Have you ever noticed leading up to the fall of the year trouble starts to come? Because it’s atonement time, the devil fights.
Let me give you some examples because God’s people have historically been attacked this time of year, leaving them challenged, confused and suffering financial woes.
It was this time of year that the spies came back from the Promised Land with a bad report causing the people to question God and wanting to backslide.
Herod, during this season, murdered more than 60,000 boys 2 and younger.
More wars start in this season than any other.
WW2 started September 1939.
Pearl Harbor was bombed in September.
On Day of Atonement 1973 Egypt/Syria attacked Israel.
Then there was 9.11.
More earthquakes occur in August, September, and October than any other time.
It’s Hurricane season.
Many of the worst volcano eruptions happen in this season.
September 2010, Hurricane Igor hit Newfoundland.
September 29, 2003, Hurricane Juan hit Canada.
September 2, 1998, Swiss Air disaster.
I could go on and on.
So why would there be such monumental, supernatural battles rage throughout history during this recurring short season? There is something unusual about this season.
Could it be that satan knows that the most important season of the year is the latter or time of Tabernacles, specifically the Day of Atonement?
Because satan knows that God declares blessings on His people for the next year on those who honor Atonement. THESE ARE GOD’S FEASTS. His appointment with us.
If the greatest struggle is at this time, it’s because God has the greatest blessings.
This is a new season – what was will not be anymore.
And God gives us the “extra measure” to do it.
According to the Jewish calendar the latter rain corresponds to the autumn Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.
So based on this, Joel speaks of the blessings of this time.
Joel 2:19, 21
19 The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“ Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
21 Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the LORD has done marvelous things!
1st Atonement blessing is – A double Portion.
“He will give you the former rain FAITHFULLY. He will cause the rain to come down for you. The former and the latter rain”.
2nd Atonement blessing – Financial Abundance
Floors full of wheat, vats overflow with new wine and oil
3rd Atonement blessing – Restoration
Years locust has eaten
4th Atonement blessing – Miracles
- Eat plenty
- Deal wondrously with you
- Never put to shame.
5th Atonement blessing – God’s divine presence
Know He is in our midst.
Never put to shame
6th Atonement blessing – Blessings on your family
Sons/daughters – prophesy
Pour out Spirit
7th Atonement Blessing – Deliverance
Whoever calls on His name shall be saved
Are your ready for this?
Then tell the devil enough is enough. Step out of the boat.
Make sure you are ready, do not sabotage yourself.
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Place of Fishing
Mark 6:45.
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida,
Very clear instruction: Jesus had told them to go over to BETHSAIDA; they had just finished feeding 5,000.
Where did Jesus tell them to go? BETHSAIDA. Now watch!
Bethsaida means “place of fishing.”
But a problem arose. They are in the middle of the lake, Jesus is on land praying, and a STORM arose. Now they are straining for the wind was against them.
So, Jesus had sent them to Bethsaida, He’s on a mountain praying.
He sees them straining as the storm comes up. So Jesus goes to help them, right? No, He just starts walking right past them.
So, imagine you’re in a bad storm, thinking, “I might die”.
Then you think you see a Ghost.
You find out it’s Jesus walking by and He says “Cheer up”. OK, what is going on here? Let me show you.
Listen to John’s account of this story.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they basically all say the same thing.
John 6:16-17
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,
17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
Here it says they were heading toward Capernaum.
Now they are in the same area, but not the same place.
Bethsaida means – place of fishing
Capernaum means – village of comfort!
Jesus said “Follow Me, you’re now fishers of men”. “Now go to the place of fishing and I’ll meet you there.”
But no, they want to go to the place of comfort where it is easy.
Jesus was walking by because He was headed in another direction.
“You want to get back on track, to get Me in your boat.” “But I’m not getting in with you until you change course and go back in the direction I told you to go to in the first place”.
Jesus only obeyed His Father who said, “Send the disciples to the place of fishing.” He told His disciples to go to the place His Father told Him to go.
Jesus won’t get into your boat of disobedience. Because you perceive a certain course might be easier, you often take the wrong direction.
Could there be storms in your life because you are off course and going to the wrong place? You started off heading in the right direction. Then you veered off until you found yourself in the midst of a storm, straining – because you're not where you're supposed to be.
Are you fed up of constantly straining against the will of God?
Then change your course.
The distance between Capernaum and Bethsaida was 6.15 K or 3.82 miles. Not very far but still off course.
Heading in the general direction is not good enough.
Fishing is our calling; it’s hard work yet our flesh wants comfort.
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be constantly straining against the will of God and wonder why He is not in my boat.
“Why does it seem everything I do is such a strain and such a labour?”
Because you got off course! You didn't go where He told you to go.
But everything changes when you cry out to Him.
If you're heading in the wrong direction, TURN AROUND!
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
What I'm Reading - When Nations Die by Jim Nelson Black
What I'm Listening to - Vertical Church Band
Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida,
Very clear instruction: Jesus had told them to go over to BETHSAIDA; they had just finished feeding 5,000.
Where did Jesus tell them to go? BETHSAIDA. Now watch!
Bethsaida means “place of fishing.”
