Part 17: UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED and UNSTOPPABLE!

Transcription

1 Part 17: UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED and UNSTOPPABLE! Texts: Numbers 19:14-15 (NKJV) - This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days; [15] and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean. Now let's read some of the most hated verses in the Bible because they are so often abused: Hebrews 13:15-18 (NKJV) - Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. [16] But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. [17] Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. [18] Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. A. Spiritual Coverings that have been discussed: 1. Blood Coverings 2. Prayer Coverings 3. Worship Coverings 4. Grace Coverings 5. Love Coverings 6. Coverings of the Anointing 7. Coverings of Glory Part 17 The Function and Power of Spiritual Coverings Part 2 Ministry Coverings

2 B. The true purpose for Ministry Coverings: 1. Ministry Coverings are not to be associated with a leader's ego problem who wants to control others; nor is it blindly complying with the demands of a warped individual who wants you to be their door mat. 2. Ministry Coverings provide a vital function in the Body of Christ that will extend your outreach and anointing in the Kingdom of God. 3. When the seven types of Spiritual Coverings are functioning properly, you will experience the power of God in your life, far beyond the level of personal revelation, experience, or ability. C. Our teaching today is a more indepth study of the Tallit, or prayer shawl. 1. Some believers use a prayer shawl in their personal devotions and worship. I think that is perfectly okay if it helps them connect with God in a more meaningful way. However, I don't believe it is necessary for Christians to purchase a Tallit, thinking it will make their worship or prayers more meaningful to God. 2. Several people have asked me to explain the Tallit in greater detail, so I want to finish this series on Spiritual Coverings with a clearer understanding of the biblical origin and meaning of the Tallit. 3. Numbers 15:37-41 (NKJV) - Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, [38] "Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. [39] And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, [40] and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. [41] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God. 4. The prayer shawl, or Tallit in the Hebrew, was designed by God to be worn by the men of Israel.

3 a. God always has a reason and purpose for religious and worship practices. b. While I do not believe that Christians are required to perform those practices today, I do believe they help us visualize some important truths about Spiritual Coverings. 5. Many scriptures imply that Christians should seek to understand the types, symbols and shadows of the Old Testament. a. 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV) - Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. b. 1 Corinthians 10:11 (AMP) - They were written to admonish and fit us for right action and good instruction. 6. Those who believe the Old Testament has no meaning or relevance for New Testament believers today are simply wrong. 7. Joke: The Jewish Guy Praying in Church Did you hear about the Jewish guy who went to Church, took out his tallit, yarmulke, and proceeded to pray. As the clergyman entered to begin the service, he announced: "Will all non-christians please leave." The Jewish man continued praying. Again the clergyman said, "Will all non-christians please leave." And the Jewish man continued to pray. Finally, the distraught clergyman announced: "Will ALL JEWS please leave so we can begin our Christian service." At this, the Jewish man removed his yarmulke, packed up his tallit, then went to the altar, picked up a statue of Jesus and said, "Come, they don't want us here anymore." 8. Both Paul and the writer of the book of Hebrews were masters at using Old Testament symbolism to explain how types and shadows had been fulfilled in Christ. a. This strengthened their faith by helping them understand how God s redemptive purposes had been fulfilled, beginning in the

4 book of Genesis, to the stable in Bethlehem, a hill called Golgotha, and finally to an empty tomb. b. Each of the 613 Hebrew laws, the ordinances, rituals, sacrifices, festivals and observances, all had specific meanings that were not only an important part of the Hebrew faith, but served the dual purpose of pointing toward the coming of Christ. c. They also became visuals to help the Jewish people recognize the appearance of Christ as their long awaited Messiah. Yet in spite of all the road signs along the way, the Jewish people failed to recognize Jesus. d. In the Book of Romans, Paul tells us that spiritual blindness caused the Jewish people to reject Christ's first coming. e. The good news is that their rejection of Jesus provided an opportunity for the Gentiles to receive Christ in their stead. f. When Christ returns the second time, the Bible says the Jewish people will welcome Him as their Savior. 9. The writer of Hebrews, especially in chapters 4 through 10, also points to Israel s experiences, Jewish law, and worship rituals as visuals. a. These visuals not only provide compelling evidence of God's plan for mankind, but stand as proof of the validity of the Gospel message. b. If both Paul and the writer of Hebrews can use Jewish laws and Old Testament rituals as authenticity of the message of Christ, believers can do the same today. c. Most Christians are fascinated by the mysteries and meaning of ancient Jewish worship practices even though we are not Jewish. d. Those who love the Word of God will automatically have a hunger to understand the Jewish foundations of our faith. That's one reason for the great response when I spoke on the Tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl, that demonstrates the Ministry Covering in the Spirit realm.

5 e. Again, that does not mean that we should purchase a prayer shawl, observe Jewish rituals, or worship on Saturday rather than Sunday. Every day is holy to the Lord when He lives within your heart. D. Mention of the Tallits in the news. 1. Bishop Wayne Jackson of Great Faith Ministries in Detroit gave President Trump a Tallit, or prayer shawl, when he visited their church. a. Bishop Jackson not only prayed for our President, but participated in the inaugural ceremony when he was officially sworn into office. b. Whether he realized it or not, Bishop Jackson was covering our President and thus our nation, with a Covering of the Word of God and the Holy Name of God. (See video: 2. Whether you approve of President Trump or not, that prophetic act caused a shift in the heavens. a. I personally believe that's the reason why Hillary Clinton lost the election and Donald Trump won. b. Even though the human vote had not been cast, Heaven responded by casting its vote for the one who was covered with prayer. c. The other candidates openly rejected the foundational teachings of the Word of God regarding biblical morality. d. In fact, just this week, one of those candidates openly attacked a person who had been nominated as a deputy budget director and said they were unfit to hold public office because they were a Christian who believed that Jesus was the only way to heaven! e. While we respect others, we have a right to believe the Word of God. And those of us who believe in Christ also have a right to run for public office whether Mr. Sanders likes it or not! Our constitution guarantees us that right. f. The latest thing is that atheist organizations are daring to remove church signs at the entrance of a city that welcome you to their town.

6 E. The Tallit is referred to in many chapters of the Bible. 1. Jewish people call the Tallit their yoke. a. Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. b. In this scripture, Jesus was speaking of the Tallit. For millenniums, Jewish rabbis have called the Tallit their yoke. Notice that it protects the mind. When Isaiah said that the anointing breaks the yoke, he referred to the prayer shawl that breaks the enemy's strongholds. c. Isaiah 10:27 (NKJV) - It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 2. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said to enter your prayer closet and shut the door. The Jewish people think of the Tallit as their closet of prayer. a. Since the Tabernacle in the wilderness was about 18 feet wide by 45 feet long and there were approximately 3 1/2 million Hebrews, obviously everyone could not enter the Tabernacle. b. The word Tallit is a compound word that contains two Hebrew words: "Tal" means tent and "lit" means little or little tent. c. The Greek word for closet actually means: secret place and storehouse. d. The secret to abundance is to take your business and your family finances to the secret place! F. When Jesus wore the Tallit, He was fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. 1. Isaiah 9:6 says that the government shall be upon His shoulders because the 613 laws that governed the nation of Israel and the people of God were woven into the Tallit.

7 2. The Bible also says in Isaiah 9:7, Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end. When God's laws are used to guide our nation, our families, and our lives, there is no end to the prosperity, favor and increase that we can experience. 3. Psalm 133:1-2 (NKJV) - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! [2] It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 4. In Exodus, chapter 30, God forbade the anointing oil to touch flesh. So, how could Aaron have been anointed if the oil could not touch his flesh? He was wearing a Tallit, which was his personal Tabernacle, or House of God. 5. Elijah used his Tallit to strike the Jordan River and part the water so that he and Elisha could walk to the other side. a. Elijah's Tallit or mantle fell to the earth as he was caught away in a chariot of fire. b. Elisha caught the Tallit as it floated to the ground and used this prayer shawl to again part the Jordan River as he shouted, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? 6. Other references for the Tallit: a. Most believers are greatly disturbed by the direction our nation has taken in the last 50 years to remove Bibles and prayer from our schools and the Ten Commandments from government buildings plus the 60 million abortions. b. Psalm 9:17 (NKJV) - The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God. c. This is what happens when a nation decides it no longer needs God. d. In Numbers, chapter 16, when Korah rebelled against Moses and Aaron and God's divine order, every Israelite man was commanded to stand in the doorway of his tent as Moses entered the Tabernacle. The tents are referred to as their Tallit. As Moses entered the big tent, the men wrapped themselves in their little

8 tents and prayed. Had Moses allowed Korah and his men to continue, they would have led Israel into God s disfavor and brought catastrophe upon the nation. e. Instead, the men of Israel were told to stand in the doorway of their tents to prevent the entrance of evil and rebellion. As they obeyed, the ground literally opened up and swallowed Korah and those who rebelled against God's laws. 7. How can we recover our nation? a. We must stand in the presence of God and pray. b. Men must be willing to become the priests for their families and our nation as they block the enemy from entering the doors of their homes. c. Evil must be eradicated from our land so that the heavens will open over our families and our nation. 8. (See photo of Jewish father praying and holding children under his Tallit). 9. (See photo of Jewish marriage ceremony as the man wraps his Tallit around his wife, symbolizing a covering and protection over her). a. In Ruth, chapter 3, the garment covering Boaz' feet was removed by Ruth, the widow of his deceased family member. As the lowest part, she needed his covering. b. In Ezekiel, chapter 16, when the Lord found Israel, abandoned and forsaken, He covered the nation with His garment and spoke life to her. 10. The Tallit also has prophetic significance. God used this garment to speak truths concerning Israel and the modern day church. a. In Matthew, chapter 9, the woman afflicted with an issue of blood for twelve years said, If I can touch the hem or the fringe of His garment (which was the Tzitzoit or tassel of His Prayer Shawl), I shall be made whole. b. Twelve is the number of divine government. The woman's issue of blood represented the fallen nation of Israel that had succumbed to evil and was no longer obedient to the government of God.

9 c. Israel has always had an issue of blood. Look at their history: six million Jews were slaughtered by Hitler. d. To touch the tassel of His Prayer Shawl, the woman came behind Jesus, showing that Israel missed His first coming. e. When she touched the tassels or the Tzitzoit of His Prayer Shawl, she was touching God s 613 Divine Laws or commandments given to Israel, or the government of God that was upon His shoulders. 11. Following this miracle, Jesus went to minister to Jarius' daughter, who represents the church. a. When Jesus said that the girl was only asleep, the mourners laughed and mocked Him by saying that she was dead! b. The church of today is also asleep. But like the girl, many believe the church is dead. c. Why has the church become silent? Many fear they will be accused of being politically incorrect. Consequently, they no longer speak against the major evils of our day. d. Abortion is never mentioned. The biblical truth that Christians should love as Christ loved does not mean that we must condone or accept sin by referring to it as another 'lifestyle.' e. The church has failed to speak out against any type of sin so that they will not be labeled as backward or bigoted. f. If your loved one or friend has a devastating disease, I contend that you are not bigoted to love that person, but hate the cancer that is robbing them of life. Nor are you backward or judgmental to love your neighbor, but hate the disease that's eating away at their very existence. g. Why, then, does the church fear to label ungodly lifestyles as sin? h. In our own city of Houston, the former mayor subpoenaed the sermons of pastors who dared speak against her bathroom ordinance that allowed men to use the girl's bathroom, shower and locker if he felt as though he was really a woman born in a man's body.

10 i. Some say this is proof that the church is dead. Not so! The church is only asleep. This is why scripture refers to revival as an awakening! j. What will it take to awaken her? The same Jesus whom Israel missed at His first coming will return for those who will take hold of His Word and receive Him. When He says to the church, You,..in the Tallit...arise, the church will wake up! G. Something has happened here at C.T. 1. The word God has given me is this: what was once the ceiling that we could never seem to surpass, has now become our new floor. a. We are moving far beyond the level we sought to attain in our finances, our anointing, and our families. That has now become our new floor! b. In our finances, we will never fall below the point we once struggled to achieve. Our anointing will never decrease to a lower level. What was once our ceiling is now our floor!

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