Sunday, July 31, 2011

A Statewide Call to Pray - Day Forty-Four!

Yesterday (Day 43) I spoke of the open door that is set before us.  We have a choice of either  going through or not going through that door that leads to our destiny.  But let me share with you one very important truth about that door, God has been waiting at the door for us!

Last night at the Open Door meeting at the Global Spheres Center, Dr. Robert Heidler shared a teaching about the upcoming month of Av, which starts this evening at sundown.  The key thought regarding this month, especially in Jewish history, is the "dire straits.  It is a time for passing through the narrow place - the time of testing - the wilderness - in order to enter into the place of your promise, your joy, your destiny and your future in the Lord.

It is a time to press through the open door into joy and celebration.  I have taught on this month many times.  It is a month of decision.  It is a month of difficulty as we journey through the narrow place into the broad and beautiful promises of God.  The Jews call it "The Dire Straits."  A picture from the teachings of our Lord is "the eye of the needle."

It is also understood by the Jewish world as a month of great curse and sorrow.  Why?  Because on the 9th of Av the Israelites stood on the brink of the promise.  They had exited Egypt.  They had journeyed to Sinai. They now stood at Kadesh Barnea and had a door of opportunity and promise opened before them.

AND THEY SAID NO!  They listened to the negative report of ten spies versus the faith of Joshua and Caleb and they refused to go through the door.  God's response to their response was forty more years in the wilderness.  A generation would pass before they would see this door again.  It's interesting (and that is a topic for another blog) that this generational curse has plagued Israel ever since.  Every major tragedy that has sought to destroy Israel throughout history has all been on the 9th day of Av.

OK, what about us?    As we journey through the dire straits - the wilderness - the drought - the testing, and arrive at the open door of our destiny as a state and nation, will you believe God’s promise?
Will you press through this month? On the other side of that "eye of the needle", narrow place or door is your future.  Let's go through narrow place to get to the broad expanse of God's promise.  You will miss the blessing if you don’t.

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