Friday, September 22, 2006
Rosh Hashanah at Sundown
At sundown today, Rosh Hashanah, Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets, begins. The Days of Awe, which are the ten days leading to and including Yom Kippur, are recognized by Jewish tradition as a sort of “last chance” for repentance before the final judgment of God. Why a day for trumpet blowing? In Israel, the general meaning is either for the gathering of an assembly before the Lord (Numbers 10:2-4) or it was sounded as an alarm for battle. Last but hardly least, the shofar was blown to announce the crowning of the new king! Just so there is no confusion, the first four biblical feasts are prophecy fulfilled in the first coming of Christ. The last three are prophecy unfulfilled. Rosh Hashanah, dear ones, is a kick-off to the end times, Jesus’ return.
I wanted to write on the feasts someday and this is appearing out of context to my blog’s past direction. Notice I said “my” direction. God has unabashedly taken me on a severe detour! The patterns of His teaching for me have rooted me in humility, repentance, and divine worship (to the point of being mocked by those nearest and dearest. Praise God!) The repetition and consistency in God’s direction is unmistakable. I can’t help wonder if anyone else out there is receiving this same refining. Three books: Randy Alcorn’s The Grace and Truth Paradox; James MacDonald’s specific, heart wrenching bulls-eye, Downpour; Peter Scazzero, with a different sort of detailed instruction, reveals Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Three authors, spanning our nation from Oregon, Chicago, and New York City, saying it is time to dig deep into our souls, get honest and open with ourselves and God, then in wounded submission, let God be the Savior, the Sustainer, the Glory…all powerful. Know the One True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is holy! Be amazed at His constant, unfailing love for the created…His precious people. Worship Him. Magnify His Name. That old tradition of “devotions once a day” goes out the window! These guys are talking continual, soul-searching emptying of the garbage we sludge through every day and a returning to the Source of strength at EVERY TURN. Scazzero even lays it out in an ancient practice of the Daily Office…established times for devotion to God…dare I utter that dirty word, discipline...throughout the day/night.
I am aware that I have had three books worth of teaching to absorb this so bear with me while I preach it. In the Name above all names, give Him “power, wealth, wisdom and strength…glory, honor and blessing.” (Revelation 5:12) “Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive [it].” How do we give Him these things? Rosh Hashanah, at times called Yom Ha-Din or Judgment Day, is a time for humility and sorrowful repentance. Do not give the Accuser the power either by hiding your sin. Do not hold the power for yourself with prideful denial! Give it up…give it ALL up to our holy, yet merciful God. The Lamb is worthy to receive it! When we let go of our own perceived power, wealth, wisdom, strength, glory, honor and praise, we are surely handing it over to our Lord! The thing is, it was never ours to begin with! We have been duped if we think we can have any of these things apart from God's blessing.
Let it rain down blessing from heaven because we refuse to use umbrellas (self-protection) anymore. Listen to this Rosh Hashanah benediction: “The Lord shall appear over them; His arrow shall go forth like lightning. The Lord God shall sound the shofar and march amid the storms of the south.” ~Zechariah 9:14 Amen.
Information on Rosh Hashanah is from The Feasts of the Lord by Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal.
I wanted to write on the feasts someday and this is appearing out of context to my blog’s past direction. Notice I said “my” direction. God has unabashedly taken me on a severe detour! The patterns of His teaching for me have rooted me in humility, repentance, and divine worship (to the point of being mocked by those nearest and dearest. Praise God!) The repetition and consistency in God’s direction is unmistakable. I can’t help wonder if anyone else out there is receiving this same refining. Three books: Randy Alcorn’s The Grace and Truth Paradox; James MacDonald’s specific, heart wrenching bulls-eye, Downpour; Peter Scazzero, with a different sort of detailed instruction, reveals Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Three authors, spanning our nation from Oregon, Chicago, and New York City, saying it is time to dig deep into our souls, get honest and open with ourselves and God, then in wounded submission, let God be the Savior, the Sustainer, the Glory…all powerful. Know the One True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is holy! Be amazed at His constant, unfailing love for the created…His precious people. Worship Him. Magnify His Name. That old tradition of “devotions once a day” goes out the window! These guys are talking continual, soul-searching emptying of the garbage we sludge through every day and a returning to the Source of strength at EVERY TURN. Scazzero even lays it out in an ancient practice of the Daily Office…established times for devotion to God…dare I utter that dirty word, discipline...throughout the day/night.
