“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
I Know The Plans I Have For You!
So many times we have thought of that verse in scripture, quoted it, taught on it, etc.
The Hebrew word for “thoughts” is ‘makh-ash-aw-baw’ which can be understood as, “plans, intentions, designs or purpose”.
“peace” in Hebrew is the word ‘shalom’ which is better understood as, ‘to make one whole’, or rather, ‘to be made whole’.
These plans and intentions GOD has for You are calendared.
Think of it in terms of GOD’s Perfect Will. He has placed us on His Calendar, is anticipating our arrival and participation. However, You have to show up.
In His Permissive Will, we can choose to show up or not. We can, like GOD, anticipate the appointment, keep the appointment and plan our next visit… or not!
Where the Word of A King is, There is Power. Ecclesiastes 8:4
The Word of GOD is embedded in His Biblical Calendar with the power to release such an anointing, that it will supernaturally saturate your days and your years “far more abundantly” than you can ask or think!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
The Biblical Calendar Holds the Keys to the Plan!
Eve of Elul
Sat, Aug 31st
MONTH OF ELUL. – The Month of Divine Favor and Mercy!
(30 days of Prayer, spiritually setting yourself before GOD in prayer which allows you to see what’s in Your Own Heart, dealing with your character flaws and strengthening your virtues).
- Search my heart and try my reins, and know my thoughts… See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (paraphrase Psalm 139:23)
MONTH OF ELUL
Sun, SEP 1 thru Sun, SEP 29
EVE OF ROSH HASHANNA (GOD’s New Year’s Eve)
SUN, SEPT 29. (a.k.a. 29th of Elul)
ROSH HASHANAH. (GOD’s NEW YEAR)
(The 1st of Tishrei)
Mon, Sept 30th
YOM KIPPUR
Day of Atonement
(10th of Tishrei)
TUE, OCT 8TH
Eve of Sukkot
(14th of Tishrei)
Sun, OCT 13TH
SUKKOT
Feast of Tabernacles
(15th of Tishrei)
Mon, OCT 14TH
Why is the Month of Elul so Important?
To understand the importance of the Biblical Calendar, we have to step our of our comfort zone a bit and place our Gregorian Calendar aside for a few minutes.
The significance of the Biblical Calendar is that it captures dates and timelines that are significant to GOD, including spiritual properties of the anointing that remain open and available that continue to provide us access today and throughout the generations.
That’s a very powerful statement, so allow me to support it with scripture.
Part 1 of this Post began with a teaching from the Prophet Isaiah. “Seek Hashem when He can be found, call upon Him when He is near” (Isaiah 55:6), and the question became, “When is Hashem near?”
The Rabbi’s tell us that Isaiah was directing our attention towards the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah (Sept 30th), and end with Yom Kippur (Oct 8th).
The Month of Elul marks the end of the year on the Biblical Calendar preceding the month of Tishrei, which is the start of a brand New year. In simple terms, Elul is to Tishrei, as December is to January.
GOD gives His People a jumpstart on the New Year!
In comparison to the Gregorian (secular) calendar, The New Year on the Biblical Calendar begins 3 months ahead of the rest of the world, a.k.a. Rosh Hashanah.
In spiritual preparation of the upcoming New Year, The children of GOD take the last month on the Biblical Calendar (Elul) to spiritually prepare themselves for their journey through the next 365 days of the year!
Elul is known as the Month of Favor and Mercy. It is a 29-30 day time frame in which we all have the opportunity to cleanse our selves spiritually, repent for our sins, ask forgiveness, judge our own souls, search our own hearts and look deep inside ourselves to investigate what it is we need to do better as a human being.
In Elul we re-orient ourselves back toward GOD. After all, teshuvah means repentance. It’s about returning to our place in GOD’s Presence.
How Did This Come To Be?
When the children of Israel committed the sin of the golden calf, GOD told Moses that He was going to consume them (Gen 32:10). Moses descended the mount and found what the people had done.
The sin of the golden calf occurred on the 17th of Tammuz. We know this because Moses had ascended the mountain for 40 days, after the day of Shavuot (Pentecost).
