Dutch Sheets: God Is Not Done With America - DUTCH SHEETS CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Dutch Sheets: God Is Not Done With America

 6/5/2016 DUTCH SHEETS  charisma magazine

(Courtesy of Dutch Sheets Ministries)

A demonic tide of destruction has been unleashed upon our nation, and is taking ground at an increasingly rapid rate. Politically, economically and humanistically, there is an agenda to make this nation never again look the way it has looked before. Yet, God has not given up on America! He has great a plan and a purpose for this nation and He is calling on us to partner with His heart and His strategy in this critical hour.

Discouraged Hearts, Defeated Plans

The book of Ezra paints a picture of where we are today, as well as God's desire to awaken, revive and restore a nation whose God is the Lord. The Israelites began rebuilding the temple after it had been destroyed because of their sin. While they were hard at work, the people of the land—the enemies of God—discouraged the people of Judah, causing them to be filled with a paralyzing fear.

Counselors were also hired to work against the people of God, and frustrate their strategy. This resulted in a 16-year delay in the rebuilding of the temple—the place, in that day, where God's presence and glory dwelled.

In many ways, America currently finds herself in this sort of delay. After making great advances in kingdom building, many have let discouragement and fear gain a foothold in their hearts. They've laid down their tools and folded their hands. Others are busy with good kingdom works, but don't dare challenge the status quo, much less, the systems aimed at shredding the moral fabric of our nation, destroying the institution of the family and stripping us of our religious freedoms.

As in the days of Ezra, "wicked counselors," known today as lobbyists, are diligently and strategically opposing God's people to advance the antichrist agenda in every sector of society. This is a fulfillment of the first few verses of Psalms 2, which describe those who hate God and take counsel together, devising plans to contend against Him and His people. These counselors think they've overthrown God's rule and conquered His people and, in their arrogance, openly decree this.

Notwithstanding, Psalm 2 describes several terrifying things God does in response. First, He laughs a mocking laugh of derision toward them. Then, He asserts that His Son will rule the earth. Lastly, God takes His rod and begins to break and shatter kingdoms in order to reestablish His reign in the earth. The good news is clearly laid out here—in the end, we win!

Fellow warriors, we cannot fear that if we resist the government and the political activists, we might be taken out. Neither can we fear that we might go to jail, lose our government funding or tax-exempt status, or have our business shut down for speaking the truth or refusing to marry same-sex couples. Yes, these things are already happening—some are already paying a high price to stand for righteousness—but we cannot cower and live in a paralyzing fear. We must only move in the fear of the Lord.

Repentance and Restoration

The account from Ezra that I've told thus far is only half the story. After a 16-year delay, upon seeing the hunger and desperation of the people, God raised up a company of leaders who worked together to steer His people toward repentance and the restoration of the temple.

First, God raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to boldly awaken the people to their true condition, and to His desire for them. The moment God's people responded in repentance, God began to work in their behalf. He frustrated the plans of the lobbyists and gave the people of Judah favor with the politicians. Everything they needed for the restoration of the temple was provided.

The most amazing part of the story, in my opinion, is how God's spokesmen (the prophets Haggai and Zechariah), God's government (Joshua the priest) and civil government (Zerubbabel the governor) came together to lead the people into reformation. In response to their obedience and righteous partnership, the Lord blessed them by decreeing that the glory of the latter house would be greater than the former.

Zechariah later prophesied to Zerubbabel saying, this mountain in front of you is going to be brought low and become a plain. Not by might or power but by my Spirit, you will tear it down with shouts of grace, grace! This is a picture of what God wants to do in America!

If the church wakes up from her slumber, heeds the voice of the prophets and begins to partner with righteous government leaders to take her stand, the Lord will make a way for our nation's biblical foundations to be restored. His glory will fill our land once again. God's desire is that you would contend for and see revival in your city and nation!

Church, we cannot become so busy making money and building our own houses, that we lay aside the often painful and sacrificial work of restoration required for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done in America.

