Blessings, Family,
The High Holy Days have come and gone, and I am just now posting a message. The truth is, I’ve been in a bit of a wrestling match with the Lord this month. As this is typically a time to receive a word for God’s people, I have been seeking a word for you, examining my heart, and repenting for my sins and the sins of our nation. I hope you have been seeking the Lord as well.
(*For more in-depth information on the High Holy Days, see the links below this post.)
5782
First, let’s take a look at the new year. On Rosh Hashanah, we entered the Hebrew year of 5782. What does that mean?
We are in the millennia of 5000, 5 being the number of redemption or grace. I think we have all witnessed God’s grace in this dispensation with the outpouring of His Spirit and the many revivals the world has experienced. All numbers following 5 fall under the umbrella of God’s grace.
We are in the century of 700, 7 representing the Holy Spirit, or Spiritual perfection. Again, the Holy Spirit has been very active in this century but has not yet reached His full potential in us because of our refusal to submit fully to Him.
We are in the eightieth decade of this dispensation, 8 being the number of new beginnings, as it follows a complete cycle of 7, whether it be days of the week or years of the sabbatical cycle. This is the most exciting number because it opens the door to believers to enter into the fullness of the Lord through full submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Finally, we are in the second year. As I’ve discussed in previous articles, 2 can represent unity, “and the two shall become one flesh,” or opposition and division. This is precisely the subject of the Word God has given me for this new year.
The Shemitah
The High Holy Days were especially meaningful this year because we have entered a Shemitah, or Sabbatical year. The end of a seven-year cycle. A year of rest for the land and us, to focus on the Lord, trusting in Him to provide our every need, for the year and for the future. This is how we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and love for us as His children. The next year will reflect how we did.
Failure to observe this holy mitzvah (Shemitah) led to the demise of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In this age, it has led to everything from world wars to financial collapse. But these have been only warnings of things to come if we do not turn back to the Lord.
Interestingly, today our Father is providing a more obvious vehicle to encourage us to trust in Him alone. It’s called Covid 19. The spirit of fear has grown fat and powerful in this season as illegal mandates and shutdowns have impacted the livelihoods of people all over the world, forcing God’s people to answer the question, whom will you trust? Man, or ME?
I know I’ll probably make a lot of people angry with this message, hence the wrestling match, but God continues to remind me:
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” James 4:4 NKJV.
I certainly don’t want to make myself an enemy of God, so…
Two Words for the Church
The first word of knowledge the Lord gave me came as I was praying about recent world events. It seems like the world is literally losing its collective mind! Believing people can choose their gender? That it’s perfectly acceptable to use the cells of aborted babies in vaccines? That God is okay with murdering unborn babies? That a piece of cloth or paper can stop a virus that’s smaller than a tobacco smoke or coffee particle? “How in the world can so many people believe such foolishness?” I asked God. “It takes much less faith to believe in You!”
He answered in two words. “Strong Delusion.” I knew what He was saying, but I went to 2 Thessalonians to dig deeper.
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV.
Naturally, I argued that the “lawlessness one” has not yet been revealed…and that’s when things got interesting.
The second word He gave me was “Shaking.”
Those of you who have followed me for some time know the Lord has been speaking to me since 2014 of a great shaking in the church. Some of my articles on this include:
“Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On!”
“The Warning Before the Earthquake”
The Lord reminded me of His longsuffering, and I was struck to my core once more by the love of our God for His people. He is giving us another opportunity to put our words into action. Faith is what we do, not what we believe.
“Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too faith without actions is dead.” James 2:26 CJB.
We stand today at the crossroads. Will we follow the narrow road, as did our Savior up the hill of Golgotha, or will we follow the path of least resistance, bending our knee to the spirit of fear as he leads us to the throne of anti-Christ?
The question we must ask ourselves is, if we can’t trust the Lord to provide for us when we are forced to choose between a vaccine and our job, how will we ever trust Him to provide for us when we are forced to choose between the beast and Jesus Christ?
“Also it forces everyone — great and small, rich and poor, free and slave — to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead preventing anyone from buying or selling unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name” Revelation 13:16, 17 CJB.
The Sheep and the Goats
The Good Shepherd is separating the sheep from the goats, calling His flock to Him.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” John 10:27, 28 NKJV.
Let me tell you something. If you think for a minute that what is happening in the world, with all this fear and hate mongering over a virus, sexual immorality, abortion, race, and gender is political or social, you are WRONG! This is spiritual warfare, and it can only be fought and won from Heaven, with the weapons of God. That is you and me laying down our pride and ascending to Heaven to receive the power and strategies of God and bring them to earth!
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV.
The time to humble ourselves and seek the Lord as a child seeks out a hidden gift is now. The time to live fully in the Spirit of the Risen Christ in faith is now. Not just professing with our mouths, but walking in His Truth in boldness and in power!
We don’t know when the lawless one will be revealed, but we do know that when he is, he will abolish ALL religion, not just Christianity. When that happens, those who are not fully grounded in the Truth won’t stand a chance.
We do know what is holding the lawless one back, as Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:6, and that is the Holy Spirit—in us. The stronger and more united in the Spirit we are, the longer we can hold the enemy off, that more people may come to faith in our Savior and King.
Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying,
“Whom should I send?
Who will go for us?”I answered, “I’m here, send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
‘Yes, you hear, but you don’t understand.
You certainly see, but you don’t get the point!’ Isaiah 6:8, 9 CJB.
The Choice
If you have been struggling with the spirit of fear, I beseech you to press into the Lord and get to know your Shepherd’s voice. Then remember the words of the apostles:
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree’” Acts 5:29, 30.
The Lord is calling to His people:
“If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living?” Joshua 24:15.
As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!
Whom will you serve?
Prayer for 5782
Heavenly Father, please, forgive our sins against You and one another, for they are great and grievous, but Your mercy endures forever. Invade us with Your Spirit. Your power and Your glory. That we may know You. That our faith may become the evidence of things not seen. Unite us in Your love, oh God, and breath life into Your body. That through us, the world might know that You alone are God, and that You might be glorified in us. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
God’s grace and peace be yours,
Rebecca
*More posts about the High Holy Days:
“Taurus Rising: Signs of the Times”
“Sound the Shofar! A Year of New Beginnings!”
More articles can be found in the Appointed Times category at www.watchgodwork.com.)
