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| LENT: Preparing the Way -
The Spirit of the Fear of the LORD |
April 8, 2009 |
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" 'Not by might nor by power,
but by My Spirit,'
says the LORD Almighty."
(Zechariah 4:6)
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"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him -
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and He will delight in the fear of the LORD."
(Isaiah 11:1-3a)
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Dear Friend,
Tonight, at sundown, begins the feast of the Passover. As one of the three pilgrimage festivals in which the Jewish people were required, by the Lord, to come to the Temple in Jerusalem, this celebration marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As we come to the end of the season of Lent, the preparations for the upcoming HARVEST journey continues with this feast, because, for the believer, it is a symbol of living the Christian life in holy dedication to God (reference Romans 12:1-2).
Last year, we ended our 40-day journey on Palm Sunday, with the Most Holy Week and the cross before us. This year we are being called to pick up where we left off, continuing our journey as we joyously celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, and walking with Jesus as He taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God before departing in His glorious Ascension, and sending them on to Jerusalem during the Feast of the Harvest ("Pentecost") to await the promise of the Holy Spirit.
You are invited to join us these next 50 days as we
"Harvest the Kingdom of God"
(a 40-day online devotional journey
from the Resurrection to the Ascension)
and "Journey to the Holy Land"
(a 10-day online devotional journey
from the Ascension to Pentecost).
This journey is in response to the Lord's call: "Return to Me,' declares the LORD Almighty, ' and I will return to you" (Zechariah 1:3), and remembering His promise: "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings" (Isaiah 58:12).
It's been said that, "the best remedy for a broken heart is a fresh vision of the glory of God". Our nation has become crippled because we have forgotten the foundation of Truth we were built upon (reference 1 Corinthians 3:11), and we have lost sight of our original call to be a beacon of Light to the world (reference Matthew 5:14). The Word of God has long been buried, but the foundations are now shaking, and the walls of deception are beginning to crumble, as the Lord is resurrecting His Word and planting fresh seeds of Truth in the hearts of His children; He is raising up a kingdom of priests who will restore the foundation and rebuild the temple so His Glory will be revealed and His Kingdom will come.
King David desired to build the temple of the Lord, but God's priority was for His people to be at peace before His throne would come to rest (reference 2 Samuel 7:13). As a man of war, David's desire would be fulfilled through his son Solomon, a man of "peace and rest" (reference 1 Chronicles 17:1-14). When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people had expected a conquering king who would save them from Roman oppression and establish His kingdom right then in there. Jesus brought with Him the message of the Kingdom of God. In His day, this was a message of radical change that caused Hiim to become a religious and political threat. He had, indeed, come to save His people, but He would first bring them what they needed most, "peace and rest", before He would establish His kingdom.
The price of peace would require the Lion of Judah to be led out like a Lamb to the slaughter (reference Isaiah 53:7); fulfilling the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, and becoming, once and for all, the final sacrifice atoning for all sins of all time (reference Hebrews 10:11-18). Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we have peace, in Christ, and it is now only a matter of time before He returns for a second time to establish His Kingdom.
Today, we have been given the gift of salvation because of God's beloved people Israel. As His children, we have a holy calling to reveal His light to the world. We are His temple, and by His Spirit, we are to rise up as a kingdom of priests, and reflect His glory to to this broken and blinded world so His work can be completed and His kingdom can come (reference 2 Corinthians 3:18)!
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch."
(Isaiah 62:1)
The time has come for believers to return to the Lord with all their hearts, to become diligent students of the Word and powerful people of prayer. "Shout it aloud..[and] raise your voice like a trumpet" (Isaiah 58:1). Pick up your torch, shine His Light and radiate His Glory for the whole world to see!
Join us as we journey with the Lord these next 40 days, learning about the Kingdom of God and preparing for His return (reference Acts 1:3b). The HARVEST journey begins Resurrection Sunday, April 12th!
How to take part in this journey:
1. Register for the Harvest 40-day online journey today! This meal-by- meal devotional journey is located on the private Temple side of the Trumpet and Torch ministry website. Registration and use of the T&T resources are FREE (if you already have a user ID and Password you already have access to the Temple at www.trumpetandtorch.org and do not need to register again).
2. Prepare for your journey by reading the HARVEST journey WELCOME LETTER and
INTRODUCTION (also found on the Temple side of the website).
3. If you have joined us for the Lenten fast - your final devotional is below. If you would like to view the past six devotional emails or walk through the Most Holy Week devotional emails (2008), visit our online Email ARCHIVE.
