Biblical Life Mentor’s Tips

Lessons from the Day of Atonement

September 2009

by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Chancellor, Educational Consultant & Biblical Life Mentor

Most of the Body of Christ has gone about their daily business without a clue of the biblical significance of the past few weeks. The centuries of manmade traditions have disenfranchised us from our rich Hebraic heritage and the biblical feasts that belong to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These biblical feasts serve many purposes:

· They remind us of what God has done for us.

· They teach us more about what Jesus has done and will do in the future.

· They are cycles of God’s process of sanctification in the life of the believer.

· They are cycles of God’s process of positioning believers for greater blessing.

· They are God’s way of bringing us back into step with the Kingdom of God. (This one is especially needed in this day since everyone is in step with the current Babylonian system of the world!)

This Wednesday, we will begin filming a new series on “The Feasts of the LORD and Their Spiritual Significance in the Life of the Believer.” This new DVD series is designed to reintroduce believers in Messiah to His Feasts. As we prepare for His coming, we need to get back into the rhythm of His Kingdom; the Feasts play a vital role in our realignment.

Since we are in the middle of the Fall Feasts, I thought it would be a great opportunity to teach on several aspects of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kipper) and how it can apply to becoming more effective in your spiritual walk and ministry. This month’s Mentor Tip is about divine accountability and realignment.

There are many aspects to the Fall Feasts (the Day of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles) that we could cover. The Fall Feasts are all about the second coming of Messiah and become a template to lie over the top of the Book of Revelation to see fully what God is showing us. Without the Fall Feasts’ template, the Book of Revelation is constantly being misinterpreted by believers. We will not be examining the Fall Feasts from an Eschatological view point, but one for daily living.

The Feast of Trumpets signifies a time of announcements from Heaven. It is a time designated by Almighty God when He speaks with greater clarity for the sake of His people. It also begins the countdown to the Day of Atonement called “The Ten Days of Awe.” During the Ten Days of Awe, God’s people spend a great amount of time examining their lives and hearts. They make sure that all relational accounts are settled between them and God as well as between them and their fellow man. There is also intense examination of what they have done with their lives since the last Day of Atonement.

The Fall Feasts teach us the importance of ownership. In fact, the Torah has a great deal to say about ownership of land and property. The concept of ownership is important because it reminds us that this world, our bodies and all other things are owned by a divine Creator, the God of Heaven and Earth. Since He owns this planet and all the people that dwell upon it, we must live our lives with the understanding that one day we will stand before Him to give an account of how we lived our lives and what we accomplished.

This year I have personally done that very thing. I have examined my past year, to include my accomplishments and my failings. During the Ten Days of Awe, I have been repenting, making plans, and making many adjustments. I did not accomplish as much as I wanted to this past year. There were places where I stumbled, dropped the ball or allowed other things to crowd out what was really important.

The Fall Feasts and the Day of Atonement were a type of “wake up” call to me. I have examined every weight that so easily besets me (Heb 12:1), examined what is most needful in my walk and ministry, and have determined to completely devote myself to those things alone.

Devote and devotion are very powerful words. Devote means “to commit to a particular purpose.” Devotion means to have “fervent dedication and loyalty” to something. This not only involves placing a great amount of time and energy into its accomplishment, but to remain loyal to it when distractions present themselves.

Here is what I am going to be devoted to this next year:

· Writing new courses, articles and books.

· Researching to ensure accuracy and integrity in all that I teach.

· Re-teaching every major course I have taught in the past for DVD.

To accomplish this, many things in my life that took the focus away from my pursuits of God are being set aside. The things of the flesh (to include most entertainment) are there to distract us from our purpose, to steal our time, and to steal our focus. I am sure Satan will also bring many opportunities that sound wonderful but are simply distractions. Everything must be weighed concerning what I must give an account to God for and what He has called me to devote myself to. I must then purpose in my heart to remain loyal to those things.

Bringing It Home for You

This time next year the Day of Atonement will roll around again. Will you be prepared to present your life before the judgment bar of God to give an answer for what you have done with those twelve months? Can you give an account for what God has called you to be devoted to so you can work in His fields of service?

It is time for you to take inventory. What has God instructed you to do? Categorize them to include: personal relationships, education, ministry direction, etc. Once you have the categories, examine this past year to see what distracted you or held you back. Make plans to remove those weights!

