Tabernacles: Celebrating the Past, Preparing for the Future
We are approaching one of the most blessed times of the year: Tabernacles. This is when Jesus, on the great day of the feast, stood and cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37). This is our opportunity to drink of God’s glory, goodness and blessing. It’s a time when new revelation is given and new assignments are handed out.
Tabernacles is a celebration of how God brought us through our past and is preparing us for our future. It is an eight-day event where we are called to get outside of our homes. Here at Word Alive, we set up tents and breathe the fresh fall air together with family and friends. We testify of how the Lord has healed and delivered us over the past year and look forward to a prosperous new year ahead.
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
We hope you will join us for our annual Tabernacles Gathering on September 30, 2023! Featured speakers will include Chuck D. Pierce, Dr. Ed Silvoso and our own Kent Mattox. Register now!
Hear more from Pastor Kent:
- Published in Appointed Times
The New Month of Tishrei
The month of Tishrei marks the beginning of a new season and a new year! On Rosh Hashanah — the “Head of the Year”— we celebrate the Jewish New Year of 5784, the “Year of the Door.” This number is based on the physical birth (creation) of the earth.
You may recall that there is another new year on God’s calendar, which occurs in the spring during the month of Nisan. This is the spiritual birth of the earth, based on our redemption at Passover. That means that Tishrei is the first month of the calendar year and the seventh month of the spiritual year. Consequently, some things will be ending and others will be beginning, all at the same time, in perfect order as the Lord would have it.
In celebration of Rosh Hashanah, shofars will be sounding in churches and synagogues around the world. People will be dipping their apples in honey to welcome a sweet and fruitful new year. Many will partake in a round challah loaf, which depicts the crown of God, our King.
“You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.” – Psalm 65: 11
We also remember that Jesus wore a crown of thorns when he went to the cross. It was His death, burial and resurrection that defeated sin and death, so we don’t have to fear the future. God is for us, not against us, and all His promises are “yes” and “amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). We can move forward into the new year with joy because of the victory He already won!
Learn more about the month of Tishrei in this chalkboard teaching by Christine Vales:
- Published in Appointed Times
T’shuvah: 40 Days of Favor
As we step into the Hebraic month of Elul, we also enter the season of T’shuvah or 40 days of repentance and favor. Psalm 27 is the scripture we reference throughout these 40 days:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
As God prepares us for the head of the year (Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles, we have 40 days when He favors us with His blessings and His presence so we can turn our lives around. Repentance should not be viewed as just an act of sorrow or regret but as an opportunity to return to a right relationship with the Lord. He wants to help us fix what is broken so we are prepared to enter into a new year.
Take advantage of these 40 days of favor by seeking God, reading His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to you in a supernatural way.
Hear more from Pastor Kent:
- Published in Appointed Times
The New Month of Elul
Elul is the sixth month on the biblical calendar, and it is known as the month when the King is in the field. In ancient Israel, the king would come down from his palace for one month to set up a tent and dwell with his people. This is a reflection of what Jesus did for us! He left his heavenly palace and came down to earth to dwell with us.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
In the month of Elul, God is directing our hearts toward His greatest expression of His love for us, which is the giving of his only Son. Jesus is the King of all kings, and He is in our midst. He rules with love and righteousness.
Hebrews 2:9 says that Jesus was made “a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
Jesus restored the relationship that was lost in Eden, and now we can come boldly to his throne of grace. The Messiah calls us to receive Him as our King, and to let him rule in the most important field of all: our hearts. When we do, he puts down his tent pegs, sealing us with His Holy Spirit, and we become his permanent dwelling place.
Watch the video below to learn more about the month of Elul, which begins at sundown on August 17 and ends on the evening of September 15.
- Published in Appointed Times
A Season to Feed Your Faith & Starve Your Doubts
We are in a spiritual season when God is igniting our faith. This is the time in biblical history when the children of Israel were poised to go into the Promised Land. They sent 12 spies to survey the land, and 10 gave a negative report, causing the entire nation to turn back to the wilderness. This was supposed to be a time of blessing, but instead, it became a curse. It was because of their unbelief that they missed what God had waiting for them.
This is a season when we need to feed our faith and starve our doubts to death. We must choose to believe God and reverse the curse, turning it into blessing. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
We must choose to believe the report of the Lord; not that of the enemy or our circumstances, but the word of God.
Choose life, not death. Choose blessing, not cursing. It’s time to enter into a brand new season of faith!
