​As we have moved into a new year, it is time to consider the call of God on our lives. Integrated with the new year is the tenth month on the Hebrew calendar called Tevet. The number ten is not only the number of testimony, (The Ten Commandments were in the Ark of the Testimony.) but the number of godly authority. When we consider our own lives, we should also be praying for godly authority for our Commander in Chief and other leaders of our country. The enemy of our souls tries to get to us through our leaders. This is why we are instructed to pray for them. 
 
The word Tevet means "good." God's will for us is to move toward the light. The natural light of each day will be increasing as we go into the new year. When we consider our plans for the new year we should be charting a course of righteousness. Proverbs 4:18 tells us, "The path of righteousness is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." New life flows in the light. Isn't it fitting that the Hebrew letter associated with Tevet is AYIN which pictures an eye and a spring or well? We must see with spiritual eyes for new life to flow like a fresh spring.
 
The Lord desires for our eyes to be focused on the good. 2 Chronicles 16:9 talks about the eyes of the Lord. They "range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him..." This Scripture corresponds with the one that my pastor, George Matthew Clash, Lead Pastor at The Crossing in Washington Crossing, PA, gave to us last Sunday. “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters..." (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 - NKJ) This word was delivered by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians when he was encouraging them to stay in the light and to live according to the righteousness of God. He asked a question that is pertinent in the month of Tevet. "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (2 Corinthians 6:16)
 
The reason that this Scripture from 2 Corinthians hits home in Tevet and the beginning of the new year is because this month is associated with the tribe of Dan. Dan means to rule or judge. Grouped with the tribes of Naphtali and Asher in their camp and when they marched, they formed a rear guard and were called to help in the protection of the Israelites. Sadly, the tribe of Dan became the first one to worship idols. It was in Dan's territory that King Jeroboam set up golden calves where the people came to bow down and worship them. The constellation in the sky during this month is Capricorn, the goat. It should be a sign to remind us not to make wrong alignments. Goat nations formed alliances that show us their break from God's covenant.
 
Our desire should be to align ourselves with God and His plans and purposes for our lives. This will mean that we will need to make sacrifices in the new year. Psalm 33:18 and 20 says, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in HIs mercy...Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (NKJ) Tevet and the beginning of 2026 mark the start of a season of preparation. Ask the Lord for His divine strategy and vision for the year to come. He made a promise to His people in Isaiah 52:12. "...For the Lord will go before you. And the God of Israel will be your rear guard." What more could we ask for? Let us walk into the year ahead with willingness to be set apart from the world, to pray for those in authority over us, to focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and to walk in righteousness and holiness to advance the kingdom of God.

​As Christians, we need to be aware of how Hanukkah and Christmas have similarities. Neither celebration is found directly in the Bible. However, in John 10:22 and 23 there is a reference to Jesus observing Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication. "Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade." There is a footnote in my Complete Jewish Study Bible that says, "Not only did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah, but He observed it in the same Temple that had been cleansed and rededicated just a few generations earlier under the Maccabees."
 
Basically, Hanukkah is a celebration of the deliverance of the Jews by God. It also became a time to express their hope of a coming Messiah. Jesus used His time at the Temple during Hanukkah to reveal His identity to the Jews gathered around Him. "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly," the Jews shouted. Jesus gave them the answer in His Hanukkah message. "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:25-28)
 
Hanukkah recalls a military victory for the Jews. If Antiochus had succeeded in his campaign to destroy the Jews, there would have been no birth of a Jewish Messiah to a young Hebrew couple. The first miracle had to take place for the second miracle to come about—the incarnation of Christ Jesus.
 
Hanukkah demonstrates how God provided the miracle of light in the middle of dark times. Christmas brought us The Light of Christ. He was born into a world riddled with brokenness and darkness. Father God is the One who provided the Light from heaven to shine into our world. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
 
It is miraculous that the Maccabees could conquer the Syrian army. Then the miracle of light came about as the Temple Menorah remained lit for eight days with only enough oil for one day. But the miracle of Christmas topped the Hanukkah miracles. We have a virgin birth of the Son of God. That birth brought forth "The Light of the World."
 
