The Feast of Trumpets sets your feet on the path to revival!- 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS- On the first day of the month of Tishri in the Fall, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) blasts its way into the new year. The “Head of the Year”, even though it’s not really the start of the Biblical year at all, according to Exodus 12:2.

It was intended by God to be a day of rest, a day to blow trumpets, and to offer sacrifices over and above the usual sacrifices for the new month for making atonement for the people.

When the Lord brings change there comes a realignment of things and there is a cutting away that happens.

1. Humble ourselves before God and let Him search and judge our hearts.
2. Pray God’s blessing over the New Year.
3. Pray God’s blessing for a long and healthy life in Christ.

During this season there is a call going out for both holiness and power.

God is calling us to a higher standard and to a place of spiritual maturity.

God is bringing the Church into a place of true son-ship. For this to happen we must experience His holy, loving discipline so we can mature into the place of holiness and power He is calling us into.

His discipline always encourages us to rise higher; it never discourages us nor knocks us down. That is usually the work of a critical, judgmental spirit. A Good Time to Take Stock

SHANA TOVA! (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)– It is customary to eat sweet foods like apples, honey and chocolate, and to give such gifts for a sweet new year.

The 10 days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe.

During these 10 days we rejoice and stand in “awe” of Jesus (Yeshua) who made us “at-one” with God.

Following Rosh Hashanah is the Ten Days of Awe leading into The Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is the day the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies and apply the blood of the sacrifice to the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people from the previous year. There was no barrier between the High Priest and the full manifested glory of God.

I believe that as we humble ourselves before God and embrace the sacrifice of the Cross in a new way in our lives, we will experience a depth of intimacy and communion with God deeper than we have ever known before. There will be no barrier between us and the glory as we embrace the work of the Cross.

Humility opens the way for us to go deep into a pure communion with God.

It will be out of this place that we reap the amazing harvest that is awaiting us. Not only a harvest of God’s mercy and love in our own lives, but a harvest of global proportions as we see the heart of humanity turn toward God in this last hour.

Tabernacles is a time of rejoicing in the Lord of feasting on His goodness.

This is a unique feast recognized by temporary shelters (sukkot, or booths) being constructed and lived in during the week of the festival.

John 7:37-38– “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow waters of living water”.

Sukkot (Hebrew: sukkōt, Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles) is an appointed time celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late October). It is one of the three biblically mandated moedim on which Jews made pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The Hebrew word sukkōt is the plural of sukkah, “booth,  tabernacle”. The sukkah is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the ancient Hebrews dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus.

“The festival of the seventh month and occasion of its celebration: “At the end of the year when you gather in your labors out of the field” (Ex. 23:16); “after you have gathered in from your threshing-floor and from your winepress” (Deut. 16:13). It was Thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. Coming as it did at the completion of the harvest, Sukkot was regarded as a general thanksgiving for the bounty of nature in the year that had passed.

Isaiah 12:(2) Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'” (3) Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. (4) And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. (5) Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. (6) Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

Psalm 118: (25) Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.  (26) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. (27) God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (28) You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. (29) Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

GOD PART:

 

JOHN 11

 

The Death of Lazarus

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 

2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

 

They appealed to Jesus based on his love for Lazarus! 

 

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 

6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 

7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 

10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 

13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

 

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 

18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 

19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 

22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

 

She goes From complaint to confession so quickly.

What did Jesus say or do or his look.

 

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

 

In- apart of or included with

 

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

 

Jesus- REZ IS ME

 

26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

 

The drama of this, Jesus says this in the middle of a cemetery.

Do you believe this?

Jesus is saying he’s the Lord of the cemetery even death!

 

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

 

Evidently, all Jesus needed was a mustard seed confession, and he was off and running!

 

Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy

 

28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 

30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 

31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 

34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept. 

 

Wept

Why?

Is Jesus sorry for them?

Are they tears of anger they don’t have faith?

Maybe he’s mad at death and the grave and it’s control over them.

 

36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

 

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

 

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 

39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 

 

This is very personal – do you believe?

 

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

 

Jesus practiced prayers of gratitude and Thanksgiving in impossible situations.

If Jesus did this, this might be the key to resurrection life when we think all is lost.

 

42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 

43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

 

Jesus issued a command- not an invitation.

He issued  an imperative-not an idea.

Jesus issued a summons-not a suggestion. 

 

JESUS…

“cried with a loud voice” (NRSV),

 “roared with a great voice,”2

 “shouted as loudly as he could” (GOD’S WORD).

 

ROMANS 14: 9 For to this end Christ died [a]and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

 

44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

 

An encore is scheduled one day

Lazarus was but a warm-up. 

Jesus will someday shout, and the ingathering of saints will begin. 

Graveyards, ocean depths, battlefields, burned buildings, and every other resting place of the deceased will give up the dead in whatever condition they might be found. 

They will be recomposed, resurrected, and re-presented in the presence of Christ.”