I am aware that I have had three books worth of teaching to absorb this so bear with me while I preach it. In the Name above all names, give Him “power, wealth, wisdom and strength…glory, honor and blessing.” (Revelation 5:12) “Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive [it].” How do we give Him these things? Rosh Hashanah, at times called Yom Ha-Din or Judgment Day, is a time for humility and sorrowful repentance. Do not give the Accuser the power either by hiding your sin. Do not hold the power for yourself with prideful denial! Give it up…give it ALL up to our holy, yet merciful God. The Lamb is worthy to receive it! When we let go of our own perceived power, wealth, wisdom, strength, glory, honor and praise, we are surely handing it over to our Lord! The thing is, it was never ours to begin with! We have been duped if we think we can have any of these things apart from God's blessing.
Let it rain down blessing from heaven because we refuse to use umbrellas (self-protection) anymore. Listen to this Rosh Hashanah benediction: “The Lord shall appear over them; His arrow shall go forth like lightning. The Lord God shall sound the shofar and march amid the storms of the south.” ~Zechariah 9:14 Amen.
Information on Rosh Hashanah is from The Feasts of the Lord by Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal.
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Dear Sister,
May I cut and paste your wisdom into my new site, They Cry Peace? Of course I would reference you as the source. So much of your wisdom applies to what I want to say. Go to Across the Flow and click on the new one under In Depth to take a peek. Then email me your response.
Thanks,
Jane
May I cut and paste your wisdom into my new site, They Cry Peace? Of course I would reference you as the source. So much of your wisdom applies to what I want to say. Go to Across the Flow and click on the new one under In Depth to take a peek. Then email me your response.
Thanks,
Jane
Just by the way, how do you know that the Gospels are historically accurate? Maybe someone fabricated most of it.
Thank you for asking. Blogging can be very lonely when you are not writing for someone. I want to reach people with the gospel and I can't think that is happening with so little feedback. My family and friends haven't expressed interest. I appreciate your friendship and kindness, William.
I retired from my homeschool mama position and have graduated to the hard task helping my young men grow up to be godly men. That has meant a great deal of confrontation lately. I am tired but friends and family are holding me up. There are other things going on which i hope to write about. I have NOT given up writing. I hope to stop over for a visit soon. Blessings to you. I surely hope that wretched job of yours is over!
I retired from my homeschool mama position and have graduated to the hard task helping my young men grow up to be godly men. That has meant a great deal of confrontation lately. I am tired but friends and family are holding me up. There are other things going on which i hope to write about. I have NOT given up writing. I hope to stop over for a visit soon. Blessings to you. I surely hope that wretched job of yours is over!
Dearest Jewish Philosopher,
If you haven't given up on me answering, my surest conviction that it is ALL true is in the fact that the Holy Bible was written over a span of thousands of years by several different authors. It could not have been humanly fabricated so PERFECTLY. It is a supernatural book so either God wrote it or Satan has deceived us with it. There are no major contradictions and quite to the contrary, the prophecies and fulfillments are statistically outrageous! Jesus and His followers could not possibly by any stretch have forced their history to fit hundreds of wonderful detailed descriptions of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. Historical documents outside of the Bible are also in line with the story of Jesus. Archaeology is proving the Bible's accuracy more and more, refuting the claims that it is myth or legend. The ultimate question of any lifetime is, if we are deceived by the father of lies, why would he write such a beautiful account of Immanuel.
I love writing (and hope to continue soon) about the Old Testament types, symbols and outright foretellings of the One True Messiah who lived here for a time and still lives in His true followers as we live and breathe this day. His love and resurrecting power are real for anyone who will risk playing the fool for Him! Seek and you will find, dear one. I love because He loves. He forgives. The Messiah LIVES.
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If you haven't given up on me answering, my surest conviction that it is ALL true is in the fact that the Holy Bible was written over a span of thousands of years by several different authors. It could not have been humanly fabricated so PERFECTLY. It is a supernatural book so either God wrote it or Satan has deceived us with it. There are no major contradictions and quite to the contrary, the prophecies and fulfillments are statistically outrageous! Jesus and His followers could not possibly by any stretch have forced their history to fit hundreds of wonderful detailed descriptions of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. Historical documents outside of the Bible are also in line with the story of Jesus. Archaeology is proving the Bible's accuracy more and more, refuting the claims that it is myth or legend. The ultimate question of any lifetime is, if we are deceived by the father of lies, why would he write such a beautiful account of Immanuel.
I love writing (and hope to continue soon) about the Old Testament types, symbols and outright foretellings of the One True Messiah who lived here for a time and still lives in His true followers as we live and breathe this day. His love and resurrecting power are real for anyone who will risk playing the fool for Him! Seek and you will find, dear one. I love because He loves. He forgives. The Messiah LIVES.
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