Shavuot/Pentecost--Growing in the Lord

Shavuot/Pentecost--Growing in the Lord

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

            Shavuot or Pentecost is the third of the Levitical Feasts which required all Jewish men to bring an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem.  As we continue to look more closely at the Feast Days, we gain an understanding of the importance of the days that God has designated as His appointed times. 

Shavuot is the Hebrew word for weeks. There are seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot.  The Feast takes place exactly 50 days after Passover. The Greek word for the holiday is Pentecost, which means 50.  50 is the number of Jubilee, symbolizing restoration and newness of life.  In ancient Israel, every 50^th year was a Year of Jubilee.  Debts were canceled and land was returned to its original owner.  It was a time of celebrating freedom in the Kingdom of God.  It is always jubilee for Christians because Jesus has paid our sin debt and set us free.  

Shavuot celebrates the first fruit of the wheat harvest.  Passover is the celebration of the first fruit of the barley harvest.  The Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the harvest of the fruit of the land.  God’s plan is all about harvest. On Shavuot, the first fruits, Bikkurim, were brought into the temple in decorated baskets.

As we study the historical events that occurred on Shavuot, we discern a pattern of growing in our relationship with the Lord.  It was on that day, 1500 years before Christ, that God gave Moses the law on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments are God’s directives to an abundant life in Him.  When we are obedient, life is less stressful, we are more victorious and more open to all the blessings that God has in store for us.  In synagogues all over the world, Shavuot is celebrated by reading the 10 Commandments.

It was also on that day, fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus, that God sent His Holy Spirit to fall upon 120 disciples who were praying in Jerusalem.  Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
¹ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

            Notice the pattern.  The disciples were in Jerusalem because Jesus had told them to stay there until they had received the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:1-5)  They were obedient.  They were in one accord and in one place.  They were in unity.  Then they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. First comes obedience to the Lord and unity within the body. Then the power of the Holy Spirit comes.

The same God that appeared to His people on Mount Sinai in fire and glory (Exodus 19:18), appeared to those waiting in the upper room, manifested His power once again in fire and then filled them with His Spirit.

Messianic Rabbi K.A. Schneider of the television ministry Discovering the Jewish Jesus writes, “At Pentecost/Shavuot God went from reaching us through tablets of stone, to touching us by His Spirit in our hearts. God’s relationship with man has moved from the outer to the inner, and because of this we are eternally empowered to move forward in our relationship with Him.”

The power of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, is available today in the same measure as it was in the Upper Room.  God has empowered us for victory.

Deborah: A Mother in Israel

Deborah:  A Mother in Israel

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

            Keeping in mind that women in the Old Testament often picture the Church, the Bride Of Christ, we find in the Old Testament heroine, Deborah, a woman who was a judge, a prophet, a warrior and a mother in Israel.  Hers is not the stereotypical picture of motherhood.  Her story is, however, a realistic picture of what it takes to nurture life in both the home and in a nation. Her story is told in Judges 4.  Her accomplishments are celebrated in Judges 5.

“Judges 5:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
²  "When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD!
³  "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
⁴  "LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water;
⁵  The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
⁶  "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways.
⁷  Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.”

In times of crisis, the Church must arise as Deborah, arise as a mother in the Kingdom of God, in our families and in our nations.

         We gain deeper insight into the story of Deborah when we realize the meanings of the names of the characters:

Judges 4:1-3 (NKJV)
^“1  When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD.
²  So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim.
³  And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel.”

Eduh:  unity

Israel:  those who have power or favor with God

Jabin:  worldly philosophy

Canaan:  humiliation; shame

Sisera:  servant of Ra (Ra is a false god.)

When we translate the names, the passage reads as:

Judges 4:1-3

^“1When UNITY was dead, the children of THOSE WHO HAD FAVOR WITH GOD again did evil in the sight of the Lord. ²So the Lord sold them into the hand of WORLDLY PHILOSOPHY, king of SHAME, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was THE SERVANT OF RA (FALSE RELIGION), who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. ³And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.”

We learn that disunity can cause even the children of God to turn to the evil of thinking as the world thinks.  Worldly thinking  brings shame into our lives.  Worldly thinking and worldly values are a false religion that places man above God, that places instant gratification above lasting value.  We need leaders with the courage of Deborah to stand for truth in a culture that glorifies falsehood. 

Judges 4:4-5 (NKJV)
^“4  Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
⁵  And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.”.

Deborah:  means bee.  To more fully understand her character, we must look to the bee who is known for her industry.  A bee is busy doing what she has been called to do.  Insects in the bee family are the only creatures who enable life even as they retrieve the nectar to sustain themselves.  They bring forth a double portion of life:  reproductive life to the plants from which they have extracted nectar and life to themselves as they produce honey.  Their life-giving product is sweet, nourishing, healing and non-perishable.  The Bride of Christ as been called to do the same.  

Again, by looking at the meanings of all the names in the above passage, we can learn how we, the Bride of Christ, can be Deborahs. 

Lapidoth:  torches; fiery

Ramah:  a lofty place (a higher purpose)

Bethel:  the house of God

Ephraim:  double fruitfulness

When we once more translate the passage with the meaning of the names in place of the names, we learn:

Judges 4:4-5

⁴Now the ONE WHO BUSILY BRINGS FORTH A DOUBLE PORTION OF LIFE, a prophetess, the wife of FIRE AND LIGHT, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between a HIGHER SENSE OF PURPOSE and the HOUSE OF GOD in the mountains of DOUBLE FRUITFULNESS. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 

            Deborah was busily doing what she had been called to do.  She is in an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit who is exemplified as fire and light.  Her wise judgment came from that relationship.  She positioned herself with a higher sense of purpose and remained close to the House of God where she could maintain double fruitfulness in her life.  Notice that she didn’t go to the people with her wisdom; they came to her.  God has placed great wisdom and judgment in His people.  We must conduct ourselves in such a manner that people will come to us for His wisdom.

Just as a bee stings to protect its own, a Christian walking in the anointing of Deborah is not only a nurturer, but also a warrior.  Read the rest of Judges 4 and 5 to see the victory.  We have so romanticized motherhood, we often forget the mother-spirit that goes to battle for her loved ones.  Deborah, a mother in Israel, led the armies against the enemy.  It is the call of the Church to lead the battle against those things that seek to steal our freedom and to destroy our souls. 

Those Things That Abide.

Those Things That Abide: 
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) 

13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
    We are familiar with the scripture.  We often quote it, but we are living in times that make us question our faith, lose our hope and find it difficult to love.   In the past months we have been bombarded with a metaphorical fiscal cliff, with the threats that our second amendment rights will be taken away, with the knowledge that our government is nearly bankrupt, and with the reality that seeds sown into a culture of violence have grown into the ugly truth that no matter how many safety precautions are in place, our schools are no longer safe.  In the midst of our chaos, our heavenly Father continues to assure us that three things abide: faith, hope and love.  

    Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"  (John 16:32-33 NKJV).  Even though many Christians do not realize it, we are on the winning team.  “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:3-5 NKJV).  Spiritually, we overcome the trials of this world when we walk in faith in the knowledge that we are loved by the One who created the universe and seeks the best for our lives.

    In Romans 8: 37-39, the Apostle Paul expresses that faith.  “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV)

    Paul wrote to Timothy saying that the Lord Jesus Christ is our hope (1Timothy 1:1). In his book, Totally Saved, Dr. Tony Evans explains, "We have lasting hope through the salvation we have in Christ ... Hope means that even when it looks like it's all over, it's not all over yet. That's why the Bible says we can rejoice even in our tribulations. God is working in our hard times to produce proven character and hope in us." 

    Because of the love of God, and because God is love, no matter how bleak the world around us seems to be, we can walk in faith and hope.  Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”  (Mark 13:30-31 NKJV).  We can stand firmly in the knowledge that His word says that even when all things in this worldly realm pass away,  faith, hope and love will abide.