Watch this video to hear more from Pastor Kent:
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
The New Month of Sivan
Sivan is the third month on God’s spiritual calendar when we move out of transition into a time of extravagant provision. Provision, by definition, is supply made in advance for future use. This is how the God of the Bible operates.
We see this principle demonstrated in the account of creation in Genesis. God made everything man would ever need before He created man himself. He provided lavishly for Adam before He breathed life into Adam’s lungs.
God is the giver of all good things. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” He does this because of His great love for us, as shown in John 3:16.
God’s extravagant gifts are displayed in both the Old and New Testaments. Leviticus 23:15-22 outlines God’s instructions for the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, which occurred 50 days after Passover. This feast was connected to the grain harvest and also commemorated the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
In the New Testament, before Jesus ascended to heaven, He was with His disciples in Jerusalem celebrating the same feast. He told His followers to stay in the city and wait for the gift the Father promised. “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5) The Holy Spirit was given to the believers on Shavuot, also known as the day of Pentecost.
God initiates covenants with his people because of His love for us. These blessings are ours in Christ — all we have to do is receive them!
Watch the chalkboard teaching on Sivan to learn more.
- Published in Appointed Times
The Year of Light: 2023 Ministry Vision
The biblical month of Tevet aligns with the start of the new year on the Gregorian calendar (Dec. 24-Jan. 22). This is a time for getting our affairs in order and setting our priorities straight. It is a month when The Lord wants to separate the light from the darkness in our lives so we can see clearly. It is a vision-casting season!
Pastor Kent and Beverly sought the Lord for His vision for Word Alive International Outreach (WAIO) in 2023. Two separate prophecies confirmed that this is the “Year of Light” for our ministry.
“Justice” was the word for 2022, and we saw how angels of justice were sent to many nations, denouncing oppression, abuse and authoritarianism of unjust governments. This will not diminish in 2023 but will increase, for God’s justice always leads us to the Light. This liberation of light will come to our homes, ministries and cities. To God be the glory!
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:6 ESV)
Interestingly, 2023 began on a Sunday—the first day of the week—and will also end on a Sunday. This will not happen again until 2062. Note that it was on day one of creation that God said, “Let there be light.” Christ—the Light of the world—was resurrected on the first day of the week, as well. We are believing we will have a year surrounded by light, where light is the measure of all things. It is a time when day and night (light and darkness) will have sharp definition so that God’s righteousness will have more weight, and the church will become more sensitive to it (Revelation 22:11).
Kent and Bev were in Alaska when the Father took them to the house of Light and told them that seven rooms would be revealed in this beautiful abode to enable the saints to access greater levels of light. The seven rooms He revealed are:
- Rest
- To eat the bread of heaven (to do the will of the Father)
- Confession
- Honor (surrender our desires to Him)
- Covenant
- Gratitude
- Forgiveness
The Lord calls us to be “scatterers of light” (Shedeyúr) this year, so that the angels of righteousness may continue to do their work. But if we are to receive the blessings God has for us, we must get over the disappointments of the past. It is essential to move beyond unbelief and establish ourselves in a position of faith.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
We believe that WAIO is not just a local church, but an apostolic epicenter of transformation. As such, we will continue our work to promote freedom across the globe. It is also our desire to shift the bulk of spiritual activity from our church building into people’s homes. We envision these “houses of light” to be places where families and neighbors encounter Christ together.
We want to equip and empower our faith family to lead their own houses of light, and the first step is participation in our Transformation course. This foundational class will be offered monthly on our campus, and materials are also available for those who would like to complete the training individually or with a small group. View our online event calendar for scheduled classes.
We are excited about what God is going to do in and through WAIO in this Year of Light! For more information on how you can get involved and be a part of the Lord’s vision for 2023, please send us a message!
- Published in News
2022 Ministry Impact
2022 has been an amazing year of transformation! Your generosity has impacted many lives locally, in the state of Alabama and around the world. Thank you for your dedication and support to the mission of freedom and transformation. We want to share with you the tremendous impact you made possible this year.
Transforming Lives
- Baptized over 350 new believers
- Recovery Stats: 189 on-campus residents, graduated 35 women and 20 men, served 120+ hot meals
- We launched the new Kids Alive Experience during our Sunday service at 11 a.m. for ages 2 through 6th grade. In our Family Life Experience, we are empowering families to be the Ekklesia and empowering Children to serve the Lord.
- Total Weekly Reach with Our Message: 38,134 (In Person & Online)
Transforming the State
- On October 8, Chuck Pierce led a service to commission the state of Alabama to the Lord as a prototype to the nation. All 67 counties were represented and aligned to lead in transformation.
- Our Transformation Workbook was developed and distributed to over 1,650 individuals and organizations. This manual helps its users discover who God says they are, walk in their purpose and make a difference. It will continue to be used at Word Alive and across the world as a discipleship tool.
- All In Alabama is a network of marketplace and ministry leaders, endeavoring to:
- Establish freedom outposts across the state
- Ignite God’s triumphant reserve in each county
- Experience total cultural transformation, impacting every area of society
- Continue building God’s kingdom culture
- Worshiping monthly throughout the state of Alabama
Transforming Nations
- Peru – We partner with Called Coffee to employ a village of coffee farmers and purchase their entire harvest.
- Argentina – Our campus in Buenos Aires has a strong influence on the community and the nation.
- Brazil – An after-school program that serves children in the slums.
- Ukraine – We partnered with Wine to Water to distribute 20,000 water filters to displaced refugees and troops.
- Israel – We sent support to Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel as he reclaims Judea and is building Arugot Farm in the heart of the nation.
- Tanzania – Our first WAIO church plant now has 10 campuses across the country!
- Kazakhstan – We are feeding the hungry and refugees from the war.
- Nigeria – We send monthly support to aid an orphanage and a women’s empowerment ministry.
For more details on our impact across the globe, visit our international campuses webpage.
We are praying for you in this Year of Divine Recovery. If you would like to contribute with a year-end gift, we would appreciate your continued support. Blessings to you and your family!
- Published in News
A Year of Growth: Sowing the Right Kinds of Seeds for a Spiritual Harvest
At Word Alive, we follow the Hebraic calendar, and we’ve just entered the Hebraic year of 5783. This is a significant year because it speaks of the abundance God wants to pour into our lives.
We receive a color from the Lord every year and this year that color is green because we believe it is time to grow. When I began to meditate on that, I came across Galatians 6:7-9 which says,
“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.”
I thought it was interesting that the Lord would speak to me about growth in terms of growing weary. I realized that we don’t suddenly become weary, we grow weary. We make choices and sow seeds that lead to exhaustion. I felt like the Lord exploded the revelation inside of me that this year brings so much potential for us to grow, and literally anything is possible if we just sow the right seed.
I began to think about what could be accomplished in a year’s time, and here are a few examples that came to mind:
- Read through the entire Bible
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Learn a new language
- Write a book
- Loose 20 pounds and get in shape
- Pay off a credit card
We can accomplish so much if we just sow the right seeds. That’s all it boils down to. Decide what you want to do or overcome this year, and start making the right choices and committing to the right disciplines daily. By this time next year, you will reap a harvest.
This is the year to grow. Sow the right seed, and do not grow weary in well-doing!
Watch Pastor Kent’s full message below.
- Published in Spiritual Growth
Isaiah 43: It’s a New Day
Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
It is a new season; it’s a new day. Just as we’re shifting from summer to fall—as seasons shift in the natural realm—seasons also shift in the spirit.
If you drive from Connecticut to New York, you’ll see a big “welcome” sign as you cross the state line but it still feels like you’re in Connecticut because you’ve just crossed the border. It’s the same in the spirit: you may not sense the new day because your circumstances and surroundings seem the same. But when you receive a sign that it’s a new day, if you’ll just keep moving forward and pressing in, you’ll begin to see that you really are in a whole new place.
I believe we are in a brand new day, where mysteries from heaven are being revealed. New revelations from the throne room of heaven are being released. New anointings, mantles, callings and giftings are being manifested. New supply chains and rivers of resource are opening up to God’s people because we are in a very powerful spiritual season.
Good friends of ours and true prophets of the Lord, Paul Keith and Amy Davis, recently came to Word Alive and released a prophetic word that “it is a new day.” They prophesied over my wife Beverly and me, but also for those who are connected to us. This word is for all of us.
Beverly also has a powerful prophetic gift, and within moments of being prayed over, she experienced a throne room encounter, and the whole atmosphere in our sanctuary shifted. Now, we are literally seeing the manifestations of a “brand new day.” New things are occurring.
I pray that as you watch this video, you will have eyes to see and ears to hear that it is a new season for you in your family and your sphere of influence.
Watch this prophetic word, receive the shift in your own life, and be blessed.
- Published in Spiritual Growth
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