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The Next Shemittah-3

As I mentioned in an earlier devotion, for me the spiritual meaning of a shemittah release is rooted in forgiveness.

With this thought in mind it will totally change the meaning of what Jesus taught Peter about forgiveness?

Matt 18:21-22 “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

It has been said that the Rabbi’s taught that forgiving someone three times was sufficient. I have found where a Rabbi Yosi may have taught this in the Talmud using the example of Joseph and his brothers as the backdrop.

But what I find interesting is that seven and multiples of it are used.

Seven is one shemittah. Seventy is ten shemittah. And seventy times seven is 490 or seventy shemittah.

What if Peter was not just talking about forgiving someone seven times but seven years!
A shemittah!

Then the response of Jesus is not to forgive someone 490 times but seventy shemittah’s or 490 years. That would mean your whole life!

Forgiveness is not an option – it is a lifelong lifestyle!

Matt 6:15 If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Abba, my forgiveness from You will become my forgiveness for others. I release them and free myself from any grudges. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 2

A study of the shemittah will reveal that it contains three releases.

First the release of debt.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

Second is the release or rest of the land.

Lev 25:2-4 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

And third is a release of your faith and dependence on God.

Lev 25:20-22 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

Can the U. S. possibly fall under the curse of God because we have not held to this principle?

More likely, I believe the U. S. falls under the judgment of God because we have not upheld the principles of Christ and the truth’s of which this nation was founded on.

To me, the spiritual implication of a shemittah is in forgiveness. There is no real forgiveness outside of Christ. Even those that call themselves Christian’s often struggle with truly forgiving someone.

I constantly hear things like “I’ll forgive but I’m not going to forget!”
That is not a release! That is clinging and holding onto the trespass.

Jesus said in the model prayer,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Matt 6:12

As for the U. S., our problem is not a government problem. It is a people problem. If Christians would have risen up in 1963 with fasting and prayer and stood their ground – then prayer may have remained in schools. It has been downhill ever since with one thing after another, including the government sanctioned right to kill the innocent unborn.

A release of forgiveness is not bound by law but is given by the heart that has been changed by the release and forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus.

Abba, I pray that I can shemitah anyone in debt to me, especially those that need my forgiveness. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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The Next Shemittah – 1

I did not know the word shemittah until I heard it from Rabbi Jonathan Cahn two years ago.

I do not know all there is about the Bible but I consider myself a good listener, quick study, and a disciplined learner.

What the Rabbi had to say in light of my Bible study made since, especially when he had the physical evidence of the collapse of the U. S. economy coinciding with the release (shemittah).

This period of rest and release is written into the Law of Moses as a agricultural rest for the land and a financial rest for the people.

Lev 25:2-4 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

Deut 15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

Though there were some financial crises in 1973, 1980, and 1987, the ones fresh in our memory took place in 2001 and 2008, all of which are 7 year periods.

And another shemittah year begins later this month.

For the sake of brevity in each devotion, I will continue with this next time.

Abba, I want to know Your word to the fullness and exercise it in my life. I want to release those in debt to me and be forgiven my debt, as my Lord Jesus prayed. It is in His name I pray, YES&AMEN

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Don’t be Piggish on the Foundation

Last night the unusual happened. Our speaker at church had given testimony and read from God’s word.

It was wonderful.

She then said she wanted to read from another book – a children’s book of bedtime stories.

She picked it up and thumbed over a few pages.
“Once upon at time,” she began, “there were three little pigs!”

She went on to tell the story of houses of straw, wood, and brick.

Then she wanted to tell of one more story of a house.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24-25‬

The funny thing to me is during the Three Little Pigs I found myself saddened by the plight of the two that were eaten by the big bad wolf.
Then I remembered how much I had enjoyed baked ham earlier that afternoon.

I have built my house on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the Rock.

I am not concerned about the foundation. But I am taking great care at what I build on it. (1 Cor 3:10-13)

Abba, You are my Rock. In Jesus name, help me to build rightfully on the Foundation. YES&AMEN

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Get an Answer

Job 20:2-3 “Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer, Because of the turmoil within me. I have heard the rebuke that reproaches me, And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.

You may be seeking an answer to something that concerns you. Or you may need confirmation.

You can always answer yourself and go on your gut feeling. You can ask the opinion of friends. Or you can ask God.

This is what revival at our church has been about – answers from God; confirmation.

I have received answers, my wife, and others in church. Last night a pastor I know came and told me that she had wanted to come for two nights but was hampered. And last night she came and the minister spoke a confirming word to her.

Major decisions need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Small decisions need the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

God has said:

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jer 33:3

He does not prerequisite that with a call during crisis or a call during calm. God just wants you to call on Him. He will answer!

