Archive for the ‘Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional’ Category

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 15 (8/30/15)

Posted: August 30, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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Instead of Shame You will have Double Honor

Psalm 27:6, “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me:”

We are now at Day 15 of the 40 days of preparing our hearts for the Fixed Appointed Times on God’s calendar, also known as the Feasts of the Lord (Lev 23). 15 days from today will be Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah. This is the Head of the Year, the Jewish New Year when the year changes to 5776.

What will this year bring for us? We need to confess Psalm 27 to prepare our hearts because this next year will be ‘the best of times‘ and for others, ‘the worst of times’. What you focus on the longest will become the strongest so let us focus on the Living Word of God and bring the promises into our New Year.

Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs.” Now that is a great promise! Grab hold of this for your next year.

The beginning of August, I attended a gathering at Glory of Zion in Corinth, TX with Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce. They both said several times that this next year (5776) will be the most historic in the past 70 year, it will be the most important year of our lives. But we will have to press through with faith to face the giants. But there is 2 kinds of faith depending on what you have been focusing on- faith in the negative or faith in God based on His Word.

Our King is a conquering King! When a king would overthrow another king in battle, the back of his garment would be cut off and his back side would be exposed. The word ’embarrassed’ comes from this warfare tradition. The conquered king would be paraded through the streets with his ‘back-side bared’.

We can hold our head high because the battle has already been done and the enemy of God has been paraded the enemy of His in disgrace.

Colossians 2:15 tells us, “[And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” In Greek ‘made a shew’ means to ‘expose in disgrace.’

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 14 (8/29/15)

Posted: August 29, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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HISTORY MERELY REPEATS ITSELF!

Psalm 27:5, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of  his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

The Bible gives us answers to every problem before they happen. That is why we need a constant, steady, daily Bible reading plan.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 in the Amplified Bible reads, “The thing that has been—it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.”  The New Living Translations reads, “History merely repeats itself.”

  • Pavilion– Hebrew cok (soke), root word means a hedge, fenced about or shut in.
  • Tabernacle– Hebrew ohel (o-hel)– nomad’s tent, dwelling place, sacred place in the Wilderness
  • Rock– Hebrew tsuwr (tsur), rock, cliff, rock (protection of God)

The first one I want to look at today is ‘pavilion’. Where do we find the safety of pavilion in the Bible? Cok is the root for cukkah (sukah) , where we get the word Tabernacles, booths.

Leviticus 23:34 instructs, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month [shall be] the feast of tabernacles [for] seven days unto the LORD.”  The Jewish people continue annually to make booths outside their homes once a year to keep them in remembrance of the 40 years in the Wilderness, when their shoes did not wear out, or their feet swelled. The daily rehearse before their children and their children’s children how God fed them for 40 years in the Wilderness, how God protected them from their enemies.

Jehovah is the same, He never changes. Take this Shabbat today and remember how He protected you in your personal wilderness. Then, thank Him! Praise Him! Magnify Him!  He is worthy of all praise and glory and honor!!

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 13 (8/28/15)

Posted: August 28, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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Psalm 27:3 (CJB) If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if war breaks out against me, even then I will keep trusting.

That may be easy to say when you are sitting safe in your home with your needs me. But that would be the ‘selfie’ mentality we are to resist. 2 Timothy 3:2 tells warns us of the perilous times are living in right now, “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.”

Consider praying for Israel right now during these perilous times. The old city of Jerusalem is averaging 10 terrorist attacks each day. In July alone, 137 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. There is a terror agenda planned against Israel, sent to wear them down, to daily bring terror against their daily lives to steal any sense of peace and joy.

Israeli Rabbi Amram Vaknin says “War is imminent.” The Bible promises us a blessing for praying for Jerusalem, but let’s come in the opposite spirit of the selfie generational prayers.  Psalm 122:6, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee.”

I will pray, “Father, let not an army encamp against Israel. Help them not to be terrorized. And if war does break out, I pray that their full trust will be in You, for You are their very present help in time of trouble. Remember Your covenant of love with a thousand generations of those who love you. Remember your covenant with your land, remember your covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Bring peace to Your people, Your Promised Land, the Holy City of Jerusalem. Help the leaders of Israel be strong and seek Your face, ask You for help, trust in You alone. I pray this in the name of Yeshua for you alone are Israel’s Salvation.”

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 12 (8/27/15)

Posted: August 27, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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Psalm 27:1, The LORD is my light…….

Light is the first thing God brought forth in Genesis 1, “Let there be light”- In Hebrew it reads, “Hayah owr”, Light be! It was a command! ‘According to the Midrash, the original light was of an intense spiritual quality… ‘ (Chumash commentary by Rashi)

The first thing mentioned in the Bible is called “the law of first mention” and is very important. This is the first words  recorded that was spoken out of Creator God’s voice as a command, “Light Be!”