 

TAKE AWAY:

 

John 20

That You May Believe

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 

31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

That we might believe

Why these miracles…

 

water-to-wine miracle? So WE would believe that Jesus can restore what life has taken.

the faith of a nobleman? That WE might believe Jesus hears our prayers though you think he doesn’t.

the lame man who took up his mat?That WE might believe in a Jesus who sees a new version of us.

the blind man who washed the mud from his eyes? That WE might believe in a Jesus who gives new vision to us.

walking on water? That WE would believe God still stills the storms of life.

feeding the thousands? That you would believe God still solves the problems of life. 

Why raise the dead? That WE would believe God still brings the dead to life.

 

The hope of John, the hope of his book, indeed the hope of God, and the hope of this book. 

 

That we would believe:

not in our power-

not in humanity’s ability to help itself, 

not in tarot cards or good fortune, 

not in good looks or good luck. 

 

But that we would believe in Jesus. 

 

Jesus as:

the Christ

the Messiah

the Anointed One

the Son of God.”

 

Next time you’re in a cemetery:

1 THESS 4:

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

GOD WANTS US TO KNOW:

 

I know everything about you (Ps. 139:1).

I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Ps. 139:2).       

I’ve numbered the hairs on your head (Matt. 10:29–31).

I’ve adopted you into my family (Rom. 8:15).

Before you were the size of a freckle in your mother’s womb, I knew you (Jer. 1:4–5).

You are my idea, and I have only good ideas (Eph. 1:11–12).

You won’t live a day longer or less than I intend (Ps. 139:16).

I love you as my own child (1 John 3:1).

I will take care of you (Matt. 6:31–33).

I love you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3).

I can’t quit thinking about you (Ps. 139:17–18).

You are my treasured possession (Ex. 19:5).

Let’s do great things together (Jer. 33:3).

Nothing will ever separate you from my love (Rom. 8:38–39).”

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 

4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 

9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 

14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.

15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 

21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 

23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 

29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

THOUGHTS: 

The Story:

• All of John’s other miracle stories- 10/12 verses
• Why 41 verses?
• No OT BLIND healings!
• Only NT And with the exception of 1 all Jesus.
• We are all blind.
• Jesus saw a blind man
• Others observed- Jesus saw
• Vs. 2- The Disciples saw a theological discussion
• Jesus saw someone who had never seen- anything!

Point 1-  GOD SEES YOU!

You are seen! You aren’t invisible. You aren’t overlooked or invisible!

• The Pharisees missed the miracle:

“Charles Spurgeon said, “It is not our littleness that hinders Christ; but our bigness. It is not our weakness that hinders Christ; it is our strength. It is not our darkness that hinders Christ; it is our supposed light that holds back his hand.

THE SPIT:

• Jesus takes the initiative
• Jesus spits!
• Jesus spitting: 

POINT 2: Sometimes God iniates the miracle through less than pleasant circumstances. He uses mud-moments.

• Fear, frustration and failure- mud in the eye.
• Shalom means sent
• Jesus many time refers to himself as sent from the father!
• To SEE we have to go to the SENT one
• Those steps were 3 sets of 5 steps.

THE REQUIREMENT:

To RECIEVE A MIRACLE WHAT do YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• He knew only this: a man called Jesus made clay, put it on his eyes, and told him to wash. 
• He received sight, not because he deserved it, earned it, or found it. 
• He received sight because he trusted and obeyed the One who was sent to “open eyes that are blind” (Isa. 42:7 NIV).”

Point 3: TRUST AND OBEY

EXAMPLE: opening blind eyes

Tom Doyle, a leading expert on contemporary dreams and visions experienced by Muslims. Doyle described a phenomenon of person after person seeing the same image: Jesus in a white robe, telling them he loves them, that he died for them, and urging them to follow him. This has been happening in Syria, Iran, and Iraq. It has happened so many times in Egypt that Christian outreach groups took out ads in the newspapers. 

The ads asked, “Have you seen the man in a white robe in your dreams? He has a message for you. Call this number.”

Doyle explains that 50 percent of Muslims around the world cannot read, so Jesus reaches them through dreams and visions. Eighty-six percent do not know a Christian, so Jesus goes to them directly.”

CLOSE THOUGHTS:

“And because the leaders refused to see, “They cast him out” (John 9:34).

The was-blind man found himself kicked out of the temple with no one to defend him. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man” (v. 35 NLT).

Christ was not about to leave the man unprotected. You can expect him to do the same for you. If you believe in him, he has given this pledge to you: “No one can steal [you] out of my hand” (John 10:28 NCV).”

APPLICATION:

“What Jesus did physically for the blind beggar, he desires to do spiritually for all people: restore our sight.”

TRUST AND OBEY

“Apart from Christ we are blind. 

• We cannot see our purpose. 
• We cannot see the future. 
• We cannot see our way out of problems and pain. 
• We cannot see Jesus. 
• But he sees us, from head to foot.

EPHESIANS 1:18-20- 

18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 

20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,