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Walking in Spiritual Reality by Relating with God
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The Bible records countless ways how God’s people have experienced His amazing love, witnessed His awesome power, and walked with Him to see His faithfulness throughout the centuries. He has released people from the most horrid forms of bondage, refreshed starving souls and filled them with real joy, provided vision and wisdom to those living in darkness and confusion, imparted peace and hope to the hopeless, and safety and security to the lost. Truly, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a real and living God! How does one engage, however, in real relationship with an invisible God? Now we’re not talking about forms of religious practices, but active engagement with a relational God who seeks real relationships. Truly, He has given us two ways: His Word and Spirit. We have His word in the Scriptures. It is His Spirit, though, that gives life to mankind. His Spirit also has the capacity to connect and relate with Him on a personal basis. Old Testament characters experienced His Spirit from time to time. All who believe in Messiah Jesus, though, have permanent access to His wonderful Spirit residing in the heart. It simply takes trusting faith: the kind of faith that responds beyond man’s natural tendency to rationalize about God. That’s because God, who is Spirit, seeks to relate with His children. Relating with God takes trusting faith to respond to His voice speaking in the inner recesses of the heart. How to relate with God in such a way? How to hear His voice speaking to your heart? One way God did prescribe as a way to relate and interact with Him was through seven appointed ways, or Feasts of the Lord. Messiah Jesus came to reveal the full meaning and relevance of these feasts. The more you engage and relate with Him and see what He accomplished on your behalf, the more you will understand and appreciate the dynamics of such a blessed walk! |
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Release
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Summary
The Passover feast is more than a mere celebration of freedom from bondage. It marks a total discharge—a genuine release and relief from the heavy burdens of sin and effects of the bondage and corruption of the world, its systems and environments in which we live.
Passover also reveals the beginning of God’s creative process. He separates light from darkness, truth from error and lies, and people from the weight, pressures and burden of bondage.
It marks the beginning of new things God initiates. He puts the past behind us, and prepares us for a new season of grace. We have the opportunity to receive His grace and release, and go forward—pressing towards God’s upward call.
The LORD truly bore our sins, thoroughly releasing us from the burden of the effects of sinful tendencies. The Holy Spirit, He said, would come to be our comforter; providing real relief from stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and every evil thing. The gospel, therefore, provides a real assurance and hope of spiritual freedom.
The LORD truly is our hope of glory. The Holy Spirit fills us with a real peace and joy the world cannot comprehend!
So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 2 Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2 JNT)
Life Application Questions
Have you appropriated the LORD’s total discharge from the heavy burdens of sin? Have you cast off guilt?
Are you experiencing real relief from anxiety, stress, fear, and depression? If not, place your burdens at the foot of the cross. Submit them to the LORD. Allow His blood to wash them away, and let the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind through the LORD. (Philippians 4:6)
Do you see opportunities for new things God may be doing in your life?
Do you see new resources, new ground for you to possess?
Do you hear heaven’s call to bring liberty and greater joy into your life?
What may be holding you back from receiving God’s promises?
Scripture References
Romans 8; Hebrews 6:9-12; 2 Peter 1
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Refreshment
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Summary
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the home was cleared from all traces of leaven. What’s the issue with leaven? It’s a turbulent form of bacterium that is permeating and pervasive in nature. It spreads like a cancer or virus, contaminating, polluting and corrupting what it touches. It therefore, is used as a metaphor for sin and falsehood. As it spreads, it compromises and destroys what is true, good and otherwise pure.
As we walk in this life, we are continuously bombarded with messages of this world that may seem good. The majority of them, however, are rooted in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They look good on the outside—but are not rooted in God’s truth or life of His Spirit—and therefore, cannot bear the life, wisdom or fruit of His Spirit, and produce God’s real peace and joy.
God wants us to eat of the tree of life! He wants us to discern between what is of Him and what is of the world. He wants to bring us from confusion to clarity. That is accomplished by seeking God’s wisdom and peace through His Word and Spirit; and comes from receiving the true light of the world—the LORD, Messiah Jesus.
