Welcome to ‘Rosh Chodesh’, ‘First Fruits’, ‘New Moon’ – Tammuz – 4th Month in God’s

Redemptive Calendar - 5777

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;”…(Luke 21:25)

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;”…(Luke 21:25)

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”…(Ps 19:1-4)

“You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways.”…(Job 22:28)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”…(Rev 22:16)

“So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts.”…(2 Pet 1: 19)

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.”…(Rev 2:26-28)

“And he said to them, "Go you, and tell that fox, 'Behold I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'" Luke 13:32" (Revelation 2:17)

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;”…(Luke 21:25)“He made the Pleiades and Orion;He turns the shadow of death into morningAnd makes the day dark as night;”…(Amos 5:8(a))

➢ So, what can the Lord reveal to us through the crab? –Hebrews 3:7-8 comes to

mind:

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the time of testing in the wilderness,”…

➢ We can either GROW in the wilderness or DIE in the

wilderness

“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

churches; To him that overcomes will I give to

eat of the hidden manna (truth not yet

revealed)..." (Revelation 2:17)

It’s TESTIMONY time!

➢ “Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;” (Jer 51:20)

➢ Associated tribe was Zebulun – the business / money-making tribe, also, did you do business with the Lord this month?

➢ The month of PENTECOST – a month of giving: Substance, Time, Revelation

➢ Sivan is linked with mercy and alignment / This month is a time for you to receive supernatural mercy and grace so that you can complete things

➢ We must be in the right alignment in order to move forward with God

➢ Once you get moving in God’s time, restoration accelerates.

We serve a God Who is outside of time, Who operates in eternity -

But, He placed us in TIME, and He gave us Instructions (Torah) to live by….

“He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment,Because for every matter there is a time and judgment,Though the misery of man increases greatly.”(Eccl 8:5-6)

The Lord gave us ‘Redemptive-Time’ & ‘Redemptive Law’ / They are gifts!

“And He has madefrom one blood,every nation ofmen to dwell onall the face of the

earth, and hasdetermined

their preappointedtimes and theboundaries of their

dwellings, so that theyshould seek the Lord,in the hope that they

might grope forHim and find

Him, though Heis not far fromeach one of us;”

(Acts 17:26-27)

Is The

Power

of “FIRST FRUITS”

➢ As we do for the other ‘Moedim’ (Appointed Times), we are called to mark Rosh Chodesh with an offering (Num 28: 11-15)

➢ Each one of the appointed times, beginning with Daily sacrifices, weekly Sabbath sacrifices, Monthly-New Moon sacrifices and the Yearly Feasts all required “Burnt Offerings”

➢ The Root word for burnt offering is: ʻâlâh, aw-law'; to ascend, to be high, lifted up, a plant which sprouts forth and grows, to increase, to become strong, to overcome

➢ The lives of the Jews and the early church were orchestrated around these appointments with the Lord - and they taught it to the gentile believers

➢ Acts 3:1 “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”

➢ Acts 10:30 “So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,.”

➢ Acts 17:2 “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”…..

➢ Col 2:16 “Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat”…..

➢ In the book of Acts Church, their lives became one, continuous burnt offering (ʻâlâh, aw-law’); they increased, they became strong, they overcame – They became the ‘aroma of Christ’

➢ All of the sacrifices and offerings that were ordained in Leviticus and Numbers were fulfilled in Christ – but each one has spiritual relevance to us today and are part of taking up our cross daily:

The Offering The Leviticus portion The Significance The Fulfillment

1) Burnt (Olah) Lev. 1; 6:8-13 Total Devotion Eph. 5:2

2) Grain (Minchah) Lev. 2; 6:14-24 Consistent service John 6:33, 35

3) Peace (Shalom) Lev. 3; 7:11-34 United fellowship1 Cor. 10:16; 11:25; Eph. 2:13-16; Col. 1:20-22; Heb. 13:15, 20; Rev. 3:20