4. Visit the home page of the Trumpet and Torch ministry website to read the FAQ and FAMILY TIME pages to prepare for your fasting journey. If you have never fasted before or do not feel led to fast at this time, please join us for this 40-day "feast" - the Lord desires obedience over sacrifice and is more interested in your spiritual nourishment than the sacrifice of your physical food.
5. Pray, Pray, and Pray again...the enemy is opposed to any, and all, efforts that concern the Lord Jesus returning and setting up His Kingdom. This journey is not to be taken lightly - be prepared for enemy opposition (Ephesians 6:10-20)!
On Sunday, April 12th, visit the Temple side of the website by first clicking on LOGIN (enter your User ID and Password), once in the Temple, click on the HARVEST button to begin your journey. Click on the Devotional Menu to the right of your screen in the Temple. Begin by reading Week One Introduction: "FIRST FRUITS" then click on the Day One devotional. The first days' devotion is a celebration - we will not begin our fast until Monday on Day two.
May you be blessed as you commit to spending this intimate time with your First Love these next 40 days. May you experience wonderful and personal encounters with your Savior and Lord as you sit at His feet, bask in His presence, and feast upon His Word!
Grace and peace,
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27:4, 13-14; 73:23-26
P.S. If you have any questions please submit your request to info@trumpetandtorch.org. Visit our Email ARCHIVE to read past prayer and devotional emails, including THE MOST HOLY WEEK journey from 2008!
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Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on Isaiah 11:1-16
"The Lord delights in those who fear Him,
who put their hope in His unfailing love."
(Psalm 147:11)
We end the final week of our Lenten devotional study, on the seven-fold Spirit of the Lord, focusing on "the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord." Fear, that most of us are familiar with, is defined as "anxiety caused by real or possible danger or pain". The "fear of the Lord", however, is that awe or reverence that one feels in the presence of a higher authority. "...stand in awe of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:7).
The Spirit of the fear of the Lord is the indwelling presence of God who enables a believer to respond with reverential trust in the Lord, leading one to act with a true commitment to His Word and with obedience to His will. When Joshua set up a memorial to the Lord at Gilgal he explained that the Lord's miraculous saving acts were put on display for all to see so they would respond "with fear" (reference Joshua 4:21-24). In other words, because of their reverence for the awesome works of God they would honor the Lord by worshiping and serving Him with their lives being fully aligned and completely committed to His will.
For the Christian, this Most Holy Week should once again open our eyes to the awesome sovereignty and majesty of God displayed through His crucifixion and resurrection. Having "eyes to see" should lead us to respond with reverential trust and obedience - this is what it means to fear the Lord. "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him Who, afer the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him" (Luke 12:5).
Before we walk out that door and begin our day, let us simply "stand in awe of God", remembering our own Gilgal and how He gave up everything to rescue us and save us from the bondage of sin and death and has given us a hope of a glorious future with Him for all eternity. May we take time to express our overwhelming gratitude for His awesome sacrifice. May we begin to take responsibility for the gift we have been given, and, instead of expecting our Lord to act in miraculous way today to capture our attention and earn our trust, may we be the ones to act in obedience, allowing our personal testimony, of His faithfulness and love, to lead others to experience the miraculous saving power of our Lord. "Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing" (Psalm 34:9).
"But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart."
(1 Samuel 12:24)
Journal:________________________________________________________________________
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LUNCH BOX
Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on 2 Chronicles 19:4-11
"He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure."
(Isaiah 33:6)
Our lunch time has been devoted to looking at the judges the Lord appointed to act as deliverers to His people on His behalf, and He enabled them to accomplish their appointed tasks through the power and equipping of Spirit of the Lord. Jehoshaphat, whose very name means "The LORD judges", instituted judicial reform during his reign and became a picture of our future, eternal Judge who will rule with justice and righteousness: Jesus Christ (reference Isaiah 9:7). "The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread" (Isaiah 8:13).
How blessed we are to have a faithful and trustworthy Judge who sits on His throne and reigns in righteousness, interceding in the affairs of men on our behalf and in keeping with His kingdom purposes (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus provided a wonderful example for us to follow, as One who "delights in the fear of the Lord' (Isaiah 11:3). It was Jesus' joy to do the will of the Father, and to accomplish the work for which He was sent (reference John 4:34; 6:38). Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, "The One Who sent Me is with me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him" (John 8:29).
Our entire focus should be, as Jesus' was, to do the will of the Father. When we walk in the fear of the Lord, equipped by His Spirit, we hold the key that unlocks the storehouse of heaven: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10); "The fear of the LORD adds length to life" (10:27); "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life" (14:27); "The fear of the LORD leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble" (19:23); "...the fear of the LORD brings wealth and honor and life" (22:4). When we live in "the Spirit of the fear of the Lord" we have no reason to fear man, for the failures of man stand in stark contrast to the faithfulness of God Who works on behalf of His people. "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds delight in His commands" (Psalm 112:1).
May our times of feasting on the Word of God fill us and satisfy us so that we will respond by getting up from His table and entering His field. We have all been given the responsibility to take what we have learned and put it into action, sowing seeds into the lives of the people the Lord intersects our paths with. This afternoon, write down the names of the people in your life that you are currently mentoring, ministering to, or mumbling about, and begin to pray for them more specifically and more fervently. This circle of influence is your mission field. "But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfullly with all your heart" (1 Samuel 12:24).
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DINNER TABLE
Begin your mealtime by reading and meditating on Ecclesiastes 12:9-14.
"Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments
for this is the whole duty of man." (v. 13)
As we come to the end of our Lenten journey we find that we have come full circle, for "the fear of the Lord" is both the beginning and the end of the matter. This is quite fitting since Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. With the celebration of our Savior's glorious Resurrection before us, we see, through the lense of the Scriptures, the "beginning" of what will eventually call all things to an "end".
Solomon looked at the fullness of his life, and, with great wisdom, acknowledged that life's true purpose and pleasure can come only from God. The Lord created mankind for His pleasure, and to fulfill His purposes. Our response is simply to "fear God and keep His commandments". To experience God's goodness, we must live holy and righteous lives, turning our backs on evil, and with reverence and respect, do what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord. "Fear God and give Him glory..." (Revelation 14:7).
Truly, we cannot live the way the Lord desires without the help of the Holy Spirit to guide, direct, teach, and protect us. The Lord has given us, not only His very life to save us from the bondage of sin and death, He has also given us His very presence through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to save us from the entrapments and enticements that attempt to drag us back into the flesh every day. This same power, inside every believer, enables us to accomplish the work of the Kingdom of God. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).
May we continue to hunger for more knowledge of the Truth, and may our appetites continue to increase for an even greater understanding of God's kingdom, both as "a present reality and a future hope". May our spiritual nourishment enable us to discern more clearly our role and responsibility, as all things seem to be moving towards a glorious and grand conclusion. As we continue to faithfully meet the Lord in His Word each day may we begin to sense, with great urgency, the hour we are living in. May we respond to the importance of trusting and depending more fully on the Lord by recognizing and repenting of those sins that are keeping us from being wholly His and are preventing us from becoming useful participants in His kingdom plan, and may we rely more fully on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to achieve the results the Lord has purposed. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6b)
"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him."
(Psalm 33:8)
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Heavenly Father, as we come to the end of this lenten journey and look with
anticipation upon the harvest journey before us, we offer you all the praise,
glory, and honor for the provision of your Holy Word, as our guidebook,
and your Holy Spirit, as our faithful guide, leading us into all Truth.
You Word has been a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path,
just as the pillar of cloud and fire were your light to lead
your beloved people Israel. Thank you for the presence and power
of your Holy Spirit, who lives inside each of your beloved children.
Ignite in us a hunger and thirst for righteousness
and a desire to seek you in your Word so we can be filled with
all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so we are not easily
swayed by the deception and evil of the day we are living in.
Your Word declares that whoever trusts in you is kept safe,
teach us to abide under the shelter of your wings and remove
all fear of man from our hearts. Help us to rest securely in you
as you fill us with your Word. You are our light and salvation -
whom shall we fear? Prepare our hearts for the journey ahead,
and protect us from the enemy who adamantly opposes your
kingdom plans. May we remember this battle is not ours but the Lord's.
Open our eyes to recognize the trouble we have caused ourselves
and give us courage to respond and repent of our sinful and wicked ways
that we might find healing and restoration so we can continue the
work to which we have been called. May your sleeping Bride
waken to respond to your promptings and begin to return to you
with wholehearted devotion and with reverential fear and trust.
Help us to persevere as we wait patiently for our return.
Your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
We ask all this in the holy and awesome name
that is above all names,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
(Exodus 13:21-22; 2 Chronicles 20;15; Psalm 27:1; 61:4; 90:11; 119:105;
Proverbs 29:25; Daniel 9:13;
Matthew 5:6; 6:10; John 16:13; Ephesians 4:14;Philippians 2:9) | |
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