Edition 116. April 8th 2012

Your journey to perfection reflected in the Feasts

News events and comment.

●Obama says "Jesus was a son of God" He said this while speaking to clergy at an Easter breakfast. That's exactly what the Muslims believe as well.

●Iranian cleric says "Saudi Arabia is the centre of sedition."

●Iran is enriching uranium to weapons grade level. This level of enrichment can't be used in nuclear power plants. The US is demanding that Iran immediately shuts down their Fordo enrichment facility before any talks can continue. This uranium centrifuge, deep in a mountainside is where they're secretly enriching. - New York Times

Your journey to perfection reflected in the Feasts

The prophetic message in the Feasts of the Lord for us

Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

2 Corinthians 7:1 "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord."

Colossians 1:28 "Him we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Leviticus 19:2 "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say: "You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy."

The new Millennium that's coming soon will be one of perfection. All eternity will be holy, perfect and flawless in every single way.

The word "perfect" in Hebrew (Strong's H8003) means "complete, "made ready", "wholeness." In Greek it means "mature", "complete." (Strong's 5056)

So, the end of our journey is maturity and completeness. We are to be made ready for eternity!!

My friends, be serious about all these things. Be diligent.

The seven Feasts of the Lord are very important prophetically. They plot the course of the age, but they also outline and plot the course that we need to take as believers, moving ever forward with our great God, Messiah and Saviour.

The Feasts are called the "Feasts of the Lord" and not the Jewish Feasts. If you belong to our Lord, the Feasts are for you, Jew or Gentile!

The seven Feasts are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles.

The application

Like these flawless extremely valuable diamonds, formed under great pressure, flawless perfection is our destiny. How wonderful is that?

Like the metamorphosis of a worm into a beautiful butterfly, so this must be our journey

Although there're seven Feasts of the Lord, Deuteronomy 16:16 groups them into three. These are Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.

►Passover represents and applies to our salvation through the work of the cross. This is called justification

►Pentecost applies to the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives through the baptism in the Spirit. It relates to our walking in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit of the living God. It relates to the gifts of the Spirit to equip us to walk through this world in wisdom and victory. This is the area of sanctification

►Tabernacles has a powerful application. You see, many think and believe that salvation is all that's required. Many believe that Pentecost and the infilling of the Spirit is all that's needed. But there's more! Tabernacles relates to our dwelling with Messiah in a much deeper and more personal way. He abides and "Tabernacles" with us. This is the area of glorification and is essentially in the future, but we can experience much of it now.

The goal of the Christian life is not salvation, or power through Pentecost. It is a very special deep union with our Lord. Yes there is a glorious marriage feast coming, but we can live in the presence of our Messiah now in an ever-deepening way.

We're on a journey to perfection. Yes, we're made perfect in spirit at the new birth, but our souls need to be renewed and made perfect as we go along.

We're on a glorious journey from Passover, to Pentecost to Tabernacle with our Lord!

The Feast of Passover begins the Feast season, which culminates in the Feast of Tabernacles. The spring feats were all fulfilled by our Lord's first coming. The three fall feasts, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles still await their prophetic fulfilment. They'll be fulfilled by the second coming events starting with the tribulation period of seven years.

The symbolism of these three feasts relates to judgement, repentance and then the real presence of the Lord. This is our journey as well. We are to judge ourselves and walk in repentance to move into the deeper presence of our Lord. (1 Corinthians 11:31)

Many, including myself believe that the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah will be marked by the rapture of the church and the beginning of the tribulation period, but we won't argue about that now.

A prophetic Passover message.

Before we go any further, let's have a brief look at a very significant aspect to the first of the Feasts, Passover.

There're a number of surprising verses of scripture commanding that Passover only be celebrated in Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 16:2-6 "Therefore you shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God...in the place where the Lord chooses to put His name. Verse 6 "There you shall sacrifice Passover..."

Passover can only be celebrated in "the place where He has put His name. This is Jerusalem, but it is also those who are born again into His family. We as believers have His name in our hearts. There is an important lesson here of separation. True biblical Christianity is exclusive and not inclusive of all religions. It is only the true believer that can celebrate Passover. Perhaps this one of the reason why the unsaved and many so-called believers ignore Passover and choose Satan's Easter. (Previous edition)

There is also a deep and very important issue relating to physical Jerusalem. If the Passover was only to celebrated  there, because that was where "God had put His name," it reinforces God's choice of that city for His people. We know that Passover also relates to a real pass over, where the death angel would pass over the homes with the sprinkled blood of a lamb.

Easter, of course has the sprinkled blood of the pig all over it. (The Easter ham)

Easter is a Satanic counterfeit of Passover (See previous edition) One of the aspects of Easter is the eating of a slain pig. This is called the Easter ham. At Passover the blood of as slain lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts. The blood of the lamb point towards the blood of Messiah. The blood of the pig makes a mockery of the Lamb. The swine eating points towards Satan and all that is cursed.

Passover relates to Israel's redemption from Egypt a type of the world. It looks back to deliverance and forward to deliverance again. Jerusalem is going to be the centre of great conflict not far from now.

The prophetic message of trumpets:

Trumpets in the Bible have very important meanings.

In the Bible we see the use of silver trumpets. The most common though is the shofar or rams horn. This is always related in the Bible to the prophetic.

There are three primary trumpets that are associated with the Feats of the Lord and out journey to perfection.

The "First trumpet" is blown in association with Pentecost. This signals the start of the era of grace.

The "Last trumpet" is blown and associated with the Feast of trumpets (also called Rosh Hashanah) This ends the era of grace and signals the start of the seven year tribulation period. This trumpet is associated with alarm, warning judgement and war.

The "Great trumpet" is associated with Yom Kippur and announces the Jubilee year. (Isaiah 27:13  Ezekiel 36:24-26)

At Rosh Hashanah (Feast of trumpets) a series of short trumpet blast are blown. The last trumpet blast is a long one signally judgement. This is undoubtedly what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep (die) but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet..."

There is a last trumpet for the church era and a last trumpet which ends the tribulation. They are not the same.

Whichever way you look at it there will be a last trumpet for you and me. There will be a point in time where time is up. We will stand before our Lord in judgement for reward or lack of reward. How we judged ourselves will be all important!

Funny little thing: Long before I was saved I collected antiques. Many years ago I got rid of most of them. I kept some antique trumpets, a compass, scales of justice in brass and an early printing press. Each of these is associated with my life these days.

Here is a sound clip of a shofar being blown:

Sound of the shofar - Yahweh will fight for us

The shofar blasts of Rosh Hashanah  introduce Yeshua / Jesus as the Lion of God. No more Lamb! For us they relate to urgency in our self-judgement and preparation for eternity.

Principles of growth

Today, we have a modern church that is generally so far from the Biblical pattern that it's no better than the local sports club.

The main object of the Christian life is not any of the fruits of the Spirit, it's not power. It is a deep union with our Lord. Because this requires many conditions, the Christian masses rather settle anything and everything else!

The removal of sinful lifestyles is key in moving into a deeper relationship with God.

Death to self-will is the key to growth into the deeper life. Dying to sin is relatively easy, but this death must also apply to that which is not sin. It's not easy to accept this and to fully crucify the flesh and our lives ruled by self-will.

The conquest of the soul by our Lord and His word is required to walk the road to glory. Being conformed to His image is only one side of the coin. We must not be conformed to the world and it's image presented in the media and a multitude of other ways. You can't have both!

This deeper life is the place of rest with God. It's the place of glorious fruitfulness and Divine power.

We must escape the moulding influence of the world and the worldly Christian. This deeper form of cross-bearing, soul-death and self-denial is voluntary. It only comes through a consistent, conscious decision.

If we seek to save ourselves and go the way of the masses, we will ultimately regret it. We will "lose our lives" Obviously that doesn't mean we will die physically or spiritually. It means we will lose out on eternal reward.

Luke 9:24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

So, what exactly is this suffering that we need to go through? It's not the same for everyone, because everyone is at a different place. But the consistent things are: To break free from the manipulation and domination of the masses. Break free from the opinions of man and the modern shallow church which is designed to make you fit in comfortably with the world.

I've said many times before in previous editions and will continue to say: My aim is not to prove myself right and others wrong. It is not to give you knowledge. It is exactly the same as it is for me. I want me and you to grow in grace, to know our Lord more and more. It is to be known by Him and to move us forward and deeper into His presence.

I've had so many wonderful testimonies from so many. Recently I've also been coming under attack by individuals wanting to destroy this website. I've been threatened and warned by the devil's own. Of course I'll ignore these and move on.

Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, for it will be revealed by fire...if anyone's work endures which he has built, he will receive a reward, if anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 "For our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal and the things which are not seen are eternal."

Let me draw your attention to one word in the above verse. It's the word "eternal" Please note that the rewards we will receive will be forever. "An eternal weight of glory...WOW! What can you say to that?

The amazing typology in the verse above shows that all our bad works or sins, represented by combustible wood hay and straw, will end as a puff of smoke. The good works done under the leading of God's Spirit will end as eternal rewards.

The crown of reward comes from the cross of Christ and how we apply it to our lives. Let me assure you of one thing. In this day there are few that will be well rewarded. There're a great many believers who will be saved but they will lose all eternal reward. All their works will be consumed by the fire of judgement. I know that's not politically correct, but then perhaps 90% of the world's politicians will end in hell.

We will all be equal in terms of salvation, but we will all be forever different in terms of reward. This also relates to our position of ruler ship, with and for our Lord in the universe of eternity.

Working for reward is the wrong motivation. Purifying ourselves and working for our Lord in love for Him is the right motivation, and it does come with reward.

Note that in the first of the three verses above there will be a "suffering" at the loss of reward.

If you don't like this, please read those three verses above again.

Oh yes, according to that verse above we all earn gold, silver, precious stones and wood, hay and straw. None of us earn only the good stuff. But as we mature in the Lord we should be way overbalanced on the one side.

Isaiah 41:14 "Fear not you worm Jacob, you men of Israel, I will help you says the Lord."

We need to become worms before the Lord! Being a worm means being helpless and meek before our Saviour. But remember that as a worm dies it goes through metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. No worm, no metamorphosis, no beautiful butterfly. You may still be saved, but your life will be earthbound, never breaking free like the butterfly.

We must allow the Kingdom of God to materialise in our hearts and minds. We must become Kingdom minded. We must apply severe self-judgment into our lives. This self-judgment must be Word or Bible related.

The Day of Atonement is the sixth of the Feasts of the Lord. It is tied to the number 6! Mankind was created on the sixth day and became the crowning glory of creation. The symbolism is simple. We need the cross of self judgment as part of our journey to perfection.

The saint destined for great eternal glory will be the one who has allowed God to defeat and dethrone him, to bring him down into weakness and surrender.

Is your faith designed by the pastor of the world's masses to get wealth, material things, hot cars and a hot chick?

Can you use your faith to die to self, to die to the world (and it's pastors) Do you use your faith to take up your cross?

As we enter the Kingdom of God in reality after rapture or death, we will immediately be judged by our Lord. We can't go back and do it again!

As we apply the cross of judgment to self an exchange takes place and we become filled with God's own Spirit in a wonderful way. We become an automatic terror to devils and demons.

Are you a comfortable habitation for the world's demons? Do the demons flee when you're around?

As we move into Kingdom consciousness, and self-judgement then we move into the glorious place of Tabernacles.

Tabernacles relates to deep rest. Tabernacles is the representation of perfection. It symbolises the Millennium. This is a time of rest, glory and perfection. We can have that now, albeit in a limited way.

Obviously these rewards are for works done by the believer who has already been saved. They have nothing at all to do with salvation, which is not by works at all, but by faith and grace.

The enormous, great big tragic mistake that the unsaved make is that think their good works will save them. All the good works of the unsaved will amount to nothing at all.

A friend of mine recently died. I know he wasn't saved. He was a nice guy though. I wonder if he is now in a eternal regret?

Walk wisely

None of us knows which will be our last moment. None of us knows when eternity begins. It's wise to walk through life well prepared isn't it!

My friends, you only get one shot at this life. Yes, repentance can buy back much of the time the devil has stolen, but how much better to walk in holiness and the correct way from the start.

Job 22:21-22 "Now acquaint yourself with Him and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive please instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart ."

Ephesians 5:15-16 "See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Proverbs 28:26 "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,. but whoever walks wisely will be delivered."

1 John 3:1-2 "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him..."

Philippians 3:20-21 "For our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body..."

1 Corinthians 15:41-44 "There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differs from another star in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead... it is sown  a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

Do you know what it's like being in prison? I do. As a war correspondent many years ago, I was often thrown into prison.

Do you know what it's like getting out of prison?

Once I was released from an African prison (I'd offended the President in a story) and given an invitation to a party at the President's palace that evening. I literally went from prison to the palace, the same day. I can tell you, that the palace was better.

But here's the story. We will not be subject to this earth in the resurrection. We will be free to travel at the speed of thought to anywhere in the universe just like our Lord and Saviour did. Talk about expanding your mind!

You see, we actually have no idea what's out there. We have some stupid little ideas, but we really don't know. I suspect that the entire universe will be part of our domain in the near future.

Okay, okay, I know we're not going to end up as butterflies, it's the symbolism of metamorphosis, resurrection and transformation that I'm getting at!

Summary

Our incredible, amazing, spectacular destination is to be transformed by the glory of God into His glory. We'll have a body just like His resurrected body. We'll have full and complete knowledge of everything.

In Exodus 34 we see the story of Moses lifting the veil from his face after his encounter with the living God. The people were shocked. He was literally shining with glory.

In the same way three disciples encountered the risen Lord in all His glory on the mountain of transfiguration. They were left amazed, shocked, devastated and forever changed.

God essentially dwells in Christ in fullness. The more of Christ we have in us the more we will be fulfilling our calling and God's plan for us. Colossians 2:9 "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily..."

In Romans 8:29 we see that the purpose of God for us is to be "conformed to the image of Christ". This is absolutely radical!

Finally

You can be filled with the world and it's spirit. You can confess Christ and you may be saved. Or you can confess Christ and be filled with His spirit. This is the way to glory.

The big tragedy is that while God has prepared and provided the way to a full and complete Christian life, many will think that they're saved because they're good, while in fact they're crawling with devils and demons, filled with the spirit of Satan. Many are so fully deceived that they can't even see their terrible state now and their terrible eternal destiny.

As we mature in our Lord He manifests in us in a very special way. This way cannot be attained in the modern church and it cannot be attained by the average Christian today. It can only be attained by the disciple who is on the road to overcoming the devil and the world, with a radical mind set. He will have the scars of the cross on every aspect of his life.

Tabernacles represents maturity. It represents the maturing of God's plans for the world, the maturing of Israel and their salvation. It represents the maturity of the earth and the whole universe into glory.

Revelation 19:9 "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Revelation 21:1-3 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I John saw the holy the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be with them and be their God."

Here's a wonderful painting by one of my favourites, Marc Chagall. It is called "The Wedding" Our eternal destination includes a wedding to put all weddings to shame. It will be a wedding of glory!

The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom and grow in grace!