Turn On the Light

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" (Ephesians 5:8)

"Ye were sometimes darkness." What a beautiful expression of the contrast between our past and our present! All of us were in darkness before we came to know the Lord! We walked in darkness . . . there was no light in us!

"But now are ye light in the Lord." A reminder that in and of ourselves there is no light, any light that we have is in the Lord!

"Walk as children of light." The point of the verse . . . we once were in darkness, now we're in light. So, "Walk as children of light." The responsibility of the light bearer is to make sure the light always shines!

We cannot walk as children of light if we're not following in His footsteps, if we're not on the straight and narrow path. Our will must be His will . . . our desires, His desires!

Is your light shining brightly or is it dimmed by a lifestyle that does not glorify the Lord? It is so important to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk"! Walk as children of light . . . let your light shine . . . you will ultimately glorify the Lord and draw others to Him!

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32)

Father, the darkness of my past is something I never want to return to . . . I'm walking in Your light now and that's what I'm determined to do for the rest of my life! Lord, help me to let my light shine . . . not only just a little bit, but brighter and brighter as the days go on. Lord I long to glorify You in my life and through my life . . . I love You . . . shine through me! Amen!

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Counting the Omer: Day 18

Let's Learn Together

What was actually offered in the Temple as a 'wave sheaf or 'firstfruits' offering was two quarts of barley grain that had been thrashed, parched, beaten and sieved into fine flour. The Jewish Encyclopedia, in the article entitled, Omer, has this to say about the preparation:

"After the grain had been gathered it was brought to the courtyard of the Temple, where, according to R. (Rabbi) Meir, it was parched while it was still in the ear; according to the other rabbis, it was first thrashed and then parched. The grain was ground into coarse meal and then sifted through thirteen sieves until it became very clean, after which the tenth part was taken, the measure of the 'omer, and given to the priest. ... The priest proceeded with the 'omer as with any other meal-offering, he poured oil and frankincense over the meal, 'waved' it, and then burned a handful of it on the altar; the remainder was eaten by the priests."  (Vol. IX, p. 399).

The manner of waving is also described in the same article:     

"The offering was placed on the extended hands of the priest, who moved them backward and forward (to counteract the effects of injurious winds) and then upward and downward (to counteract the effects of injurious dews; ...). As soon as the 'omer ceremony was completed the people of Jerusalem were permitted to eat of the newly harvested grain; people of towns far from Jerusalem might not do so until after noon, when it was certain that the ceremony at Jerusalem had been concluded."   (Vol. IX, p. 399)

As any grain farmer will tell you, the most harmful things to a ripe grain crop are high winds, which cause the grain to fall to the ground making it impossible to harvest; heavy rains which flatten the grain stalks, making it difficult to harvest; or several days of consistently heavy dew which can cause the grain to mildew. Apparently the 'waving' part of the ceremony accompanied the priests prayer that these conditions not occur, so that the farmers could bring in the full harvest of good grain during the next fifty day period.

… will continue tomorrow

COUNT THE OMER:  DAY 18

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is eighteen days, which is two weeks and four days of the Omer.

For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. God be gracious to us and bless us; may You make Your countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You, for the earth will have yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.

 We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of the eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide Your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of Your kingdom forever and ever.

Master of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count the Omer, in order to purify us from our evil and uncleanness. As You have written in Your Torah, "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the day of rest, from the day on which you bring the Omer as a wave-offering; [the counting] shall be for seven full weeks. Until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days," so that the souls of Your people may be cleansed from their defilement. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that Your people may be purified and sanctified with Your holiness.  Amen, selah.

 

 

Full of Sap

"The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted" (Psalm 104:16)

The trees of the Lord are full of sap, saturated and abundantly supplied with that which is necessary to their growth! There is no want, no lack, of that which is needful to them. The trees of the Lord—the cedars of Lebanon are the loftiest and most magnificent of trees on the face of the earth! The trees being so lofty and large, it seems as if one none of them could be planted except by the Lord God Almighty Himself!

The "trees of the Lord" would remind us of the "trees of righteousness" which are the planting of the Lord, planted in his vineyard. They are full of sap, for what God plants he will water, and those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13).