It is OK to grieve, like Jeremiah or Nehemiah, over the condition of our nation, but we must not give in to discouragement and fear. God is calling forth an army of faithful followers who will come up out of their discouragement to boldly push back the darkness.

Many leaders in government, health, education and ministry are having to make a decision right now—am I going to make my stand or am I going to compromise and yield to the enemy's plans? I, for one, say what America's founding fathers said upon signing the Declaration of Independence and, thereby, committing an act of treason against the crown: I pledge my life, my fortune, my sacred honor—everything to stop this insidious plan of hell. Will you join me?

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized teacher, conference speaker and author of The Power of Hope. He has written more than 20 books, translated into over 30 languages. His first work, Intercessory Prayer, sold nearly a million copies and is being used to empower believers worldwide for passionate prayer and societal transformation. He and his wife, Ceci, make their home in the Dallas area.

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The Gift of the Spirit Fewer Want to Exercise - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA MAGAZINE

The Gift of the Spirit Fewer Want to Exercise

 3/10/2016 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  charisma magazine

Few people these days want to exercise the gift of repentance. (Flickr )

Jennifer LeClaire is now sharing her reflections and revelations through Walking in the Spirit, a new podcast from Charisma. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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The charismatic world is known for embracing the gifts of the Spirit. Who doesn't like to get a prophetic word? See a miracle, sign or wonder? Receive a healing? Discern a spirit? Flow in words of knowledge and words of wisdom? Pray in tongues and hear the interpretation?

I love to operate in the gifts of the Spirit and watch others step into that stream. It's refreshing—and it's the sign of a healthy congregation. Where the Spirit of the Lord is given liberty—when we get out of the way and let Him have His way—He will often manifest His gifts in our midst. Of course, the greatest gift of all is His presence. Ultimately, that's all we need.

But there is a gift of the Spirit fewer seem to want to exercise in this hour. It's not one of the nine gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but it's a gift from the Spirit of God just the same. It's the gift of repentance.

Listen to Jennifer's podcast on this topic: The Spiritual Gift Every Believer Can Exercise.

With hypergrace movement—a wave of teaching that stresses the grace of God while de-emphasizing or negating the need to confess sins and repent—gaining momentum, there's a disturbing trend to approach boldly the throne of grace to find grace while ignoring the need for an ever-flowing river of mercy.

The 1 John 1:8 Reality

The truth is, we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). In fact, we all fall short of the glory of God every day. That's why we need a Savior, and that's why we are charged with working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

Father doesn't expect us to achieve 100 percent obedience while we are living in these fleshly tents. We will only reach perfection in our resurrected, glorified bodies. But He does expect us to tap into His grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us (Heb. 12:1); to run to Him instead of away from Him when we sin; to wage war on our flesh and spirits tempting us away from His heart; to seek and receive His forgiveness, grace and mercy when we miss the mark (1 John 1:9); and to press toward the mark of the prize (Phil. 3:14). We can't do that if we are not willing to repent.

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1 John 1:8 tells us, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." John also tells us, "Whoever has been born of God does not practice sin, for His seed remains in him. And he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9). Hebrews 13:5 assures us Jesus will never leave us or forsake us, but hiding unrepentant sin in our lives causes us to miss out on deeper intimacy with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We may hide it from others, but we're not hiding it from Him.

A Lifestyle of Repentance

We like to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

That's a strategic prayer. I believe the church needs to repent. But I also believe if we're not individually walking in a lifestyle of repentance—if we're not exercising this gift of the Spirit of God—it hinders corporate repentance. Again, God doesn't expect us to walk in perfection. He knew every single sin you'd commit before He saved you. But let's remember Israel lost a war against its enemy because there was sin in the camp (Josh. 7). We must not tolerate sin in our lives, or families—or anywhere. Where we see a brother or sister in sin, we need to pray and, if we're in relationship, kindly approach them unto Galatians 6:1 restoration.

