Category: Blog

Welcome to Teshuvah Elul 11

Day Eleven

September/Elul

It’s the eleventh today

We are meeting early again

No time for delay

 

The work is serious

No time for games

Every seed He shows me

Has a specific name

 

The kingdom He said

Begins when we repent

He keeps bringing this up

He won’t budge or relent

 

I don’t completely understand

But I’m following all of His orders

The tall and the short

Expanding my borders

 

© laurette laster

 

Teshuvah, the season of our repentance, a special season to turn, Shuv, return, Teshuvah!

 

Oh God create in me a clean heart and return to me the joy of Your salvation.

 

Why do we repent? Are there benefits? This is a supernatural time and season set by God. His festivals, and appointed times are set for us to prepare our hearts for the season of our joy, or the days of awe.

There are eternal benefits; it’s like getting a do over. There are benefits when we repent from a contrite spirit and a broken heart. God set this time to rewind, or let go of dead works. He rewinds the tape that contains the life we lived while in rebellion. He takes us back to where we were before unbelief and sin entered in, and we begin again with a clean slate. We begin from the time our faith failed and we are allowed a new start. We become a new creation. We are like a freshly plowed field waiting for new seeds to be sown.

 

The greatest benefit of repentance is the promise from God; And I will remember your sins no more, for My Name sake. God doesn’t want to dwell on our failures. Our Father desires that we turn away from a sinful lifestyle, and change our minds. We are to renounce sin and the will to sin. The Greek word for repent is Metanoia, and means to turn or to ‘Shuv’ and this is where we see the word TeSHUVah, which is to turn away from sin and not continue in sin and return to God through His word and obedience to this word. When we repent we then must appropriate the work of Christ for our forgiveness. If you have a GPS you can bet you will hear this message if you make a wrong turn, make a legal U turn at the next intersection, make a legal U turn. Teshuvah and repentance is the intersection in time where we can make a legal U turn.

We are His sheep. He is our good Shepherd. Sheep are not designed to be pack animals. Mules are pack animals and we know they are stubborn and hard headed.

We on the other hand, are referred to as His sheep who hear His voice.

Scripture says, “If you hear God speak today, don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled.

 

This is God’s Time to Shuv, to Teshuvah, make a legal U Turn! Get it? It’s up to you and to me to make a U Turn and Re-Turn.

God will rewind the times or as His word says, He redeems the years, and restores to us all that the enemy has stolen.

 

Teshuvah, my favorite time of the year, you don’t want to miss your intersection, Make A Legal U Turn now.

 

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

 

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

Welcome to Teshuvah Elul 10

Day Ten

September/Elul

Now the tenth

I’m getting pretty buff

But my knees are spent

 

This digging and pulling

Is pretty hard

He is teaching me how

By the inch not the yard

 

This field was forgotten

Hidden behind trees

I’m glad I have help

This isn’t a breeze

 

Tonight over dinner

He ask something strange

If I had ever considered

The depth of change

 

Time for equipment

Set the plow for deep

My Teshuvah Date

I’ll need extra sleep

 

© laurette laster

Set your plow for deep. What does this mean and why change what is normal? The reason a farmer sets the plow for deep is for better water saturation. Plowing is turning soil over and uprooting any stalks or spent harvest shoots that would drink up the needed moisture. If there hasn’t been crops planted in a field, grass and weeds and thorns, will automatically take over and multiply. This cannot be stopped.

Jeremiah 4:3 GNT The LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Plow up your unplowed fields; do not plant your seeds among thorns.

I love how God uses the practical to help us see the spiritual. The bible teaches us in The Scriptures that plowing our ground is a picture of our heart being prepared and the seeds sown and work required to bring forth a harvest pleasing to God.

Hosea 10:12 NKJV Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

Often I see people trying desperately to change their lives but overlooking the work of repentance. I truly do not believe repentance is taught and explained to believers today.  It must be thorough to unpack or plow under the old residue of thorns, weeds or stalks. There should be a time to look and assess our choices and our decisions.

Where there has been any violation in kingdom covenant, repentance is required, and should be more than a trite yeah sorry God, that wasn’t smart.

I am not suggesting groveling I am suggesting this is way to have a more intimate relationship with our Lord. We dig into the word of God and get His revelation of how and why the event took place. Even if we are saved this is still a required work. The farmer has to plow the field after each crop before planting another crop. A farmer cannot think to go plant new seed in an unkempt or unplowed field, it will not work. And it will not bring forth a harvest of any proportion. Why do we justify that everything will work out if we don’t give our heart time to heal or seek Him?

Some crops require more water saturation than other crops. Can this be related to spiritual gifts and callings also? When The Lord is preparing our heart and mind for what He desires it may take more plowing and a deeper revelation of the things of God. When we realize God has set aside a special time and a holy season for us to meet with Him how could we not have a deep desire to show up. This is His moed or meeting time with us. This is how we become more intimate with Him, and it is deep. I don’t want any fallow ground in my field that disallows my harvest.

We are told the children of Israel knew God’s ways, but God made His acts known to Moses.

Psalm 103:7 He revealed His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.

 

I want to turn over, plow under, and get rid of anything in my heart that is keeping Him from being known to me. If there is a deeper I want to go.

I choose to Teshuvah, return all of my heart to His care during this time. I’ve set my plow for deep, how about you?

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon and give you Shalom.

Don’t miss your time of visitation, Teshuvah my favorite time to the year.

 

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

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7 NIV)

Welcome to Teshuvah, my favorite time of the year.  Day 7

Elul 7

 

September/Elul
Today is the seventh
He said we’re going to get real
Saying you’ll bring rejoicing to Heaven

He said when I repent
It is music to their ears
Who is He talking about
What do they hear

Back to the field
We dug up a lot of roots
I’m so glad we had shovels
And I wore my boots

Much harder now
Than I imagined at first
Wow this kind of work
Can make a girl thirst

I’ll rest good tonight
After all this hard work
He said we’d meet tomorrow
Reminding me, study the book

A day spent with Him

Is my absolute favorite place

We continue to dig

These roots we trace

 

© laurette laster 2019

 

Many years ago as I was driving the forty seven mile commute home from work; I was taking in the beautiful scenery. It was fall and the colors were stunning. I was blessed to have a scenic drive the ten years I worked in Oklahoma. My job was very stressful and demanding, but the commute to and from were full of peace and quiet.

It was fall and all the trees were simply radiant with magnificent colors. The trees were adorning leaves of robust fall colors, the deep auburn, different shades of red, gold, yellow, and even the browns, painted a heavenly portrait. I was praising God, thanking Him for this wonderful sight we He interrupted my thoughts and spoke to me.

 

In my spirit I heard Him say; “They are dead, Laurette”

 

Wow talk about a back to reality jolt this definitely was it. I said, “Well, yes they are!” But then my mind began to search and ask questions. How can something that is dead and in the dying stages be so beautiful? This actually jarred me back to reality.

 

I had never given any thought to the fact that the leaves were dead as the colors changed, even though they hadn’t totally died. Then I knew. This is why the leaves change during the Fall Feasts and the season of our repentance. This is a perfect complete picture of repentance. God is teaching us how it works by leaving us didactic images that teach. We don’t say yep that’s sin and I’m not doing this anymore, hallelujah I’m free. No when we do the work of repentance it is a process. Often sin has become habitual and is attached to character flaws or unhealed wounds.

 

The Lord continues to minister these truths to me, continuing to teach me how His creation rehearses each of the Feasts, just as He commands us too. He has commanded these Feasts as lasting ordinances. Isn’t this amazing, we meet with Him and rehearse yearly just like creation reminds us too.

Have you considered, and do you not just LOVE how God is with us, in every detail. He doesn’t ask us to do anything He hasn’t done with us. Like when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, after being brought out of Egypt (bondage) by His mighty Arm and Acts, after the sin of idolatry, God still accompanied them. He indeed was with them. He wanted to kill them, remember? This sin of idolatry, also caused brother to kill brother, showing who was on The LORDS side. So when dealing with repentance it gets real.

 

The season of our repentance and the forty days of Teshuvah corresponds to the time Moses went back to meet with the LORD, on Mount Sinai. The forty days of our repentance is the season of Teshuvah, and is said to be the exact dates of Elul 1 through Tishrei 10, when Moses interceded for the sin of the golden calf, for the children of Israel, with God. Moses told God, if You’re not going with us, don’t send us. Even in His anger He made a way to be with them. He was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Isn’t this a beautiful picture? When we are not faithful, He is faithful.

 

As we work the work of repentance we cut off all source of nutrients supplying life to the sin in our life. We do this by making a commitment and determining that if God doesn’t like it, neither do we. Our desire must be changed in the roots not in the leaves. We begin to read the bible, and pray. As we pray we are seeking His Holy Spirit to help us become God pleasers, not self pleasing, or people pleasing. Holy Spirit convicts us, (convincing us) what is pleasing to our Lord, and what is not pleasing to our Lord. There are seasons in our lives and just like trees, as we mature we must have deep root seasons in order to bring forth more fruit. The change is in the roots if it is to be lasting.

 

Cutting off the life giving nutrients, removing our self will to sin is beautiful to heaven. Think of this view from His throne.

 

I want God to pleased with my work this year and show Him my dead works being cast off and falling to the ground.

 

Yes God is pleased when by studying His word our desires begin to line up and we become obedient to His word. It is very hard work to face and trace where the roots began in our life. It is hard, often exhausting, emotionally draining work, but oh how glad I am for the opportunity.

Each year He teaches me something new. I’m so excited to see what He reveals to me this year.

 

I continue to love Teshuvah and my time with Him, more and more each year.

Welcome to 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. The LORD cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

 

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

Welcome to Teshuvah Elul Six

September/Elul
It’s already day six
I’ve so much to do
So much to fix

He leaves me gifts
As I discard
Out with old
The distasteful and marred

What does He love
What was it He asked
That I be willing
Obedient for the task

There is some work
Very difficult He said
Drink plenty of fluids
For the work days ahead

What could He mean
Where are we to meet
He said where my new work clothes
Now that’s kind of neat

It is getting real
And the work much harder
I’m learning so much
I’m becoming a Gardner

The Sower sows the word
He left me this parable
Said study on this
Until it becomes sharable

© laurette laster

 

Beginning with Elul 1 and continuing until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) are the forty days included in the season of repentance, also known as Teshuvah. It is said to be a time of deep introspection or soul searching, looking within to prepare as needed. Teshuvah, “to turn” means to repent, to turn back, lit. “return”. This implies that when we stray or wander off from God, sin is inevitable.

The word “Elul” is similar to the root of the verb “search,” in Aramaic. This is appropriate because this is the time set aside, to search our hearts. This is a season of repentance. This is a time to prepare our ground, searching for any hindrances against our abundant harvest.

During the month of Elul, there are many special observances leading up to the High Holy Days.

The shofar is blown every morning, from the first day of Elul until Rosh Hashanah (except on the Shabbat). Another title for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah or the Blowing of the Trumpets that we talked about yesterday. Yom meaning day, and Teruah meaning blowing: so this is the day of the blowing.

The daily blasts from the shofar are to wake up our spirit and inspire us to do some soul searching. To examine and prepare ourselves in order to make sure we are clean from offence before God and man. This is done to prepare ourselves for the High Holy Days. This is a time that we may need to ask for forgiveness for a wrong we have committed against another. It is also a time to forgive others freely, not to hold ought in our heart against another. This soul searching is to obtain freedom and pardon.

Jesus, while teaching the parable of the Sower, in Matthew 13, tells His disciples it is given to them to know and understand this parable, but not to those or to the others. Who are those others, and does He tells us? He does, when He openly explains the parable to His disciples.

He says hearing they don’t understand, and seeing they do not perceive, for the hearts of this people have grown dull. So Jesus is using the natural senses to explain that there is something much deeper entailed. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should “understand with their hearts” and “turn” so that I would heal them.

Aha we see it. It is their dullness of heart that is keeping them from turning or Teshuvah then reaping a harvest on the seed sown. The seed is the same in each of the four examples describing the condition of the ground. There are four different types of ground described with only one soil  yielding a harvest.

The Lord began to pour out the daily poems of Teshuvah for me a few days before the season began. As I continued writing I saw that He was explaining the love it takes to explore and the commitment required to stay the course with the hard work of preparing our fields and our hearts during this season. Gardening and farming is very hard work, not for the faint of heart, or those who give up easily.

Hardness of heart is deadly to the word of God, just as wayside, stony, or thorny ground is to reaping a harvest, with natural seed.

When Jesus talks about the ground he is referring to our hearts but some didn’t understand. Jesus tells us they closed their eyes. Sometimes I find myself concerned about becoming desensitized with all the conflict and evil around us, but neither do I want to be a bleeding heart, so balance is the key. And now I know another reason I am so in love with this season of repentance or Teshuvah, a time to come away with Him and listen more intently so that I can perceive the heart of My Lord. I never want to close my eyes to the things He is doing. Prophetically understood as a time after a hot dry summer to prepare to bring in the harvest, gather and rejoice, then begin again. The cycles, the seasons, the ways of God, the blessing pronounced to Noah after the flood, as long as the earth remains.

I am so grateful that God, in His infinite wisdom, set aside appointed times to meet with us throughout the year? Calling us away for a time of refreshing.

God knew what was, and He knows what is to come, and has given us Holy appointments. A time to search, a time to prepare and to address every issue, insuring we search or inspect our fields so we are certain they are in good working order.

Each of The Lord’s seven Feasts, are centered around times of harvest and rain. Our Jewish brothers and sisters completely understand the physical patterns and the repetition of the cycle’s and seasons.  The rain comes before the harvest to ripen and nourish the fruit. Then the rains return again to moisten the ground so we can sow our seed for future harvest.

Even if we have had a good crop we still are required to plow the ground to get rid of the stalks and residue. I heard a term this year that I haven’t heard before but it pinged in my spirit. The term used was “set your plows for deep.” I have never heard that saying before.

As I began to think about this phrase and plowing, I saw something. I didn’t see anything new or anything  I didn’t know, but I saw deeper into this action. Plowing is a turning under of the old, or a burial of sorts, and bringing to the surface fresh dirt. Plowing is “turning” the soil. This is to prepare to sow fresh seed into the readied ground, having plowed under the old. What a labor of love, oh what joy?

May we continue to prepare our ground and learn these sharable kingdom truths to help others?

Welcome to Teshuvah my favorite time of the year.

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

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

 

Welcome to Teshuvah Day 5

“Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li”

Elul Five

September/Elul

Now it is day five

He is coming again

To replenish and revive

 

He is in the field

Waiting for us

I’m so excited

Teshuvah don’t rush

 

I am my Beloveds

My Beloved is mine

What a marvelous day

And remarkable time

I’m discovering more

The things He adores

I can’t wait to put off

Get rid of more

 

Reflections and repentance

Is now my soul desire

When I am with Him

It is like my heart is on fire

 

Tell me again Lord

What do You desire

Another meeting

Tomorrow, today we retire

 

Rest for a while

We’ll talk in the morning

Oh my Teshuvah Date

Left me an outfit I’ll be adorning

 

© laurette laster 2019

 

As we view sin and repentance from our Lord’s point of view it becomes even more remarkable. The 29 Days of Elul are the time set apart for preparation to meet The Lord at His second coming or His return. What are we preparing? We prepare our hearts and make certain we are surrendered to The Lord. Why do we need our heart to be right? Those who have not had their hearts circumcised and are not clothed in His righteousness cannot go the wedding supper of The Lamb. Remember the man who was found at the wedding without his wedding garments? He was thrown out in darkness with gnashing of teeth. Matthew 22:11-13.

We desire to be dressed and ready to meet The Lord. How do we prepare? We search within and judge ourselves according to what God requires and confess our sins. Ask for His forgiveness.

John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. As it is written in the book the words of Isaiah the prophet saying: Prepare the way of The Lord; Make His paths straight. Prepare the way of The Lord? What does this mean? According to Strong’s Concordance this requires action on our part. Preparation is a verb.

Taken from Strong’s Concordance #2675 Definitions: to complete, prepare

Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katartizó
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ar-tid’-zo)
Definition: to complete, prepare
Usage: (a) I fit (join) together; met: I compact together, (b) act. and mid: I prepare, perfect, for his (its) full destination or use, bring into its proper condition (whether for the first time, or after a lapse).

(from 2596 /katá, “according to, down,” intensifying artizō, “to adjust,” which is derived from 739 /ártios, “properly adjusted”) – properly, exactly fit (adjust) to be in good working order, i.e. adjusted exactly “down” to fully function.

Preparing ourselves is about introspection, looking within, forgiving others, asking for forgiveness, offering forgiveness, and doing charitable acts. This is fruit worthy of repentance. Teshuvah is a time of preparation. We need to subject our flesh or adjust our thinking and change our mind about sinful actions. I like the above definition, ‘in good working order’. We are bought with a price, so to be in good working order is our reasonable service when we look at this in light of Romans 12:1-3.

The Feasts are Holy Convocations or times of rehearsal to prepare for the coming. We are in the dress rehearsal phase of the Feasts. We are His Church in the dispensation of grace called the Church age. We are to reach the lost, laboring in the fields.

Yom Teruah or The Day of Trumpets is the time our Lord’s second coming. He is going to return for His bride. This is the only Feast that begins at a new moon and doesn’t have a name; it is literally called the blowing. This is also a picture of the scripture which says, of that day or hour no man knows. A new moon is not visible to the naked eye, occurring when the earth, and moon, and the sun, all are in perfect alignment, thus making it impossible to see any light from the moon or even a sliver of the new moon.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. But as for that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. (Mark 13:31-32 BSB)

This is why the blowing of the trumpets is so important. The trumpets signify that the new moon has been witnessed or that it is the time of the new moon. Those who believe in the rapture (I do) believe we will be caught up with Him in the air at the Trumpet blast.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

As we prepare for the coming of The Lord we want to be found doing the work He left for us to do. We are laboring in the fields for the harvest at the end of the age. This is the season that our King comes to the field. He is coming to check on the workers and the harvest.

The Lord says these are His Feasts, Mo’ed, Kairos or set times of appointment for making decisions. These are appointed times on God’s calendar or in God’s planner, so to speak. We don’t decide the times, He has! He set these times as a lasting ordinance.

 

The Lord spoke to Moses, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: “These are My appointed feasts, the appointed feast of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. These are mandatory meetings or as we say in the business world, they are nonnegotiable.

 

As we prepare our hearts for our appointment and as we pray and intercede asking The LORD to set an appointment with our loved ones, and repent for our Nation we must prepare ourselves.

 

Before the LORD met with the children of Israel He gave specific instructions. They were to bathe and wash their clothes. The LORD told Moses to have the people consecrate themselves today and tomorrow and let them be ready on the third day.

 

When we are preparing for Teshuvah we should first realize this is an appointment with Jehovah, The Sovereign GOD of all creation.

This is how we consecrate ourselves. Don’t miss your appointment. This is how we Teshuvah.

We prepare our hearts and want to be certain to repent and have our soul cleansed and ready.

 

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb

Are your garments spotless are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside your garments that are stained with sin

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean.

O, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

———————–

May we never cease to understand the value of repentance.

 

The foundation of Christianity is repentance (Teshuvah, Shuv, Re-Turn). Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

Wisdom from Oswald Chambers

My Utmost for His Highest

 

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you Shalom.

 

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

 

 

Elul Two

September/Elul two

Now the date
I’ve returned again
Excited I wait

Time with my Beloved
He is speaking to me
I am enamored with Him
And He with me

A time to search
Looking for snags
I must be prepared
Not be a drag

He’s left me a gift
A new outfit He said
I must be dressed and ready
He is always thinking ahead

I’m so excited
I can hardly wait
Truly a special time
Teshuvah Date

 

© laurette laster

 

Second of Elul and the days of our repentance, known as Teshuvah: A time to turn, a time to turn back or return to God and His ways.

When we do the work of repentance we are giving up our selfish childish ways and looking into the things of God. When we spend time in His word we are learning His heart. What pleases God, and what does God instruct us to do toward others?

I’m very concerned about the denial of, or the need for repentance in todays society. It is rarely spoken of or taught.  I see many who are teaching God doesn’t require any work from us. The basic feel good message of “Live like you want its ok, Jesus loves everybody and we are all okay.” I believe in the grace of God. This grace is what wrecked me so that I changed drastically. In this grace I turned into a whole new creation.  I have never dreamed of going back  to the sins or what He saved me from.  While we know that God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, we find heart test that locate us. If Jesus is ‘all in’ do you think He requires the same from us? I say yes based on the scriptures. I’m going to use two here to make this point.

“Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my followers, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NLT)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask The Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.” (John 14:15-16 BSB)

 

In a covenant we make commitments that are binding agreements, or at least they should be. A covenant requires that both parties be ‘all in’. In Leviticus chapter 23, in Numbers, in Exodus and throughout the bible we learn about the feast of the Lord. In Leviticus chapter 23 God calls us to meet with Him seven times a year. We could say there were eight feasts if we count the Sabbath day. God says every seven days we meet with Him, and seven times a year He has set aside specific time to meet with His people. God Himself calls these Mo’edims or appointments or rehearsals.

 

Recently I was teaching a bible study and shared that we are in the dress rehearsal stage of these feasts. We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.  We know the first four feasts have been fulfilled, literally, and now we have the last three feasts that we are still rehearsing. I’m surprised when I hear people say that the remaining feasts will not be fulfilled, literally. Some very educated, (much smarter than me) now believe the remaining three feasts are allegorical and will not be fulfilled literally. How can we be sure of this? When did God decide that? Can you show me how the first four were not allegorical also in light of our renewed or regenerated persons?

I know that Jesus is our  Kohen Gadol or High Priest and that He willingly laid down His life becoming our sacrificial Lamb, and has taken His spotless blood into heaven, placing it on the mercy seat in the Heavenly Temple, and I have atonement with The Father through His blood. I know we have the ability to Tabernacle with our Lord daily but there is sure to be more than our little brains can imagine to the fulfillment God designed in the beginning, when He designed and ordered these special meeting times. A few years ago during this season The Lord showed me that each time we pray or say “In Jesus Name” like the high priest we are in essence sprinkling His blood over the situation we are praying over. This work is being conducted in the Holy of Holies. So while it is done, it is still being done, on earth as it is in heaven. These seasons are very supernatural and I have talked with someone today being ushered into repentance and healing from long ago sins.

 

I believe God has prompted me and ushered me into these Holy Mo’eds with Him and is indeed well pleased we are learning about them. He has challenged me and spoke audibly to me about the seasonal changes that line up with the feast. I know He has shown me how Christians are like trees, fruit trees and we should mature and produce more fruit, and more delicious fruit, from season to season. Did He not tell Noah in Genesis 8:22

“While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

Cold and Heat

Winter and Summer,

and day and night

shall not cease.”

 

This is a set time, an appointment, an appointed time with Him, a Mo’edim, to come away and meet with our King. In the Hebrew month of Elul it is said that the king is in the field. Teshuvah is the time when we have full access to our Lord, a face to face meeting with our King. He is concerned about our souls and the condition of His people. He is offering freedom from oppression, giving special gifts, offering a time to repent and make amends. Don’t miss this special season while our King is close.

Isaiah 55;6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.

 

When thinking about Teshuvah/Returning, it is about repentance of one’s sins. Sin is to miss the mark. What mark do we miss? Putting it simply, we miss hitting the mark of love to love and obey The Fathers command.

When we allow self, our carnal nature lead, self will always strive to have its own way. When we are led by The Spirit we can see and allow or choose by our own volition to allow Gods way to be the way. Then we have peace with God and man.

What is the difference between conviction that leads to repentance and condemnation that leads to destruction? Conviction is about activity while condemnation is about annihilating our character and self. Conviction is meant to cut us to our heart, bringing about change. The change in direction or behavior is caused by changing our beliefs.

 

Condemnation is a tactic of the enemy to make us believe there is no hope. Condemnation strips us of believing there is any hope for us.

Holy Spirit convicts us to bring about change, so another way to explain this would be to say Holy Spirit is convincing us to do what pleases our Lord.

 

Yes conviction is uncomfortable and that is exactly His purpose. I have heard it put this way, “The Lord comforts the afflicted, and The Lord afflicts the comfortable.” When we can repent, and turn back to His ways, the weight of the conviction is taken away.

However when condemnation is at work we cannot do enough to feel better or ease the pain. No matter how much we do it is never enough. These are dead works.

What is repentance? It is where Holy Spirit, as our guide, counselor, comforter and teacher and does show us where we aren’t living out the new life we have in Christ. He shows us so we can repent and come back, Teshuvah (return) to His heart.

Acts 2:36-38 Therefore let all of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent (return, Teshuvah, turn around) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

During this season of preparing our hearts, called Teshuvah, I pray the blessing of conviction, merciful breaking, is at work in every believer. As He gently Woo’s us back. To the place we were intended to be from the beginning. Repentance is precious in the eyes of The Lord.

 

Holy Spirit, lead us into merciful breaking.

Amen

 

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

 

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

 

 

Day One

It doesn’t seem new
On September/Elul  one
Have I missed my appointment
Now I’m left undone

What was I supposed to say
Where am I to go
Oh now I remember
Read my bible and pray, take it slow

Spend time in His Presence
Patiently wait
It is going to be amazing
My Teshuvah Date

September/Elul 1 2019 © laurette laster

Teshuvah, the season of our repentance, and introspection of our soul.

Teshuvah meaning is to turn away from the things of the world and spend time with The Lord. Then in turning we return to the heart of God and what He desires we accomplish for Him.

Have you been carrying a burden? Is there something nagging and lingering that you can’t seem to make go away? Well guess what, you are being wooed into His presence to do kingdom work for your soul.

Come with me as we journey and explore repentance and seeking the heart of our King.

Often I get so excited when something new is being ushered in. I must remind myself it is a process, and God is working in me to work through me. Teshuvah this year began with huge opportunities or obstacles, or can we get real and say thorns, the cares of the world vying for my peace of mind.

Today I find this exciting, because I have come to realize when the enemy is trying to distract me it is because he knows there is kingdom advancement on the horizon and he hopes I don’t see it. When we can see this as a challenge and not defeat we make different choices by changing our minds.

For believers Teshuvah is likened to an anniversary get away. A time of vow renewal, a time shut out the world and all the business and distractions. This is a special a face to face with our Lord, an intimate time away with our first love.

With work, and family, and ministry, we can get busy about the things and miss the main thing. What is the main thing? The main thing can get choked out, understanding what it is The Lord desires for us to accomplish. Often when Greg and I assume we know what the other is thinking, we don’t ask the right questions and are left assuming. We all know what that means right? If we do not set aside time for our Lord how can we say we know what He desires. When we know His desire for the lost is, that He is longing they be saved, how can we turn a blind eye to sin or worse yet participate in their destruction? We cannot and for me it led me into a deep repentance and a cry of, here I am Lord Send me.

When we enter Teshuvah we are praying and repenting not only for our self and the wrongs we’ve committed, or the places we’ve missed it, but also for our families. Our prayers can cleanse bloodlines and break soul ties, we are praying for the healing of our Nation, the lost souls who have been taken captive to do Satans will, to be freed from his bondage and grip.

We are coming into kingdom alignment and praying/inviting God’s will to come, over this earth His earth, His people and ushering in and asking that His desires come to pass.

Recently I heard that prayer is the greatest form of leadership on earth. By praying we are ushering in the will and ways of our God and partnering with Him in our lives and in our families and in our Nation.

I am so excited to share with you what The Lord has shared with me. It is a journey and an adventure. The Lord continues each year to expound on this season and the deep heritage of our Jewish roots.

Some may think it isn’t necessary. I say, ok stay in the wading pool, I however have been called to go to the deep.

Years ago someone ask me, why do you have to be so deep? I thought that was a strange question and I wondered, how could they be so shallow? In Psalm 42:7 we are told

deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

When The Lord calls us, and we go “all in”, it will cause division between us and others and show we have changed. As our Lord teaches us what pleases Him we lose ourselves and our faulty, shallow, self centered way of thinking, thank goodness for that! We study to know and train ourselves, bringing our wills into alignment with His ways. We no longer want our way, our desires change and we pray and usher in His word and ways.

I hear so many people say at this time of year, I’ve really been thinking about this subject, or saying I don’t know why this has been on my mind, but……….. I know why. It is because this is the time of the year the King is in the field. Are you ready to meet with Him?

Come with me as we go meet Him. I am my Beloveds and my beloved is mine.

 

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

 

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