At the heart of both Christmas and Hanukkah are miracles from God. He brings us opportunities for new beginnings and for life everlasting with Him. He brings restoration and hope. "...The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Why not make this entire season a time for remembering and celebrating the goodness of God? He is The One who brings us victory through the miraculous and The Light of Life through His Son.

​The ninth month on the Hebrew calendar, Kislev, is called the month of miracles. This is because of the miracle of the oil that occurred during the second temple period. The altar of the Lord had been overtaken by Greek invaders led by Antiochus Epiphanes. That altar was desecrated when Antiochus decided to sacrifice a pig on the altar of burnt offering in 167 BC. In addition, he erected a statue of the Greek god, Zeus, on top of the altar. Then he looted the temple treasure and burned copies of the law.
 
Hundreds of years before this event occurred, the prophet Daniel wrote about it, calling it "an abomination of desolation" in Daniel 11:31. A priestly family of Israelites called the Maccabees would not sit still as their temple was being defiled, and so went to war against the invaders. After three years of battle, they overcame and recaptured the temple. The first order of business for this priestly family was to cleanse and rededicate the temple. Thus, we have the celebration called Hanukkah which means "Dedication."
 
A new altar was built and the temple restored. The priests remade the holy vessels and brought back the lampstand. The miracle of Hanukkah occurred as the Maccabees searched for oil to light the lampstand. Only one vial of oil was found that had been approved and sealed by the high priest. This would only keep the lampstand burning for one day. The priests decided to light the lamps anyway. To their delight, that one vial of oil kept the lampstand lit for eight full days, the amount of time needed to prepare more oil. It should be noted that the number eight is the number of new beginnings. How significant! This miracle happened during the month of Kislev. The celebration of Hanukkah begins on Kislev 25 on the Hebrew calendar. In 2025 that is December 15 on our Greek-based calendars.
 
The lampstand that was used in the temple had seven branches. The Menorah used today has nine branches, one for each of the eight days that the lampstand was lit and one center candle called the "Shammas" or "Servant" candle. It is the middle candle that is used to light the other eight candles. Those of the Christian faith should see the significance of the Servant candle and its position above the other candles on the Menorah. For us, it represents the Light of the World, Jesus. He made His identity clear in a declaration from the Temple. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
 
When Joseph and Mary came to the temple to bring a sacrifice of two turtle doves and to introduce Jesus, they encountered Simeon. The Bible says he was "just and devout," and was waiting to see the Lord's Christ. When he saw Jesus he took Him in his arms and said, "Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word: For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32 - NKJ)
 
It is revelation that turns on the light. As the "Servant candle," Jesus/Yeshua, came to light the world. He lights one candle at a time with the oil of His Spirit. As the Maccabees rededicated the temple, we must rededicate our temples. The world is becoming increasingly darker, which gives us the opportunity to shine even brighter. We have an unlimited supply of oil from the Holy Spirit that is meant to be used to glorify God and show the love of Christ to those around us. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world..." (Matthew 5:14) Why not be a part of this miraculous month by letting your light shine?

It was during this month, the eighth month on the Hebrew calendar, that God implemented His plan to cleanse and restore the earth. He found one man who was righteous at the time when He proclaimed, "I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created...for I regret that I have made them." (Genesis 6:7) He gave instructions to Noah to build an ark for himself, his family, and two of all living creatures, male and female. Then God said, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation." (Genesis 7:1)
 
The story of Noah's obedience to God should be an example for us. As he and his family followed God's instructions concerning the building of the arc, they bore witness to the righteousness of God. Noah's behavior reflected Matthew 5:16. "...Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Let us remember that Jesus warned His disciples about the days before His return, saying that they would be like the days of Noah. "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26 and 27)
 
Would you not agree that our society today looks very similar to the one from Noah's days? So, it would be a suitable time for us to proclaim the righteousness of Christ. And why not do so in the month that Noah and his family entered the arc, the eighth month of Cheshvan? It is interesting to note that there are no Jewish feasts or fasts during this month. The Jews say this month is reserved for Messiah. Perhaps this is the month in which Messiah will return. Regardless, our responsibility is to declare the righteousness of God while we still have time. He could return any day!
 