I am praying that a spirit of repentance is poured over the church in this hour as false prophets continue rising, as apostles merchandise the saints, as sexual immorality and financial impropriety runs rampant and all manner of wicked sin is coming to light in the church. But it starts with each one of us. If we aren't willing to repent on a personal level—to exercise this spiritual gift—we cannot decry the conditions in the church or in society. Let's all model the way. 

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening;Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer onFacebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

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Let the Dead Bury the Dead - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Let the Dead Bury the Dead

  

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Yeshua said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!” 

(Luke 9:60-61 Complete Jewish Bible)

For years I had thought this was a rather harsh response Jesus (Yeshua) gave to the one who said he wanted to follow Him and be His disciple. Jesus didn’t say, “Great! Just come along, do what you want when you want, and I will be sure to accommodate how you live so it won’t cramp your style.” It even seems in some circles that our response nowadays would be, “Wow! Someone who wants to be a Christian! Let’s not make it too hard on them so they won’t start the walk and then later quit. We need all the ones we can get.”

No, Jesus gave the man the one choice he had. Follow Him by letting go of his current life, and live the one I (Jesus) would direct him in. My way is the only way.

Jesus clearly told the one the way it would be, as Luke recounted for us in this historical report.

“As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have  nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  And He said to another, " Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 

Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57-62 NASU)

I like how The Message words it in a similar, but unique way.

“On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!"

Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." (Luke 9:57-62 THE MESSAGE)

(Just one minor side thought to point out before moving on. Jesus said, “We're not staying in the best inns, you know." I wonder how many leaders in the church today would still follow Jesus if they lived as He did? Or walked as He walked? I am sure the numbers would be reduced if such were the case. Maybe they missed it somewhere? And what example are they giving to those who follow them? It doesn’t appear to be Yeshua’s.)

So my thoughts on this now, to let the dead bury the dead?

I think it is time that we quit sugar-coating the Gospel message, trying to make it fit in today’s world, so as not to put too much inconvenience on those needing to hear the Gospel, and repent from living the sinful life. Jesus didn’t make it a convenient choice to become His disciple. He spoke right up front to let them know, “This will change your life. What you did yesterday you will no longer do today. The life you led then, it needs to be gone. Repent, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Maybe it is time we quit making our Sunday morning a nice place to bring people to, hoping they will receive a “helpful message so you can get saved today”, but rather use it as the time to really train Christians to get out into the world to take the Gospel to the dying. For as you may have already realized, they aren’t coming to us. We have to go to them. And when we do, we need to tell it the way it is to be.

Let the truth be known. You want to follow Jesus? It will cost you everything you have. You can’t have it both ways – to continue living the way you have been six days a week and then “be the Christian” one hour on Sunday. Jesus is requiring a complete lifestyle change. He calls it “repentance”. We should too.

Rather then offering a Gospel that allows one to keep doing that which was leading to death anyway, it is time we offered the “radical” Gospel that Jesus did. To all those He came in contact with, He said come, repent, and He would then give eternal life in exchange. There cannot be any other way. There has to be a life change through repentance.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17 NASU)

He also made it clear that if there was no repentance, there would be no salvation. They would perish in their sin.

“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5 NKJV)

We are called as believers to demonstrate the Kingdom of God in the world around us, by living a life of repentance. We have been called to leave the old life behind, and walk in the new one that Jesus gives us as we do so. And then, the Gospel message is to tell others to do the same. Repent, believe, and follow Jesus. And in that following, they won’t be doing the same thing they were doing, with just a slight change. They will be letting go of the old in order to receive the new.

They too will be leaving the dead to bury their own dead. They too will no longer be participating with the things in life that are here today and gone tomorrow. They too will be living the way of the cross, which will eternally bring life.

Just like you and I should be doing ourselves.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 02.14.16 - #243 –“Let the Dead Bury the Dead” – Sunday at 5:15 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Anne Graham Lotz Gives Prophetic Warning About 2016 - CHARISMA NEWS

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famous evangelist Billy Graham, recently released a prophetic warning and calls for urgent prayer. (Facebook)

Anne Graham Lotz Gives Prophetic Warning About 2016

 1/5/2016 ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ  Charisma news

As I look ahead into 2016, I believe our national and global situation will get worse. A good friend has focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you."

