POINTS TO PONDER AND CONSIDER

1.  How is your at-one-ment?  Is there anything separating you from God’s speaking to your heart?  Write down anything that you still need to talk to God about.  Give it over to Him today and watch how His mercy and love work out your circumstances.

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• Do the days of Elul feel like “revival” to you?  How so?  If not; why?

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•  Have you ever “rededicated” your life to God?  How is the time of Elul comparable to this concept , only with that process happening year after year?  Can you see why this would be a good thing?

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•  Is there any area of your life that you need to bring before God year after year?  Perhaps this is the year that God is going to give you the strength to set aside this thing that interferes with your holiness forever.  What do you need to pray about in order to receive this extra dose of added strength?

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When something has a stronghold over us; fasting is usually required.  Have you done this?  Do you wish to make a commitment to fast right now?  What are you willing to deny yourself in order for God to help you overcome?

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•  What blessing and answered prayers have you already noticed during this time of devotion to God?  Are you rejoicing in God’s love and ability to bring us the peace that passes all understanding?

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•  Do you know the difference between a Pharisee and an over-comer?  Note the differences here:

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• Perhaps you have been given some new thoughts during this time of prayer and study.  You might want to summarize them or write them down here:

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ELUL DAY 5 MEDITATION

A TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

A TIME TO GET READY

God’s Fall Holy Days are coming up!

Elul begins a 40-day period of time when we try to draw closer to God.

When we reach the month of Elul we know it is a time to prepare, but do you understand what we are preparing for?

Do you know about the Holy Days of God that happen every Fall?

Taking things up even a notch further – do you realize that The Second Coming of Christ is eminent?

We are coming into the time leading up to God’s Fall Holy Days called: The Feast of Trumpets which is followed by The Day of Atonement which is followed by The Feast of Tabernacles.  The Hebraic names of these holy days would be Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kipper and Sukkot.

The days before and leading up to these days are important in many ways.

A TIME TO REHEARSE AND PRACTICE FOR COMING EVENTS

The word translated “festival” in the Hebrew is “hag” or “moed” and it means “set times,” or “appointed times.” According to the Holy Scriptures, these are times of sacred assemblies before God.  In the ancient times men did not just go before God; they prepared first.  They washed themselves and they dressed properly. Then they got ready to meet God.

We are going to meet with God on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and Sukkot this fall!

Of course, every born-again Christian should be meeting with God each and every day in times of prayer; but these meetings are set-aside times and very special appointed occasions.  It is time to wash our souls and dress our selves fully in the righteous blood of Jesus.

It is time to draw closer to The Father.

How do we need to go about this?

PRAYER AND REPENTANCE

Elul is a time of prayer and repentance.  On the day of Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets that comes at the end of Elul) the doors of heaven are said to open. The Hebraic thinkers have taught this theory for years, and this Holy Day also proclaims a new civil year for the people of Israel.

In light of this; I found a quote by the evangelist named Lou Engle very interesting.  He said: “There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine moments key men and women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.”

In light of the above prophetic statement; could this be a time of Elul?

Could the word given here be related to those who are keeping the season as the ancient, faithful people did?  

I have to wonder. Just as I have wondered if it is the modern-day Nazirites that will be dedicated to keeping these days BEFORE the feast days come.

Everyone LOVES a feast; but some very faithful are called to pray and meditate and sit at the feet of God in fasting before the time of feasting ever arrives.  

This careful preparation of the soul makes a difference in the joy of your feast.

Lou Engle also talks of such a time as this.  He says “When Jesus was baptized by John, the heavens opened and the Dove descended upon Him. Immediately thereafter, that same Dove drove Him into the wilderness to fast for 40 days and to contend with the territorial strongman over the earth, satan himself. For 40 days, Jesus warred through prayer and fasting to reverse the curse of Adam and Eve and to overcome the devil and release atomic power into the earth. The results recorded in Luke show that history changed forever through the strength and victory the Lord gained by His obedience. Divine power was now His!”

So; we say; repent of your sins, especially recalling the sins of this past year. On Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets) you want to know that God will blot them out of his book forever on Yom Kippur.  

Pray about this.  

Talk to God and submit your petitions during Elul.

This is more of a season for fasting than a season of feasting.

TURN IN LOVE

If any of your sins were against God it would mean you have turned your back toward Him.

Repair those types of sins by turning around and facing God with the things you did wrong. Correct this by making a turn into the right way as you go about your days.

Are you following the ten best ways to live?

The commandments still matter to God.

He never annulled them.

Though our sins have been atoned for by the blood of Jesus; the law is still in effect.  We must be keeping God’s commandments because that is how He has asked us to live before Him.  That is why every year during the time of Elul The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog posts several articles about the ten commandments.

They matter in our turning.

We must not overlook them!

If any of your sins involved harm to a fellow man; now is the time of your annual reminder from God to turn from that sin by reconciling with that person and beginning to treat them with love instead of hate.

Elul is all about turning around from hate and moving in another direction toward love.

BEING FILLED WITH GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT

Of course now; there is no physical Temple in Jerusalem for offering sacrifices; and there is no need for that because Jesus gave his life ONCE FOR ALL. It is finished and we can rest in that fact.

However; there is a NEW TEMPLE that was established the moment that God’s Holy Spirit was given to God’s People (those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah. whether they be Jew or Gentile or any other nationality.)

Contrary to what many may believe today; the NEW TEMPLE does not have to be built; because it is our own living bodies where God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. Our sacrifice for salvation of our souls has been successful and proven so by the Resurrection of Christ. Now our daily activities as part of the living body of Christ (His new Temple made of our bodies all working together for good in God’s Kingdom) are considered to be our spiritual offerings to God to show our thanks and gratitude for what He has provided in saving our souls and allowing us the right to eternal life with Him forever.

Once you have repented you have emptied yourself of all the things that are wrong for dwelling inside your physical sukkah; your body.  

You now need to fill that empty space which is left deep inside of you; with goodness from God.

Pray for God’s Holy Spirit to fill up your soul to the brim; so much so that it runs over and pours out to others that you meet along the way in this lifetime.

BEGIN REHEARSING FOR THE FUTURE

In the Hebrew language the words “sacred assembly” mean “rehearsal” or “recital.”

During these fall holy days that is exactly what we are doing; we are rehearsing for the things to come and celebrating God’s overall plans for mankind.

Are you living as if the Wedding Feast of The Lamb will happen at any moment?

Start living that way right now so that when it DOES HAPPEN you are constantly ready.

It will happen in the twinkling of an eye.

This whole time period of Elul could be compared to the time leading up to a wedding. As you get ready for a wedding you begin to remember the important things that have happened through your lifetime and you think of all your fond (or even not-so-fond) memories of the past.

You are also thinking about and looking forward to something even more special in the future.

As a spiritual comparison; this would be very similar to the time we are spending during the month of Elul.

We consider our lives before we knew God, and ponder how things have changed because we now know Him.  

As Christians we think of how our relationship with Jesus has changed everything!  

This makes us look forward to a time when we can be with Him forever.

The Church is the Bride of Christ and there is a wedding day coming in Heaven.

Are you listening?

LISTENING CAREFULLY

Elul comes thirty days before Rosh Hashanah.

There are thirty days to listen for the sound of the shofar.

Also; there are thirty days to listen for the sounds of God’s voice speaking to you.

This time is more about listening to how God is speaking than speaking to God ourselves.

If you listen, God will reveal ways that He wishes to transform your life. This transformation is part of the preparation process. It is similar to the time that a caterpillar is in the cocoon waiting to be transformed into a butterfly.

Things must happen that are unseen on the inside before they become apparent to the world from the outside.

Are you listening?

CHANGING YOUR CLOTHES THROUGH REPENTANCE

As you are listening to God’s instructions for transformation; you need to be changing your clothes and putting on a new wardrobe that is wedding worthy.

Is there anything that you have forgotten to confess? It will be a stain that you do not want on your garments.  Take care of that now while there is still time and while your beloved is listening and instructing you about how your life should be lived with Him at your side.

When you are preparing for a wedding you spend hours and hours talking to your chosen mate about how the wedding should go and what your life will be like when you are married.

During Elul, you should be speaking to Jesus; your Beloved about how to live life in the Kingdom of Heaven.  As the Bride of Christ; you must be prepared for the big day BEFORE it arrives.

Before Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) arrives; you must have repented of the sins that have remained like dust on your feet from another year of walking through the world.  If you know Christ your soul is saved; but you still need to wash away the dirt of the world that accumulated in your life this last year.  Elul is our annual reminder.

You must have told your lover all your secrets; even the things you regret that you have done wrong.  There is no room for secrets with true love.

You are beloved!

This means you will be forgiven and accepted.

Begin to turn now; long before Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) arrives.

When the lover of your soul gives Himself completely to you (Jesus gave His life on the cross) your sins will be blotted out of the records of Heaven forever.

You will enter into God’s Kingdom without the baggage of your past mistakes; a whole new Bride that is ready to live a Kingdom life!

THREE VERY IMPORTANT DATES ARE COMING

As previously noted; Elul is known for being a time leading up to three very important dates.

Those dates are Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles.)

Elul is a time which helps us to remember to be prepared and ready for these events.  It is a special time period set aside to get ready for the future events of God.  We observe these days as we go about our daily lives; it is not a time of feasting or a required appointment; it is something that we do from our own desire to move closer and closer to God.

At Sukkot; (The Feast of Tabernacles) you will be so glad you prepared properly.  When the time of joy arrives, you will be carefree and able to join in the great celebration of Life in The Kingdom of God forever.  

Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) is the most fun part of the rehearsal; a time of thinking about how it will be to live in God’s Kingdom forever with Jesus.

What a wonderful time to anticipate!

It all starts with all of the meditating, prayer, repentance, turning, and the filling of God’s Spirit, that we do in Elul.  Today’s labor brings tomorrow’s joy!

How is your preparation going?