The LORD’s sacrifice, therefore, not only released you from the burdens of the effects of sin, but accomplished what the Law of Moses could never permanently do: legally clear you of all possible charges of sin, removing all possible effects of guilt, condemnation and confusion found under the law of sin and death!
His last words proclaimed on the cross were, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) Paul, therefore, endeavored to clear the disciples’ conscience from all traces of guilt proclaiming:
And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-5 NLT)
Free from guilt and condemnation, the believer can receive the LORD’s mercy and truth. By receiving His mercy and truth, you walk with a refreshed mindset and perspective on life—God’s perspective! Such a mindset sets things clear to you so you see with God’s kind of open vision. Truly, His open vision enables you to walk in the light of His wisdom and truth.
Life Application Questions
Have you allowed the LORD to clear all the charges of guilt and condemnation from your conscience? Are there areas where you still come under guilt and condemnation?
Have you received the full mercy of God?
Do you extend mercy to others—even those with whom you have difficulty? How about those who scorn, use, or mock you?
Do you judge anybody? Do you hold anybody in low esteem? Are you quick to condemn those who do you wrong?" This is a more crucial issue than most of us like to believe. As Scripture says, “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.” (Matthew 6:14-15 JNT)
Scripture References
Romans 8:1-3; Colossians 2:13-15; Matthew 6:14-15;
Mark 11:25; Luke 17:3-4; 23:34; 1 John 1:9
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Refocus
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Summary
The Feast of First-fruits served as a shadow, pointing to the resurrection of the LORD as the first soul arisen in the newness of eternal life. In identifying with His death and resurrection, the child of God is elevated to a new spiritual state; “from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
(Romans 8:21 NKJV)
This new position acknowledges an intimate and genuine relationship with our Creator and Father God. It is by this real “Spirit of adoption” whereby the child of God receives the love of the Father, responding by crying out from the heart, “Abba, Father.” As His children, we become joint heirs in union with the LORD. (Romans 8:17)
In addition, the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed into our hearts as the “guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14) This infilling is in essence, the deposit—or initial installment of our eternal inheritance!
This new posture or standing opens up a truly new realm of vested spiritual rights to the child of God, as stated in John 1:12-13. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
To gain insight into what this truly means, two words need to be fully understood: receive and right. The word used for receive here, lambano, is an active verb, in contrast to the more passive kind of verb used in the sentence just prior to this one. It means: actively attained. The word used for right is exousia. Like many Greek and Hebrew words, it is an expansive word. It means: right, privilege, capacity, competency, strength, freedom, authority, power, and jurisdiction. It means a lot!
So, those who more than believe, but actively embrace and trust the LORD and welcome the Holy Spirit from the heart, attain the full right, privilege, capacity, competency, strength, freedom, authority, power, and jurisdiction of covenant children of God!
How many of those who believe actively receive all God has to bestow? Truly, God’s children in the LORD have opportunity to apprehend a fresh, wide-range perspective of life!
This standing offers the child of God a special kind of spiritual vision. 1 Samuel 3:1 calls this type of vision, open vision (chazone parats). With such type of open vision and the faith to see it materialize, you can truly come into the fullness of God’s unique purposes for your life.
Life Application Questions
To what degree have you received the love of the Father?
How has God revealed His Son in you?
To what extent have you received your “vesting” as a joint heir
with the LORD?
How have you been exercising your rights as heirs of grace,
children of the King of Glory?
Scripture References
John 1; Romans 8; Galatians 1:16; Galatians 4; Hebrews 12
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Independence in God Dependence on God |
Summary
Shavuot—the Feast of Harvest was originally established to celebrate the fullness of the harvest. It also marks the day Moses received the Law—God’s covenant. It would be God’s word that would guide God’s people through a life of faith—dependent on God; and distinguished from the pagan nations of the world.