I can feel the encroaching darkness of evil that is like a heavy moral and spiritual fog. It's permeating our nation at every level. At the very same time that our nation is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shine, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.

These conflicting thoughts of thick darkness and light, of encroaching evil and glory, were on my mind during these days before Christmas. I have been meditating on 2 Chronicles 20 in which Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was warned that a vast army was coming against him. As I put myself in his place, I asked myself, what do we do when we are warned of the enemy's advance? The answer was given in the next verse: "Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the Lord, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah was assembled to seek the Lord; even from all the cities of Judah, they came to obtain aid from the Lord" (2 Chr. 20:3-4). Jehoshaphat led God's people in a prayer that was a desperate heart's cry for help.

I have been repeatedly warned in my spirit that the enemy is advancing. It's something that I know. And I feel compelled, like Jehoshaphat, to lead God's people also in a desperate prayer for help before we plunge past the point of no return into the abyss of God's judgment.

The glory is that God answered Jehoshaphat's prayer by reassuring him, "'Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. ...It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be filled with terror. ... (T)he Lord will be with you" (2 Chr. 20:15, 17).

What is the position we are to take up? I believe it's a position on our knees as we humble ourselves, seek God's face, repent of our sin and intercede for our nation. Then, having done all, we stand firm in our faith that God has heard and will answer our prayer. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Anne Graham Lotz Gives Prophetic Warning About 2016

1/5/2016 ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ  charisma news

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famous evangelist Billy Graham, recently released a prophetic warning and calls for urgent prayer. (Facebook)

As I look ahead into 2016, I believe our national and global situation will get worse. A good friend has focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you."

I can feel the encroaching darkness of evil that is like a heavy moral and spiritual fog. It's permeating our nation at every level. At the very same time that our nation is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shine, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.

These conflicting thoughts of thick darkness and light, of encroaching evil and glory, were on my mind during these days before Christmas. I have been meditating on 2 Chronicles 20 in which Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was warned that a vast army was coming against him. As I put myself in his place, I asked myself, what do we do when we are warned of the enemy's advance? The answer was given in the next verse: "Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the Lord, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah was assembled to seek the Lord; even from all the cities of Judah, they came to obtain aid from the Lord" (2 Chr. 20:3-4). Jehoshaphat led God's people in a prayer that was a desperate heart's cry for help.

I have been repeatedly warned in my spirit that the enemy is advancing. It's something that I know. And I feel compelled, like Jehoshaphat, to lead God's people also in a desperate prayer for help before we plunge past the point of no return into the abyss of God's judgment.

The glory is that God answered Jehoshaphat's prayer by reassuring him, "'Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. ...It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear or be filled with terror. ... (T)he Lord will be with you" (2 Chr. 20:15, 17).

What is the position we are to take up? I believe it's a position on our knees as we humble ourselves, seek God's face, repent of our sin and intercede for our nation. Then, having done all, we stand firm in our faith that God has heard and will answer our prayer. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Is Hanukkah Ripe for the Messiah? New Bible Codes Suggest World Entering Auspicious Time - by Rivkah Lambert Adler - BIN

Hanukkah menorah (Photo: Scott / Wiki Commons)

Is Hanukkah Ripe for the Messiah? New Bible Codes Suggest World Entering Auspicious Time

By Rivkah Lambert Adler December 6, 2015 BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Every commandment that I command you this day you shall keep to do, that you may live and multiply, and come and possess the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers.” (Deuteronomy 8:1)

Two Bible Code videos, both released on October 26, 2015, suggest that certain times are particularly auspicious for the arrival of the Messiah. Two of those potential times are the upcoming Jewish holidays of Hanukkah, which begins at sunset on December 6, and Purim, which takes place in March 2016.

A critically important message of many of the Bible Code videos, including this one from Sukkot, is that the timing of the Messiah’s arrival is dependent on the Jews fulfilling the word of God, by keeping God’s Biblical commandments.

