Through All Seasons

Appointed

Strong’s Concordance 3259 yaad

yaad: to appoint

Short Definition: meet

agreed to meet (1), appointed (3), assemble (1), assembled (3), assigned (1), designated (1), designates (1), gather (1), gathered (3), made an appointment (2), meet (7), meet together (1), set (1), summon (3).

Strong’s Concordance 4150

moed: appointed time, place, or meeting

Transliteration: moed
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-ade’)
Short Definition: meeting

Teshuvah Day 18

Here I am

From Your heart comes streaming down
Unending love, it is all around.
Your Loving kindness, sure as dawn
By Your grace I am drawn.

From dusk to dawn and back You trace,
Faithful love, amazing grace.
Breath of God, Ancient of Day’s,
Here I am, teach me more of Your ways.

Don’t miss the meeting. It is time for the yearly evaluation. Are you in line for a raise or possibly a promotion?

We are in the month of Elul, a special season and time to meet with our Lord and search our hearts. This is a time to secure the blessings of The Lord for the upcoming year. It is said that on Rosh Hashanah the books are open and God records your deeds, good or bad, from the past year.

Years ago when I worked in the secular corporate world, I had an evaluation done each year. During this time it was expected that if you had met the company standards or possibly exceeded the requirements that you would receive a pay raise. Often meeting and or exceeding the company requirements set you in line for a promotion. This was something I always looked forward to. There were extenuating circumstances a few times that caused me to wonder if I would be receiving a raise. Not that I had purposed to do poorly or that I had been negligent, but there are extenuating circumstances that can change an outcome. Like competitive intrusion or losing a key employee.

I was required to evaluate myself and bring my self evaluation with me to the table when meeting with my boss. He did an evaluation on my performance as well. We then compared the two evaluations to see where we agreed and where we didn’t meet. I learned so much about looking at me in regard to company requirements, metrics, numbers, and performance based on company standards, not what I thought or felt about my performance.

Often we may think we are doing AOK. We may be measuring our self and our performance according to worldly standards and act in pride, and become a little puffed up, add some ego and poof we have our theory. Then we sit down with a boss or a superior and compare notes, only to realize there is a great divide or chasm separating what we think and what is reality.

Remember God is sovereign. His world, His rules, the end.

This is an appointed time to look into our hearts and do a self evaluation. How can I do an honest assessment on myself? What am I to compare myself too? We are required to compare ourselves to the word and the will of our Heavenly Father for us. James 1:22-23

God is faithful. He has set the bar high. I am so thankful for that. We can become wishy washy and mediocre without any help. We could succumb to the peer pressure and fail miserably just like Aaron and the children of Israel, if we do not set aside appointments to evaluate our actions and decisions. God has standards that we must hold fast. We cannot change the standards and think we are going to skate by our sin. I am saddened that we think to legalize sin, thus solving the sin problem. Hello!

The children of Israel had to do a self evaluation after the sin of the golden calf. Moses required each man to prove whose side they were on. They had to take up swords and slay even family members who weren’t willing to stand with God and his commandments.

When Moses returned to meet with God he did not deny their sinful ways or actions. Moses met The LORD with, “oh this people have sinned a great sin.” Asking that The LORD forgive their sin and also agreeing he was one with them. We read that Moses said if You are going to blot their name out of Your book blot mine out also. We read in just a few verses the immediate plan to “carry on” to the Promised Land.

God summoned Moses to come back up the mountain with two stones he had carved. Moses asks to see God’s glory. God told Moses he would hide him in the cleft of the rock while His glory passed by.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed [when you learned of Israel’s idolatry]. ²So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. ³No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; nor let flocks or herds feed in front of that mountain.” ⁴So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and he got up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took the two tablets of stone in his hand. ⁵Then the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with Moses as he proclaimed the Name of the Lord. ⁶Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness and truth (faithfulness); ⁷keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].” ⁸Moses bowed to the earth immediately and worshiped [the Lord]. ⁹And he said, “If now I have found favor and loving-kindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, please, go in our midst, though it is a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession.”

Part of Teshuvah is to acknowledge and own the sin. Isn’t this a beautiful picture of doing a self evaluation? I believe it is. Moses list exactly what sin is; stubborn rebellion.

What a picture. Was Moses thinking to possibly have the entire mission thwarted, only to be introduced to the glory of God? What a beautiful picture of God’s gracious love, abounding and atoning for our sin, inequity and transgression at His expense.

Jesus atoning work for our salvation is all throughout the Old Covenant, and it is all right here. God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness, keeping mercy and forgiving sin. Is this what Jesus was quoting in the parable of the prodigal son? We know that the children of Israel used part of their wealth and provisions to create the golden calf (idols and idolatry). They had squandered the wealth that God provided just like the prodigal had. God said Israel is my first born, “and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:” (Exodus 4:22).

On our return we deserve judgment and death. Yet our Heavenly Father longs to be gracious to us. He is taking us up. He brought us out to bring us in. When we return, we confess, we repent, and commit to do the will of God. We seek His will and the work He has ordained for us to do.

He has a mission to complete and our names are included. We have the opportunity to repent and have our sins blotted out and then times of refreshing come in.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you that You are long suffering, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and keeping mercy. Thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross for my sins. Father, forgive the sin and transgression of my people. Forgive them and send Your presence with us LORD. As we continue on may we see Your call, Your assignment and Your will and our purpose in life? Amen

Don’t miss the return; His mercy is poured out on our repentant hearts.

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Blog, poetry, Teshuvah Devotional

Day 17 of 40 Days of Teshuvah Elul 17u

August 28, 2018August 31, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

The Season of Repentance, the Season of Returning.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 GNB
“I know that everything God does will last for ever. You can’t add anything to it or take anything away from it. And one thing God does is to make us stand in awe of him.”

This is a supernatural time to prepare, a time to return, a time to continue on with The LORD in covenant. This is the season of the wedding rehearsal.

Every season
Indeed is for purpose,
Help us see the times
You’ve set for service.

We are Your body
Your feet and hands,
May we never be found,
Afraid to take a stand.

Help us hold fast Your truths
never water down,
Remember the word of God
first a verb and not only a noun.

Called to be doers
and walk in alignment,
With Your set purposes,
discover our assignment.

To everything there is a season
A time for every purpose under heaven.
Pour out our hearts willingly
Purified of all leaven.

Commit all our ways
Earnestly to You Lord,
Hold fast to Your truths
Obedient to Your word.

Taking delight
In Your Holy plans,
order our steps
by Your commands.

The season has come
And the time is at hand
Show us Oh Lord
how to take our stand. (excerpt from poem © laurette laster – Signs and Seasons)

A time to become one with the Almighty

This morning as I was meditating and thinking about the verses in the bible that use the words and the phrases, “return to Me says The Lord, and I will return to you.” A truth occurred to me. One I already know and when I explain this, most of you will realize you have known this too. However this morning it was a light bulb moment. These verses and phrases are a uniting or a joining together. The verses are pointing to future events as well as right now circumstances. Then now and future events, that join together, first and last, old and new, types and shadows being fulfilled and thus illuminated at the appointed times.

The majority of the verses that instruct us to turn, shuv or return, Teshuvah are found in the first Testament or The Old Covenant. Or as some say the Old Testament. That wasn’t new to me, but the ‘why’ is what hit my spirit this morning. When we have broken covenant there must be reconciliation and a restoration period. There is a time to repent, acknowledge the wrong or transgression and then a time of making restitution for the wrong committed. This is the proper way to Teshuvah. This is how to continue on with the relationship. God doesn’t play the denial game or cover up sin. He atones for sin until the appointed time of our Messiah. Each of these verses and scriptures is pointing to our Messiah.

While listening to preaching and teaching today, often repentance is down played or overlooked all together and not taken seriously. Failure to truly, thoroughly repent affects our ability to have faith or act on faith, toward God. Our faith is a direct result of our work of repentance.

God is basically saying and calling out to the upcoming generations; hey you……Come over here and look at what I am going to do. Come away with Me, Look what I am planning, Return to me I have a huge blessing to share with you. I am going to be unwrapping mysteries and giving gifts soon (The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed), and you do not want to miss out on this. Repentance is the invitation into all that God has planned for us, the church. Read 1 Corinthians 2:9.

We know that The New Testament or the Renewed Covenant is necessary because the old was to show us how far we missed the mark. The First Covenant is a type and shadow of what was to come. Mankind continued to transgress against the law. The law was there to show us that we couldn’t obtain righteousness on our own and by works and that we needed a Savior, a Redeemer and a Restorer of the breach between God and man. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church is the Bride of Christ.

Sin is missing the mark, or transgression of the law. What law? We miss the mark and transgress the law of love. The law was perfect and we know Jesus said “I have come to fulfill the law, not do away with it.”

Jesus when teaching would say; you have heard it said, but I say……………………….. Then He would show the way to fulfillment of the law.

Do you recall Jesus first message? From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, (Matthew 4:17 KJV).

Do you know what Jesus disciples taught when our Lord sent them out? So the disciples went out, telling everyone they should repent of their sins and turn to God. (Mark 6:12 NLT).

We should look at Jesus departing message to His disciples after His resurrection? And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47 KJV).

The message does not change. So why would we attempt to change it? User friendly is counterproductive to the power of God we need to have a transformed life.

God is still wooing us today. Just as it was with Moses it still is a time of preparing our hearts to accept His covenant of marriage. When God was dealing with the children of Israel and the sin of the golden calf, He had already prepared in advance how to eradicate the stain of sin out of His midst. He was ushering us into eternity and preparing to send His only begotten Son, Jesus, at the appointed time. In sending Jesus, who is The Way, The Truth and The Life, God was making a way for us to return, to Teshuvah, and unite with Him. Now we are told to repent in order to prepare the way for Him.

Think about a marriage proposal. When the man proposes to the woman, she will become one with him in covenant, Holy Matrimony, and then be a co owner of all he has.

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say to the people, ‘this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return (Teshuvah) to Me, and I will return, (Teshuvah) to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

Meditate on that for a moment. I picture a first dance between the Bridegroom and His Bride. Can you see and imagine this?

It is our engagement invitation. To return is a proposal to restore right relationship. I have had religion but I delight in relationship with our Lord. I pray we return with our whole heart. We do not want to miss the Wedding Supper of The Lamb. You have a name place card with your name is engraved on the palm of The Father’s hand. Will your seat be empty? Not if I have anything to do with it. Who are you concerned about making it?

Recently we celebrated a grandson’s birthday at our house. As the family was leaving, Greg said, “Let’s take hands and pray before you leave.” Our youngest grandson jumped in the SUV saying I am not praying. He was saying I am not going to pray. Greg said “Lord help _ _ _ _ _ be a good boy and be obedient.” We each encouraged _ _ _ _ _ to join us but he declined the invitation. Then we all grabbed hands and began to pray. Seeing that we were going to continue without him and that we had ask but weren’t not going to make him participate, _ _ _ _ _ said,” wait, don’t pray without me, and don’t do it without me”. I said ok come on then. He jumped out of the SUV and got in the circle and we prayed and blessed them before they left. He was all full of smiles and glad he wasn’t left out.

The scenario I just described made me think about the season we are in. This special time and a season of being ask to participate and join hands with family (other believers) and pray. We do not want to be on the outside looking in when The Marriage Supper of The Lamb is taking place. Nor do we want our loved ones to not be there. There won’t be time to say wait don’t continue without me. No the time to make that decision is now.

Pray this prayer

Dear Heavenly Father. During this special Mo’edim and appointed time of Your grace, I ask You for special favor for ____________. Father I am asking You to offer _____________ an invitation to repent. Lord Your word tells me that it is the grace of God, Your grace and unmerited favor that leads a person to repentance. I’ve been telling ___________ to change but I now realize __________ needs a revelation of Your goodness and love. Lord I am asking with my whole heart that _______________repent and return back into right relationship with You. Lord I ask that _______________ be obedient to Your call. I ask that ______________ be changed and have a new heart and another mind and leave the old behind. Lord Jesus I pray ______________will ask You into their heart and that You will be Lord of their life forever. Amen

Hebrew 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse Him

Don’t miss this season of Teshuvah

My favorite time of the year

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Blog, poetry, Teshuvah Devotional

Day 16 of 40 Days of Teshuvah Elul 16

August 27, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

Teshuvah is a time to reflect and return. It’s never too late.

The Sharpening

Painful as it may seem

But necessary it is.

A ripping may be felt

uncovering what is His.

So if we feel a shredding

Don’t fear or be dismayed,

It’s only the sharpening process

He wants to work in us today.

He is going to peel back that hard cover,

to reveal a special message.

In the sharpener we will see,

The shredding revealed the lesson.

pencil

So take some time to write it down

For in the process of time;

looking back we’ll understand

This sharpening is His perfect design.

For we are His own workmanship

Written upon His heart

Don’t give up or worry

He is faithful to complete what He did start.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV

The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

Isaiah 53:6 says

We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and The Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

The Jubilee bible says we have become lost.

YLT says all of us like sheep have wandered, each to his own way. We have turned.

And simply put, that is why we are ushered into a special time to Teshuvah.

I thought about some ideas that I’ve had in the past. They were not particularly bad ideas but they were not ‘God’ ideas. In my broken and damaged emotions I was able to convince myself, “this must be God.” Without the word of God, good pastors and teachers, and godly leaders, we can easily go astray. Feelings are not good leaders.

A good idea that isn’t leading us (have gone astray) toward the will of God is still a wrong turn. If we are traveling and make a wrong turn we do not convince ourselves that we will reach our destinations just the same. This is why it is very dangerous to listen to messages that tell us any old road, and any old turn will safely take you to your desired location. No, that would be foolish.

We may learn some valuable lessons along the way. I know I sure did. Lessons that taught me to pray: Dear God help me, I never want to do that again. Please forgive me and give me ears to hear Your voice. Teach me to love Your word and Your directions.

Missing the mark is missing the mark. Whether we miss it by 1/16 of an inch or by 1600 miles we still missed it. Think about that. To be so close that it is as if we can taste it, then to allow the deception and the lies of the enemy take us off tract and rob us from Gods best.

Jesus has laid a foundation and we can Shuv, turn, Teshuvah, return. He is the Rock of our salvation.

He is the Great Shepherd. He says my sheep know my voice and another they will not follow.

This season I pray we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Jesus said let him has ears hear. He goes on to say consider or pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

How does He does He measure our hearing?

It’s by our obedience. There is hearing and there is HEARING.

Just like a diagnostic test, it is by the ability to follow the verbal command. Pretty simple huh?

When we blow it we can Teshuvah. We admit we have gone astray and missed it. We tell The Lord we are turning back to His heart. And we return, Teshuvah with our whole heart.

Excerpt from Dr Rick Flanders

SINNERS MUST REPENT IN ORDER TO BE SAVED

There is no doubt that sinners are called to repent, and that their repentance is required for their salvation. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

The words of Jesus remove any doubt about the requirement of repentance for salvation, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” (Luke 13:3). “All men everywhere,” according to God’s requirement (Acts 17:30), are commanded “to repent.”

Christian churches are the ones addressed in Revelation 2 and 3—seven congregations to be exact. They are given direct messages suited to their situations from our risen Christ, and five of the seven are called upon to repent (the Ephesians’ church in 2:5, the church in Pergamos in 2:16, some in the church of Thyatira in 2:21, the church in Sardis in 3:3, and the church of the Laodicea in 3:19).

Don’t miss this season of Teshuvah it is my favorite time of year.

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. laurette

Blog, photo

Last Full Moon of Summer

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

This weekend’s Sturgeon Moon is the last full moon of summer.

If you haven’t been out to see the moon, you should go take a quick look. It is beautiful. Here a few pictures from tonight and a few from last night. Greg and I were just discussing how it is as if nature quiets when the moon is full. I said nature is listening to what we cannot hear with our natural ears.

What is being spoken?

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speach, and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out throught all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun.

poetry

Day 15 of 40 Days of Teshuvah Elul 15

August 27, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

Teshuvah Poem

Repent confess

and start anew

with vows of peace

yes push through

Feilds and other 10-01-16 111

into the ways

and will of God

until at last

your feet are shod

Readied feet

prepared in peace

Appointed times

God’s Holy Feast

For there is a way

known unto man

the end destructive

not God’s plan

Change your mind

rend your heart

Today is the day

for a brand new start

Joel 2:13 NLT
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

The word Teshuvah literally means turn or shuv. The season of Teshuvah is a time of preparing our hearts by returning to God. How does one return to God? What does turning require? How can one be sure they have turned?

We talked yesterday about being fully vested and ROI (Return on Investment). If we have believed in our heart and confessed with our mouth that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead we are in essence fully vested. Being fully vested means we do not lose our blessing of salvation. True salvation is a change of heart that causes a deep revelation to our minds of who God really is. This revelation changes everything about us. When we invite Jesus into our hearts we will never be the same. We become aware of what is pleasing to God and what is displeasing.

God requires a return of His investment. In the story of Moses returning back up to Mount Sinai we see Moses interceding for the children of Israel after the sin of the golden calf. As we read we see a much deeper revelation of relationship. God called Moses at the burning bush and spoke to Moses from this bush. God told Moses He had heard the cries of His people. Covenant is very important to God, and either is, or is not. There is no “common law” in Gods book. We have an alter experience when we God invites us into covenant. Covenant is what decides whether we are children of God or not. Some impromptu answer of, “I believe in God so therefore everything is going to be ok” is not acceptable. When the incorruptible seed of God hits your spirit you are born again.

God had made a covenant with Abraham some 400 years prior to the Exodus account. God told Abraham that he would live and die in old age, but that his people would be in bondage for four hundred years. Genesis 15:13-15

“So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24). God remembered His covenant with Abraham. There is another account in Genesis where we read where God remembered Noah.

God in remembered His covenant, “And Jehovah saith, ‘I have certainly seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and their cry I have heard, because of its exactors, for I have known its pains;” (Exodus 3:7).

God hears the cry of His people. The promise was to bring them out with great possessions. God kept His promise and does indeed do exactly what He said. He brings them out with great possessions, and they take the very blessings and abundance God has provided and they make it into an idol.

As Moses is worshipping with God at Mount Sinai, God tells Moses he must leave. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. (Exodus 32:7). Do you see how God now refers to the children of Israel as Moses’ people and identifies their behavior as corrupt after the sin of the golden calf? At the burning bush God shares with Moses the plight and suffering and misery of ‘His’ people. In the KJV it explains that God has known their pains. God gives Moses the call and assignment to lead out His (God’s) people yet after they sin, God refers to the children of Israel as his (Moses’) people. So by reading these passages of scripture is it safe to say our behavior shows who we belong to.

If we have walked away from the destiny or destination God has in mind, turning to idols we are not children of covenant and in covenant with God in His eyes. Waiting on the promises of God can be extremely frustrating.

We return to intercede for ourselves because according to God, the promises are for us and our household. When God chooses us to come into covenant He has many others in view. He isn’t looking for one; He is looking for the one who will take seriously the call and the assignment to know Him. This is called the ministry of reconciliation. Then in knowing God we see the need to lead other’s out of Egypt. There is a physical Egypt but there is a spiritual Egypt also. Pharaoh is a picture of Satan and Egypt is a picture of the place of bondage.

Bondage is many faceted. When we speak of bondages often people think of drugs, or alcohol, or gambling. There is no doubt these are horrible bondages that are plaguing our society in the United States of America, but what about the others that are present in our pews today in every church. What about fear? What about pride? What about low self esteem? What about hardened hearts and hard headedness? What about apathy or ignorance, I don’t know and I don’t care? Are these not bondages holding back the body of Christ? Of course they are.

As Christians I pray we return with prayers and cry out for the body of Christ to rise up, speak up, become bold and prepare for the harvest. There are those inside the church that have been lulled to sleep, thinking all is well, and the many outside the church that do not realize their importance and their purpose, and their assignment or call. They may not be aware of the gifts God placed inside them. Creation is groaning for the sons and daughters of God to be manifest. “47For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.… (Acts 13:47-49).

I am saddened that I do not hear more preaching about repentance today. Life with God starts with repentance. Jesus said repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Pride is destructive but so is low self esteem or low self worth. Do you see the work of the enemy in the lives of loved ones? I know I do. The body of Christ should be working out and gaining strength. The fields are white unto harvest but the laborers are few.

Pray this prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me. I have been apathetic and so concerned with my needs that I have missed opportunities to work for You. I have become so caught up in reading about the cares of the world that I neglected to be part of changing these issues. I want to be a part of the great harvest. I want to be a vital part of Your body. I do not want to be ‘my four and no more’ kind of Christian. I want to be used by You for advancing the kingdom of God. I don’t want to warm the pew I want to become strong and able and do damage to the kingdom of darkness. The scripture tells me that the entrance of Thy word gives light. As I read Your word I pray enlighten me Lord, enlighten me. Create a hunger for Your word that I have never experienced. Teach me. Amen

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

poetry

Day 14 of 40 Days of Teshuvah Elul 14

August 26, 2018August 26, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

ROI Fully Vested

I have tasted grace

That cannot be explained

I am now washed clean

Never to be the same

I have tasted love

One so pure and undefiled

as it washes through me

It cleanses my insides

No more doubt or unbelief

No more guilt and shame

Only knowing I was different

And called a brand new name

Jesus called me by a name

One I had never heard

Never once did I expect

To me it could be inferred

Looking directly at me

And speaking face to face

“Redeemed” He declared,

My past sins completely erased

Now I know the depth

Of a love so strong and pure

That no matter what my past

My future is secure.

He said repent and change your mind

For the kingdom of God is at hand

And you can hear this too

Heard only on the willing band

To confess all of my wrongs

Seemed so dirty and so strange

But it is the only entrance

Into His great exchange

My debt wiped out, forgiven

With a love I’d never known

His investment is for ROI

This is not on an installment loan

He invested in forever

It is paid for with His blood

Repentance was the currency

That unlocked all of His love

So when you feel convicted

Unfamiliar and unknown

Just know that there is One

Who loves you as His own

You can put your trust Him

Jesus came to give us life

So Repent and be baptized

In Him, we are fully vested to be bride of Christ

Poem written by laurette laster © 2018 August

Teshuvah is God’s transaction. When thinking about the sin of the golden calf and Moses “shattering” the first set of tablets, God then requires something from Moses. We see that God said you carve out two stones and I will write my words on them.

How many of us have thought previously that we had blown it with God. Have you ever wondered if God blotted your name out? Do you remember when you knew that your name is written in the Lambs book of life?

I do. It was 2002. I was accepted Jesus into my heart and was baptized at twelve but I didn’t understand completely all that meant. I had an encounter with the grace of God and met my Savior face to face through His unmerited grace in 2002.

I was self condemned and others condemned for poor choices I had made. I was loaded down with truck loads of regret and shame. But there were some who were praying for me and interceding for me. A man by the name of Reverend Gaither Day came to my job one Sunday. I was a general manager for a local Steak House, and he came for lunch after church. I do not know who told him about me. I do know that He found my name on the church registry listed as a member. He came through the door, looked at me and said, “There is my sheep.” He came several Sundays after that. He would bring me the church bulletins and other timely information. Each time he saw me he would say, “There is my sheep.” This man with his wise council and love ushered me back into the fold. I know God sent him at just the right time of my life. It was the time that God was beckoning back to Him.

God has someone praying for you too. Teshuvah is a season that crosses every barrier to get to you. He wants a ‘RETURN’ ON HIS INVESTMENT (ROI).

In business we want to make smart investments that will pay huge dividends and interest. After a set amount of time you can become fully vested in a company. Meaning you will not lose your reward or the funds that they have added to your account. Where do you think we learned this from? God is CEO, CFO, and Creator of this great spiritual system called the kingdom of God. Remember Jesus said, “Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.” Or where He said, and he said unto them, how is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? (Luke 2:49). The kingdom of God is indeed big business. God invested ALL He had for us and He is looking for a return on His investment.

Many years ago The Lord opened a door to my returning back into the restaurant world. I began to receive promotion after promotion until I became the General Manager. After working 6 years for the Steak House, God opened another great venture for me in the corporate world for Applebee’s Grill and bar. I learned so much about the Kingdom of God from studying my bible and working as a General Manager for Applebee’s. The couple that owned the franchise I worked for was a wonderful Christian family who poured into their employees to make better leaders so we could then advance the company. They owned 45 stores when the eventually sold their franchise. I wonder if God calls this OJT, (on the job training).

God had a purpose for mankind and redemption plan a long time before the sin of the golden calf, about four hundred years before this sin, so scripture tells us. God invested ALL He had in this deal. We can get in on the wonderful venture and it is free, yet is requires all we have. God thinks you are worth His investment and He wants a return on His investment.

God made a covenant with Abraham. God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous the stars in the sky, (Israel) and as the sand on the sea shores (the Gentiles). We see a picture of Christ in the story of God and Abraham. God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. We also see a picture of Jesus as our great deliver and the one who makes intercession for us in the story of Moses leading the children out of Egypt. We see Moses returning (Teshuvah) to make intercession for the children of Israel before God. Yesterday we talked about Moses telling God, to blot out his name from His book also, if He were going to blot out the Children of Israel’s name.

After a break of covenant there are consequences followed by reconciliation. Moses didn’t wink at the sin; three thousand were killed that day. There was work to be done to rectify and remove people who were not going to serve God.

God’s intention was never to blot out our name. Actually we read that our sin is what God blotted out. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19).

It is a repentant heart our Father is after. I pray we turn and return to the plan of God.

Pray this prayer

Dear Heavenly Father. I see Your great love for me and Your love for my family and my extended family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Show me how to love them Father as Your love them. Lord give me a heart to discern Your hand in their lives and Your will for their lives. Lord you have given me people that you desire I pray and intercede for. I repent for not understanding my call to pray for others. Show me Lord how You would have me pray and intercede for them. Amen

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Blog, poetry, Teshuvah Devotional

Day 13 of 40 Days of Teshuvah Elul 13

August 24, 2018August 25, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

God’s face is toward us. It is the time of His favor. God has initiated this meeting and He covered ALL THE COST. Why were there two tablets?

iphone 330

Zechariah 1:3 But now I say to you, Return to Me, and I will return to you.

James 4:8 Come near to God, and He will come near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

You Said If I Return

You said if I return
You will to take me In
That I shall not fear judgment
Nor taste death because of sin

You said if I return
The rejoicing would be grand
For in the day of redemption
Snatched out, by Your right hand

You said if I return
I would meet You face to face
I would not be turned away
Nor sentenced to disgrace

You said in Your promises
And Yes I have read
Summon me now oh Lord
Spirit teach me to be led.

Give me the strength to obey
In this season of return
That I may dwell forever in Your house
O Lord how my heart doth yearn

Repentance opened the way
inside my knees did crumble
Tears to water my face
I bow before You, humble

Thank you Father, oh Thank You
Yes I desire to obey
The season of return
Is opened to all today!

Poem written by laurette laster © 2018 August

It is said at the beginning of Teshuvah we are back to back, with God due to un-confessed sin. The bible clearly makes numerous references to God’s face being toward His people in times of His favor, or turned away from His people when they have become rebellious. If His face is shining upon us, we are in right relationship with Him. Like we read yesterday, we like Noah, have found favor or grace in the eyes of God, and we are pleasing to Him.

Teshuvah is during the month of Elul and is the forty days when Moses ascended back up Mount Sinai. Moses was called to meet with God again for a face to face meeting. Moses told the Lord that if He was going to blot the names of the children of Israel out of His book of life, that He could blot out his name also.

(There is a saying of “L’shanah tovah tikatevi v’taihatemi” which is to say, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. This is the season of our Joy and the time of year when Jewish tradition says that God is looking over the books and writing about the blessings He is going to pour out. Now we are sealed with His precious Holy Spirit until the Day of redemption. So we do not fear losing our salvation. The perfect sinless blood of Savior Jesus Christ has been accepted once and for all; however the seeds we have sown determine what we grow. I know I have to pray for a crop failure when I let my mouth get the best of me.)

When we have an encounter with the living God we are forever changed. After a face to face encounter our relationship and our intercession for others will be eternally changed. It will unravel us down to our core. A deep change in our hearts and minds will occur that will be the undoing of our filthy carnal nature. What we used to think was important; will no longer be so important that we insist on having our own way.

The way we understand or see, undergoes an immediate transformation. Our eyes are opened and our ears hear. We view eternity and the destinies of others through the heart of God. When this change occurs you will not desire that your worst enemy or enemies go to hell.

At this meeting Moses was required to carve out the two tablets himself. God required Moses, to carve the tablets and appear before The Lord God. God told Moses He would write His word on the tablets. “Now the LORD said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered.” (Exodus 34:1)

The first stone, table or tablet lists four commandments of how we are show honor to God. Is it a coinencedencce that the fifth commandment is how to treat our mothers and fathers and is included on the same stone of how to honor God? The fifth command is “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thou days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Is the first stone our heart and therefore needed to change our hearts? Our hearts must be free from offence to God or with God. The second stone, is this our hardened way of thinking and believing? How we treat others is very important to our Father. This is the changing of our minds.

Have you ever felt like your heart has been shattered? Have you experienced some things in your life that have tried to shatter your mind, affecting the way you feel about our Lord? Or maybe you believe you have shattered the words or the commandments The Lord has given you, just like Moses did. Do you feel distant from The Lord because of others behavior? Have you maybe reacted to what someone has done, and now think, well I blew that? Or have you ever blamed God and said, “God why did You let this happen?” Or maybe you have said, “God why did You do this?” All of these thoughts require a time of repentance and a time of reflection. We need a time to assess the thoughts in our hearts and our minds. We must align our thoughts with what the word of God says.

The good news is God knows. In His knowing He still wants an appointment and a time together with each of us to set it right. Only at this meeting we must do the work of carving the two tablets or two stone tables (KJV). If we have allowed our hearts to become hardened it affects our minds more than we may realize. A stony heart creates a rigid mind. Is this why there are two tablets? Is each a picture? Is one for the heart and the other for the mind? Did God know we would have other gods, idols, images, and various other images before we turned completely to Him? In turning to God we purpose in our hearts and in our minds, to love Him and His word as commanded by our Lord Jesus. Read Mark 12:29-31.

I believe our Lord did indeed know! He is the creator of mankind and He knows us! We cannot fool God. He knew we had the ability to act out of self; He created us with the ability to choose. God in His perfect love gave us free will. God knew that once sin entered the heart and mind of mankind we would need a new strategy to follow and work out to find ‘The Way’ and understand His salvation.

We shattered the first set of plans, so to say, in the Garden of Eden. Mankind fell and we all are shaped in iniquity according to Psalm 51:5. Read Psalm 51

I believe the Lord has revealed to me and is allowing me to see deeper into the two tablets. I believe this is the revelation given to me this year. These two stones or tables are representative of our heart and our mind after sin. The tablets or the tables are pictures of our heart and mind after long term affects of sin. I believe this is a picture of how sin hardens our hearts and minds and changes or ability to believe. We now must understand the parable of the Sower, which Jesus taught His disciples. We have some hard work to do allowing the word of God to change us. We return and repent and come back to the meeting. We are welcomed back into right relationship with God and Jesus becomes the propitiation for our sin. Seedtime and harvest are seasonal and necessary. We must agree to the work and the changes and bring our heart and our mind on board. One tablet is about how we relate to God and the other how we treat our brothers and sisters. When we love, truly love God and His word we cannot help but see the fallen condition of His creation. Loving God will change how we see and understand Him and how we see others. We will see them through a heart of love and then setting our minds on things above we are given the ministry of reconciliation.

Pray this prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, help me remove the hardened selfish images of this world from out of my heart and out of my mind. I am accepting Your invitation to return to You, and I am returning with my whole heart and my entire mind. Oh Lord I desire to be pleasing to You. I want to know what You had in mind when You created me. Lord, make me, take my life and do something worthwhile with it. My life is not my own. I have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus you emptied Yourself of Your divinity and humbled Yourself to become a man that I may become a child of God. Oh Jesus teach me the how to be good ground. I want to be a laborer in Your field and bring forth a harvest for You of choice fruits. Create in me a clean heart; restore to me the joy of thy salvation. Amen

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Blog, poetry, Teshuvah Devotional

Day 12 of 40 of Teshuvah

August 23, 2018August 23, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

teshuvah and AC2B 133

A Season in Time

A time of reflection

A time to assess,

What is working well?

What is causing duress?

A time of reflection

Take time to inspect,

Is my life bearing fruit?

The kind He expects?

I’m not to compare

Or look at another,

Not to be jealous

Nor envy a brother.

I am only measured

By His perfect design,

So I must assess this heart

Never allow for decline.

Oh my soul, listen,

Align with His word,

Become a doer

Of what ears have heard.

A season in time

Set aside for reflection,

This is my heart check up,

And I have no objection?

Day 12 of 40 Days of Teshuvah

Setting aside a time for reflection after the sin, and ‘returning’ for a time to make plans for continuing on forward together. Teshuvah is about right relationship with our Father God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, through His Holy Spirit, it is not about religion or keeping a law. God had already purposed in His mind that His relationship with mankind would continue. Even after mankind grieved him in his heart, God didn’t completely give up on us. We see that Christ was slain from the foundation of the earth. From the beginning God had a plan and He still does. He has a plan for your life and for my life. Thank You Father that you never give up on us. If we have a stirring in our heart, it is from Him.

I pray we don’t miss our appointment. I heard a preacher that I like, make this comment the other day. He stated that these festivals and seasons are not necessary any longer. He said that it was no longer necessary to look at or to study and delve into our Jewish roots. I am pretty open minded about issues surrounding the feast but I am set with His words concerning these seasons and His Holy Convocations. (I will tell you more about that later). But I know my Savior is definitely Jewish. Our Jewish brothers and sisters have been our time keepers by protecting the law. For this alone we should thank our Father God everyday. Each of us has measures of time keeping. You probably know what time of the day it is right now. We each have gauges and markers. In our vehicles we have fuel gauges that measure how much fuel is in the tank. With technology increasing rapidly newer vehicles tell us how many miles we can travel on the amount of fuel in our tank. Doesn’t all of creation show us His ways? So could it be that we also have gauges in our spirits and in our souls to tell us what time it is. Doesn’t Ecclesiastes tell us, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

I prayed and sought the Lord concerning this pastors thought and his opinions. I never want to be off or too mislead others. The Lord reminded me that even though an apple tree is an apple tree, it still must go through seasons. As long as the tree is alive the seasonal cycles will continue year after year. The seasons set by our Lord are seasons that are set. Once determined who we belong too, growth by seasons and cycles will still be necessary. This is how we grow and mature and are able to bear much fruit. If a tree doesn’t continue to grow the branches cannot become stronger, thus being able to bear much fruit. Read John chapter 15.

We read in Genesis chapter 6 that there was a time God Himself had to repent. Thank goodness Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. ⁶The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” ⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:6-8).

We can see and understand when we read the word of God that sin isn’t what will stop the plan of God. We see and understand that God will allow a time of repentance before bringing judgment on His people. One of his attributes, God shows Moses is that He, God, is long suffering. Then we read four thousand years later as Peter expounds on God and His graciousness toward mankind.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9-10).

A season in time, a time to come away; so simple yet poetic? These phrases consisting of four/five simple words just rolls off the tongue. Isn’t it awesome how words have the ability to stir our feelings and emotions? How is it that words have this power? It is because God spoke the entire universe and everything we see with our natural eyes into existence with His spoken word. God breathed words bring forth life.

Words indeed have the power to go into the recesses of our minds and speak to us at our very core, and to address the issues affecting our soul? Scripture tells us, good words are like medicine and sweeter than the honeycomb, while explaining that cruel and hurtful words are rottenness to the bones. Yet the phrase, a season in time is deep and romantic, intimate and intriguing all at the same time. Don’t you agree that these words have the rhythm of an entry into a love letter or a love song?