Moses therefore reminded the people that God provided manna in the wilderness to prove an important point: “He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3-4) The LORD quoted this very scripture when tempted by Satan in the wilderness right before embarking on His ministry. (Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4)
As the disciples were celebrating Shavuot, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as recorded in Acts 2. God’s covenant Word connected with His Spirit and brought completion—or fullness—to the revelation of God’s covenant. It therefore, brought fulfillment to Isaiah’s prophecy expressing the fullness of God’s covenant: "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth…” (Isaiah 59:21 NKJV)
So, full independence in God would be expressed by depending on God’s Word breathed by His Spirit—the Holy Spirit. This is what the LORD revealed towards the end of His ministry in the upper room.
I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. (John 16:12-14 JNT)
This is also what Paul had in mind in expressing what liberty in the LORD is about: standing free, not being “entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)
As the LORD has discharged us from the debt to the law of sin and fully acquitted us from the guilt of the effects of sin, we have the capacity to be empowered to walk in the Spirit of liberty! That capacity is realized by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit; the enabling power to resist worldly influences and carnal impulses so the LORD’s nature can dominate our thought processes and actions.
This happens as we allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to resist the ways of the world and sways of sin: the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life. The more we yield to the LORD’s nature by the Holy Spirit, the more we appropriate His victory in our life.
This is what the LORD meant in declaring, “He who loves his life loses it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it safe right on into eternal life!” (John 12:25 JNT) He was referring to a real kind of life transformation: where our life absorbed in satisfying the desires of the flesh become renewed; and we become more focused on satisfying the desires God imparts in our heart and purposes He has towards us—which have the capacity to bring more fulfilling measures of liberty and the real joy and peace of God.
This transformation comes as the Holy Spirit enlightens your mind and heart to truth, bringing God’s real refreshment and liberation! The more you yield to the Holy Spirit, the more you are able to resist temptations and be free from the pulls that lead to anxiety and fear—so God can bring you to His rest, His settling state of peace.
Life Application Questions
What good desires and purposes do you think God has towards you?
What thoughts can you release to the LORD so the Holy Spirit can empower you to greater measures of freedom, peace and joy?
Scripture References
John 12-17; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 2; Galatians 5-6
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Reclamation
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Summary
The Feast of Trumpets serves as a shadow pointing forward to the LORD’s triumph over the power of the law of sin and death. The LORD humbled Himself, and was obedient unto death. He sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin, reveal God’s righteousness, and administer God’s judgment—releasing His amazing grace and awesome mercy!
In surrendering to death on the cross, the LORD overcame the human sinful tendency to uphold self-righteousness. He then recovered the spiritual authority that Adam had lost to Satan in giving in to the lie of the serpent and disobeying God. He, therefore, declared in Revelation 1:18-19, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Peter’s life illustrates a great example of a life reclaimed and transformed. He was humbled, and allowed the LORD to impart in him a great grace gift. Extremely self-confident and often quick to talk, He thought he could never deny his friend and Savior. How quickly he did, though, just as the LORD had predicted. However, he allowed the Holy Spirit to convict his heart. He was then given the grace of redemption, and the opportunity to three times declare his true love for the LORD.
After the LORD asked him three times, “do you love me,” Peter replied, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." (John 21:17 NKJV)
Peter learned that the LORD really knew his heart. He surrendered to the conviction by the Holy Spirit. He allowed the Holy Spirit to fill the gap in His heart. That empowered a real change in temperament and attitude: real transformation. He could, therefore, be entrusted with a large measure of authority and anointing of the Holy Spirit!
Life Application Questions
Have you noticed situations arising in your life where you have faced having to defend, justify, or prove yourself? In those situations, how have you asked God for the strength to make it? How may you have kicked in your heels, and fought to win on your own strength?
Are there times where you blame the devil or other people for your shortcomings, taking no responsibility for your own actions?
Has the Holy Spirit been leading you to consider some things and beckoning you to settle the issue—and come to the understanding of God’s truth—which will make you free?
Has the Holy Spirit been trying to convict you of any weaknesses or areas of pride or self indulgence?
Has the Holy Spirit been leading you to repent for anything, and turn to God for His mercy—and way of grace?
Scripture References
1 Samuel 13:1-15; Psalm 51; Daniel 4; Matthew 16:24-27; Mark 8:35-38; Philippians 4:12
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Reformation
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Summary
The LORD is our atonement for sin. His obedient death on the cross reconciled man back to God, restoring the fullness of the covenant relationship lost in the Garden of Eden due to sin, disobedience and assertion of independence from God. His sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath.
As we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we have, likewise, been united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. We, therefore, have a new capacity to resist the tendencies to sin. We have the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit.
As a result, sin no longer has to have dominion over the believer, for we are under the law of grace. Therefore, it is up to us to walk in the newness of this new life in the LORD. If we stumble, we repent, turn to God’s way and receive God’s forgiveness without condemnation.
Such freedom, however, does not give us license to keep walking in self indulgence. In fact in the LORD we have been raised to a higher standard of moral excellence and accountability.
Therefore, we “submit to God” and “resist the devil” by drawing near to God, purifying our heart, and apprehending the LORD’s thoughts by the Holy Spirit. (James 4:7 and Philippians 2:5) By this we allow the Holy Spirit to transform and "re-form" us by His grace as God the potter forms the clay. This was the concept behind Paul's exhortation in Romans 12:2-- "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
In addition, by reckoning to be dead to sin and alive to God, we can redirect our thoughts and actions, and serve our fellow man in the “newness of the Spirit.” (Romans 6:5-6 and 7:6)
In teaching believers how to express gratefulness to God for His love and precious promises, Peter encouraged believers to cultivate the LORD’s divine nature—character traits above and beyond basic faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
Peter spoke more on the value of allowing the Holy Spirit to keep us diligent and disciplined in order to grow in the knowledge of God and live fruitful lives. He admonishes us to, “prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.” (2 Peter 1:10)
Life Application Questions
Having received the LORD’s atonement, in what ways do you think you can diligently pursue advancing your walk with Him to be a partaker of His divine nature?
What fruits of the Spirit’s character traits do you regularly bear?
Which of these character traits will you ask God to manifest in your
life to a greater extent?
In what ways can you see yourself growing further?
Scripture References
Romans 5-7; 2 Peter; Philippians 2:5-15; 2 Corinthians 4; 1 John
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Fruitfulness Recovery Transformation |
Summary
Sukkot, Tabernacles, is the most joyous of the feasts. It is celebrated over an eight day period, and is designed to facilitate active times of celebration and relating with God and one another.
It, in essence, served as a shadow pointing forward to the type of life and dynamic fellowship experienced by the early believers as recorded in Acts. They had simple hearts, childlike faith, and walked in childlike obedience to God.
They pursued an active, passionate relationship with God, and strong dynamic, covenant relationships with one another. The high level of engagement they maintained with God and one another further points forward to the great wedding feast of the LORD and His Bride—the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9)
As a result of the active engagement with the Holy Spirit, the prophecy in Isaiah 61 began to be fulfilled: good tidings were preached, many broken-hearted and lame were healed, those in captivity to sin were set free—God was glorified!
God’s community of faith, therefore, grew by leaps and bounds. People were certainly witnessing His wonders. Revival broke loose. God still seeks such vibrant, active communities of believers glorifying His name and accomplishing His purposes in the earth.
These disciples knew they had realized and experienced something very special. They now had an expanded view and revelation of the fullness of God’s intended purpose and vision spoken to Moses regarding His delivering the children of Israel out from the bondage of Egypt and into the liberty of a revived relationship with Him.
I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. (Exodus 6:6-7)
They now understood the true value of being rescued. Their lives had been recovered by God from the corruption of the world—spiritual death—to recover what had been lost—real dynamic spiritual and eternal life in Messiah by the Holy Spirit!
As an eight-day celebration, we celebrate more than a complete recovery (signified by the number 7), but new character traits and fruit of a transformed life—personal growth; the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our life. Even more, we celebrate a transformed eternal life in Messiah!
Life Application Questions
How can you maintain an active engagement with God?
In what of kind of dynamic fellowship can you participate?
How do you think your community of faith can grow?
In what ways do you think you can experience such a dynamic life and witness the power of God in your midst?
How do you measure personal growth and transformation of character?
Scripture References
The book of Acts
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