In other words, whenever Bible Codes refer to a possible date for the coming of the Messiah, it isn’t a prophecy. Its occurrence is very much dependant on repentance and on the Jewish people strengthening their belief in God.

The call for repentance in preparation for the Messiah is being heard from an increasing number of sources in the Jewish world. For example, repentance is the central theme of every Heavenly message received by Rabbi Amram Vaknin, including the most recent one reported by Breaking Israel News. Another voice calling for repentance is Rabbi Alon Anava, a former Jewish atheist who came close to God and became an Orthodox rabbi after he had a near death experience.

The urgency of messages calling for repentance is based partially on the Jewish belief that once the Messiah arrives, the option to repent will cease to exist. Thus, as the Messiah’s appearance draws closer, the window of opportunity to repent begins to close.

Repentance and Hanukkah

In the longer of the two videos that suggest auspicious dates for the Messiah to arrive, Rabbi Mattityahu Glazerson, an international expert on Bible Codes, reviews a table that includes Bible Codes embedded in the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. Glazerson points out where the words Moshiach (Messiah) and Hanukkah appear together. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, occurs in the winter, close to the winter solstice, when the days are short.

WATCH: Repentance During Hanukkah Can Bring the Messiah

When speaking about the possibility of Messiah at Hanukkah time, Glazerson emphasizes the importance of the code b’teshuva (with repentance) which is spelled out by counting every eighth letter. Like Vaknin and Anava, Glazerson dwells on the necessity for repentance extensively in this video, quoting Maimonides, the eminent 12th century Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar.

“And Israel will only be redeemed [from their current exile] through repentance.” – Maimonides, Laws of Understanding 

In the video, Glazerson points out the Hebrew letters that stand for 5776, which is the current year in the Hebrew calendar, and the words “Ben Yishai” (Son of Jesse) and David, both clear references to “Moshiach ben David” (Messiah, son of David).

At the end of the first video, Glazerson reiterates the need for the Jewish people to keep all the commandments of the Torah. Speaking to Breaking Israel News, Glazerson explained, “These [dates that are found in Bible Codes] are dates destined for Mashiach (Messiah), but if the condition of repentance is missing, it [his arrival] will be delayed to another appropriate date.”

The Purim Messiah?

The second, shorter Bible Codes video mentions the Jewish holiday of Purim as another possible date for the arrival of the Messiah. Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman, who planned to kill all the Jews in ancient Persia, as told in the Biblical Book of Esther

Although, as mentioned, Glazerson routinely emphasizes the importance of repentance as a condition of the Messiah coming on any date mentioned in Bible Codes, the Purim Messiah table is different. Intriguingly, he remarked to Breaking Israel News that, in the Purim table, there is no clear mention of repentance. “Maybe this time, things will bring [us] to a situation that Mashiach will come [regardless of our behavior],” he said.

The Purim video opens with a quote from Rabbi Shimon Dahan, an Israeli expert in Judaism’s mystical tradition. Glazerson quotes Dahan as saying, “Something great and joyful is going to happen on Purim.”

The most significant finding in this second table are the words HaMoshiach Purim (the Messiah  Purim) appearing in a column together. This Bible Code, linking the Messiah and Purim, was found by counting every 5776th letter. This is meaningful because 5776 is the current year in the Hebrew calendar.

To strengthen the connection, the letters that spell out 5776 in Hebrew also appear in this table near the HaMoshiach Purim column. The Hebrew word that means “this is the time” also appears, to the right of the HaMoshiach Purim column.

As described In the Book of Esther, Queen Esther led the Jewish people in repentance. It was this repentance that saved them from the genocidal plotting of Haman. The Hebrew word for salvation also appears in this table in two different grammatical forms, again connecting repentance to salvation.

Finally, Glazerson points out the similar sound of Haman, the villain of the Book of Esther who is ultimately defeated by the Jews and Khamenei, the current Ayatollah of Iran, who has publicly threatened Israel’s future.