40 days after Shavuot puts us at the 17th of Tammuz when Moses came back down from the mountain and found the people in complete disobedience.
Moses did not want the people to be destroyed, so He ascended the mountain and prayed for GOD to forgive them.
- 40 days after the sin of the golden calf puts us at the end of the month of Av and the beginning of Elul.
GOD forgave the people but Moses was not satisfied.
- The people will live, but living without the Presence of GOD was pointless. Going backward into a chronologically unprofitable existence, i.e., living their lives under the sun. This was unacceptable to Moses. He wanted the people to live under the heavens.
Moses knew that without atonement, GOD would no longer dwell in the presence of the people.
- Without spiritual atonement, the children of Israel could not return to a love relationship with GOD.
So, Moses returns to the mountain for another 40 days to pray for their complete atonement. (Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur)
- Israel repents as a nation.
- GOD accepts the prayers and repentance (teshuvah) of the people and renews His bond of love between them.
- GOD continues to dwell among among the children of Israel!
Elul is considered the most auspicious time of the year to offer repentance to GOD, because He accepted the prayers and repentance of the nation in this month.
The prayers of Moses created a penitent heart inside the people of GOD that has never been forgotten, or taken for granted or held in light esteem.
For thousands of years, a memorial has been set over the Month of Elul for prayer and repentance. It is a time of getting ourselves right with GOD. A time when our prayers carry the strength of our unity and love.
Let’s face it…
When we act in unity and love, our prayers become irresistible to GOD. Elul signifies acceptance of our prayers, we are blessed by GOD’s forgiveness and more importantly, GOD dwells among His people, restoring us with His Love!
The cycle of forgiveness and coming back into right relationship as one people, with one heart, one mind and one spirit, cycles back every year at Elul.
Because the Months on the Biblical Calendar have been kept alive through faithfulness, dedication and the remembrance of the people for what GOD and His Prophet Moses did for them, when they did not deserve it most, GOD’s anointing rest upon this month for favor and mercy!
Whenever we take the initiative to set aside our traditional worldly calendar and embrace the Calendar of GOD…(that He spoke of repeatedly all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures), then we step into miraculous moments of destiny.
We have just spent Labor Day, September 2, 2019 recognizing and celebrating the social and economic achievements of our labors as a nation. Labor Day is our everlasting memorial and tribute to the contribution American workers have made to the prosperity, well being and strength of our country.
We have spent a lot of time, years, recognizing every event on the secular calendar. For the most part, recognizing only 2 major, yet questionably “Biblical” Holidays on the same calendar.
GOD has a Calendar filled with Days of Destiny, designated to celebrate our relationship with Him.
GOD’s Calendar is accessbile to everyone! It has been right there on the pages of scripture the whole time!
We have always been invited by GOD, but most of us never knew it.
Step into Your Month of Favor and Mercy.
As we repent as a community of the Faithful, we have access to housands of years, anointed with the prayers of the saints, that have been tread out each year on the threshing floor.
A place for the Seed of Abraham has been prepared for us to partake of the blessings of GOD.
Show Up This Season For Your Appointment!
Part 3 of this Post will include the following topics of discussion:
- Shifting Your Days from Chronos to Kairos
- EMBRACING The Supernatural Seasons of GOD.
- Show Up For Your Appointment!
- How to Proclaim the Month of Elul
- How do you want to start off this New Year?
Wisdom Is Better than Strength
Ecclesiastes 9
- 9:13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
- 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
- 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
- 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
- 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
- 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Posts Included in This Series on Prayer:
All Photos, Including Cover Photo by: Rev. S. Madison
Copyright 2019, Rev. S. Madison, torahisteaching.blog All Rights Reserved.
Disclosure: I am of the belief that any and all teachings on scripture, especially those on prayer should receive prayer before passing them along to others. For this reason, I encourage everyone who reviews these teachings to saturate each one in prayer before sharing, distributing or reproducing them in any fashion.
Anything that we hope to learn and accomplish through the Word of GOD must be born out of a spirit of prayer. Prayer is the root of all our spiritual training. Study without prayer is futile. Without prayer, we learn nothing and we accomplish nothing.
May GOD always send you a confirming word.
GOD Bless You,
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