We have to ask ourselves this question . . . "Are we full of sap?" This verse indicates that we have been given ample supply to cause us to grow into high and lofty trees, a glory to the earth in which they are planted! Are we growing? Are our roots digging down deeper and deeper as time goes on? Or, are we not doing anything with our "sap"? Are we bearing fruit?

It is a sad thing to meet people who are not doing anything with what God has invested in them! Matthew 21:19 talks of a certain fig tree which was bearing no fruit; Jesus cursed the tree and it withered away. To be a lavish, fruit-bearing tree is important to God, almost like a return on His investment!

We have been blessed with an abundance of life-giving, life-sustaining, life-changing "sap". Be careful to draw on that sap to grow your roots deep into His Word and love for you thus fulfilling His plans for your life!

Father, help me to be like the Cedars of Lebanon . . . firm, sound, unmoveable, unchangeable, having roots that run deep, an abundance of sap to sustain me, and bearing much fruit. Father, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee! As you care for the beast of the field, for the fish in the sea, and for all of creation, Help me, Lord, to use what you have invested in me, bearing much fruit, for Your glory! Amen!

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Count the Omer: Day 17

Let's jump in the middle of these significant days in the Jewish calendar and "Count the Omer"!

This year, according to the Jewish calendar, Pentecost (Shavuot) begins on the evening of Sunday, June 8^th. Each day until the Jewish feast of Shavuot, I'll be posting a little information about "Counting the Omer" and a prayer recited by both Messianic and Orthodox Jews. Although we missed the first 16 days, let's jump in on Day 17 this evening (May 6^th) at sunset; it's best we begin now rather than not acknowledge the significance of these days at all. As the days go on, we'll begin to realize the deep significance of this period of time—a time of focusing on God's Word and His promises of a bountiful harvest. While we read through these short teachings each day, let's look for symbolic references to the Messiah in the "Counting the Omer".

Let's Learn Together

If you've done any reading about these fifty days, you know that the Lord commanded Israel to "Count the Omer" each evening at sunset during this seven weeks of seven days. A celebration was then to be held on the Sabbath after the 49^th day which adds up to a total of 50 days … Pentecost.

"'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.'" (Lev. 23:15-16)

There is a tremendous amount of significance in this period of 50 days after which God sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks). So, let me help to clear up some not-so-clear terminology in the scripture above. First, what is the "sheaf of the wave offering"?

    "And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
      "'"You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."'" (Lev. 23:9-11,14)

There tends to be some confusion on what constitutes a 'wave sheaf,' because of the translation of the Hebrew word omer (oh-mer) into the English word 'sheaf.' Literally, omer means a measure of dry things," and it is believed to be a quantity of about two quarts. If one wanted to be strictly literal in the translation it might read something like this in English:

"...then you shall bring a measure of dry things of the firstfruits of your harvest to the Priest. He shall wave the measure of dry things before the LORD, ..."

In English, the word sheaf means; "a bundle of cut stalks of grain or similar plants bound with straw or twine." Needless to say, the average reader probably visualizes the Priest taking a bundle of barley grain stalks and waving it in the Temple in a manner similar to what is done at the festival of Succoth (Tabernacles). However, this is not the manner in which it was done.

… continued tomorrow

 

COUNT THE OMER: DAY 17

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is seventeen days, which is two weeks and three days of the Omer.

For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. God be gracious to us and bless us; may You make Your countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You, for the earth will have yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the farthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.

We implore You, by the great power of Your right hand, release the captive. Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. Mighty One, we beseech You, guard as the apple of the eye those who seek Your Oneness. Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful righteousness. Powerful, Holy One, in Your abounding goodness, guide Your congregation. Only and Exalted One, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, You who knows secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of Your kingdom forever and ever.

Master of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count the Omer, in order to purify us from our evil and uncleanness. As You have written in Your Torah, "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the day of rest, from the day on which you bring the Omer as a wave-offering; [the counting] shall be for seven full weeks. Until the day following the seventh week shall you count fifty days," so that the souls of Your people may be cleansed from their defilement. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that Your people may be purified and sanctified with Your holiness. Amen, selah.

 

Public Faces / Secret Places

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

What does it mean to "dwell in the secret place of the Most High?" Ask yourself these questions: Are you at home in God . . . at rest in Him? Are you acquainted with Him throughout your whole being? Is your heart-work the service of God? Do you worship within the veil, loving to be alone with Him and converse with Him in solitude?

Marriage between a man and woman has two faces . . . one that is seen in public and one that is perceived only in private between the husband and wife. A married couple holding hands, walking arm-in-arm, exchanging winks or touches . . . all these are "public" faces of a marriage relationship . . all these are good and necessary but superficial and not intimate by definition. But, that which takes place in the "secret place" need not be spoken of, but the fruit of the intimate relationship can be seen without any word of public testimony!

Have you found that place of true intimacy with the Lord? Do you love being alone with Him . . . conversing with Him . . . sharing with Him . . . learning from Him? Have you learned to set aside some quiet, alone time to be in His presence where an intimate relationship can develop and grow?

Don't take your time with Him lightly, but nurture it and allow it to grow deeper and deeper day after day for if we DWELL in that "secret place" of the Most High, we will ABIDE under the shadow of His wing . . . no safer place can be found in all of creation!

Father, although our relationship has grown and blossomed since I first met You, I long for a deeper, more intimate relationship with You! I long to find that "secret place" where I can dwell and find my safety under the shadow of Your wing! Lord, help me love You more . . . know You more . . . serve You more! Lord, help me surrender to You more and more each day, that our relationship can be seen and perceived by all who meet me without ever having to say a word! Father, be glorified in our relationship today and every day! Amen!

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." (Psalm 57:1)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Stepping It Up With Praise

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 89:1)

Praise . . . not much will put a song in your heart and a spring in your step like praising the Lord all the day long!

A song stirring in your heart can dictate the mood of your day when it's a song of praise that's welling up within you! You can be working in the worst of circumstances, but no one can take that song out of your heart! You can be facing the worst circumstances in life, but when there's a song of praise in your heart, you can face anything!

Nehemiah said, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Thankfully, praise keeps us in touch with the joy of the Lord, which continually gives us the strength we need to face our problems.

What better way to praise the Lord than to sing of His mercies! After all, it is His mercy that bought our deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. It is His mercy that gives us hope!

And, finally, what better way to give hope to your children and your children's children than to teach them to sing of the mercies of the Lord . . . and to make known His faithfulness to ALL generations!

Father, my mind is bombarded with thoughts that would consume me and silence the song of praise in my heart! Help me to recognize those attacks quickly and to take hold of the reins of my mind and cast down all thoughts that prevent me from singing of your mercies continually! Father, teach me to keep that fire burning – the fire that consumes all the wood, hay and stubble but that purifies all that is precious to you! Let a new song spring forth from my heart declaring your mercies and proclaiming your goodness to all generations! I love You, Lord, and I give you all my Praise! Amen!

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

I Have a Voice!

What an honor to be given a "Voice" on Julie Arduini's blog: The Surrendered Scribe. Please take a minute and check out my post entitled, "Voice of Faith."

Julie is a precious sister in the Lord whom I've come to love and appreciate in so many ways. We're blessed to include Julie as one of the twenty-six unique authors for our Women of Passions anthology project due for publication this summer. You're not going to want to miss the opportunity to read Julie's stories – you're in store for a blessing!

Thanks, Julie, for giving me a "voice" on your blog. What an honor … one I don't take lightly!

 

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Peace: A Precious Gift

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39)

Peace . . . a precious gift! We all desire it, yet we all find ourselves in the midst of storms, sometimes one right after the other! But have you noticed that when the Master speaks into your situation, peace is not far off?

The disciples were busy, frantically fighting the storm while the precious Saviour slept peacefully. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until the disciples woke Him up being overcome with fear and doubt and uncertainty about the future that He arose and spoke "Peace" into the situation! This is a wonderful example of how we spend our lives. We are at rest with the Saviour during the "calm" . . . yet when a storm arises we struggle and struggle trying to control the situation ourselves. Yet every time, without fail, when we finally run to Him asking for intervention, He speaks "Peace" and the storm comes under His control and we're once again living in the PEACE that only He can give!

Are you walking through a storm right now? Have you struggled long enough on your own to control the situation? It's time to call upon the "Peace Speaker" and ask Him to take control. Then, submit to His will in the situation and you will find that long, sought-after PEACE!

Father, forgive me for the struggles I endure on my own because of my stubbornness. Help me to be quick to seek Your face when the storm arises . . . help me to find PEACE early rather than waiting until the storm seems to overwhelm me. Father, I want to live a disciplined life before you even when the storm clouds aren't in sight . . . I need to know You more, I need to love You more! You're the greatest thing in all my life . . . You are my all in all! Amen!

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

 

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

A Gracious Gift

"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20)

God's grace . . . what a gift! In these last days we're seeing sin abound . . . some even say that the state of this world would make Sodom & Gomorra blush. Whether or not that's the case, it still remains that this generation has surpassed previous ones in its ability to perpetrate evil in unthinkable ways without conscience!

The good news is, however, that as sin increases, so does the Grace of God!

Greater measures of God's grace can be found in:

Grace to Endure . . . When the sinfulness of those around us seems to have increased, we can praise God that His grace has also increased our ability to endure persecution.

Grace to Shine . . . When it seems like there's nothing to be happy about, God's grace gives us the ability to keep smiling, to keep praise on our lips and a song in our heart . . . not because of the condition of this world, but because of Who He is!

Grace to Evangelize . . . An increased measure to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being found in the hearts of believers today. It seems the more we see God's goodness and grace in our lives, the more we want all those around to share in His amazing love!

Grace to Go Through What's Happening In the World Today . . . persecution, trials, tribulations . . . an extra measure of God's grace enables us to face whatever comes our way!

Grace Inwardly and Outwardly . . . God gives us a supernatural ability to resist sin and temptation by His Grace.

When you feel evil all around you . . . when you feel the weight of oppression bearing down on your life, look up . . . God's Grace has made a way for you to endure whatever you're facing. His Grace is absolutely and unquestionably sufficient!

Father, thank you for your Grace . . . when I'm in need, when things around me seem to be falling apart, when I'm weighed down with oppression, when I feel that I can't go on any longer, your Grace becomes my way through. What a wonderful expression of Your love toward us . . . toward me -- Your Grace so completely sufficient! Amen!

"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (James 4:6-8)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Make Up Your Mind!

"...How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him..." (1 Kings 18:21)

Whoever said there are no absolutes was sorely mistaken. Black or white! Right or wrong! Hot or cold! God or Baal! How many times have you wanted to shake someone and tell them they have to make up their minds . . . either serve God wholeheartedly or don't bother trying!

God is merciful, God is love, God is full of compassion and grace . . . BUT, God is holy; He is a jealous God! He will not tolerate gray. He will not tolerate mediocrity! He will not tolerate lukewarmness! He will not tolerate half-heartedness in a relationship with Him!

God is drawing us to a level of relationship with Him like never before. It is one of singlemindedness . . . sold out, submitted and consecrated to Him! He is preparing His Bride for His soon appearing by strengthening the relationship . . . causing the yearning for Him to increase day by day as we anticipate His coming!

Before you shake someone else for being double-minded, check your own heart. Are you single-minded toward God or are you walking in the lukewarm, middle-of-the road state that breaks the heart of God? We all need to examine our hearts in response to the drawing of His Spirit.

Father, forgive me, Lord, for not always being single-minded toward You. Forgive me, Father, for trying to live as the world while I try to live a Christian life. I realize, Father, that I cannot continue to live like this . . . help me to make a choice to serve You with ALL my heart, mind, soul and strength regardless of the cost to me personally! Father, as I anxiously look for the day when You tell Your Son to come get His Bride, cleanse me and make me ready to be presented to Him as pure and spotless! Lord, may my consecrated and set-apart life be a praise to You bringing You glory! Amen!

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." (1 Corinthians 10:21)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved