Riverlife Church Passion Week (Day 1)
Date: 16 April 2014
Speaker: Pastor Joel Baker
Rhema word from the Lord: “It’s Time!”
Time for what:
- New worship (as though Christ the Lord has already returned; physically standing on the stage)
- Honest transparency before the Lord
- It’s going to get messy (out of order)
- Sense of expectation to rise (permission to expect more from God)
- Breaking out a flood of goodness, wholeness, freedom and boldness on part of the body of Christ
Jesus: Prince of Peace (Hebrew “shalom”: wholeness)
Your gates shall be open continually; day and night
they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
with their kings led in procession. [Isaiah 60:11]
Believe
the supernatural
Passover: entry-level of our relationship with
Israel; not just Passover! By
faith in Jesus, become part of Israel!
Israel’s history becomes our history; Israel’s feasts become our feasts!
DARE NOT BECOME FAMILIAR/APATHETIC
WITH THE GOSPEL!
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there
has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From
the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered
violence, and the violent (forceful men, NIV) take it by force. [Matthew 11:11–12]
{indwelling Spirit given to those who believe: new
covenant}
11: number
of transition (between numbers of
perfection, 10 and 12)
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might
fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the
Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. [Romans 11:11]
You cannot stay in a season of transition and hope to
be fruitful
Jesus is saying to His listeners: It’s time to break
out! Things are going to change. The kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing.
Passion invokes passion. He loved us first that we may love Him today
Prophetic: See what God is doing and do that, see
where God is going and go there
Passiveness in the passion
of Jesus!? Our passion is God’s reward for His great sacrifice
Expect the end VERY SOON
John: forerunner of Messiah, Jesus: Messiah (Matthew
11:11–12)
MUCH MORE than the greatest of our expectations!
Live prophetically. Live by the Spirit.
I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will
gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like
a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men. He who opens the breach goes
up before them; they break (forerunner)
through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king (the Messiah) passes on before them, the Lord at their head.
[Micah 2:11–12]
- Sheep are in fields
- Shepherd takes ample number of stones to make enclosure for sheep
- Forerunner serves as king
- Shepherd removes stones, opens enclosure wide enough for sheep to reach greener grass, crystal clear waters
- Celebrating freedom, liberty, bounty, their inheritance
Jesus: I have set you free!
Passover: season of our liberty
Gap between God and us is fertile ground for our
growth in Him. “We’ve got no where else to go, other than You!” When we don’t understand, when God is beyond us,
nevertheless, “I’m in love with You, I don’t want it any other way”
Q: In what ways yet do I need to break free?
BLOOD MOON
1: WHAT DOES IT POINT US TOWARD?
And let them be for signs and for seasons [Genesis
1:14]
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars…”
[Luke 21:25]
‘Zion’: signposted, marked (owned by God, sign
pointing beyond itself to God)
Lunar Eclipses:
Roman Year (Gregorian)
2014: 15 April (First Day of Passover) and 8 October
(Feast of Tabernacles)
2015: 4 April (First Day of Passover) and 28
September (Feast of Tabernacles)
Same Jewish year: 5775 (perfection {7} ended by grace
{5})
2015 Solar
Eclipses
20 March: 1st Nissan, Sacred New Year
13 Sept: Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Tabernacles), Civil
New Year (aka Tax Year)
- Reality that God is binding Jew and Gentile together
- Fate of one (Jew) is bound to the other (Gentile)
- Jews + Gentiles = One New Man
- How does that look like? Dunno leh. But it’s going to be glorious!
Physical separation (Jews) affect spiritual
separation (church)
Jewish lands became barren; Gospel of the kingdom
corrupted
1492 Return of Jews led to reformation and revival of
Church
(1) 1499 –
1950: Independence of Israel
(2) 1967 –
1968: 6 Day War
(1) + (2):
Israel in War and expands her
territory! Leads to the church blessed!
2014/2015 Tetrad: Likely to lead to Israel/Middle
Eastern war (Psalm 83), intention that Israel be wiped out as a nation and be
remembered no more.
Prayer that millions of Jews/Muslims enter the
kingdom!
Jewish/Islam: Ezekiel 37–38 War (Gog and Magog).
Israel needs to win a convincing victory over her enemies.
Solar eclipse: In the darkness, we see things that we
couldn’t see before (stars in the day). In the darkness, Gods light shines, and
we gonna’ participate in God’s activity!
The Road to Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacle: 7th (Last) of Jewish
feasts in the Jewish year
Feasts are
signposts that God will fulfill in Jesus
|
First 5
Signposts
|
Second 5
Signposts
|
||
|
1
|
Pentecost (Acts 2): Gentiles added to God’s
programme
|
10
|
The Last Revival (John 17:2, Ephesians 2:15)
|
|
2
|
Loss of Jewish roots (2nd century)
|
9
|
Saved Remnant of Israel restored, Reconnection with
Jewish roots; Recovery of Tabernacles
|
|
3
|
Loss of gifts of the Spirit (3rd
century)
|
8
|
Gifts of Spirit (1897); Recovery of Pentecost
|
|
4
|
Loss of moves of the Spirit (4th
century)
|
7
|
1700–1850 Revivals; Recovery of Unleavened Bread
|
|
5
|
Loss of Authority of Word
|
6
|
Protestant Reformation: Word Restored; Recovery
of Passover (16th century)
|
Today: Between Signposts 8 (1987) and 9
1987 First Zionist Congress → Pentecostal Revivals
1948 State of Israel Declared → Healing Ministries
1967
Jerusalem Recovered → Jesus Movement and Charismatic Renewal (most powerful in Catholic church)
1973 Yom
Kippur War Miracle →
Messianic Movement (Jewish movements)
Conclusion: Tetrad signifies trouble in Israel to give
opportunity for God to save Israel and to bless the Church
2 Kings
22: Parallel between Josiah and the Church now
Josiah:
Good king of Judah, last godly king to reign Israel before Nebuchadnezzar. Bold
in restoring worship of Yahweh in Spirit and in truth.
The
Church now: Last godly generation before
God returns to earth. Stand out of the crowd and boldly declare Jesus.
