Apples and Honey and Finding Time to Tithe
Good Morning Friends,
Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year begins at sundown today. Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday occurring on the first day of the month, when the moon appears as a thin crescent. The timing is purposeful for the Messiah comes when things are darkest with the sound of a battle alarm.
My wife tells me that for the next couple of days there are no tests in school. But the Day of Judgment….the Day of Atonement…the day of testing is coming soon. Strategically I think it is a good time for Apples and Honey and Finding Time to Tithe.
Scripture:The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 23:23-25 (NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Message: The modern observance of Rosh Hashanah today bears little resemblance to the biblical Feast of Trumpets. The blowing of the Shofar does however carry a modern message of change, as well as an ancient message of the battle between good and evil. So today as we sweeten up the message of the apple with a little honey to confuse the Devil we might want to embed in our daily actions things to help us fight the good fight. Friends, ten percent and 2.4 hours is not all that much when one is at war. We can fight evil with the daily tithing of time, talent and treasure. Friends, the battle has begun and will be won. And maybe, just maybe with all the darkness of this world we can confuse evil. Maybe today we can bring something good…something sweet into this world. Are you ready to wake up and join the fight?
Pray we each have a spiritual wake up call. Pray we forgive. Pray we caste our cares to the Lord. Pray we confuse evil by being good for a change with such confidence that Satan believes the Messiah has come to end evil’s reign on earth. Pray we find Jesus in the Feast of Israel. Pray we find something sweet…..something good. Pray the trumpets announce the coming of the king of Kings. Pray we are ready for the battle. Pray we are generous in the year to come with our time talent and treasure strategically joining in the fight that Jesus is leading.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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