Floods are usually devastating for those who live through them. Yet God used the flood of Cheshvan to bring about cleansing and restoration. He used Noah as an instrument of redemption for the world so that all humankind could be saved. This shows us that God's plan for humanity never changes. God was repositioning humankind to be "fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28 - NKJ) Is it not appropriate that Cheshvan is the eighth month when the meaning of eight is new beginnings?
 
We, as Believers in the Lord, have been made heirs to Him. This truth means that we have authority in the earthly realm. Our assignment is the same one given to Adam and Eve: to be fruitful, multiply, subdue, and have dominion over the earth. Are we living out God's plan for our lives? We must realign ourselves with the plans and purposes of our Lord and Savior. Like Noah, we want to demonstrate the righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven in the hope that others might join the family of the Lord. 

​The third of the fall feasts begins at sundown on Monday. Called Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, its main message is that God desires to dwell with His people. Jesus/Yeshua is the consummation of the holiday as He "tabernacled" among us. Sukkot is the pinnacle of the Jewish calendar and is referred to by God as "The Feast." The week-long feast commemorates a time when God dwelt with His people in the desert. Moses reviewed the commandments for the Feast of Tabernacles with the Israelites before he left them. Here is how it is written in Deuteronomy 16:13-15. "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice." (NKJV)
 
There are several themes to the festival of Sukkot that we will review:
Joy - God commanded that the Jewish people take four species (Leviticus 23:40) and wave them together before Him in rejoicing. The Jews use an etrog (large lemon-type citrus fruit), a palm frond, a willow and myrtle branch, and tie them together into what is called a lulav.
 
Ingathering - Sukkot is the celebration of agricultural harvest. This gathering of the harvest represents what will occur when the fullness of the Gentiles comes to faith in God and makes room for the return of the Jewish people to faith in their Messiah.
 
Dedication - In 1 King 8:2 we can read how King Solomon selected Sukkot as the time to dedicate the temple and bring the ark of the covenant into the inner sanctuary of the temple.
 
Light - During Sukkot four huge golden candlesticks were set up on the court of the Temple. Four young priests would climb ladders placed by the candlesticks as they carried about 7.5 gallons of pure oil to light the bowls at the top candlesticks. The light from those four candles lit the entire courtyard in the temple in Jerusalem. Many would dance in the night, holding bright torches and singing songs of praise to the Lord.
 
Water - In the last day of the festival the priest would go to the Pool of Siloam to draw water. They brought it back through the Water Gate and poured it on the altar. Prayers thanking God for the harvest rain would then be prayed. It was during this ceremony that Jesus declared, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:37, 38)
 
Nations - Through the prophet Amos, God promised that He would raise up the fallen tabernacle of David. "In that day I will restore David's fallen shelter. I will repair its broken wall and restore its ruins, and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all nations that bear my name." (Amos 9:11, 12) The theme of Sukkot will be fulfilled according to Zechariah 14:16. "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, The Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles." 
 
As the Jewish people are building their Sukkahs, or temporary booths, and live in them to remember their ancestors' journey through the desert, we must pray for them to be awakened to the truth of their Messiah who came to tabernacle with us.

​It comes once a year and is God's holiest day on the Hebrew calendar. It is the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. His assignment was to make a blood offering for the sins of the people of Israel. This holy day is called Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement since the sins of a nation would be atoned for. At the center of the three fall festivals, we can read about all of them in Leviticus 23. Each of the three feasts have a theme and include The Feast of Trumpets (repentance), The Day of Atonement (redemption), and The Feast of Tabernacles (rejoicing).
 
Yom Kippur is the culmination of The Ten Days of Awe that started on The Feast of Trumpets and is the day when God summoned His people to repentance and renewal. On this day, the children of Israel examined themselves to evaluate their faith and their relationship with God. It was, and still is, a day of fasting and prayer. The translation for The Day of Atonement is "The Day of Covering." When a sacrifice was made on the altar, God provided a covering for sin. However, the Jewish people are faced with a conundrum today. Leviticus 17:11 says, "...It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." In other words, there is no atonement without the shedding of blood. Blood was the evidence that an animal had paid the price for the sin of God's people.
 
The sacrifices for sin occurred in the Temple of God. With no temple, there is no place for a high priest to make the blood sacrifice. Father God recognized this problem and had a solution for it before the beginning of time. He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and to fulfill the sacrificial system. He paid the sin debt once and for all time through His crucifixion. Being buried, He rose again on the third day and demonstrated the power of God to save us. The crucifixion of Jesus occurred 40 years before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. He shed His blood for the entire world to cleanse us from our sins so we could have relationship with God.
 
In Hebrew, Chapter 9, the writer explains that Christ became the mediator of a new covenant. "He died as a ransom to set them free from sins committed under the first covenant." (Verse 15) Verse 22 confirms what was written in Leviticus: "...Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Verse 28 declares a glorious future for those who believe in Christ. "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." 
 
Sadly, blindness has come over the Jewish people. Their rabbis have instituted new ways to observe Yom Kippur. Prayer and fasting, attending synagogue, readings, and sermons are now the way the Jews observe this day. They have set aside what God prescribed and commanded. As Believers in Yeshua, Jesus, it is our responsibility to pray for the Jewish people to have their eyes opened and their hearts transformed to believe the truth. Here is how it is stated in Romans 11:11 and 12. "Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring?"  We must be on our knees for the Jewish people.

One of God's greatest desires is for intimate communion with His children. Thus, He "created man in His own image." (Genesis 1:27) In the cool of the day God came to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve. God is still coming to meet us and looks forward to drawing near during the three fall feasts. Monday, at sunset, the shofar will be blown to signal the beginning of the Jewish new year 5786. The Head of the Year, or Rosh Hashana, is also called Yom Teruah, The Day of the Blowing. The ten-day period from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, is referred to as "The Ten Days of Awe." These days are a time for introspection, repentance, and renewal.
 
Rabbinic Judaism memorializes Rosh Hashana as the time when the world was created. It is the beginning of the Jewish calendar year when counting the Sabbaths and the numbered years. Genesis 22, the chapter in the Bible that tells the story of Abraham's obedience to God when he was asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, will be read in synagogues. God will be praised for His substitutionary atonement (a ram in the thicket). For Believers in Yeshua, there is greater significance to this story as it was a foreshadow of what Messiah would do for us. "The Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6) Let us remember that the spiritual application of God's word for our lives has never changed. The blowing of the shofar 100 times is a mighty call to learn from the past and look forward to the future.
 
Considering the events of the past two weeks, I believe that there is a prophetic significance to the new year 5786. Many prophets will be focusing on the Hebrew meaning of the numbers in the new year, especially the six and eighty. The Jewish system assigns a numerical value to every letter in their alphabet. The sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet is "vav" and is shaped like a hook or connecting rod used to join words or concepts together. Some call the connecting rod a hinge. When we look at Genesis 1:1 we see that "God created the heavens and the earth," and He connected them together. The prayer Jesus taught His disciples is written in Matthew 6. Verse 10 demonstrates God's desire to connect heaven and earth. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus came to earth to restore the connection between heaven and earth through His redeeming blood on the Cross. Rabbi Jason Sobel points out that since the number six is pictured as a hinge pin, we are being called in this year to change. This is the year of the "turning point."
 
The blowing of the shofar is a wakeup call for us. The truth is that without repentance there is no revival. It is time for the Church to wake up and declare truth. This is shown in the number 80. Eighty is "pey" in the Hebrew alphabet. Hence, we are in the decade of "pey." The Church must raise its voice and speak truth for us to turn toward the Lord's direction. Let the shofar blast remind us to lift our voices to call for an awakening in our land. It is time to turn toward righteousness and justice. Without transformation our nation will falter. Patricia King, in her yearly assessment of what is to come in 5786, says we must avoid the evil that tries to hook us and be firmly connected to God. Divine alignment with Him will help us purify our hearts and keep our speech and actions in heaven's flow.
 
Let us declare this new year of 5786 as one of preparation for the coming of the Lord. We must be ready to go to battle for the plans and purposes of God as we prepare for His coming. 

​The Hebrew month we enter tonight is called Elul. This sixth month is meant to be a time for introspection before the High Holy Days begin. The Jews use this time as one of repentance for the wrongs done to others. The Hebrew letters of Elul (Aleph, Lamed, Vav, Lamed) are an acronym for "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." (Song of Solomon 6:3) Elul is meant to be a time of recommitting to our relationship with God. Some people called Elul the "Jewish Lent." This season is called Teshuvah which means repentance and returning to God. According to Jewish tradition, Elul is the time when Moses was on Mount Sinai preparing to receive the second set of tablets.
 
The origin of the word Elul is linked to the Akkadian word for harvest. However, Elul is also related to the Aramaic word, "El," which means "to search" or "to examine," highlighting the introspective nature of the month. We are called to deepen our relationship with God during Elul. Some Jews will blow their shofars daily (except on the Sabbath) as a reminder that we are in the month of repentance. It is customary to read Psalm 27 twice daily (morning and evening) from Elul 1 until Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles). The Psalm is meant to give the reader peace in their souls as they repent.
 
During Elul, it is said that the King comes out to the field and can be approached by anyone. It is a time when there is divine closeness like no other time of the year, and an ideal time to deepen our relationship with the Lord. The King's accessibility is a great time of excitement. The definition of accessibility is "the quality of being at hand when needed," or in other words, He is available and easily approachable because all barriers are removed.
 
Jesus is a perfect example of the King coming into the field. He set aside His royal robes so that He could come to earth and commune with us. As it says in John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made HIs dwelling among us." Jesus lived in a tent of mortal flesh so that He could manifest God's goodness to us. While on earth, Jesus chose twelve disciples who had intimate connection with Him for three years. During this time, He poured into them and taught them how to live according to God's Word. In His prayer to His Father in John 17, Jesus asked that His disciples would be sanctified by God's truth. Jesus came to earth so that the life of God would flow through mankind and that our fellowship with God would be restored.
 
The King came to earth to unite man and God through salvation. The King is in the field to bring us "life and life abundantly." (John 10:10) For the Christian who has pursued the King, every month is like the month of Elul. He makes Himself available to us because He desires intimacy with us more than we do with Him. However, we can use this month of Elul as a reminder of the King's amazing love for us.

​Today we have arrived at the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar. It is called Av, and its literal meaning is "father." It is said that this month is the low point on the Jewish calendar because on the 9th of Av the people of Israel chose to believe the negative report from ten of the spies who scouted out the Promised Land. Because of their unbelief in the power and faithfulness of God to do what He promised, a cycle of devastating events has taken place over the years on this very date. The enemy of their souls took advantage of their agreement with his kingdom and has used it to bring about devastating moments in history. These include the destruction of the first and second temple, the expulsion of the Jews from England and Spain, the deportation of the Jews to death camps in 1942, and the beginning of the expulsion of the Jews from Gaza. I can only imagine what the Jews in Israel will be thinking as they remember the horrors of this day.
 
It was twenty years ago, between the dates August 15 and September 12 on our calendars, that twenty-one Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip were dismantled and about 9,000 residents forcibly removed by their own people. They were caught in an impossible position because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and members of the Knesset agreed to unilaterally disengage from Gaza in the hope that giving the "Palestinians" their own strip of land would lead to peace. The Jews left behind beautiful orchards, fields of grain, and greenhouses that produced most of Israel's produce and flowers. So much was grown that the bounty was shared with the world. It is still inconceivable to me that all of the growing areas were destroyed by those who moved in.
 
Least anyone wonder about the Jews' claim to the land in Gaza, let us remember that both Abraham and Isaac lived in Gerar. (Genesis 20:1 and 26:1 and 17) Gerar is located in the modern-day Gaza Strip. Josephus tells us that Simon Maccabee started a Jewish settlement in Gaza. Also, there was a large Jewish community living in Gaza between 10 and 220 AD and in the Byzantine period between 330 and 1453 AD. During World War One the Jews were deported from Gaza, but they returned in 1970. Under the direction of Israel's Prime Minister, Golda Meir, they remained there, building communities and supporting themselves through the planting of trees and flowers, and the construction of greenhouses. The thought that the implementation of The Disengagement Plan would lead to less terror attacks and greater levels of security proved false. Shortly after the Jews were removed from Gaza, the Palestinian Authority took charge. Two years later, when Hamas seized control of Gaza, it became obvious that the fears of those expelled from Gaza became true. Their leaders have no respect for human life or property.
 
Israel is now at a crossroad. The success of the recent twelve-day war brings new hope that Israel's security may improve. There are those who want Israel to take back Gaza and develop a plan for the resettlement of it by the Jews. However, international opinion may not let this happen. In the meantime, as Av 9 (called Tisha B'Av) approaches, the Jews will fast for 25 hours, dim their lights, and cover the cabinet holding the Torah scrolls (called Aron Ha Kodesh) in black. The Shabbat following their fast is called Shabbat Nachamu or Shabbat of Comfort, and the period following this day is Menachem Av, the Comforter of Av. The readings from their Scriptures will be about comfort and consolation.
 
You may think there is no hope for the fifth month of Av, but this is not so. With the Lord there is always redemption! While it is true that the people of Israel have had much to mourn in their history, God's grace is greater than His judgment. The prophet Isaiah promised that there would be "the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) In addition, Zechariah gives us great hope. This is what he tells us: "This is what the Lord Almighty says, 'The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.'" (Zechariah 8:19) What started centuries ago with Israel's unbelief can be redeemed. Let us use this month as one to agree with the voice of faith. Let us believe God's promises and enter into His blessings for us and the people of Israel.

Tammuz, the fourth month on the Hebrew calendar, is significant for the events that took place and the lessons we can learn. Today I want to highlight the seventeenth of Tammuz that starts a three-week period that ends on the ninth of Av. (Av 9 is another significant day that goes down in history as a day of infamy.) The three-week time period between Tammuz 17 and Av 9 that we are now entering has become known as "The Dire Straits." Observant Jews will set the three weeks aside to repent and ask for forgiveness from God for the sins of their fathers. Five catastrophes occurred in Biblical history on Tammuz 17.
 
Here is how the prophet Jeremiah describes the three weeks called "The Dire Straits." "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: She dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her between the straits. (Lamentations 1:3 - KJV) The first of the five catastrophes occurred when the children of Israel came to Mount Sinai. Moses was with God receiving Torah. The Israelites became impatient and decided to make their own god. They collected and squandered the wealth God had arranged for them to take from Egypt to make an idol—the golden calf. God's desire was to see His people prosper, but because they did not know their true identity, they worshiped a false god.
 
During "The Dire Straits," the daily offerings brought to the first Temple were suspended in 586 BC. This is because Nebuchadnezzar's army began their siege of Jerusalem. It was in 70 AD that the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Roman Empire during the second Temple period. Prior to the Bar Kokhba Revolt, a Roman military leader named Apostamos burned a Torah scroll. This burning set a precedent for the burning of Jewish books and Torah scrolls throughout the world. Finally, the sanctuary of the Temple was desecrated when an idolatrous image was placed there. There is controversy over who did this. Some say the Babylonians, while others say it was Apostamos.
 
How can remembering these events help us to move out of seasons of difficulty that seem to repeat themselves during similar periods of time each year? As I said before, we must recognize our true identity in Christ Jesus. Because we are God's children, we have favor with Him and the ability to break out of destructive patterns in life. Our enemies are defeated foes because of our position in Christ. "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) In addition, we are told in Romans 8:37 that "...We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." 
 
Since we are grafted into the family of God, the enemy of our souls may try to disrupt our lives with conflict and disasters during this same time period. He wants us to agree with the decrees of his kingdom rather than the decrees from the Kingdom of Heaven. We must be vigilant not to allow the schemes of the enemy to take hold of us. The power of the risen Christ is available to everyone who believes and confesses that He is Lord. Our confession must be, "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)