But a problem arose. They are in the middle of the lake, Jesus is on land praying, and a STORM arose. Now they are straining for the wind was against them.
So, Jesus had sent them to Bethsaida, He’s on a mountain praying.
He sees them straining as the storm comes up. So Jesus goes to help them, right? No, He just starts walking right past them.
So, imagine you’re in a bad storm, thinking, “I might die”.
Then you think you see a Ghost.
You find out it’s Jesus walking by and He says “Cheer up”. OK, what is going on here? Let me show you.
Listen to John’s account of this story.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they basically all say the same thing.
John 6:16-17
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,
17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
Here it says they were heading toward Capernaum.
Now they are in the same area, but not the same place.
Bethsaida means – place of fishing
Capernaum means – village of comfort!
Jesus said “Follow Me, you’re now fishers of men”. “Now go to the place of fishing and I’ll meet you there.”
But no, they want to go to the place of comfort where it is easy.
Jesus was walking by because He was headed in another direction.
“You want to get back on track, to get Me in your boat.” “But I’m not getting in with you until you change course and go back in the direction I told you to go to in the first place”.
Jesus only obeyed His Father who said, “Send the disciples to the place of fishing.” He told His disciples to go to the place His Father told Him to go.
Jesus won’t get into your boat of disobedience. Because you perceive a certain course might be easier, you often take the wrong direction.
Could there be storms in your life because you are off course and going to the wrong place? You started off heading in the right direction. Then you veered off until you found yourself in the midst of a storm, straining – because you're not where you're supposed to be.
Are you fed up of constantly straining against the will of God?
Then change your course.
The distance between Capernaum and Bethsaida was 6.15 K or 3.82 miles. Not very far but still off course.
Heading in the general direction is not good enough.
Fishing is our calling; it’s hard work yet our flesh wants comfort.
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be constantly straining against the will of God and wonder why He is not in my boat.
“Why does it seem everything I do is such a strain and such a labour?”
Because you got off course! You didn't go where He told you to go.
But everything changes when you cry out to Him.
If you're heading in the wrong direction, TURN AROUND!
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
What I'm Reading - When Nations Die by Jim Nelson Black
What I'm Listening to - Vertical Church Band
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
It's Dew Time
Numbers 11:9
And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
God will allow a desert to grow up around you just to get you to Him.
He will allow famine to hit you just so you will hunger for Him.
God will do whatever it takes to get you to Him.
We are in a TWILIGHT season, between two lights.
In Hebrew it means “MOVING TOWARD THE LIGHT.”
It’s a time when you stand between the challenge and the breakthrough.
Let’s deal with the DEW.
It’s a type of the anointing or the presence of the Lord.
Unity is depicted as precious oil running all over from the head down.
Unity is like the dew upon the mountain of ZION.
And at that place the Lord commands blessing.
When the 120 were in the Upper Room, in one accord, THE DEW FELL.
When 2 or 3 are gathered together in His Name, the DEW falls.
When 2 or 3 touch and agree, things happen because the dew falls.
When Gideon put a fleece out to God (a piece of wool) the DEW fell on the fleece.
The 2nd night, the dew fell on the ground.
O Church, when the dew falls it covers you and the ground you walk on, you then walk in the blessings. It’s COMMANDED!
Remember our text “When the dew fell on the CAMP (the people) heaven’s supply fell on it.
Remember manna was from heaven NOT earth.
They were seeing what no one else was. They were tasting what no one else was tasting.
Now watch:
Zechariah 8:11-12
11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.
12 ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these.
The 3-fold blessing to the last-day Church:
1. The vine’s fruit (reward)
2. The ground’s increase (wealth)
3. The heaven’s dew (covering)
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
God will allow a desert to grow up around you just to get you to Him.
He will allow famine to hit you just so you will hunger for Him.
God will do whatever it takes to get you to Him.
We are in a TWILIGHT season, between two lights.
In Hebrew it means “MOVING TOWARD THE LIGHT.”
It’s a time when you stand between the challenge and the breakthrough.
Let’s deal with the DEW.
It’s a type of the anointing or the presence of the Lord.
Unity is depicted as precious oil running all over from the head down.
Unity is like the dew upon the mountain of ZION.
And at that place the Lord commands blessing.
When the 120 were in the Upper Room, in one accord, THE DEW FELL.
When 2 or 3 are gathered together in His Name, the DEW falls.
When 2 or 3 touch and agree, things happen because the dew falls.
When Gideon put a fleece out to God (a piece of wool) the DEW fell on the fleece.
The 2nd night, the dew fell on the ground.
O Church, when the dew falls it covers you and the ground you walk on, you then walk in the blessings. It’s COMMANDED!
Remember our text “When the dew fell on the CAMP (the people) heaven’s supply fell on it.
Remember manna was from heaven NOT earth.
They were seeing what no one else was. They were tasting what no one else was tasting.
Now watch:
Zechariah 8:11-12
11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.
12 ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these.
The 3-fold blessing to the last-day Church:
1. The vine’s fruit (reward)
2. The ground’s increase (wealth)
3. The heaven’s dew (covering)
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
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