The Bride of the Lamb of God: the Shulamite Bride, the Beloved Church

The Bride of the Lamb of God: the Shulamite Bride the Beloved Church
By Pastor Lonnie C. Crowe Rhema Fellowship Church
Published: June 22nd, 2012, The Torrington Telegram, Page 4

   In the "Song of Solomon" , the Shulamite comes to the realization that
whatever her situation or her emotional state, she is beloved of her
Bridegroom. Her love for him deepens when she realizes how passionately
she is loved (1 John 4:19).
   While "The Song of Solomon" is a literal picture of marriage, many
elements symbolize the Church and our relationship with our king, the
Lord Jesus. The song describes the experience of every believer who is
sought for and redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
   One of the most quoted passages from the song is "He brought me to
His banqueting table and His banner over me is love" (Song of Solomon 2:4).
   In the same manner, Christ has brought us to His banqueting table.
Through Holy Communion, we are in a place of His spiritual provision
and His love, His banner over us, protects us.
   "The Song of Solomon" 2:16 says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He feeds his flock among the lilies." Here is a picture of not only the
security of the believer in Christ (John 10:28-29 ), but of the Good
Shepherd who knows His sheep, believers, and lays down His life for us
(John 10:11).
   Because of Him, we are no longer stained by sin. His sacrifice on the
cross has removed our spots and blemishes. (Song of Solomon 4:7;
Ephesians 5:27).
   When we enter into the deep spiritual understanding that God truly is
love (1 John 4:8), we realize that we are loved just as we are. In
receiving that love, we desire to please our Bridegroom. Living in the
knowledge that God loves us gives us validity, purpose and direction.
   How can life be meaningless when the Creator of all life loves us
with a passion that took Him to Calvary?
   Jesus' death on the cross makes it possible for us to have the same
relationship with Him that Adam and Eve had before the fall. We can walk
with Him in the Garden of Delight. He has restored our fellowship. He
has anointed us with His joy.
   He calls us His children, His disciples , His brothers , His friends,
His beloved. The third verse to the old hymn, "The Love of God" was
found penciled on the wall of an insane asylum , written by a man
suffering from dementia, who had risen above his turmoil , and rested in
the love of God:
"Could we with ink the ocean fill,
 And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a
quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky."
We are truly His beloved and He is ours.

The Bride of the Lamb of God: Miriam the Celebratory Bride

The Bride of the Lamb of God: Miriam the Celebratory Bride
By Pastor Lonnie C. Crowe,  Rhema Fellowship Church
First Published: June 15th, 2012, The Torrington Telegram, Page 4

    The church has been ordained by God to be the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in Old Testament picture the attributes of the church in the New Testament. None is flawless, but each is beloved. Even so, the church, the Bride of the Lamb, though not without flaw,is beloved.
   Miriam, the sister of Moses, is a woman with attributes of the Bride of the Lamb. We remember her often as the woman with leprosy who had complaints against her brother. We must remember her, too, as the one who led the women in the "Song of the Sea" after God had miraculously rescued His people from the Egyptian army.
   Moses, representing the nation of Israel, first leads the men. Then with tambourines and dance, Miriam leads the women (Exodus 15:1-20 ).
   What a triumphant picture of Israel and the Church joining in celebration of Yahweh, the God of deliverance. Miriam began the Israelite tradition of celebrating God's victories through dance.
   Our God is the God of celebration. He encourages our rejoicing in Him because the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) The "Chabad Weekly Torah Commentary" suggests, "We don't sing when we are frightened, despairing, sleepy or after a heavy meal. We sing when
we are pining after one whom we love, when we are yearning for better times, when we are celebrating an achievement or anticipating a revelation.
   "We don't sing when we are complacent . We sing when we are striving for something, or when we have tasted joy and are climbing it to the heavens. Song is prayer, the endeavor to rise above the petty cares of life and cleave to one's source. Song is the quest for redemption."
   Even a song of yearning is a celebration of the One who can fulfill the longing in our hearts.
   John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, "Sour godliness is the devil's religion."  His brother Charles wrote more than 6,000 hymns including "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing My Great Redeemer's Praise." The Wesleys knew the spiritual power and authority that manifest through celebration.
   One of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, has written, "The Holy Spirit is so good, so strong, so majestic, so intentional , so funny, so powerful, so loving, so gracious, so generous " a genius at life!"
   God knows what is happening in our world and is not overwhelmed by it. Let's go to Him for strategies and solutions . In spite of what is happening around us, we can rejoice in our Redeemer and in our redemption. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
   Zephaniah 3:17 says that God will rejoice over us with singing. I love the concept of God, so full of joy, that He bursts into song. We are created in His image. How can we help but be like Miriam?  We must  pick up our tambourines and dance as we sing praises for what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do.
   Miriam, a worship leader, represents the church rejoicing in our Lord. She represents the Bride of the Lamb rejoicing in her Bridegroom.

