Feeling Disoriented?

  • May 14, 2012 9:45 am

(Note: If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know that this year, for the first time, I am counting the Omer.  According to Judaic tradition, each night, from the 2nd night of Passover to the eve of Pentecost, I’m proclaiming a blessing and then stating the count of the Omer, both in weeks (Feast of Weeks) and in days.  If all of this is new to you, you can get more detail by visiting my friend Homer Simpson.  Just click here. The primary reason I like to study the Feasts is simply, they reveal Jesus! And, there are a few more Feasts in the fall season, which are yet to be fulfilled — but they will be — which is another good reason to study them!)

DISORIENTATION

One of the key characteristics of this “space-in-time” (between Passover and Pentecost) is something I refer to as: Disorientation. In other words, our place in the picture (or even the picture itself) seems somewhat “off.”  Imagine if you will,  the Jewish population trekking out of slavery in Egypt, only to find themselves in a desert wilderness.  Probably NOT what they where looking for…right? Or fast forward down the timeline to the early believers, just after the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord… That lengthy time spent in the upper room… waiting… as the Feast of Pentecost approached.  All of that (and even the events that followed) may have been rather unexpected to them!

Expect the Unexpected

Don’t be surprised when unexpected doors open. Don’t be perplexed by an atypical assignment.  Be open to a new or untraveled avenue.  Refuse to panic if you’re standing in the middle of an unfamiliar picture.  Trust God to bring you through everything.

  • Revelation 3:8 — I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
  • Isaiah 55:9  — For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
  • Proverbs 3:5 — Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
  • Isa 42:16 — I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

No obstacle can get in the way of the Lord’s work. Mountains and hills can’t get in His way. Rivers and pools will not stop Him. No… not even the blindness of others can prevent His plan.

So, if you’re feeling a bit DISORIENTED right about now… it’s a good time to shout for joy!  God is quite likely re-positioning you for all that He is about to do!

Enjoy your day,

Lori Greenwood, PhD

www.lorigreenwood.org

Burning, Lifting, Shifting & Miracles!

  • May 9, 2012 8:53 am

Burning, Lifting, Shifting & Miracles!

If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know that this year, for the first time, I am counting the Omer.

THE OMER? The method the Jewish nation used to journey through the days from Passover to Pentecost was by counting the Omer.  The counting of the Omer is a commandment that God gave the children of Israel.  It can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  It connects the days from Pesach (Passover) to Shavu’ot (Pentecost) and stands as a reminder to the Jew that their freedom from slavery in Egypt was not complete until God gave them the Torah.  Essentially, the Omer is a unit of measurement.  To the best of my understanding, the Omer equals 1/10 of an Ephah.  (I’m sure that really helps you out… right?) An Ephah is approximately 2 litres… you do the math… Anyway, on the second day of Passover, an Omer of barley was cut and brought to the temple as a grain offering.  This offering is specifically referred to as an “Omer.”

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE COUNTING? Jewish days actually start at night, after sundown.  So, each night, from the 2nd night of Passover to the eve of Pentecost, one would proclaim a blessing and then state the count of the Omer, both in weeks (Feast of Weeks) and in days.  For more detail, visit my friend Homer Simpson by clicking here.

THE BREAKER DAY: Today, as the sun sets, we will enter what is known to the Jewish community as, “Lag b’Omer.”

WHAT IS LAG B’OMER? “Lag” is not actually a word in Hebrew, it is a number — the number 33 to be exact.  Literally translated, Lag b’Omer means “33 of Omer.” Lag b’Omer is not something you will find in the scriptures, however it is something recorded in Jewish history and often connected to the last of the Jewish-Roman wars  (70 – 117 AD) In theme, the Lag b’Omer represents a “fighting spirit.”  Historically, it is a “breaker day” (associated with breakthroughs) according to Jewish record.  At Lag b’Omer the time of mourning is lifted.  Nightfall is usually accompanied by bonfires and fellowship.

Key activities surrounding Lag b’Omer include:

1. BURNING: On Lag b’Omer, bonfires are lit as a sign of celebration — rejoicing that God has gone before His people and triumphed!
  • Prophetic Key: Allow God to continue burning what the enemy has put in your life & path, until all that remains in His unshakeable Kingdom!
  • Scripture Key: And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God [is] a consuming fire. — Hebrews 12:27-29

2. LIFTING: The season of counting the omer is generally a time of mourning.  The mourning period is lifted at the 33rd day — Lag b’Omer.  Now, those in the Jewish community may resume the celebrations of life like weddings and parties.  Additionally, 3-year-old boys often now receive their first haircut, since haircuts are not allowed during the time of mourning.

  • Prophetic Key: Sometimes God is simply waiting for us to step into rejoicing —  to decide we will move from mourning to rejoicing — even if there is no notable change around us.
  • Scripture Key: To all who mourn in Israel,  he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. — Isaiah 61:3 NLT

3. SHIFTING: As the mourning is lifted, the focus is shifted toward the upcoming Feast of Pentecost.

  • Prophetic Key: Enter into the power of the Penetecost experience! Step in! Someone’s eternity is counting on you shifting into a personal, supernatural Pentecost experience!
  • Scripture Key: But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath… Acts 2:16-19

4. MIRACLES: The Jewish people may also make an offering (sometimes refered to as Chai Rotel) to pilgrims attending Lag b’Omer celebrations — believing that those who bring an offering will be granted a miracle!

  • Prophetic Key: I would never attempt to suggest that you can buy a miracle from God, but there is miracle power in an offering.  An offering is an act of faith and obedience.  It is evidence that you are seeking after God — and He rewards those who dilegently seek Him ( Hebrews 11:6).  EXPECT the Lord to release a mighty manifestation of His Spirit through the working of miracles in His church!
  • Scripture Key: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? — Hebrews 2:3-4
Want to join me?
I’ve been counting the Omer with the help of Homer Simpson… yes, really! To join me, check out this link.

Be looking for the break-through power of God’s Spirit, today!

Blessings,
Lori Greenwood, PhD

Visit my website!

Unleaven Living

  • May 2, 2012 7:39 pm

Unleaven Living – Seeing Yourself in the Spring Feasts of Israel

1 Corinthians 5

1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, of such a kind as is not so much as even named among the Gentiles: that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, though absent in body but present in spirit, have judged already as though I were present concerning him who hath so done this deed.
4 Inthe name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, I being there in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

As Christians, we do continual battle with the flesh, because although the old man is dead, having been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6), the flesh lives on,  having been “educated” in sin by the old man, the devil, and the worldly culture around us. God now calls us, in partnership with Him, to do to the flesh what He did by Himself to the old man: crucify it (Galatians 5:24). Paul hopes that putting this man out of the fellowship of the Corinthian Christians will lead him to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.

The words deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh were Paul’s words to describe destroying a man’s sinful flesh — lower nature — but not his physical body.  Why? So that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus!  The goal of the discipline action is clear: the salvation, not the destruction, of his spirit. Though this man’s conduct was clearly sinful, and needed severe correction, Paul does not write him off as forever lost – the effective use of church discipline is implemented see him to salvation. All discipline in the church is to be carried out in this attitude: Restoration…not condemnation!  As Paul also wrote, And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)

“Church discipline is not a group of ‘pious policemen’ out to catch a criminal. Rather, it is a group of brokenhearted brothers and sisters seeking to restore an erring member of the family.” (Wiersbe)

Paul does not say the church should take away the sinning man’s salvation. Obviously… Since the church does not grant salvation; it certainly cannot take it away! But there are cases, for the good of the sinner, and for the good of the church, when someone should be set aside from the congregation. While I’m certain that some Christian leaders have been cruel towards their members, and perhaps unjustly kicked some out of the congregation, that does not mean the church should never practice the Biblical principles Paul teaches here. It is to be done, for both the good of the church, and the good of the individual.

A little sin influences a whole lot.

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

It seemed that the Corinthian Christians were (almost) proud to be ignoring this man’s sin They thought it showed the whole world how “loving” they were. But Paul is concerned about the sin of the entire church (especially the leadership), even more than the sin of the individual man. Both are important, but the sin of the church is worse.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump: The leaven mentioned isn’t merely yeast, but a pinch of dough left over from the previous batch, as in the making of sourdough bread. This is how bread was commonly leavened in the ancient world, a little pinch of dough from the old lump could make a whole new lump of dough rise – so the work of leaven was thought to be an illustration of the work of sin and pride. The presence of a little can corrupt a large amount.  In this light, the Passover command to purge the leaven had a health purpose. This method of fermentation, used week after week, increased the danger of infection or food poisoning, so at least once a year, the Israelites started from scratch.

We are to live a perpetual feast unto the Lord
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Purge out the old leaven: Just after the start of  the Passover feast, all leaven was to be removed from the house (feast of Unleaven Bread).  Nothing with leaven in it was to be eaten for a whole week. Paul says that just as the Jews were careful to remove all leaven from their midst, so the church should have a concern to remove notorious, unconfessed sins from their midst.

Christ, our Passover: Paul’s connection between the purity of Passover and the life of a Christian is not a strange stretch; Jesus is in fact our Passover Lamb, whose blood was shed so that the judgment of God might pass over us. So, we are to live in the purity that Passover spoke of.
Our Christian lives are to be marked by the same things which characterized Passover: salvation, liberation, joy, plenty, and purity from leaven.

Since you truly are unleavened: Paul’s point is both clear and dramatic — live unleavened because you are unleavened. “Be what you are” is the basic message of the New Testament for Christian living.
“Salvation in sin is not possible, it must always be salvation from sin.” (Spurgeon)

Want to join me?

This year, I’m counting the omer. Counting the omer is a regulation (a law) given to God’s people, the details of which can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  I’ve been counting with the help of Homer Simpson… yes, really! To join me, check out this link.

Enjoy your day!
Lori Greenwood, PhD

Visit my website!

DESIRE

  • April 24, 2012 1:21 pm

DESIRE

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” — Proverbs 13:12

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you know that this year, for the first time, I am counting the omer.  In so doing, I’m walking through the Spring Feasts of Israel (from Passover to Pentecost) and making observations along the way.  And, it’s amazing what I have “seen” along the journey!

In 1 Corinthians 16:8 & 9, the Apostle Paul is recorded as saying the following:

“But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and [there are] many adversaries.”

The first thing that jumped out at me was the name, Ephesus (as it appears in verse 8).  Obviously, the ancient city of Ephesus must have been quite the place, because the name literally means: desirable.  The name Ephesus means “desirable.” And he (Paul) is just holding in the place of desire… until when?… until the Feast of Pentecost.  Why? He sees a door, and he’s watching for it to open!

Now, that word, “door,” as it appears in verse 9 is a metaphor.  In other words, Paul is not talking about a literal door with a knob and hinges.  In fact, in the original text, it is the Greek word: “thyra.” (G2374)  If you ask me, a better wording (than door) would be something like “launching point” — the beginning of something new.

When you consider that this “door” is described as being “effectual,” it gets even more interesting!  ”Effectual,” as it appears in the text is the Greek word: “energes.” (G1756) which is literally an “energy”or momentum — the power to move!

Paul is writing to the saints in Corinth, to let them know that he will (at some future point) come to stay and work with them.  But for this season, until Pentecost,  he said: But I WILL tarry…  in other words, he is determined to wait and watch — because he knows something is about to break open!

Are you watching and waiting?

Often, when hope is deferred (just as Proverbs 13:12 says) heart-sickness sets in.  The disadvantage to being in this lonely place is that we often become despondent…we stop watching… we stop waiting… we just give up.  But my advice to you is to hold, to tarry, to wait – and to watch.  Don’t walk away from your desire! Stay there!  Not only is the beginning of something new just on the horizon, the “energes,” or momentum to move is attached to it!  Get ready!

Staring Down the Nose Guards

Much like a game of (American) football, you’re going to be staring down some adversaries.  And, if we heed Paul’s’ word closely, we’re talking “many adversaries.” Remember, the goal of any defensive line is to prevent you from gaining yards and reaching the goal.  So, this is where strategy comes into play. Use the wait time (while you’re tarrying) to make some assessments about what you are up against.  Fast…pray… and proclaim the promises of God.  Start punching holes in the enemy’s plan against you!  This way, when the momentum (energes) hits, you can move through the opening, and get passed the opposition.

Want to join me?

This year, I’m counting the omer. Counting the omer is a regulation (a law) given to God’s people, the details of which can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  I’ve been counting with the help of Homer Simpson… yes, really! To join me, check out this link.

Enjoy your day!

Lori Greenwood, PhD
Check out my website!

Healing in His Wings

  • April 15, 2012 10:08 pm

Healing in His Wings

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you know that this year (for the first time) I am counting the omer.  Counting the omer is a distinctly Jewish tradition — something we Christians don’t normally practice or even think about.  Yet, it is something that God commanded his children to do in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  As I journey through this new experience, I continue to look for Jesus — Yeshua — and He continues to reveal Himself to me.  While this article doesn’t draw a direct connection to the Spring Feasts of Israel, it is another look at places in scripture where Jewish tradition overlaps Christian belief.  Therefore, I felt it was relevant to the season I am in with the Lord… and I hope it is relevant to you as well!  Read on…

A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any, came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.  Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said,”Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me.  When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. He said to her, “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” — Luke 8:43-48

According to Jewish law, this woman (due to ongoing bleeding) had, for twelve years, been in a continuous unclean state. As a result, she must have been treated a bit like a leper or an outcast.  (Read Leviticus 15:25-27 to get the full picture of what I mean.)  Yet, even in her unclean state she braved a public appearance to touch Jesus — an offence punishable by stoning.

Why?

Why would she take the risk? What did she reach for? The scripture tells us it was “the fringe of his cloak”.  This hem or fringe of the cloak which the woman touched was in fact a tassel hanging from the edge of the outer garment (this according to Numbers 15:38). Jesus, who wore the dress of the Jewish people, would have also worn these fringes at the four corners of the outer garment (which was somewhat like a poncho).

What is the purpose of the tassel?

To answer that, let’s take a look at a few scriptures: “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.  You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.” – Numbers 15:38-40

“And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.” — Mark 6:56

These two pieces of scripture actually have quite a bit in common.  In the verse from Mark chapter 6, the word “border” is the word: “kraspedon” in the original Greek manuscript.  Kraspedon is really describing more of a tassel than border or hem; yet, the English translators (for some reason) chose the word “border.”  To clearly understand the relationship between Mark 6:56 and Numbers 15:38-40, we need to consult the Septuagint.  For those who may be unfamiliar with the Septuagint, it is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Koine Greek. In fact, it incorporates the oldest of several ancient translations of the Old Testament.  When reading the Septuagint version of the Numbers passage (shown above), the Greek word used to translate “tassels” is also kraspedon.  So, if we understand Mark 6:56 correctly, there was a practice of touching Yeshua’s tassel to obtain healing.  By applying this same thought to the woman who had an issue of blood, we can deduce that she believed she would be healed by touching the tassel, and therefore reached out in faith, despite the dangers of appearing unclean in a public setting.  In further pondering the story, I don’t think Jesus was really ignorant of who had touched Him (refer to the passage from Luke chapter 8 at top).  But, to complete this woman’s healing –by taking away her social stigma — He made it publicly known. This moved her off the unclean list and back into normal community life, something she hadn’t experienced in many years.

Why would the Jewish community believe the tassel was a point of contact for healing?

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;” — Malachi 4:2

This is a scripture known and believed by the Jews.  When reading Malachi 4:2, there are a few things that can be uncovered by studying the original text.  For example, the word “wings,” as it appears in Malachi 4:2, is the Hebrew word “ka-nauf.” While I’m not sure I would disagree with the translated word, “wings,” it could actually (and accurately) have been translated as the word “corners.”  If we were to consider the word corners in the text, it would immediately remind us of the traditional Jewish outer garment (again, a bit like a poncho) which would have had tassels on the four corners.  So, to restate the verse, using this thinking, the Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his corners (a.k.a.: tassels). This is what the Jewish community believed!

To dissect the same verse (Malachi 4:2) a little further, the word “Sun,” as it appears in the text, always bugged me.  Especially when you consider that the both the Persians and the Egyptians of that day worshipped a Sun god who (you guessed it) had wings.  Well, the Hebrew original text for the word “Sun” is, in later transcripts, the word “she-mesh.” But, if you look at earliest translation in the ancient Hebrew language, the word is slightly different: “she-mosh.” The slight discrepancy comes from the appearance of accent marks (vowel pointings) used in the more modern Hebrew.  In the older Masorhetic text, the word is spelled exactly the same, but does not use the vowel pointings. “She-mosh” translates as the word: servant.  So, using this thinking, let’s put it all together: But unto you that fear my name shall the Servant of righteousness arise with healing in his corners.  For me, it is hard to read this variation and NOT see Jesus… I hope you are seeing Him, too!

If you’d like to join me for more of the journey through this season of the Jewish Spring Feasts, check back often!

Enjoy your day!

Lori Greenwood, PhD

Are you ready to move at the speed of the Spirit? Check out my latest book: FAST FORWARD

Are You Under the Law?

  • April 10, 2012 9:44 pm

Are You Under the Law?

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. — Galatians 3:23-25

If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you know that this year (for the first time) I am counting the Omer.  It’s a regulation (a law) given to God’s people, the details of which can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  Through this journey, I have continued to look for Jesus — even in the midst of what appears to be mostly complicated rituals to my New Testament eyes.  And, HE CONTINUES TO REVEAL HIMSELF!

Over the last few days, I’ve found myself somewhat perplexed over the seemingly endless rules and regulations that mushroomed out of the simple list known as The Ten Commandments. In studying, I found a refreshingly relevant quote from the famous 19th-century preacher (who also wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem”), Phillips Brooks.  His words brought clarity to me:

“When Jesus as a young Jew came into Jerusalem, he found complication flourishing about him. Elaborateness was everywhere. Great, tedious ceremonials occupied the temple service. Long lists of rules and arbitrary laws had overspread the simplicity of the Ten Commandments. Society was a most intricate system of castes and classes. Thought, as the rabbis guided it, turned and twisted and retwisted on itself in endless subtleties. Every hair had to be split and split again. Every definition had to be defined and redefined a thousand times. There are indications in the Gospels that Jesus was expected to accept the system of things, and to come in among the scholars and teachers and join in their hairsplitting. But the glory of his simplicity was that he refused. He struck this whole mass of complication and elaboration aside and set a few big, broad simple truths and laws back in the place that they had occupied. He bade the rabbis in the temple to reflect the broad sunshine of God’s world.”

How did it get so complicated?

Following shortly after the exodus from Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai into the presence of the Lord.  At that time, he received The Ten Commandments from God.  This giving of the Law occurred on the Feast of Pentecost — and effectively gave birth to the Jewish Nation.

Here’s the list:

The Ten Commandments — Read the full text in Exodus 20:2-17

1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself carved images or idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or possessions.

While The Ten Commandments were straightforward, what resulted over time was something much more complicated — the Halakhah (or Jewish Law).  Halakhah is a hard-and-fast list of 613 rules, mapping-out a comprehensive way of life for the Jew.  Halakhah is filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life.  They instruct on things like:

 What you do when you wake up in the morning
 What you can and cannot eat
 What you can and cannot wear
 How to groom yourself
 How to conduct business
 Who you can marry
 How to observe the holidays and Sabbath days
 and perhaps most important, how to honor God, other people, and even animals

To read the entire list of 613 regulations & laws, click here.

Is it Religion… or Relationship?

There are a number of thoughts I could share here about religious regulations, especially as they compare to a genuine relationship with God.  But, the more important thing is to look at what the bible says.  Here is a passage from Romans Chapter 2 out of Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase known as The Message:

14 -16  When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God’s yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.

17 -24  If you’re brought up Jewish, don’t assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you’re an insider to God’s revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God’s revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I’m quite serious. While preaching “Don’t steal!” are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, “It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.

25 -29 Circumcision, the surgical ritual that marks you as a Jew, is great if you live in accord with God’s law. But if you don’t, it’s worse than not being circumcised. The reverse is also true: The uncircumcised who keep God’s ways are as good as the circumcised—in fact, better. Better to keep God’s law uncircumcised than break it circumcised. Don’t you see: It’s not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It’s the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.

Many mainstream authors of Paul’s day referred to something they called the “unwritten law” within man. They thought of it as an “inner compass” that points men to the right way. And this inner guiding was, in many ways, more important to the people of Paul’s day than written laws.  So, when Paul talks about the gentiles as “a law unto themselves,” he does not mean that these “obedient” Gentiles made up their own law, but rather that they were obedient to their conscience, which is the work of the law residing in them.  So, in theory, a man might be excused by obeying his conscience, but the converse is also true: Every man has been condemned by (or violated) his conscience.  Through the words of Paul, I believe God is describing a design detail inherent to His creation of all men: There is a ‘work’ within them, making them morally conscious.  This same ‘work’ is what makes them aware that perfect moral behavior is not something they can attain all on their own.

Thank God He provided a solution to all of this through Jesus Christ:

Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death.

Can it really be that simple?

Romans Chapter 8 begins with a simple declaration of no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Since the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither does He condemn those are in Jesus. They are not condemned.  They will not be condemned.  And, actually, they cannot be condemned!  What Paul is explaining ( in Romans chapter 8 ) comes from a purely logical argument: If we are one with Jesus and He is our head, we can’t be condemned. You can’t acquit the head and condemn the arm. You can’t drown the leg as long as the head is out of water. Joined to Him, the believers will hear the verdict: “no condemnation.” Please understand the verdict is not “less condemnation.” This is where many of us get stuck!  We think that our standing has improved in Jesus.  It hasn’t improved.  It’s been completely transformed. It has been changed to no condemnation.

Romans 8:2-4 — For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The law of the sin and death was a strong and seemingly absolute law.  But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is stronger still.  It is this same law of the Spirit that frees us from the law of sin and death.  Though we inevitably do sin at times, the Christian does not have to sin, because we have been freed from sin’s dominion. We are free from the law of death; death no longer has any lasting power against the believer.

If Romans 8:1 tells us we are free from the guilt of sin, then Romans 8:2 explains to us that we are free from the power of sin.  The law can do many things. It can guide us, teach us, and tell us about God’s character. But the law cannot give energy to our flesh — it can give us the standard for conduct — but it cannot give us the power to live pleasing to God.

“Moses’ law was right but had no might; Sin’s law has might but was not right; the law of the Spirit has both right and might.”

The law is weak because it speaks to our flesh. It comes to fleshly men and speaks to them as fleshly men. But the work of the Spirit transforms us by the crucifixion of the old man and the old nature and it imparts the new man – a principle distinctly higher than the flesh.

The law could not defeat sin,

it could only detect sin!

In short, the law could not defeat sin; it could only detect sin. Only Jesus can defeat sin, and He did just that through His work on the cross.  In order to defeat sin, Jesus had to identify with those bound by it, by coming in the likeness of sinful flesh. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul carefully and correctly chose his words here, indicating that Jesus was not sinful flesh, but He identified with it entirely.

That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled? …
In us? … Really??

Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, and because we are in Christ, we fulfill the law.  Let me say that one more time: Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, and because we are in Christ, we fulfill the law. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to obedience, because Jesus righteousness stands for ours. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to punishment, because any punishment demanded by the law was poured out upon Jesus.  It is important to note here that Paul does not say that we fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. He carefully says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. It isn’t fulfilled by us, but in us.

Simply put, Jesus is our substitute. Jesus was treated as a sinner so we can be treated as righteous.

Ready to be free from the Law of Sin & Death? Click this link.

Enjoy your day!

Lori Greenwood, PhD.

Looking for more teaching resources? Check out my website.

The Season of Our Liberation

  • April 7, 2012 10:07 pm

The Season of Our Liberation
Do you know that Jesus came to set you free?

We’re in an interesting season of time right now.   We’ve just passed the Feast of Passover and entered (on the Hebraic calendar) into the Feast of First Fruits.  Now, we will journey through the Feast of Weeks for the next 7 weeks, until we reach the Feast of Pentecost.  AND, in all of these “special events” we will see one over-arching theme Jesus came to set us free!

The day after the Feast of First Fruits begins, is known as Reshet Katzir, which is sometimes translated in scripture as the “beginning of barley harvest.”

An example of this can be seen in Ruth 1:22 — “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. (Reshet Katzir)”

In ancient times, this day was set apart for the wave offering in which an omer of barley was presented to the Lord, beginning  the 49 day count-down to the Feast of Pentecost (Lev 23:15-16).

A clear example of this complete process can be found in Leviticus, chapter 9:
9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf (omer) of the firstfruits (reshet) of your harvest (katzir) unto the priest:
11And he shall wave the sheaf (omer) before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

So let’s re-cap for a moment… On this day (reshet katzir), the priest would wave a sheaf (omer) of new green barley, waving to the north, south, east and west, as a gesture of dedicating the harvest to the Lord.  This was done alongside the passover offering in which a perfect male lamb was sacrificed to the Lord and the unleaven bread, oil and wine (minchah) offering (Read Lev 22: 19 & Lev. 23:13). Only then, could workers enter the fields to bring in the harvest.

Now, consider the remarkable moment when Jesus broke bread and drank wine (the minchah offering) with his disciples before He, Himself, was offered as a “perfect male lamb.”  As the Feasts of Israel stood as prophetic pictures — prophetic acts, if you will — to help the people identify that Jesus (Yeshua) was walking-out their fulfillment right in their midst. This is what Isaiah told the Jewish people to look for:

Isaiah 53:7NLT  – “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

The writer of Hebrews compares the old requirements (under the law of Moses) with the complete fulfillment walked-out by Jesus.  Check out this passage from The Message Bible:

Hebrews 10:4-14:

The Sacrifice of Jesus
1 -10 The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old “law plan” wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ:
You don’t want sacrifices and offerings year after year;
you’ve prepared a body for me for a sacrifice.
It’s not fragrance and smoke from the altar
that whet your appetite.

So I said, “I’m here to do it your way, O God, the way it’s described in your Book.” When he said, “You don’t want sacrifices and offerings,” he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, “I’m here to do it your way,” he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.

11 -18Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:
This new plan I’m making with Israel
isn’t going to be written on paper,
isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time “I’m writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts.” He concludes,
I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins. Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.

Are you ready to find NEW FREEDOM in Jesus Christ?  Then this is for you!

Blessings to you,

Lori Greenwood, PhD.

This year, for the first time, I’m counting the Omer.  I’ll be blogging about discoveries I make along the journey between Passover & Pentecost. Check back to join me along the way!

SEEING JESUS — The Lord Revealed in the Spring Feasts of Isreal

  • April 4, 2012 2:03 pm

Seeing Jesus – The Lord Revealed in the Feasts of Israel

“Don’t misunderstand why I [Jesus] have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” — Matthew 5:17

Jews have celebrated the feast of the Passover for thousands of years. It stands as a reminder of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from slavery in Egypt. The feast was first given to the Jews while they were still in bondage in Egypt. Originally, the feast centered on the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed.  The lamb’s blood was used to mark the doorposts as a sign of faith that God would deliver His people. In so doing, the death angel passed over the homes marked with blood, allowing the inhabitants to escape the last plague that God sent against the Egyptians. That final plague killed every firstborn person who was not protected by the blood mark. (Exodus 12:21-23) Today, the Passover lamb has been largely eliminated from Jewish Passover traditions, with the only remaining reminder being the roasted lamb shank bone.

PROPHETIC PICTURES

 The New Testament says that Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb.  You can read this for yourself in the following scriptures: 1 Corinthians 5:7, John 1:29, John 1:36 and Revelation 7:14

 The Passover lamb was to be a male without defect.  Read 1 Peter 1:18-19.

 The lamb was roasted and eaten, but none of its bones were to be broken.  This fact was also foretold of the Messiah, whose bones were not to be broken.  It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the condemned after a few hours. This was done to hasten their death. The only way a person could breathe when hanging on a cross was to push up with his legs, which was very exhausting. By breaking the legs, death came quickly by asphyxiation. However, in the case of Jesus, they broke the legs of the other two men who suffered alongside of Him, but did not break His, since He was already dead.  Read Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20 and John 19:32-36

 According to Judaic tradition, five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen.  It is important to point out that Jesus’ final entrance into Jerusalem was on “lamb selection day.” However, the people greeted Him with palm branches and hailed Him as King, shouting “Hosanna,” which means, “show your salvation.” They were not looking for a spiritual Savior… not looking for a lamb.  They were looking for a political savior… more like a lion.  Palm branches were a symbol of freedom and defiance.  Since Simon Maccabeus, previously thought to be Messiah, had entered Jerusalem with that same symbolism, (Read about it in 1 Maccabees 13:51 and 2 Maccabees 10:7) Jesus’ reaction was to weep.  He was fully aware that the people of Jerusalem did not understand His true purpose in coming. Read Matthew 21:8-9, Mark 11:9-10 and Luke 19:41

 The day Jesus was crucified was the day of Passover — the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous 1200 years, the priest would blow the shofar at 3:00 p.m. (sometimes called the ninth hour of the day in the scriptures).  The ninth hour was the time of the lamb sacrifice.  When the shofar sounded all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for their sins. At 3:00 p.m., the time when Jesus was crucified, the shofar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice was required to take place. Read Matthew 27:46 & 50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46 and John 19:30.

 The veil of the Temple, a 4-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies, tore from top to bottom. The Jewish Historian, Josephus documented that the veil was 4 inches thick, was renewed every year, and was first “tested” by horses, who when tied to each side, could not tear it apart. However, at the time of Jesus’ death, this same veil was torn, supernaturally. This occurred to demonstrate that Jesus had legally removed the separation between God and man. Read: Hebrews 9:3, Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45.

 The feast of unleavened bread began just after Passover, in the evening (at sunset). As part of the festival, the Jews would take an Omer of barley — the “first fruits” of their harvest — to the Temple to offer as a sacrifice. In so doing, they were offering God the “first” of their harvest and trusting Him to provide the rest of the harvest they needed. It was at this very same time (the time of the Omer) that Jesus was buried.  Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of those raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:20 (Also read John 12:23 & 24). Jesus represents the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide the rest of the harvest –the harvest of souls — those born to new life through faith in Messiah.

 Christian symbolism in the Passover occurs early in the Seder (the Passover dinner). Three matzahs are put together (representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The middle matzah is broken, wrapped in a white cloth and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus. The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah, David and Zechariah. Following the Seder meal, the “buried” matzah is “resurrected,” which was foretold in the prophecies of David.  Also read: Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10.  The matzah (or Afikomen as it is called by the Jews) is sought out by the children, almost as a game.  The Afikomen is the children’s bread — sort of reminds me of the story in Mark 7:25-30.

 Christian Communion — It was during a Passover Seder that Jesus proclaimed that the meal revealed and represented Himself and that He was instituting a New Covenant, which was foretold by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah. The celebration of this covenant is the ordinance of communion for the Christian. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it, and said that it represented His body. Then He took the cup of wine (which would have been the third cup of the Seder – the cup of redemption), He said that it was the new covenant in His blood “poured out for you.” (Matthew 26:26-28 and Luke 22:20) It is through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are declared clean before God, allowing those of us who choose to accept the pardon, to commune with Him — both now and forevermore — through the eternal life He offers.  Read: Jeremiah 31:31-33, Ezekiel 11:19-20 and Isaiah 42:6.

This year, for the first time, I’m going to count the Omer (starting at sundown on April 7).  I’ll be doing it with the help of Homer Simpson… yes, I did say Homer Simpson. If you’re interested in counting along with me, check out this site.

I hope to be posting things I learned along the way here at my blog…

Enjoy your day!

Lori Greenwood, PhD

Interested in more teaching material? Visit my website.

Easter/Passover Connections

  • April 3, 2012 9:03 pm

If Passover is largely about the Egypt exodus, then Easter is largely about Passover.

Easter is historically set in Jerusalem at the Feast of Passover.  If you read through the Book of Luke, Chapter 22, you will see that the Last Supper is essentially a Jewish seder.  Jesus is destined to become the paschal lamb.  Inherently, Easter is the “Christian Passover” and speaks of the paschal mystery of Christ’s cross.

John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

THE GOOD NEWS: The gospel (or good news) is that the death of One has the capacity to save many. The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate affirmation of life.

Hebrews 10:10 — “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:12 — “But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

Christ is risen from the dead!  Dying, he has conquered death.  Rising, He has given life to the dead.

This year, for the first time, I’m counting the Omer. Counting the Omer is a commandment that God gave the children of Israel.  It can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  It connects the days from Pesach (Passover) to Shavu’ot (Pentecost).  I’ll be sharing insights I learn as I journey along the way with the Spirit of God.

So, be sure to check back…

Blessings,

Lori Greenwood, PhD

This year, Passover will begin at sundown on April 6th.  The Omer count begins at sundown on April 7th.  Easter is on April 8th (also Feast of First Fruits).

The Spring Feasts of Israel

  • April 1, 2012 10:30 pm

THE SPRING FEASTS OF ISRAEL: Understanding the Times & Seasons of God

“Don’t misunderstand why I [Jesus] have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” — Matthew 5:17

For Christians, there is often little understanding of the feasts of the Lord, but there should be.  The seven biblical feasts are grouped in distinct seasons. The season of the spring feasts includes Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits.  These feasts were all prophetic pictures, which announced the coming of the Lamb of God, His suffering, death and resurrection. Fifty days after Passover, we enter the feast of Pentecost, which was also prophetic snapshot.  It was fulfilled as well in the outpouring of the Spirit, the birthing of the Church, and the beginning of the harvest of souls. The spring feasts were fulfilled in the Lord’s first coming and the release of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the earth.  The reason I like to study the feasts is simply, they reveal Jesus! And, there are a few more feasts in the fall season, which are yet to be fulfilled — but they will be — which is another good reason to study them!

ONE NEW BREED: For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by completing the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. — Ephesians 2:14-15 NLT

And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. – Galatians 3:29 NLT

MAKING THE JOURNEY: The method the Jewish nation used to journey through the days from Passover to Pentecost was by counting the Omer.  The counting of the Omer is a commandment that God gave the children of Israel.  It can be found in Leviticus 23:15-16 and also in Deuteronomy 16:9-10.  It connects the days from Pesach (Passover) to Shavu’ot (Pentecost) and stands as a reminder to the Jew that their freedom from slavery in Egypt was not complete until God gave them the Torah.

Our complete freedom from slavery occurs
when the Word of God comes alive in our lives..

WHAT IS THE OMER? Essentially, the Omer is a unit of measurement.  To the best of my understanding, the Omer equals 1/10 of an Ephah.  (I’m sure that really helps you out… right?)  An Ephah is approximately 2 litres… you do the math… Anyway, on the second day of Passover, an Omer of barley was cut and brought to the temple as a grain offering.  This offering is specifically referred to as an “Omer.”

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE COUNTING? Jewish days actually start at night, after sundown.  So, each night, from the 2nd night of Passover to the eve of Pentecost, one would proclaim a blessing and then state the count of the Omer, both in weeks (Feast of Weeks) and in days.
  • First, recite the blessing:  Baruch atah adonay eloheynu melech ha’olam asher kidshanubemitzvotav vetzivanu al sefirat ha’omer
  • English translation: Blessed are you, ETERNAL, our God, the sovereign of all worlds, who has made us holy with your mitzvot* and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
* Mitzvot = God’s commandments or God’s holy ordinances.

A TIME OF MOURNING: The season between Passover & Pentecost is a season of mourning.  Jews do not plan weddings or parties during this time frame.  In fact, they do not cut their hair during this time either.

So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. — Psalm 90:12

WHAT IS LAG B’OMER? “Lag” is not actually a word in Hebrew, it is a number — the number 33 to be exact.  Literally translated, Lag b’Omer means “33 of Omer.” Lag b’Omer is not something you will find in the scriptures, however it is something recorded in Jewish history and often connected to the last of the Jewish-Roman wars  (70 – 117 AD) In theme, the Lag b’Omer represents a “fighting spirit.”  Historically, it is a “breaker day” (associated with breakthroughs) according to Jewish record.  At Lag b’Omer the time of mourning is lifted.  Nightfall is usually accompanied by bonfires and fellowship.

This year, for the first time, I’m going to count the Omer.  I’ll be doing it with the help of Homer Simpson… yes, I did say Homer Simpson. If you’re interested in counting along with me, check out this site.

I hope to be posting things I learned along the way here at my blog…

Enjoy your day!

Lori Greenwood, PhD