Abba, I need Your answers today, in Jesus name, YES&AMEN!

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Grasshoppers!

For the 2nd night this verse has been given to us:

Num 13:33 we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.

This is from two different speakers that attend two different churches.

The verse is from the men that did not believe they could take the Promised Land that God had led them to.

When I think of a grasshopper my mind sees this small, virtually harmless insect; harmless because they don’t bite or sting humans. Imagine if they did!

However the Israelites missed the important characteristic of grasshoppers – in swarms they can take over the land.

Indeed it seems at times that Christians are like grasshoppers in this secular world. Therefore we don’t act. We sit. We get ran over by the world!

But Israel wasn’t grasshoppers and neither are we!

We are the people of a Holy God that has commanded us to go and take the land; to go and spread the Gospel, making disciples, and baptizing in the name of Jesus!

We need to be as grasshoppers and swarm the land in the name of Jesus!

Abba, I want to move forward into the land and face those giants today in the name of Jesus!! YES&AMEN

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Possess the Land

Look around your church. Who lives across the street or down the block? Who lives around the corner or within an arm’s reach?

I ask myself that question this morning. There are so many so close to our church that go to church somewhere but there are many that don’t. That means there are many that do not know Jesus as Savior.

Like Israel, we spy out the land all around and determine we cannot possess it.

We need to quit listening to the voice of opposition (even our own) and listen to the voice of victory.

Num 13:30 “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

At last night’s revival, Margaret reminded us to possess the land around our church. It is a land of great harvest and opportunity. It is a land the Lord God has given. We can’t take it until we possess it!

Abba Father, let’s go into the land, knowing you are going before us and preparing the way. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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I challenge you to protect life!

Fads come and go.

There was a time college students swallowed goldfish and wore raccoon coats.
Lava lamps, bell bottoms, and platform shoes were fads.
So were Beanie babies, fanny packs, and sagging pants, though that last one needs to leave.

Fads come and go and the latest to come is the ALS ice bucket challenge.

On the surface it looks fun and the videos have been entertaining. But under the surface something else lurks.

Each challenge participant is to make a donation toward ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) research. It appears that the research involves embryonic stem cell research.

I don’t think anyone has the right to force another person to forfeit their life for the lives of others. Embryo’s may not be able to walk, talk, or live outside the womb but that doesn’t make them any less human.

Barbaric religions have often forced the sacrifice of the innocent to appease the god of the guilty. Children have often been chosen to be that sacrifice.

Not even God forced His own innocent Son to give His life for you. It is written

He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3:16

And

Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. John 10:17-18

Jesus gave His life for others.

That’s something an embryo, baby, or toddler cannot do!

Abba, we have failed You and ourselves in not protecting the innocent. Forgive us and help us change our ways! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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His Anger

Do you ever feel like God is angry with you? Like you can’t do anything right?

Though God can be a God of anger, it is aimed specifically.

When God told Abraham of His intentions toward Sodom and Gommorah, Abraham began to plead for the cities.

Would God destroy everyone if fifty righteous people could be found? Then forty?

It was here that Abraham said something that seems strange to me.

Gen 18:30 “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”

Why would the Lord be angry at someone for interceding for them – even the exceedingly wicked (Gen 13:13) people of Sodom.

God’s anger is not directed toward good. It is directed at sin.

His anger is not against…

love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Gal 5:22-23

His anger is not because of prayer and intercession. His anger is not at preaching the Gospel. He is not angry at praise and worship.

He is not angry with those that seek Him with their whole heart.

Abba, though I deserve Your fullest wrath, I am so thankful that You are not angry with me in Jesus name. YES&AMEN

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Know the Spiritual

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know everything about the Bible. Even though I have read it, there are parts of it that just escape my knowledge and understanding.

However I recognize there are many more people that know less than I do. I have made it a lifetime priority to study God’s word and live accordingly.

Many others have loosely dabbled with the Word and are living accordingly. Some do not know anything about God or only know some very basic things like the crucifixion.

As a result I can get blank stares from people when I speak of the spiritual.

Matt 22:29 You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

I recall several years ago sitting with a family as a psychologist was talking to them. One of the girls in the family was having some problems.

The psychologist asked my opinion.

I told her that this family was under a generational curse that included some demonic activity.

You can guess how that went over. I got a blank stare from the psychologist and I’m sure she would have liked to recommend a psychiatrist for me.

She did not understand the scripture and the power of God.

It’s time for the church to stop thinking in the physical and begin thinking in the spiritual. There is much more to life than what is merely seen and heard.

Abba, Your word is strength and power. It is understanding and life. It is hope. Increase my knowledge and understanding that I may rightly teach others. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN