Category: Blog

Take your seat at Father’s Chair.

 

Yes I did see your name

And I know for sure it’s there

Come it is time for the reading

Find your seat at Father’s chair.

 

Well the day is here. This is truly ‘The Day of The Lord’ the holiest day of the year. Our names are not blotted out of the book of life.

 

Found in His love ready to become

Rooted and securely grounded

Only good toward us

All His grace hath abounded

 

We should not be about worry

Nor succumb to dread and fear

For our Heavenly Father

Is calling to each one, come near

 

It is story time do hear

At  Father’s bended knee

The book in His lap is opened

Come have a seat and join me

 

What you may not know

Is I saw your name it’s there

It is written in His story

The one He loves to share

 

So gather round dear children

The story is about to begin

Listen as Father tells

The story authored and read by Him

 

 

It is the story He has written

And etched into the hearts

For others to discover

Exactly, yes you have a part

 

What a fabulous story

Read over and over again

It is the redemption story

About a special pattern and plan

 

Those who came in reverence

With heads bowed down and listened

As He read aloud the names

Written in His palm each one glistened

 

Yes I did see your name

And I know for certain it is there

Come it is time for the reading

Find your seat at Father’s chair.

poem written by laurette laster  ©  2018 September

 

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6

 

 

What have learned this year during our 40 Days of Teshuvah?

1. That the two stone tablets are our hardened unrepentant hearts and our un-renewed minds.
2. That we must receive a new heart from God and then renew our minds according to the words of life.
3. That the books are closed and the decision is made forever. We who are born again realize that the decision for us is a lasting ordinance for sure. God’s Holy Convocation is eternal and unchangeable. The day and the hour no man knows.

I have been meditating recently about the Feast and Mo’edim of God our Father being rehearsals for upcoming events. The scripture tell us these Mo’ed are types and shadows and have a unique pattern. One that must be followed precisely. The LORD God told Moses to be sure and build the Tabernacle according to ‘the pattern’ which God had shown him. We as believers understand this now because we are privileged to see from the beginning. We are given front row seats to the eternal plan from the beginning. We see into what their obedience has done for us. Are we not the most blessed generation to be living? We are able to gather at Father’s knee and hear the story over and over. I have a question. Have we shared with others that their name is part of the story.

If any of you has ever sewn you know how fragile the patterns and pattern pieces are. They must be laid exact and precise on the material for a quality work. There is an exact way that the material or cloth must be cut. It is very important to have the cloth lay on a stable sturdy surface while cutting.  Do you cut on the bias? Do you cut along the fold? Does the cloth have a grain? If the cloth does have a grain they will have to match. All these questions and factors speak to me now concerning what Moses saw.  How can you keep the pattern pieces from slipping? They are pinned down over and over, as often as needed to make the garment according to the pattern.

I can see in my mind right now a Simplicity Pattern. There was a picture of the garment on the outside of the package. However if someone were given this pattern who didn’t know how to sew or what the pattern was it would be meaningless to them. Had Moses seen the finished product? Did Moses watch our Lord Jesus in heaven in the Heavenly Tabernacle?

They had to act by faith; we now receive by faith what their actions have allowed us to see as they each played their part to usher in the eternal plan of salvation by Jesus Christ.

The Day of Atonement is here. God has made His decision. The Books are now closed and what is the decision that God has made?

That salvation has come to all who believe in The Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew tells us on that occasion Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John up to a high mountain by themselves. “He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him . . . “Moses and Elijah appeared with Him talking about His coming death. Matthew then writes, “A bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (17:2-3, 5). Here was the Shekhina glory in the face of Jesus! The veil of His flesh could contain Him no longer. The glory of His deity burst forth.  The decisions were made. We talked about Moses face shining yesterday. Had Moses seen into the future? God’s glory had been revealed to Moses as God hid him in the cleft of the rock. And we know the Rock is Christ.

Had Moses been waiting for The Day and The Hour that was now witnessed by Peter, James, and John? Had he been here before? Is that why his face had been radiant and had to be veiled? I believe Moses very well may have seen this day from the beginning.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10: 12-14)

Our prayers have been heard. May our repentance be at a new level from this time forth. May the upcoming root season allow us to cast off all dead works.  May we remember the perfect work of Christ our Savior when He said, It Is Finished! He is the High Priest of our confession. His work is The perfect atoning work.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for the perfect blood of Jesus Christ that has been applied on my behalf in Your heavenly sanctuary. Thank You Lord Jesus, for humbling Yourself and going to the Cross. You laid down Your life that I now have life eternal. Thank You for Your blood that has been taken behind the veil into the Holy of Holies once and for all, into the presence of God. Jesus You did open the way for us that we may come into the presence of God Almighty. You are our High Priest and Your blood has atoned for my sins and for my dead works. My conscience is cleansed by Your sinless perfect blood that I may serve The Living God.