The Apostle John had such an incredible revelation of the power of the love of Jesus that they could not kill him. They even boiled him in oil and he did not die. He opens his Gospel of Good News, according to his time while Jesus ministered with these words: John 1:1, In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and He was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. (4) Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. (5) The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (9) The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world. (NLT)

Jesus is the Word and when you set your desires to spend time reading and meditating on the Word of God, you are fellow-shipping with Jesus. Cleansing yourself of unrighteousness is not such a hard thing to do, you don’t have to tarry long at the altar, weeping, begging to be cleansed. Just purpose to spend time in the Word of God and the light will dispel all the darkness. The more you walk in the light, the freer you will become.

I John 1:9, But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 11 (8/26/15)

Posted: August 26, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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ONE THING

Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.”

I have heard several people say when their laptop was in for repairs, “I was lost without my laptop”.

When we experienced Hurricane Ike on the coast we were without power for quite some time. We desired our air conditioning back. We desired hot water. We desired to used our stoves and have our refrigerator back. We desired to watch TV, use our telephone, check our emails. When you are without something you have a strong desire to have it back.

For Americans, our desire to spend time with God is lost and almost non existent because of our constant feeding on junk food. That is why fasting is so important, to fast all else and only get the meat that your spirit, soul and body really need.

Get quiet before God and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to get that ONE THING desire for Him back. Each of us are unique with separate finger prints, each have a different walk with God.

We have all left our “first love.” This is all part of spiritual housecleaning, getting rid of things we don’t need and making room for what is most important. There is nothing more important than our spiritual walk with our LORD.

To the Church in Ephesus: Revelation 2:2, (AMP)  I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars. (3)  I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary. (4) But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. (5) Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

Repent in Hebrew is ‘shuv’. These are the days of Teshuvah, these are the days when we turn back to our first love.

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 10 (8/25/15)

Posted: August 25, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear.

Now is the time to settle it in your heart- The LORD is your salvation.  The government is not your salvation, the doctor is not your salvation, the banker is not your salvation, Wall Street for sure is no your salvation – The LORD alone is your salvation.

The Hebrew word for salvation here is yesha, meaning ‘deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety, welfare, prosperity and  victory. This word is used in the 1st & 9th verse of Psalm 27.

Does it make a difference to our lives what we say? Our body is made up of 60% water and recently science is proving what the Bible has told us regarding words.  Here is a sample of that scientific study done by a Japanese doctor, Dr Emoto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIX76QZ-d58

Proverbs 18:21 tells us “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit“.

Matthew 12:27 records Jesus saying, “The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (NLT)

James 1:26 records Pastor James instructing, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. (NLT)

In Rabbinical teaching, holding one’s tongue is called “Shmiras Haloshom“. Below is a comment from the devotional, Chofetz Chaim, A Lesson A Day:

“It is HaShem’s desire to shower His people with His limitless store of mercy. When people act compassionately by using their words for good, they allow HaShem’s compassion to flow from its Source into their lives. Shmiras Haloshon not only opens the gates of Heaven to one’s prayers, it manifests HaShem’s protection upon His beloved nation by drawing upon them generous measure of His limitless mercy.”

Today is a good time to begin sowing your words that our Lord Jesus Christ is our Salvation. Our body and life will respond best to our words. We are designed to be the prophet of our own lives.

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 9 (8/24/15)

Posted: August 24, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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The Stock Market is taking the same path as before the end of the Shemittah Year 2008. September 29, 2008, the intense drop of 777 was on Elul 29, the Day of the Lord’s Release (Deut 15:1-5),  but the loss began building momentum weeks before. Seven years ago we had Fannie Mae  and Freddie Mac mortgage bailout that caused investment firm Lehman Brothers to file Chapter 11 prior to Elul 29. The rest is history. Now seven years later, we are seeing the Chinese market crash affect our financial system on what they are already calling Black Monday.

Question: Where is your faith? Read Psalm 27 out loud daily during these 40 days of Teshuvah (repentance) and you will increase faith ‘for such a time as this’.

Psalm 27:1, A Psalm of David. THE LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27 is read aloud every day for the 40 days of turning ourselves back to the things of God, and God Himself with our whole heart. It is a time of cleansing ourselves of anything that would draw us away from His perfect will and presence.

First of all, we see this as a Psalm of David, known as a ‘man after God’s own heart’.

Acts 13:22 says, “But God removed him from the kingship and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, `David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to.’ ‘” (I Samuel 13:14)

We have read how David failed, but after he returned to the Lord he was cleansed of all unrighteousness and brought back to a place of new mercies. This morning when you woke, you woke to new mercies. God is faithful. He loves you and wants to make all things new in your life, a fresh beginning. Return to the Lord where there is forgiveness, safety, love and healing.

David got to know his covenant LORD through his trials, battles, successes, failures and worship. David killed a giant while he was bragging on his LORD’s ‘Battle’ name. (I Samuel 17:45) The Lord of Hosts, the Lord of the Angel Armies, the Lord Almighty that has everything at His disposal when you call upon His ‘battle’ name!

He understood how the LORD was his shepherd and took good care of him as a helpless little lamb. (Psalm 23)

Magnify God– make Him the biggest part of your day today! Make God bigger than your mountain and see what the Lord of Hosts will do!!

All it takes to dispel the works of darkness is light. He is your light! Allow Him, let Him shine in your life today.

40 Days of Teshuvah – Day 8 (8/23/15)

Posted: August 23, 2015 in Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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In 2010 and 2012 I wrote a daily devotional in this blog site for each of the 40 days, and today at church I felt prompted to finish this season with daily devotionals relating to preparing for the upcoming prophetic September events.

So much is unfolding right before our eyes! The end of the Shemitah year, new Hebraic Year 5776 (many are calling the ‘year of the Messiah’), Yom Kippur – could it be the Jubilee year?; Pope Francis speaking to the Congress and United Nations;  the last Blood Moon of the Tetrad September 28.  Are you ready? I think this devotional might help prepare you daily for what is upcoming.

Every day for 40 days of Teshuvah the shofar is blown and Psalm 27 is read aloud. The shofar awakens those who are asleep and the reading of Psalms 27 prepares the heart. Ephesians 5:14, “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

First of all, what is Teshuvah? Teshuvah is a 40 day season of time for introspection, judging yourself. It begins  on the Hebraic month of Elul 1 and ends Yom Kippur. (8/16/15 – 9/23/15) The last 10 days are known as The Days of Awe.

The Hebrew root for Teshuvah is shuv, number  H7725 in the Strong’s Concordance and it means to return, to turn back, to restore, to cause to return. Spiritually speaking it is turning back to God. He never changes and if you feel distant from Him it is because you have distanced yourself by your own desires and choices in life. It is now an open portal to return to the Lord.

Jeremiah 24:7, ‘Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return (shuv) to Me with their whole heart.

Tishri 9, 5773 – Days of Awe 9 (9/25/12)

Posted: September 25, 2012 in Day of Atonement, Feasts of the LORD, Power of the Blood of Jesus Teachings, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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NOT WITHOUT THE BLOOD
Hebrews 9:7, “But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance”
Hebrews 9:11, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. (12) Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Jesus supplied His precious, spotless Blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, once and for all. He supplied, now we must apply.
Apply it in faith with the pen of your tongue. Speak mercy over your friends and country by the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus. This is not a time to think about yourself, plead the Blood over our nation.
Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Kings have authority, Priests have access before the Throne by the Blood of Jesus to stand in the gap.

Tishri 8, 5773 – Day of Awe 8 (9/24/12)

Posted: September 24, 2012 in Day of Atonement, Holidays- Holy Days, Power of the Blood of Jesus Teachings, Teshuvah 40 Day Devotional
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Yom Kippur is all about the Blood! Yom Kippur begins tomorrow at Sundown.

Yom Kippur, also known as  Yom Hakippurim (which means the day of covering or concealing), the Day of  Atonement, The Fast, The Great Fast, Day of the Covering, Face to Face (my favorite name); Day of Forgiveness, Day of Grace, or the Day of Judgment.

In history, this is the day that Moses came down the mountain after the 2nd set of 4o days when he spent his time interceeding for the nation of Isreal because of the sin of worshipping the Golden Calf. He went up the mountain after this idol worship incident on Elul 1 (when Teshuvah begins) and descended 40 days later on Tishri 10. When he came down he had the 2nd set of the 10 Commandments. The Atonement (Hebrew – chaphar, to cover, make reconciliation, to pacify or appease; to clear, purge or cleanse) was made at that time for the nation, one righteous man standing in the gap for the entire nation.

Moses said to HaShem: (Exodus 32:32) “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. (33) And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” Notice the word “sin–” with the dashes behind it. That implies a sudden silence. The Midrash comments, “Whether of not You forgive the, take away my personal merits from Your ledger and assign them to the credit of Israel.”

The forgiveness for the nation once a year had to be made by the High Priest, where he would come ‘face to face’ with the glory of God in the Holy of Holies. The ransom sacrifice had to made by blood, because the only thing set apart from the foundation of the earth as an answer to sin was blood. The Israelites were not to touch blood, drink blood or eat an animal with the blood.

Leviticus 17:11 reads, “‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”

Today I was reading Gwen Shaw’s book, The Power of the Precious Blood. One thing that she wrote really struck me today and I would like to share it with you. “God would not allow any priest who did not recognize the blood and the anointing to minister unto Him…… If you go to a church where the Blood is not honored, you better start seeking God’s face about whether you are doing His will. And if you support financially a ministry that is silent concerning the greatest truth of the Holy Spripture, you better know you are paying the way for which is not God’s pattern or religion.”

This is the way I see Yom Kippur, my personal opinion. The Spring Feasts (Passover)  are all about our personal salvation and the Fall Feasts are about National Salvation. Yom Kippur is for standing in the gap for your nation and Israel. But we must be prepared to come before the Face of God with the Blood of Jesus for those who are not prepared for the judgment that is beginning to come upon this earth.

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