The Bride of the Lamb of God: Eve, the Life-Giving Church

The Bride of the Lamb of God:  Eve, the Life-Giving Church

By Pastor Lonnie C. Crowe

First Published: June 8th, 2012, The Torrington Telegram, Page 4

                Again, several biblical symbols represent the church. Among them is the church's calling as the holy, radiant, spotless Bride of Christ, the Lamb of God. Many times women in Old Testament picture the attributes of the church in the New Testament. None is flawless, but each is beloved.

   Eve is one whom we readily recognize as being flawed, but tend to overlook as being beloved. In Genesis 3, the enemy, as a serpent, entered the garden to distort the plan of God. He came to the woman first because he knew she had been called as a helpmeet, the complement to the man. Together, Adam and the woman were to bring about God's fullness for mankind.

   The enemy's purpose was to attack the Creator through those whom He had created. He beguiled the woman, and she was deceived. Adam was not deceived. (1 Corthinians 2:14).  He ate the fruit willingly and blamed the woman and then God for having given him the woman. However, the woman discerned and confessed the deception, "The serpent deceived me and I ate" (Genesis 3:13). She was the first to discern the reality of evil.

   Blessing the woman's discernment, God spoke to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:14-15).     The grace of God came to mankind through the seed of the woman who is Jesus Christ

  As picture of blood atonement, God sacrificed an animal and dressed the man and the woman in its skin. Adam then named the woman, Eve, meaning "life giver." When the woman moved out of deception and into truth, she became a giver of life. This is God's plan for His church, for the Bride of the Lamb.

   We are to move out of the deception of worldly philosophies and into the truth of the Word of God, and, thereby, become givers of life to those around us. One of the deceptions that the enemy is tempting us with today is the thought that Christianity provides only one of many ways to experience God and that we must view the only Bible as an allegorical and/or metaphorical view of history and determine within ourselves what is truth.

   That deception moves us out of grace and into the despairing concept that we must overcome evil in our own power. The ones who accept this deception become like those St. Paul described as "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Paul warned believers to turn away from such (2 Timothy 3:7).

   Holy Spirit power lifts us above our circumstances and allows God to bless us in spite of those circumstances. No other religion or philosophy brings the hope, the power, the authority, the victory, the eternal life we find in the seed of the woman.

   When we walk in the truth of the Word of God, we have hope, peace and joy. In worldly philosophies and powerless religions, we find only hopelessness and despair.

   When Eve, though once deceived, moved from deception and into Truth, she became a life giver.  Are we, the church, the Bride of the Lamb of God, life-givers? Do we walk in and speak forth the hope, power, grace and love that we find in our Savior?

Feast of First Fruits: The Resurrection

Feast of First Fruits: The Resurrection

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

FIRST FRUITS

Lev 23:10-14, Ex 23:19; 34:26

In the midst of the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread is the Feast of First Fruits.  Jesus died on Passover; He arose again on the Feast of First Fruits.  Jesus is the fulfillment of this feast as well. 

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…so also in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor 15:20-22b.

Jesus’ resurrection confirms our blood covenant with God the Father and assures our resurrection as well.  Praise the Lord.  Because He lives, I, too, shall live.