I declare over myself, and my family, and those that You are drawing through me, that we shall serve You with our whole heart and mind.

In Jesus Name it is done, Amen.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:14-15)

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

 

 

 

As our season of Teshuvah is drawing to an end I am excited, and relieved, and somewhat melancholy. I love this get away time with our Lord for some serious one on one. I truly have enjoyed the challenge that Teshuvah brings each year. I can honestly say I have labored this year with my writings. However today a time of laboring is not a bad thing for me. I now see it as a birthing or a bringing forth time. If we labor it is to birth something or bring something to pass. Teshuvah is a time for me to do soul introspection. I am a deep thinker so maybe this is why I love the idea and this season.

Searching for More Of You-

 

As I draw near, my heart begins to ponder

How can I have more of You, oh Lord, I wonder

How I can I grow to know You more

Like the ocean knows the shore

 

Sure as sand that does not harden

Or like flowers multiply in a garden

To watch our relationship grow and flourish

Your word like water, my soul it doth nourish

 

 

By Your Spirit seasoned with grace

As I draw nearer to seek Your face

How I long for more of Your presence

It is for You oh Lord in all Your excellence

 

I will seek and I will knock

Dig deep, secured upon “The Rock”

I will ask and I will find

With all of my heart and all of my mind

 

Poem written by Laurette Laster © 2017

I remember the first time I cried out, “Oh God how did I get here?” I had wanted to do well and to be good but that sure wasn’t enough to make it happen. Wanting to good without having a renewed mind and heart led me to and through a lot of guilt and shame. I was one who could cope with whatever life threw at me. The only problem was I wall allowing things in my life that God was not a part of. I love this season of introspection or fruit inspecting to be sure that there is no reside from my past trying to crepe in. I only desire to grow in the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ. I do not want to become lethargic or complacent in my walk or calling. Teshuvah is a time to grow and become more mature and know our Lord in a more intimate deeper level. In the scriptures when describing covenant relations it is said, “and he knew her”, outside of God’s covenant often it is said, “and he lay with her.” I want to know Him more and so this time of renewing our vows is special to me. I ask this year for new revelation and illumination concerning Teshuvah. Our Lord showed me just like trees must go thorough seasons if they are healthy and alive and productive, so we as His people should expect seasons of maturing. I feel His nearness as I type these words. Why must we be fruitful? We are to become fruitful to produce and grow and nourish His kingdom.

The fruit we are to produce is to nourish His kingdom and to feed those who are new and growing in the ways of our Lord. We must go through some pruning and hard winter seasons before becoming mature enough to support and feed the babes in Christ. Only mature trees produce fruit that is sweet and edible.

I think about Moses coming down the first time with the commandments of The Lord

God instructed to Moses to go down because the people he had brought out of Egypt had corrupted themselves. Upon seeing the camp and the people Moses was immediately called to become a judge, and jury and an intercessor for the survivors who were willing to follow God’s commands. Moses had to address the actions of the people and appoint people to carry out the verdict.

When we are saved we become ministers. The scripture explains that we are called with a holy calling. Then we are told we are given the ministry of reconciliation.

When we have had an encounter with the Living Holy God it changes everything about us. We become a new creation. Repentance from this place is deeper and more meaningful than anything we have ever experienced.

We not only repent for ourselves but are grieved to the heart for the result and the consequences sin has had on our people and on our Nation.

Moses returned to the people after his second encounter with God on Mount Sinai. He came back down and shared with the children of Israel the commandments of God. Only this time the commandments were written on the stones Moses had carved out and taken with him to meet God. In doing so Moses asks God to show him His glory. When Moses came down the second time his face did glow. Moses had seen the glory of God. Is this perhaps what Moses saw? For he is The Brilliance of his glory, The Image of his Being, and upholds all things by the power of his word; and he in his Essential Being has accomplished the purification of our sins, and he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3)

We must do the work of presenting our hearts and minds to God when we return. We do not want the judgment we deserve, we beg for the mercy and the grace of God and the atoning work of Jesus Christ our High Priest. And God is all powerful and all merciful, gracious, kind and loving to thousands. He is everything He says He is and so much more.

This is the time of new beginnings and a renewal of covenant. Teshuvah is a time of renewing our vows with our Lord, our first and true love.

It is now a new year and the books are about to be sealed. God is making decisions for upcoming seasons. This is a season and a beginning for us to be more fruitful and take more ground. The season of repentance has drawn to an end. I pray we continue the work of repentance as a life style. But for now we must go to work and plant. My desire is to have more fruit and bear much fruit this year.

We prepare for the Festival of Tabernacles or The Feast of Ingathering.

After having gathered in the fruit of this season it is time for the Festival of Ingathering.

We must now build our Sukkot and prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles.

We have been found worthy by “The Blood” to Tabernacle with our Lord.

During Sukkot many of our Jewish brothers and sisters eat their meals in the Sukkah, remembering how God led us through the wildness but now we have come into the Promised Land. We are given a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

The jubilee year can only be announced on Yom Kippur. Think about it.

Luke 4:16-21

Jesus took and unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Teshuvah will always be 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

 

Readied feet

Prepared in peace,

Appointed times

God’s Holy Feasts!

The Day of Atonement was God’s greatest decision. This season is said to be a time when God opens the books and looks over our past year and our works. He then makes decisions about our upcoming year and the blessings we will receive or what we may lose. The decisions are said to be based on what He sees as He reviews the books.  You do not want to miss this time of the year. The books are open and God is reviewing our year end review. What is He seeing? You still have time to rend your heart and return. Don’t  miss this precious season or repentance. Repentance is beautiful to God. I’ll explain how I know this tomorrow.

This season of Teshuvah is drawing to a close and I pray we have gain gained and gleaned the needed nutrients from last year’s harvest. We’ve learned good lessons from this past year. We have learned lessons of what to do and also lessons of what not to do. We take all this information and store into our roots but we cannot keep the leaves. Leaves are proof and life and are seasonal.
We learn our lessons and take our spiritual scissors and cut off anything that hinders our survival and continued growth.  I pray we seek The Lord and continue in the good works which he prepared in advance for us to do.

Teshuvah Poem

Repent confess

And start anew,

With vows of peace

Yes push through.

 

Into the ways

And will of God,

Until at last

Your feet are shod.

 

Readied feet

Prepared in peace,

Appointed times

God’s Holy Feasts!

 

For there is a way

Known to man,

The end destructive

Not God’s plan.

 

Change your mind

Rend your heart,

Today is the day

For a brand new start.

 

Laurette laster © 2017 September

 

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.

 

Yesterday I explained how our Lord showed me we are like trees. In being like trees we must go through seasons in order to mature and bear much fruit, fruit that will last. A new tree is not much more than a twig. The branches and the trunk do not begin to harden in the first year; the branches of new trees, immature trees cannot bear fruit or support the weight of fruit. The branches of new immature trees are not much more than a twig. It takes many seasons of growth to become fruit bearers of good healthy nutritional fruit.

This spoke volumes to me as a Christian. I will always be a Christian or a believer. I will not have to be programmed each year or reevaluate the condition of my salvation. Today and for ongoing seasons my repentance is about learning and growing from season to season in order to become more mature. This is a time of reflection and getting direction. It is a time to plant and a time to cut off what cannot go into my future with me. We don’t have to worry, the leaves always come back. We produce a new crop of leaves (works) each year.

Repentance is God’s fall view of changing colors. He looks down from heaven to see beautifully decorated souls learning letting go. We are showing Him the things we’ve gleaned from the year, and gathered into our souls for our roots to grow stronger, then “cut off” and shed the leaves. We cut off as it is because we learned our lessons from this season and are we are ready for the next.

I pray we know and discern the seasons of The Lord as we continue to know Him more.

The scripture tells us, to him who knows to do what is good and does not do it, it is sin. When we know the right thing to do and do not follow through with the action of doing good, it creates turmoil in our souls. A soul in turmoil is anxious and unstable.

 

Teshuvah is called a time for the soul.

The choices we make affect our soul in a deep way. If our soul feels off course it becomes anxious and troubled. It is an internal condition with external results. If we are unhappy and troubled because of choices we have made, God Almighty has made a way of escape. He beckons us back; He Woo’s and calls to us Return,

Teshuvah, saying to us ‘Return to the course I have set for you.’ Then we will find peace.

 

It is the grace of God the leads us to repentance. He Woo’s and draws, we answer.

 

If you are begging God to do it for you it will not work. We return, we turn away from sin and return to God. He leads, we follow.

 

Revelation 3:19

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self–your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior–seek God’s will].” (REVELATION 3:19 AMP)

 

If you feel the tug on your heart according to Revelation 3:19 it is because you are dearly loved. Think about that as we continue this Season of Repentance and Teshuvah. A sacred appointed time for introspection and readjustment.

Let us pray

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me my inner faults and what is not pleasing to You. Teach me to recognize what is displeasing to You and I pray to see these faults quickly. I want to be an instant in season and out of season repented one, a quick, prompt to repent believer. I want to walk with You all these days of my life. Lord Jesus Your precious Holy Spirit is at work within me so that I may bear much fruit and fruit that will last. I am willing let go of what is not pleasing to You Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus show me how repentance is beautiful to You. Amen

Call on Him while He is near. You are dearly loved!!

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

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

 

 

Return, repent forgive and do works of charity. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

 

Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—- to the glory and praise of God. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation–the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ–for this will bring much glory and praise to God, (Philippians 1:11 NLT). Have we considered that our Lord is coming during the Fall? The Fall season or Autumn season is the fruit season. Did Jesus not tell us, if we abide in the Vine we can bear fruit? Did Jesus not clarify ‘Who’ that Vine is?  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing, (John 15:5 NLT). I know I desire maturity and to bear much fruit, becoming more fruitful for the kingdom of God.

Teshuvah is an appointed season of time. It is a set apart time of preparation and work of introspection in our souls. Our soul is our mind will and emotions. It is our place of volition, the place where decisions and choices are made.

 

Winds of Change

 Letting go is not simple or easy to do,

Just watch the leaves as winds blow through.

Looks like chaos as first rearranged

Then I am reminded; oh here comes change!

 

God’s sweet reminder to me, seek and you shall find

It isn’t so difficult it’s all in the mind.

How I imagine and fear it could be,

Remembering, His plans are only good toward me.

 

What can I learn from watching His creation?

About these changes and the duration;

His ways are fashioned and mimic trees,

What is the lesson to learn from these?

 

It is the end of this season change is in the air.

Something’s I can tell something’s I can share.

We are the branches-He is the Vine;

Seasons must change, He is redeeming the time.

 

The winds of change are bringing home,

The lesson learned, now let go and move on.

Not at all frightening if I can grasp

God is Creator, I’m designed for the task.

 

The inner drive compelling and calling me,

A longing for much more than eyes can see.

It’s a longing and groaning from deep within,

Oh the winds of change must be blowing again.

 

It is time for promises to come forth and bloom,

So it is necessary to let go, create needed room.

Open my mind and nourish it with Your word;

Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard…..

 

All You have planned for those whose mind can conceive,

Just let go of the old and the new receive.

Teach me Lord as I sense it is in view,

Deep in my spirit I know this is You.

 

Help me to not fear or become apprehensive

This change is from You, deep and extensive.

For money can’t buy and not humanly possible,

Revealed by Your Spirit, throughout Your gospel.

 

Such precious promises if I can believe,

Being rooted and grounded like a tree.

Winds of change blow through I’m going to stand

And humble myself under God’s mighty hand.

 

Poem written by Laurette Laster © 2017

all of my poetry is copyrighted with Library of Congress Copyright Office, rights reserved.

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

Eye has not seen, nor eye heard, nor has entered the heart of man, nor human mind conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love Him—

These things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.

At the beginning of the 40 Days of Teshuvah in 2017, I prayed and ask The Lord if indeed this season still applies today. I believed I knew the answer but wanted His seal of approval on the teaching. For years I have felt and sensed this appointed time. I speak to so many people today who describe the wooing of God. They tell me things like; I just knew I had to be here. Or they say I just knew I needed to come. I knew I was supposed to apologize to that person. I have been praying for so and so and I have forgiven them. Or I went to so and so and I apologized for my part in the mess. All of these are the wooing and the plan of God during the 40 days of Teshuvah.  So I get to tell them, “The Lord drawing you and yes you are being led.” I have had so many supernatural experience of people pouring out their story to me during this season. Is this an appointment that cannot be denied? I know the answer.

Even when I didn’t understand it, I sensed it. Our spirit knows the things of God and definitely discerns these seasons and appointed times.

For it is God who is working both to will and to do in us for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13).

Some believe the Feasts or Mo’edim are “Old Testament” or under the law, therefore no longer valid or necessary, both are incorrect. These Feast or Mo’eds are commanded by God and were set prior to the law being given to Moses. These are not Jewish Festivals they are God’s Festivals or appointed times. God said they are to be a statute forever. Leviticus 23

We do well to remember we are grafted in. Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.…Roman 11:17-18). We do not support the root, the root supports us. Jesus is Jewish. Our Messiah is Jewish; there is no getting around this fact. As a matter of fact we should not want to change this.

I assure you this is a sacred and appointed season assigned and designed from God. As I prayed and ask The Lord concerning the season of repentance and the relevance of Teshuvah, this is what I was shown about this season. It blessed me and I pray it blesses you and gives more understanding.

He began by showing me an apple tree. No pun intended it’s just what I saw. I heard in my spirit: The Lord said, just as this tree remains an apple tree forever, each season it loses its leaves. The leaves are for a season not forever. I got it and I could see and understand fully so that I could share it simply.

What I didn’t know but have learned is that the tree realizes it cannot afford to keep the leaves during the cold or dry seasons of the year and survive. Therefore it cuts the leaves off from receiving nourishment. A tree that loses all its leaves at the same time is known as a deciduous tree. The apple trees along with many other varieties of trees are what are known as deciduous trees. Live oaks and other evergreen trees lose their leaves but have new leaves to take the place of dead leaves immediately or soon after. These evergreens always have leaves but they grow new leaves each season as well. This speaks to me concerning Christians and new believers. The mature Christian may appear evergreen; however we are still growing and replenishing. Our root seasons and pruning don’t seem as severe the more mature we become.

A deciduous tree sheds its leaves as a strategy for survival. Shedding the leaves is to conserve water and energy during the root season. The tree actively cuts off the life flow to the leaves. This process is called abscission. It is the same Latin root word we get our word scissors from. The word abscission means “to cut.” At the start of the process of abscission the tree actually absorbs necessary nutrients from the leaves and stores these nutrients for later use in their roots. This is why leaves change colors. Interesting huh? I love to find out facts like this that help explain our walk as believers. Jesus said if we could understand the parable of “The Sower”, we could understand all things pertaining to the kingdom.

Repentance is being smart enough to know what cannot go with us into the next season of our lives. The Lord showed me that even though the apple tree continues the cycle of ‘loosing’ it’s leaves, (remember it cuts them off), throughout its life cycle it never has to be reprogrammed. The tree continues to know it is an apple tree and will remain an apple tree. That is never a question.

 

I pray we know and discern the seasons of The Lord as we continue to know Him.

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be a branch supported by the root. A branch that bears much fruit. I know that in order to bear much fruit I will have to have deeper roots. I know that I need to be rooted and grounded in Your love to produce the fruit of The Spirit. I know that the only way to grow in maturity and to bear good fruit requires root seasons. Lord Jesus as I prepare for my upcoming root season, show me how casting off dead works and  letting go of the lust of the world is beautiful to You. I want to bear fruit and much fruit for the kingdom of our Father. I long for my life to bring glory to our Father. Spirit of the living God help me grow deep roots. Amen

Hosea 10:12

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and brake up you unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and showers His righteousness on you.

 

Don’t miss the season of Repentance, Teshuvah; it is my favorite time of the year.

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

 

 

Return, Repent, Shuv and turn again.

We are in the Days of Awe leading up to the Day of Atonement. We know our High Priest, Jesus Christ, took His blood behind the veil, applying His blood to the mercy seat once and for all. Jesus has offered a perfect sacrifice and atoning work that requires no further offerings. No longer necessary is the blood of bulls and goats year after year any longer. However we on the other hand will continue to miss the mark, and on some days it seems we miss it often. I know I do on a daily basis. Thank You Lord Jesus, for giving us seasons of refreshing. Thank you for repentance and for this time, the precious season and appointed time of Teshuvah. This is the time to prepare and rehearse for Your return.

The Ways of God

Your words are wonderful and full of glory
Written and heard  throughout Your story
A book given and written by inspiration
To tell of you works to the generations

The children of Israel knew Your acts
But to Moses Your ways became facts
Following Your voice He did lead
For forty years Your friend indeed

Face to face You were in tent of meeting
Your glory would come down, cover sheeting
His eyes and mind from people and distraction
Keeping his focus on hearing commands for action.

Teach us Your “Ways” how we should go
So that into image and likeness we may grow.
Teach us to be Face to Face friends
With You, mighty Father from beginning to end

Revelation interpretation edification

Calling out to me for my sanctification
Found in right place, time for aligning
During this time this season of assigning

 Poem written by Laurette Laster © 2017

Hosea 14:1, 2, 9

Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

 

 

Take words with you and return.

Confession is a huge part of our returning or Teshuvah. Paying our vow is having made vows. Yes we are to bring gifts and offerings but also to pay our vows. Have you ever made a vow to our Father only to realize you haven’t been living up to what you vowed? I’m sure we all have at one time or another. In the parable of the Prodigal son, scriptures tells us, when the prodigal son came to his senses.

So the prodigal had to realize his condition and the depravity of his choices. In verse 18 of Luke 15 he says I will set out and go back or return, which is to Teshuvah to my Father, and I will say to him. The prodigal has seen clearly where he came from, and knew to where he longed to return. When the prodigal left he had demanded his inheritance saying, “Give Me” speaking of his inheritance. The prodigal had a sense of entitlement with no wisdom. However during his time in the pig pen and then on his return, his words and his continence had changed. He had been humbled and was returning with new words. He returned with his words of repentance and saying I am not worthy to be called a son, “Make Me a servant.”

Just like trees, we grow and change each year as Christians, or we should. If we are being led by the Spirit we will go through seasons that test us, drain us, threaten our very existence and seasons that nourish and nurture us. The process is what allows us to mature. We should have seasons of maturity and seasons of root work. The maturing actually takes place during the root season and is seen in action during fruit season. The work that springs forth is the new life created and is only the evidence of the hard, cold, dark and very long root season there is a deep work that should take place in our hearts each year as we stop and do an end of year inventory.

In Celebrate Recovery, inventories are necessary and required. There is one huge inventory that is necessary in order to unpack old baggage and start over. Taking an honest and fearless moral inventory is how we unpack the baggage from past hurts, hang ups and habits. I truly believe this is what the prodigal son had done. He was inventorying his condition and comparing it to what his father had for him. We always know when we are living beneath the call and will of God. We may not understand that we know, but still we know.

In CR we are given tools to use for our growth. One of the tools in this tool box so to say, is three different types of inventories. They are, daily inventory, ongoing inventory, and periodical inventories.

We as Christians should be doing these inventories. Where was I, this time last year, two years ago, ten years ago? Where do I want to be, this time next year? Have I missed opportunities God had for me? Did I become complacent or lazy? Have I been distracted by unimportant things?

Seasonal repentance isn’t always the deep, grueling, soul ripping, sorrowful work as was first required. The work that initially ushered us into Salvation and dying to self in order that we may live unto God is a onetime work. This is the work the Apostle Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 when he said, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what readiness to see justice done.” Godly sorrow, also translated “godly grief,” is an acute sense of deep sadness experienced as a result of the sins we have committed. (ESV)

If we are sincere and give Holy Spirit place in our lives we will be changed from the inside out. However it is necessary for continued seasons of growth to mature and to grow.

This season of Teshuvah and returning is a spiritual season that is set in God’s day-timer.

A season of return is real. It is The LORDS feast or festivals, Mo’ed. Mo’edim- His set times and seasons. This is His timing for appointments and yearly checkups so to speak. He tells us not to appear empty handed.

Take words with you when you return, the fruit of our lips, the fruit of repentance.

 

This morning this song was on my heart.

Here I am, I’ve come to find you

Here I am, to seek Your grace

To bring to you an offering, I have to ask myself one thing

How can I can anything but praise, I praise.

 

Here I am, I’ve come to thank you

Here I am a life You’ve changed

Because You gave your life for me, You crucified Your Son for me

How can I do anything but praise?

 

I pray that during this season of repentance, we Return and Teshuvah back to our first love. I pray we find Him, Praise Him and truly enjoy these times of refreshing. I pray we have a deeper intimacy than ever before with our Savior. I pray you know Him privately, and personally as well as publically.  He is The King of kings and The LORD of lords.

Let us pray

Dear Heavenly Father. I want to know You more intimately and personally. I want to grow in truth and in grace. I know that in order to grow I must be seasoned and I must continue to dye to myself in order to live unto You. Show me Lord what is distracting me, teach my how to become rooted and grounded in the things of the Spirit. I do not want the smell of the world on me while I play dressup in the church. I want to be the church, and look like the church and smell like the church. I want to be all in, completely submerged, over my head in love with You Lord Jesus. Thank You for setting seasons and for dress rehearsals. I pray I am found dressed and ready for Your return every day not just sometimes. Amen

I have grown this season and fallen more in Love with our Father, The Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, The God Head of our salvation. I pray you have also.

 

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

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