And I say to you, it is both a love song and a love letter. Because of our Lords great love for us, He set a season to meet with us, to talk things over that we may gain a deeper understanding of Him and His deep love toward us. Teshuvah is a time to read His word and to a time for reflection of our lives, while searching our soul. Teshuvah falls during the month of Elul and is a set time of introspection and soul searching.

It is like going away for some alone time to discuss a pressing issue, one that has to be addressed. It can be seen as a set apart time between covenant partners, such as a husband and a wife. It is making an appointment for a time to talk face to face about the dangers threatening to ruin the covenant between one another.

Just as God had to be looking for Noah in order for His eyes to see Noah and for Noah to find grace in God’s eyes, we too are being sought after. God is looking! For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2Chronichles (16:9)

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to place a guard over my heart and over my mind. Lord I ask You to forgive me for any actions that have hurt You and grieved Your Holy Spirit. I want my heart to be fully committed to You alone. When Your eyes are searching, I want you to see that my heart is fully committed to You. I need Your help. Father I want a clean heart that trusts in You and I want to understand You more. I long for a deeper more intimate relationship with You Father God. Jesus I know You have the words of life and I desire to have them also. Jesus when Your words became deep many other disciples left You. You in turn ask Your disciples if they were leaving also. Peter knew You had the words of eternal words of life and there was nowhere else to go. (John 6:65-69) Jesus I believe You are the son of the living God. Lord draw into a deeper relationship with You through Your Holy Spirit. Amen

A season in time

Set aside for reflection,

This is my heart check up,

And I have no objection?

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

poetry

Day 11 of 40 Days of Teshuvah

August 21, 2018August 22, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

The purpose of Teshuvah is for the Restoration of all things. Repentance opens the way for restoration to the blessings of God in Christ Jesus.

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14

I will restore to you the years the locust have eaten.

When I walk In The Spirit,

Things of life make perfect sense.

Than when I went against Your will,

Looking back, seeing past tense.

Now I see what happens

When I willingly repent,

The obstacles sent against me

You do stop and they relent.

Hardship sent to break me

Put an end to this old flesh,

So You can restore

And serve to me Your best.

All the years consumed,

And devoured as You looked,

Only record now I see

Restoration in Your book.

1534818834866 — Come now and let us reason together, saith The Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, thought they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

When You said You would restore,

And pay back all they stole;

It was because You waited patiently

For me to reach toward the goal,

Of Your mark and the prize

Of Your will and high calling;

Now I see how all have sinned

And from whence we all have fallen.

So I stop and bow my knee

Oh Lord how did I get here?

Restore to me the years

when I didn’t lend my ear.

To listen or to hear

All that You have planned,

Now my only desire is truth

I humble myself under Your mighty hand.

The process of Teshuvah involves the following four steps:

Step 1 Regret. Realize the extent of the damage and feel sincere regret.

Step 2 Cessation. Immediately stop the harmful action.

Step 3 Confession. Articulate the mistake and ask for forgiveness.

Step 4 Resolution. Make a firm commitment not to repeat it in the future.

Many people misunderstand the concept of sin. They think someone who sins is a “bad person.”Actually, the Hebrew word Chet does not mean sin at all. Chet appears in the Bible in reference to a slingshot which “missed the target.” There is nothing inherently “bad” about that slingshot! Rather, a mistake was made ― due to a lack of focus, concentration or skill. Rabbi Shraga Simmons

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So with the Rabbi’s explanation above, we understand that sin is simply missing the mark. When we are born again we are given instructions to desire and consume the sincere milk of the word. “Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies’ desire milk, then you will grow in your salvation.” (1 Peter 2). What is the sincere milk of the word? What is Peter referring to? It is the doctrine of Christianity. It is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We learn that Jesus laid down his divinity to become a human being. We know Jesus was crucified, pouring out His blood for the remission of our sins. That in Jesus resurrection from the dead we are given the precious promise of His Holy Spirit. We have the same Spirit and power that raised Jesus from the dead living on the inside of us so we may become children of God.

When we repent and change our minds we cannot help but be humbled. At our conversion a brokenness ensues that accompanies our true change of heart and mind. This repentance brings us to our knees in reverent humility. There is a deep root season that is associated with true conversion.

Holy Spirit begins this sensitive training for all of the new believers. In order to grow up and mature we need to first be planted, in order to grow roots. First a root season then a fruit season. We need godly training and teaching. We should not rely on our own understanding. Our walk and training must be accompanied along with studying the Bible and assembling together with like believers. We need to come under the authority of proven God fearing Christians. We need anointed pastors, teachers, and leaders, to lead us. We must mature from milk and become skillful meat eaters. We learn to use our steak knives to rightly divide the word (meat), not stab innocent bystanders, so to speak.

The apostle Paul wrote over half of the New Testament, and was given the mystery of the Tabernacle, along with many other mysteries. The mystery of the atoning work of Christ and His shed blood for the cleansing of our conscience and for the remission of sin. Yet we see that the apostle Paul is a perfect picture of a repentant life style.

He said when speaking of sinners; I am chief sinner. Even though Paul had the revelation of the old man passing away and all things becoming new, he never forgot where he came from.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners– of whom I am the worst. Many translations say of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy1:15 NIV)

Paul knew his past was an example of God’s mercy poured out to sinners.

The more Paul learned and studied the closer he got to The Lord Jesus; Paul see’s where he missed the mark himself and tells us “Brothers and sisters I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) Our Lord Jesus said to Paul I am Jesus whom thou persecutes: (Acts 9:5).
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This is the idea of Teshuvah. Teshuvah literally means “return.” When we “do Teshuvah,” we examine our ways, identify those areas where we are losing ground, and “return” to our own previous state of spiritual purity. In the process, we “return” to our connection with the Almighty as well.

Without the shed blood of Jesus Christ we could not return. We could lament, beg, cry, feel sorry and do good works, but none of these would have eternal value without the shed blood or sacrifice.

Pray this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus. You were crucified and paid the price for my sin. It was Your Precious blood poured out on the mercy seat for sinners. I confess I am a sinner and I have fallen short of the glory of You, oh God. Lord Jesus You willingly laid down Your life and went to the Cross so I could be set free from the penalty of sin. I repent of my sins and selfish ways. I’m going to press toward the mark of Your high calling. Teach me how to not look back, but how to press toward the mark for the prize of Your high calling. Lord Jesus you humbled Yourself to die on the Cross, show me how to die to my stinking flesh. I want to humble myself under Your mighty Hand God so that after I have learned and studied You will exalt me at the proper time. Amen

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette

Article, poetry, Teshuvah Devotional

Day 10 of 40 Days of Teshuvah

August 20, 2018 listeningwithlaurette

Signs Along The Way

Pay attention to the signs

Along the paths you walk.

Some are smooth and pleasing,

others hard as rock.

Pay attention to the scenery.

While going along your way,

There are many, many signs,

speaking, as if to say.

Yes this is the way,

Or do not venture here.

Others seemingly shouting;

Run, take cover, danger is near.

While we must be able

To discern as we travel,

Wisdom first in the heart,

Into the mind it goes to unravel.

Thoughts locked down,

Unable to bend,

Will create a life,

That has to mend.

Teshuva

Take to the highway

Look for the sign,

Legal U Turn-

It’s been here all the time.

Teach my heart

Oh Lord to discern,

No more to hold on

How to unlearn.

The ways of man

The road I followed,

Now seem barren, hard,

empty, shallow, and hollow.

Tutor my heart,

As I turn these pages,

Learning from The Law,

Prophets and Sages.

Searching and listening

Inspired word pouring in,

This is “The Way” and

And how to begin.

I’m following directions

Looking for the signs

“The Way” marked correction

good for the heart, changes the mind.

Lord, You have patiently waited

When I lagged sluggishly behind

Loving me even when

I was deaf, mute, and blind.

Grant to me new vision,

light shining on my path.

Seeing clearly now, Jesus,

in Your love, no fear of wrath.

Activity is not necessarily productivity.

Many years ago I used to believe people who looked busy were accomplishing many things. I later realized this often isn’t the case at all. Often when people appear to be busy it is just that, an appearance. I thought about this while preparing the Teshuvah Devotional for today. The Pharisees looked the part but actually they were not producing the fruits of repentance. As a matter of fact we hear John the Baptist call them a brood of vipers. Vipers as we know are snakes. While the fruit John is speaking of here is something that can be produced, gathered and shared.

Teshuvah is a season of repentance and a time for introspection.

In the book of Matthew we read the story of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: “ (Matthew 3:2) In these scriptures We are given a place in the crowd as John talks to the Pharisees, saying, “bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,” (Matthew 3:8 YLT). Young’s literal translation describes this passage using the words, bear and reformation. I like this translation because if we read between the lines or look beneath the surface, we can understand the meaning of this text and how it applies to us in our lives.

In order for something to be re-formed it is necessary to understand there was an original pattern. Somewhere the original has been changed or has been replaced with a counterfeit and is no longer recognizable when compared to the original. How else could we understand what reform is and what it should look like? Other translations say; to prove by the way you live or produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Good News Translations says, “But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”(Galatians 5:22). We are told this is the fruit of The Spirit. So the fruit produces fruits, which are evident in our lives and in the lives of others when true repentance is at work and growing.

We know that the Pharisees liked to prove their righteousness by their works and outward appearances of keeping the law. Yet, John is using a phrase that points to production and growing and seasons which if planted will yield a harvest.

We know that seasons are very important to our Father, and so is productivity. John is likening repentance to fruit. By using the metaphor of fruit, John is pointing out to us that there is tangible sweet evidence attached to true repentance. This evidence should show a change of heart that reproves and reforms our mind. John cautions the Pharisees not to rely on their religion. Religion can hinder and cut off relationship. We do not want to get lost in the traditions of men.

The message that John the Baptist preached was to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and to prepare the way for The Lord. We read in the gospel of John, that John the Baptist is called, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, saying, “Make straight the way of The Lord.” (John 1:23)

From this we surmise that John was teaching the only way to straighten things out, (pun intended), and prepare for the Lord, and avoid and leave crooked hard paths, is only through repentance. To turn (shuv) or return (Teshuvah) to the straightway from which we came.

Jesus began His ministry by preaching and saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17).

Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,” (Luke 5:32).

To prepare our hearts and repent is to be ready to receive the blessings The Lord has planned for us. Repentance is a cleansing and clearing away of the road blocks that will make crooked ways straight. After we have done the work of repentance, the way becomes clear. We get back on the highways and off of back roads and gravel roads that have dangerous pot holes and usually do not have road signs.

When we are traveling we begin to look for signs along the way. We look for signs that say your destination is 187 miles ahead. Or maybe we see a sign that says destination exit 1 ¼ miles ahead. Today we have global positioning systems or GPS, that give us clear directions with voice commands telling us destination exit coming up in 2 miles, stay in the right 2 lanes.

Well, I know I want to be in the right lane and not miss my exit leading to my desired destination. I hear The Lord saying, “Blessings straight ahead repentance next exit.”

The Lord is not holding our sins against us. He has a clear path lined out for us with road signs all along the way. As we continue to travel His path and His will for our lives “The Way” is confirmed over and over to us. We see signs along the way that point us in the right direction so we can proceed on the path of peace. He gives us specific directions on how to prepare ourselves to meet with Him. He has an appointment set; I pray we don’t miss it.

Pray this prayer:

Oh Lord, I want to be on the straight path of peace with my life. I ask that you show me the signs along my way that allow me to be in the right place at the right time. I am tired of struggling with going my own way or unknown ways. I am going to be looking for the signs that I know You have placed in front of me. I am looking and watching for the signs that lead me in “The Way.” Lord Jesus, I want to bear good fruit and have a fruitful life. I want to go the way that You have planned for my life. I believe there is more to see than I am seeing. Open my eyes that I may see. Give me eyes that see and perceive, and ears that hear and understand what The Spirit is saying to me at this time during this season. Amen

He has prepared “The Way” and more over He is “The Way”, and He is The Truth and is The Life. He is Jesus and, He did it for you and for me. Repent and turn around.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling oh sinner come home.

Don’t miss this season.

Teshuvah, is my favorite time of the year.

God bless you and keep you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, and give you Shalom.

Today is the day.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette