rehear

Well, here we are on the anniversary of the day God said, “Let there be Light”, Sept 16th/Elul 25th. There are only 5 more days before the Feast of Trumpets, which begins at sundown on Wednesday 20th September. While the shofar is blown once every day during the month of Elul to call people to repentance, on the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, it is blown hundreds of times! Can you imagine the ear shattering sound waves that are released into the atmosphere!

Today is also the anniversary of the day the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was completed (Nehemiah 6). What an apt picture of what has been going on in our lives as we have been returning to the Lord and realigning with His will so that any area the enemy had access to is now protected. The walls of our lives are being rebuilt by submission and obedience.

Much has been going on in the media concerning the threat of nuclear war and I was led to read psalm 2 the other day. It gave me perspective again concerning where the Lord stands concerning the posturing of world leaders as they strive towards the New World Order. God is unmoved. In fact, He sits and laughs because He is way ahead of them. He has already set His Son on Zion, His holy hill. In other words, men of the earth may be taking their stand against God’s righteous rule but in the spiritual realm, He has already positioned His people dwelling in Christ where they need to be.

Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say, Psa 2:3  Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us. Psa 2:4  He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. Psa 2:5  He speaks to them in His deep anger and troubles (terrifies and confounds) them in His displeasure and fury, saying, Psa 2:6  Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion.

The Hebrew word translated ‘set, installed or placed’ also means ‘to cast metal’ or ‘to anoint a king’. In other words, the mold into which the molten metal is to be poured has already been made in a certain shape. There is no changing it. The fluid metal will take the shape of the mold into which it is destined to be poured. What does that mean for us, saints? The repentance and realignment carried out during Elul is in effect the removal of any remaining dross or solid, stubborn areas within our hearts. Because of this, we arrive at the Feast of Trumpets fully prepared and in the correct fluid state to be poured into the mold of Heaven’s choice. All resistance to His will has been removed.

I have spoken with a couple of people this week who have testified that they have finally surrendered in certain areas in which they had stubbornly been resisting God for years – and as a result the inflow of life and refreshing has been phenomenal. In both these cases, they had become resistant through leaning on their own understanding concerning issues and had therefore gone through a number of years of being out of alignment with the Lord’s perfect will for them (all the while being unaware of their true state of heart and not understanding the lack of breakthrough which persisted because of their stubborn pride). And now during Elul, light had come in order for them to adjust their compasses accordingly. As I write, I am reminded of a phrase the Spirit once whispered to me, “When people think they can see clearly, they become deaf to My voice.” In many cases, our own short-sightedness has sadly contributed to a season of bashing our heads against a brick wall as far as spiritual progress is concerned – and that wall is built of bricks of our own understanding and earthly wisdom cemented together by presumption. Walking in one’s own will and desire and assuming that God would never insist we do such and such has brought a pause in many journeys. Praise God, we are now in the days when He is saying over us, “Let there be light” and separating the light from the darkness. Submission and realignment to the Head or mind of Christ causes a free flow of instruction from the Head to the Body and then every part is released to function as it was designed to function. Life is imparted again and all numbness of spirit leaves.

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.

 This word ‘begotten’ is different in the Hebrew to English. It means ‘to show lineage, to declare a pedigree’ rather than a birthing. It speaks more of an affirming of blood relationship, a confirming of parentage and inheritance rights. We see this word demonstrated when Jesus was baptized and a Voice was heard saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The reason the Father was pleased with His Son is because of the way He had been living in those hidden years. We learn from Luke that Jesus was submissive and obedient to the earthly parents He had been given:

Luk 2:51  And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart. Luk 2:52  And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

Only submission and obedience to the voice of your Father will cause you to grow in wisdom and stature and therefore it is imperative that we are able to hear His voice clearly. No wonder that in John’s letters to the seven churches, Jesus repeatedly says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. However, as we know, it is possible to have ears and yet not be able to hear and the same is true spiritually:

Isa 42:19  Who is blind but My servant [Israel]? Or deaf like My messenger whom I send? Who is blind like the one who is at peace with Me [who has been admitted to covenant relationship with Me]? Yes, who is blind like the Lord's servant? Isa 42:20  You have seen many things, but you do not observe or apprehend their true meaning. His ears are open, but he hears not!

 Beloved, in the past season we have seen many things but have not been able to grasp their true significance; we have been unable to hear – and this is often because we have been leaning on our own understanding or walking in the wisdom of man, or alternatively praying according to our own desires in a situation. I am much encouraged by the words which describe the Lord’s solution after His description of the state of His people’s sight and hearing:

Isa 42:21  It was the Lord's pleasure for His righteousness' sake [in accordance with a steadfast and consistent purpose] to magnify instruction and revelation and glorify them.

Thank God that at the close of this difficult season we have traversed, the Lord is choosing to send light and magnify instruction, in order that we can get the hang of where we have been and where to realign!

About a week ago, the Spirit spoke one word to me, “Rehearsal”. He said it like this: REHEAR-SAL. Then He spent the next few days expanding what He was stressing. Rehearsals often reveal the areas which need polishing and dealing with any flaw in one’s alignment to the written script. To rehearse means ‘to go over again, to repeat your part in a script or to polish your moves for the performance’!!  And is that not what we have been waiting for many a long night, the performance of all He has spoken over our lives?! But now, He was highlighting our part in the performance. There is a script to be studied and aligned to. This so dovetailed with what we have been busy with during the month of Elul as we move towards Rosh Hashanah. But what the Spirit really emphasized to me is that in order to rehearse or go over and polish our part, it is vital that we REHEAR what He originally said. And why is this important at this time? Because when He first spoke those words, we were in a very different spiritual place to where we find ourselves now after a good long season of refining fire and repentance. It is like removing wax from the ear canal. Suddenly the specific notes sound different and clarion clear! When there was wax in our ears, we think that we heard and understood clearly what God’s instruction and decree over us was, but the nuances of detail are perhaps lost on us. It is therefore vital to REHEAR with clean, uninfected ears what Heaven’s original and abiding intention is for our lives.

Rev 3:3  So call to mind, rehearse the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come.

 

So, my friends, get out those promises and prophetic words that you think you know backwards and REHEAR them. Go over them again and perhaps you will suddenly see something that escaped your notice in the days when you were a little dull of hearing because of leaning on your own understanding. We are walking through a week of release of creative light; a week when God is separating light from darkness in our understanding and elevating heavenly far above earthly soulish words which have been spoken and embraced during past seasons.

I investigated further into the concept of ‘rehearsal’ and I know what I found will speak to you prophetically:

  • a session of exercise, drill, or practice, usually private, in preparation for a public performance, ceremony, etc.: a play rehearsal; a wedding rehearsal.

  • a practice exercise :A TRIAL (isn’t this interesting that we can view our going through a trial as a rehearsal?)

  • it is undertaken as a form of practicing, to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated. The term "rehearsal" typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people. For example, when a musician is preparing a piano concerto in their music studio, this is called "practicing", but when they practice the concerto with an orchestra, this is called a "rehearsal".

  • paramedics practicing responding to a simulated emergency, or troops practicing for an attack using a mock-up of the battle.

  • initial rehearsals will often involve working on challenging sections of the piece!

  • while classical conductors do not typically speak to direct the orchestra during concerts, during rehearsals, the conductor speaks to communicate his artistic vision for the piece and explain the "articulation" (note lengths), tone colours, and tempos he would like to use.

  • during initial rehearsals, the conductor frequently stops the rehearsal to ask players or sections to change the way they are playing or provide guidance to the orchestra.

Bride of Christ, we are in a time of gathering before the throne for the dress rehearsal; for the Great Conductor to communicate afresh His vision for the piece we are going to be a part of and some of us have to make subtle changes in the way we have been playing our instruments. We may each be hidden from the others we are going to play with in the next season in the natural realm, but as we tune in our ears afresh to REHEAR what the Conductor is saying, we will perform our part with precision and bring glory to Him. Listen intelligently, free from preconceptions which colored your understanding in the last seasons and don’t confuse the dress rehearsal with the performance. A rehearsal is a shadow in a sense, the reality, the performance is to come, just as the feasts and the Sabbath are shadows but the reality and full manifestation is Christ! The rehearsals point toward the reality or time of manifestation.

 Exo 5:1  AFTERWARD MOSES and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.

 The true Church, those who follow the Way, are moving into a time when they will be thrust out of Egypt or the world system and will hold a feast to the Lord in the wilderness. Revelation 12 describes this clearly as the woman flees from the presence of the dragon into the wilderness to a place prepared for her. The fact that it has been prepared tells us that a performance is awaited. Therefore, the final REHEARsal is of vital importance to us. Remember, the measure of thought you give to what you hear will be the measure of revelation received in these preparatory days. Expect an increase of light and understanding as you REHEAR:

 Mar 4:22  [Things re hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known. Mar 4:23  If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. Mar 4:24  And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

 After working with me so I fully grasped what He was saying concerning rehearing, the Spirit then returned to that word ‘REHEAR-SAL’ but now emphasized the word ‘SAL’.

The name Sal is an Italian baby name, which means ‘Saviour’. We need to rehear the Saviour during this REHEARsal. Sal is also Portuguese for ‘salt’. The reason we head to REHEAR is so that in the coming season we can be salt that has not lost its savour. Salt is a preservative, preventing decay or death wherever it is present.

SAL is also an abbreviation for Surface Air Lifted, which is a postal service used to send international mail items. It is a cost effective international mail. At first SAL mail is processed and transported by surface in the origin country. Then it is airlifted to its destination. Beloved, we are living letters who may have been walking in the earthly realm but we are about to be lifted up and carried to our destination in the Spirit. Blessed are those who dwell in heavenly places in the coming days and it is possible if we take part in the REHEAR-SAL presently on Heaven’s calendar!

Sal is also short for ‘sally’, 'to sally' means ‘an action of rushing or bursting forth; of troops from a defensive position to attack the enemy’. This is why the last minute adjustments once we have reheard what God originally said to us is so vitally important. There is a lunching forth upon enemy strongholds up ahead.

The name Sally is also a Hebrew baby name: originally a pet form of Sarah (meaning princess). The royal lineage of Heaven is currently involved in a REHEARsal before manifestation and affirmation or their true parentage before the eyes of man. At the same time, the sons of the wicked one will also become fully manifest – and unfortunately many will be found within religious circles. Our enemies will be the members of our own households. However in order for full identification and separation to take place, there has to be a full measure of light for this day released. Only after light manifested, did God separate light from darkness on the anniversary of this day (Gen 1). It is almost the end of the year 5777, the year of the sword. Join me in praying from Ephesians 1 in the next few days that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened afresh to comprehend fully the hope to which we are called; that the ears of our hearts would be opened to rehear clearly exactly what the desire of Heaven is concerning us in the days ahead.

Eph 1:17  [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, Eph 1:18  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

 Selah