4) Sin (Chatat) Lev. 4; 5:1-13Mortifying our soulish nature

2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:25; 8:3; Heb. 9:26; 10:5-18; 13:12

5) Guilt (Asham) Lev. 5:14- 6: 7; 7:1-10 Removed Guilt/ShameEph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 11:27; 2 Cor. 5:19; Is. 53:10

➢ They lived a FIRST FRUITS lifestyle – Rosh Chodesh is a unique expression of first fruits

➢ We give the first of our time and resources at the head of every month – therefore, based on the biblical principle of First Fruits – the entire month (of time) and our resources are set apart to the Lord, - Time and resources become Holy!

➢ So, what does the fulfillment of Rosh Chodesh look like?

Significance of “Chodesh”

✓ To Renew oneself✓ To polish a sword

✓ Create a sharp, polished, splendid sword

✓“To Produce Something NEW”

✓ One New Man (Eph 2:15)✓ A Bride without Spot or Blemish (Eph 5:27)

✓ A Bride who has made herselfready (Rev 19:7)

✓ A Bride who has fulfilled her destiny (Eph 3:10)

➢ As we enter into the 4th month – In the natural, we can see a seasonal transition from Spring (Judah, Issachar & Zebulun) to Summer(Reuben, Simeon & Gad)

S

P

R

I

N

G

S U M M E R

➢ So, part of the significance of the Tribal layout is connected to the Seasons of the year

“To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven”… (Eccl 3:1)

zᵉmân, zem-awn’; a set time

➢ Yes, we have a lot of growing up to do! We have to be like the ‘Sons of Issachar’, who understood times and seasons….that means understanding every way that God communicates to us ….“Every happening….”

➢As we flow in the Lord’s redemptive timing, in His SEASONS, this becomes a WEAPON that keeps CHAOS in check and brings LIFE (Abundant Life)!

➢That makes sense, since Psalm 81 tells us this (and it specifically relates to Rosh Chodesh) (Ps 81:3-4, 13-14)

“Blow the shofar in the new moon in the time appointed on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute of Israel and an ordinance of the God of Jacob…“Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! “Then I would quickly subdue and humble their enemiesAnd turn My hand against their adversaries;

➢Again, Eccl 8:5 tells us:

“Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing, and a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment.

➢So, not only do we find security when we operate in the Lord’s redemptive timing, but our lives begin to flow through the seasons – the Lord imparting blessings and making corrections in our walk – so that we are always going from ‘Strength to Strength’ and from ‘Glory to Glory’

Covenant Alignment

➢Fourth month of God’s Redemptive Calendar

➢Season – Summer

➢# Days – 29

➢Gregorian equivalent – June/July

➢Biblical occurrences during the month of

Tammuz

➢The inscribed ten commandments are

shattered

➢The golden calf is destroyed

➢The walls of Jerusaelem were breached by

Nebuchadnezzar’s armies

➢Fast of the fourth month mentioned by the

prophet Zechariah (Zech. 8:19) happens this

month. Purpose of the fast is to instill a sense

of repentance by recalling the specific

tragedies that befell the Jewish people

because of idolatry

➢ Both temples were destroyed

between the 4th and 5th

months of the Jewish calendar

➢“Between the straits” mentioned in (Lamentations

1:3) is a period of time when many calamities befell

the Jewish people.

➢He also offered his own sons as surety for

Benjamin's safety in Genesis 42:37.

➢Tribe - Reuben

➢ First born of Jacob and Leah

➢His name means “see a son”

➢He loses his first born status by having an affair with

Jacob’s concubine Bilhah

➢However, he does have some redemptive

qualities➢He intervened with his brothers to spare

Joseph's life in Genesis 37:21-30.

➢ “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might,

and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent

in dignity and preeminent in

power. Unstable as water, you shall not

have preeminence, because you went up

to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he

went up to my couch!” [Gen. 49:3-4]

➢In Genesis 49,Jacob spoke this prophetic word

over Reuben

➢But Reuben was not to receive either blessing

because he was as “unstable as water.”

➢Jacob affirms in verse 3 that Reuben holds a special

place in his heart by virtue of the fact that he was the

firstborn

➢As the firstborn, he would have 2 specific privileges:

➢He would become the head of the family, the new

patriarch

➢He would be entitled to a double portion of the

inheritance.

➢All the potential in the world won’t benefit you

if you don’t develop self-control (a fruit of the

Spirit)

➢The sins of the past disqualified him from the

blessings of the future.

➢This incident with Bilhah occurred 40 years

prior to this prophetic word. But his one act of

indulgence robbed him of his privileges as the

firstborn.➢Like King David after him, he paid a terrible

price for a night of pleasure.

➢We all have tremendous potential in the Lord,

but “sin is knocking at our doors, and its desire is

for us, but we must overcome it”

➢The enemy knows our weaknesses better than

we do – and he will capitalize on them in times

of stress and confusion

➢You too can be preeminent in dignity and

power, BUT -

➢if you’re unstable as water, it’s only a matter of

time until your potential is swept away by the

flood of lust.

(John Paul Jackson testimony)

➢We must continue to take every

thought captive to the

obedience of Jesus Christ.

➢No matter what gifts the Lord has given us,

they are worthless without godly character.

➢They never

entered into the

promised land

(Num 23).

➢True to Jacob’s prophecy, the Reubenites

produced no significant man, no judge, no king,

and no prophet

➢One wrong decision can affect generations to

come – just as the sword never left David’s

house (2 Sam 12:10)

➢Guard your heart – watch

your mouth & confess the

best the Lord has for you –

Agree with the call He has

on your life!

Prophetic Look at -

➢From a Cautionary standpoint, since we are all products of our culture, at least to some extent – then, beware of the ‘Dog days of Summer’

➢Reuben means: “Behold or SEE a son” – because of that prophetic name, Rabbinic literature associates the month of Tammuz with the sense of sight or vision - “What do you see”?

➢Just like a soldier in the military – you are always “On Call” – you never stop watching

➢And as you ‘Watch’, you need to correctly interpret (with the Mind of Christ) what it is you’re seeing – this links directly with the prophetic word spoken over Reuben when he was born

➢It was in this season that the spies sent into the promised land sawGIANTS, and those spies saw themselves as ‘grasshoppers’ in the eyes of the enemy – and because of that, the enemy saw them as grasshoppers

➢Those 10 spies did not SEE like Caleb saw, who saw the giants as ‘bread’

➢How do you SEE when faced with a difficult situation? Are you a grasshopper or a giant-slayer?

➢Because this season lends itself to self-indulgence, then it’s important that we pursue the Biblical antidote:

➢This is an appropriate time to review your walk with the Lord – review the progression of your life and make adjustments as necessary

➢Covenant alignment is also an important aspect of this month – look carefully at those with whom you shake hands…

"I went up and shared this [story] when Dutch released the word, and he shouted, "I'm telling you – it's a Word from the Lord! It's an explosion of GRACE! We're about to move into a MEGA GRACE Season! I'm not decreeing that just as a hope; I'm prophesying to you as a Word from the Lord. We're about to move into a MEGA GRACE season that will be explosive in nature! Dynamite Grace, Dunamis Grace, Power and Grace mixed together. There is an EXPLOSION of the miraculous coming."

DECLARATIONS FOR FIRST FRUITS!

“Lord, we believe that a new season is upon us, and that which we have decreed, declared, prophesied and prayed for is about to burst forth in our lives and ministries and onto the world stage.”!

“Lord, by Your Immeasurable Grace, we will worship You with our whole body, soul and spirit”!

“Lord, we thank You that You guide us into proper covenantal alignments”

“Thank You Lord that You have given us the ‘Mind of Christ’ to interpret what we see from a heavenly perspective”