lord’s glory. We pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and amen.
N.B.:
CBN is hosting a live webcast at 7 pm EST tonight to usher in Rosh Hashanah. Here is a link with more information: http://event.cbn.com/RoshHashanah/
Please keep our military and their families in prayer. Their life is a life of service to keep us all free and safe.
