The New Month of II Adar
We are now in the second observance of the month of Adar! Instead of adding an extra day to God’s calendar to account for the leap year, we get to add a whole month! In the year of the door, it’s as if we are walking through a double door and getting a double portion of Adar. It is also unique that the “extra” month starts in tandem with daylight saving time when we “lose” an hour.
I sense the lord wanting us to use this extra time to marinate in his presence. Adar is associated with strength and joy, and we know that the fullness of joy is found in His presence. God wants us to take advantage of this opportunity to soak in the goodness that this month has to offer.
Take a few minutes to review the chalkboard teaching for Adar and be blessed!
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
The New Month of First Adar
February 9 began the new month of Adar, the last month of the biblical year!
2024 is a Leap Year, but instead of adding just one day to God’s calendar, we get to experience the month of Adar two times! And what better month to walk through twice than Adar, the month of joy and strength? In this biblical year of “The Door,” it is as if we are walking through a double door into 1 Adar and 2 Adar.
Adar means strength and in the Bible, strength is associated with joy. Joy is often defined as an emotion brought on by well-being, success or possessing one’s desires. The problem is that life doesn’t always go our way. So many people find themselves faking it or striving to be happy.
Many pray for strength but what they really need is joy—real joy that can only be found in a relationship with God through Jesus. We cannot experience true joy without Jesus. Receiving Jesus means receiving forgiveness, peace with God, salvation and ultimately true joy.
The Lord is calling us to end the year strong, not in our own strength but in His joy. May you be blessed as you watch this teaching on the month of Adar.
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
The New Month of Sh’vat
January 10 marked the beginning of a new biblical month: Sh’vat!
Sh’vat is known as the month of trees. Right now, the Lord is calling us to be like trees, rooted and grounded in His love. He is reminding us that we can prosper in any season, even in the middle of winter! In fact, it is His desire that we prosper both in the spiritual and in the physical.
How do we do so? By abiding in Him. He tells us that those who abide in Him will bear much fruit and that apart from Him we can do nothing. We abide in Him by meditating on His word, delighting in Him and living in the truth that He loves us.
This month is a beautiful contrast to the revelation of last month, when we were called to grow “up” and mature. This month, we are called to grow “down,” dig deeper and connect our roots to the Source of Life so that we may bear fruit.
We pray that in this year of the door, you open your hearts to receive a fresh revelation of God’s love for you. Be blessed as you listen to this teaching on the month of Sh’vat.
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
The New Month of Tevet
December 12 marked the beginning of the month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar.
Tevet is the 10th month of the biblical year. The number 10 is associated with order, tithe and testimony. This month, the Lord is encouraging us to grow up, get our priorities straight and mature in Him.
It is timely that this month begins in the middle of Hanukkah, the celebration of lights. Hanukkah reminds us that God matures us through His Lamp: His Word.
In this new year of “The Door,” we need spiritual maturity and clarity of mind as we approach new doors in our lives.
Be blessed by this teaching as you discover how God wants to bring order and maturity to your life this month!
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
The New Month of Kislev
We have entered into the new biblical month of Kislev!
The word Kislev means “trust, hope and security.” Remembering that the year 5784 is the year of the door, we see a beautiful picture of kislev when we look to our Good Shepherd. Jesus Himself is the door, the one who laid down his life to guard the sheepfold. Knowing He keeps watch through the night brings us rest as we trust and hope in His protection.
This month, the Lord is reminding us that our true hope and security is found in Him. And this hope is more than just a wish! He is alive and active and when we put our faith in Him we will be secure. We can trust Him in every area of our lives because he desires to prove Himself trustworthy. This is part of our covenant with Him: that we would have life and life abundantly.
Listen to this teaching and be blessed as we move forward in this month that is full of hope!
- Published in Appointed Times
The New Month of Cheshvan
The new biblical month of Cheshvan begins on Sunday, October 15. Cheshvan, the eighth month, is the month of “New Beginnings.” What a sweet reminder that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning and every month.
This is also the month that the Lord flooded the earth. The year 5784 is the year of “The Door.” With that in mind, we can turn our eyes to the door of Noah’s Ark which represents Jesus. In John 10:9 Jesus says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved.”
Be blessed by this teaching and invite the Holy Spirit to give you fresh revelation as we look back on the flood and look forward to new beginnings.
- Published in Appointed Times, Spiritual Growth
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
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