Watch videos here: BIN - Bible Codes & the Messiah

Forgiveness: Not a One-Time Deal - TAMMY DARLING CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Two keys to spiritual freedom are forgiveness and repentance. (Lightstock )

Forgiveness: Not a One-Time Deal

11/8/2015 TAMMY DARLING  charisma magazine

When my oldest sister got engaged, I jumped right in to help. I was happy that she was so happy and eager to share in her joy.

But what I saw as helping, my future brother-in-law viewed as interference. Our relationship went from bad to worse; my pride had been stepped on and I was hurting. I was treated like the scum of the earth, which only served to fuel my anger at his arrogance.

The more I thought about him, the angrier I became. Soon it was all I thought about. I was angry, bitter and stressed. My thoughts turned to revenge—surely there was some way I could hurt him back. I would have been perfectly pleased if he would have just dropped dead.

I'm not happy to admit how far I had gone over the edge, but I am happy to report that I found the freedom that repentance brings.

It wasn't easy. I had to make a deliberate decision to forgive this man for the way he treated me—even though he continued to do it for some time. I discovered forgiveness is not a one-time deal. I have had to repeatedly forgive him, even though he has never asked for forgiveness.

Most importantly, I discovered my own part in the fiasco—and my own need for repentance. It wouldn't have done any good to forgive him and not repent for the part I played. I told him I was sorry, and then I got things right with God. My relationship with Him had suffered greatly during this time and my repentance quickly restored our fellowship.

I discovered that repentance is like a recipe—it has several ingredients that are necessary for the desired result to come about. Leave an ingredient out of a recipe—or repentance—and the outcome can be hard, bitter, or downright disastrous.

The first ingredient of repentance is choice. I had to make a conscious, deliberate decision to repent. In essence, repentance is an act of the will involving change in thinking (not feelings) with a resulting change in conduct.

When God convicted me for the part I played in the situation with my brother-in-law, I made a determined decision to repent, which led to a change in thinking, then reflected in the way I responded to him. Ultimately, my change in conduct, brought on by repentance, relieved the growing tension in our relationship.

The second ingredient of repentance is inward change. This is where the rubber meets the road. Feigned repentance will not bring inward change and no one will be fooled for long—and God won't be fooled at all!

Humility is what makes inward change possible. "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (James 1:21, NIV).

Once I changed my thinking about my brother-in-law, I was surprised to find myself actually praying for him—not to change but to find Christ. The inward change in me self-sacrifice,enabled me to develop a concern for him that I had never had before.

The third ingredient of repentance is godly sorrow. The lives of Judas and Peter clearly illustrate the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. Judas felt guilt and remorse, but his suicide was the result of worldly sorrow, not of spiritual brokenness. Unlike Judas, Peter was grieved in his spirit and wept bitterly over his sin. He was a broken man. The difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow is brokenness.

I knew I had truly repented for my part in the damaged relationship when I cried over my behavior. Here was a fellow creation of God and as a self-proclaimed Christian I had treated him as though he wasn't fit to be alive. I had truly sinned against God, and I had finally realized it.

The final ingredient in repentance is self-sacrifice. Simply being sorry for the results of sin is not repentance. In confessing openly and admitting our guilt we forcefully have to cast off wrong motives. Sometimes physical restitution is also needed.

True inward repentance is often demonstrated in the sacrificial steps taken to abandon sin. Repentance without meaningful action is like a cloud-filled sky with no rain.

After I repented and got things right with God, I went to my brother-in-law and openly apologized. Our relationship is better than it ever was.

There really is freedom in repentance.

Prayer Power for the Week of November 9, 2015

This week ask the Lord to help you restore broken relationships caused by your attitude and actions. Pray for the willingness to forgive those who have hurt you and ask God to bless and prosper them. Thank Him for the freedom you'll enjoy when you embrace true repentance. Continue to pray for revival to ignite in our churches and spread across the nation and around the world. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the persecuted church, and the leaders He has placed over us in our homes, churches, communities, state and nation (Matt. 5:22-24; Matt. 5:38-48).

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