Now make a list of the things you must devote yourself to. Be specific, and write it with great clarity. This list becomes your litmus test for everything that comes into your life and even how you plan your day. Is it part of your devotion to the accomplishment of something that God has called you to, or is it a distraction to test your loyalty? You are the gatekeeper to your life. The Fall Feasts teach us that it is time to wake up and redeem the time. In fact, the Day of Trumpets is also called “The Awakening Blast.” Consider this your wake up call to enter into Kingdom living with devotion and purpose!

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Copyright 2009 by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

All Rights Reserved

Please share with all that hunger for more of God and His Word

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Biblical Life Assembly P.O. Box 588 | Marshfield, MO 65706-0588 Phone: 417-859-0881 | Fax: 417-468-2037 Website: www.biblicallifeassembly.org

Biblical Life College & Seminary P.O. Box 588 | Marshfield, MO 65706-0588 Phone: 417-859-0881 | Fax: 417-468-2037 Website: www.biblical-life.com

The Fire of God Has Come to Biblical Life

For the past several weeks, the Holy Spirit has been having me minister on “Holy Fire – Strange Fire.” The Body of Christ needs to learn that not only is there the holy fire of God, but there is also a fire that comes from Hell itself! In the days to come, know the difference can keep you from being deceived. It is time to know the difference and how to flow in the true fire of God.

In our services each week, the presence of God has been getting stronger. The fire of God is beginning to fall on Biblical Life! This past week as I was ministering, the power of God so manifested itself that everyone in attendance thought that God had shook the building. What was being said so shifted the spiritual atmosphere of the service that you could physically feel it. As you listen to part 3 of this series, see if you can tell where it happened.

I encourage you to download these powerful messages and see the fire of God released into your life and ministry. We have placed the first three messages in our “No Travel Seminar” section of the website:

http://www.biblical-life.com/library/seminars/index.htm

Between Vision and Realization

by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Proverbs 29:18a (KJV)
¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people perish . . .”

Over the past decade, many people have entered the dialogue of the need for vision and vision casting. I remember a time when few spoke of it, even fewer had it and no one realized the power of it. The paradigm has changed greatly within our leadership models; therefore, vision, vision casting, and mission statements are as common place as bibles in our churches.

One of the things that the Holy Spirit has impressed upon on me lately is that there is more to seeing a vision accomplished than having a vision and having faith. To be honest, getting the vision is the easy part. The hard part is the research, study, discipline and diligent effort that must be added to the vision to see it fulfilled. I believe part of the dilemma that many of us face is that we treat a vision for ministry from the LORD the same way we treat true prophetic words. Somehow we have the misconception that if they are from God, they will come to pass . . . almost effortlessly. We think, “Hey God is in it, so everything will go smoothly.” That sounds great until you read the Bible! I cannot find one individual, to include Jesus, for whom everything went smoothly or the vision came to pass easily! Actually the opposite is true. If they heard from God, the enemy was sure to resist their efforts. Faith is not “hoping” something will happen. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and working hard with God to MAKE things happen that are in-line with God’s will and purposes.

The Word tells us:

Ecclesiastes 5:3 (KJV)
³ For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

Many times we see truths from God’s Word through the lens of our current focus. As our focus changes, new truths can explode into our hearts. The first time I read this verse (when my mental lens was focused on vision), it was like a slap in the face. Everyone is talking vision, but how many are rolling up their sleeves and making the vision a reality? Are we going to be speaking a lot of words or are we going to get down to business with our visions from the Throne of Grace?

We need to view vision the same way an architect does. He may “see” a beautiful and useful building in his heart, but he never stops there. He will do the research to find the right materials, follow all the proper codes, use the best materials and then begin to draft a step-by-step plan to bring his vision to life. Once the blueprint is completed, the real work begins. The proper foundations must be laid. Every detail, down to the smallest thing, is researched and implemented with great care and determination. Setbacks are expected, as with any great endeavor. The resolve is to place the “sweat-equity” into the project to make it a reality. A great builder will also insure safety and maintenance are clearly defined and enforced.

Any visionary or builder knows that it is the day-to-day operations that can make or break a project. Yet for many in ministry, we have forgotten this truth. Faith cannot replace daily discipline and determination. Faith must FUEL the daily discipline and determination!

Later on this week, I am going to be laying out a detailed plan to bring about a vision that God has given me for Biblical Life. The end result will not only be the expansion of the seminary, but taking the powerful truths that God has placed within my spirit outside the walls of the seminary and into the homes of anyone hungry for more of God and His Word. To do this, the vision must be cast. Not only must the vision be cast, but a detailed plan must be developed. Not only must a detailed plan be developed, but it must be communicated to others that can aid in its fulfillment. Then others can receive a blessing, too.

I also pray that as you read this upcoming “Vision Plan for the Next Level,” you will be able to glean ways to develop your own detailed plan to fulfill what God has called you to do. Here are some things I have learned from the Holy Spirit in regard to bringing a vision to pass:

• You cannot do it alone. I have tried for years – it doesn’t work! Many of you have been greatly blessed by the articles and Mentor’s Tips that I have been publishing this past year and a half. If it was not for the diligent proofreading of my wonderful wife (who was a professional secretary for the government for years), many of you would still be wondering what I was trying to say. Sometimes she files correspondence that I have sent out in a hurry, and she says, “You didn’t have me proof this, did you?” We work best together. It is always a team effort!

• You must become the example of excellence and determination for the vision God has given you. You set the standard for those that will join with you to see it come to pass.

• You must always share the credit for its success. Since you could not do it alone, you cannot receive the credit alone either.

• You must always bear the blame, if it does not succeed. Leadership does not pass the blame; it accepts it and then builds a bridge to success.

• You must daily fight to see each step established. One of the most powerful statements that I have ever read was in a book by Prophet John Mark Poole. He said that many times you will have to be involved in prophetic warfare to see the prophetic word come to pass. If it is that way with prophetic words, it will certainly be that way with bringing your vision to pass!

• You must seek the face of God for His blessing on those that come along side you to work. We always seem to ask God to bless the vision or project. If we do it right, it will be blessed! Part of doing it right is to seek Heaven’s blessing on those who stood by you.

• Once you arrive, you must work daily to maintain what God has entrusted to you. This truth is important. How can God expand your vision, if you are not maintaining it? It would be like trying to build a new wing onto a building that is falling apart. Stewardship is important in the Kingdom of God!

Do you have your vision? What’s your plan to see it fulfilled? Are you working your plan, and are you maturing as it is developed? Consistency is a vital part of maturing!

If you have let the vision lay dormant because of discouragement, it is time to pick it back up, dust it off, and develop your plan (daily working it with a new fervor and consistency)! You may be like the Jewish people returning from Babylon. They had to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with a brick in one hand and a sword in the other – but when the walls were built, blessing came!

Don’t give up hope. Your blessing and the fulfillment of your vision are waiting for you. God is waiting to confirm the Word that He has released in your heart with signs, wonders and blessings!

New Files Posted to the No Travel Seminars Library

We have updated several new files to our “No Travel Seminars” page.  They are:

• The workbook in PDF for the “Foundations of Biblical Prosperity” Seminar.
• Sessions 1 & 2 for the new "Spiritual Disciplines in the Life of a Believer” Seminar.  This seminar is still ongoing.  New sessions will be posted as they are available.

You can view and download the new files at: http://www.biblical-life.com/library/seminars/index.htm

The Quandary of the Missing Harvest

by Michael K. Lake, Th.D.

I have been involved in Christian education for over a quarter of a century. Over the years, I have found one of the major obstacles that pastors face today is believers that are frustrated in their spiritual walk. They are worn, weary and at wits-end over the fact that the spiritual harvest times in their lives are more filled with weeds, rocks and thorns than the harvest that God promises in His Word. They see a few others occasionally that do have those blessed times of harvest – but it always seems to be out of their reach.

Those of you familiar with Biblical Life know that we address things such as generation curses, cloaked pagan practices in the Church and a host of other spiritual warfare topics that can stop our blessings cold in their tracks. The source of this problem, I believe, runs even deeper. The problem is our culture in America. There are things built within our very culture that can hold back our harvest.

Now before I get started, let me say this loud and clear – what I am speaking is NOT against America or being American. I am a veteran and would pick up arms to defend this nation in a heartbeat. (You vets know what I mean. I can still put together an M-16 with my eyes closed.) It’s not the country; it is junk that has crept into our culture over the years that runs opposite to the Word of God. In the Old Testament, God continually warned Israel not to allow the cultures of other nations to influence them. Over time we forget the ungodly origins of some of the things we do, and they simply become our traditions or culture. As you read this article, my prayer is that you have one of those “selah” moments that will cause you to examine why you do what you do.

Genesis 8:22 (KJV)
²² While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

From the very beginning, God began teaching man about spiritual things through agricultural types and shadows. Constantly in the Word we are given teachings such as:

Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Matthew 21:33 (KJV)
³³ Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and letit out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

Matthew 13:31 (KJV)
³¹ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

In all of these scriptures, God is trying to establish the correlation between how things operate spiritually and how seed matures and then develops into a harvest. Much of the Body of Christ has understood the seed principle, and we hear about it almost continually on Christian Television today.

What we have missed is the “season” principle. I believe there can be a direct correlation between the seasons in the physical and those of the spiritual. Let’s review the seasons and their spiritual application for the sake of clarity. (When everyone has the same understanding, they usually end up at the same place.)

Winter

Winter is a time of resting. There is no physical growth of plant life above the surface of the ground, but a lot is going on underground. It is the same with us. God is not doing a lot externally, but He is hard at work internally. This is a time to press into God and let your roots run deep. Remember, the Kingdom of God is first within and THEN without.

Luke 17:21 (KJV)
²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Spring

Everything starts to come alive. It seems like nature explodes with a desire for life and beauty. For us, it is a time that God is speaking. There are times of great revelation and watering of the Holy Spirit. Seeds of the Kingdom are being planted everywhere. Rhema from God falls like the spring rains, and it is so easy to see the Holy Spirit move in our midst.

Summer

The heat of the summer represents trials and toil. Satan comes to test and to steal the Word that was sown in our hearts during the springtime. Jesus taught us about the summer in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 4:14-20 (KJV)
¹⁴ The sower soweth the word. ¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. ¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, ¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. ²⁰ And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

We always pay attention to the seed, but not to the season. The only time the seed can grow and mature is in the summer!

If you have ever gardened, you will understand what I am going to share next. Just planting the seed is not enough! All summer long you must:

· Plow in between the rows to keep the soil aerated. (Repentance)

· Pull all of the weeds. (Pulling Down Strongholds)

· Make sure adequate water and sunlight are provided. (Time with God and His Word)

· Continually pull rocks out of the garden (Developing Biblical Paradigms)

· Guard the garden from anything that would eat or destroy the crop. (Spiritual Warfare)

Over the past few years, Missouri had been in a draught. (Praise God it appears to be over!) What we learned during the draught was that it was not the spring or fall that made or killed the garden. The deciding factor was primarily the summer. A long summer of no rain and too much hot sun will destroy a crop. Actually that is the point that I want to make – our reaction to summer in America is killing much of our personal spiritual harvest!

In the springtime, ministries seem to get moving forward again. There is excitement in the Body about what God is doing and about the Kingdom of God. There are fresh words coming from Heaven. Then it happens! What happens, you might ask? Kids get out of school, our thoughts turn to vacation and we go spiritually dead for three months. “Hey! It’s the summer. Time to play, have fun – everything else will wait till fall!” Isn’t that the American way? Attendance in Church drops to a minimum as well as the offerings for all ministries across the board. (We even have many students that completely stop paying their tuition during the summer and begin again right before they get terminated for non-payment in September. ) The Church is then hit square between the eyes with the great American summer play time. Everything else comes to a screeching halt.

Friends, what happens if you plant a wonderful garden in the spring and then abandon it all summer? What are you going to find at harvest time (September – October)? How about weeds, rocks and thorns! We have been so conditioned by our culture to abandon (although we call it “putting it on hold”) our spiritual gardens during the summer that we are the ones destroying our own harvests from neglect. We do it year after year and always get mad at God and frustrated over our lack of harvest in the fall.

Here are some words of wisdom. First, summer vacation is one or two weeks sometime during the summer. Enjoy it, do wonderful things with your family and be blessed with not having to go to work for a few days. Here is a reality check – the vacation does not last for all three months! If you do not go back to work after that one or two weeks off, where will you be in September? Bankrupt! Many Christians find themselves in the same exact position spiritually.

This summer make a determination before God to not abandon your spiritual garden. The summer separates the men from the boys. All the boys want to do is go out and play. Real spiritual men and women are cultivating their spiritual fields; watering, weeding and caring for their gardens; and pulling up every stone that would in any way hinder their harvest. They work their gardens because they have their harvest in sight!

The final truth I want to express in this article is that God shares in our frustration. As God was giving me the concepts of this article, He said to me:

“You need to understand how this grieves My Spirit as well. As I move in the spring to expand My kingdom – just as the momentum starts to really pick up, the Body in America runs off to play and abandons what I am doing. That is the difference between America and other countries. People comment that I am moving so much stronger in other nations. Son, it’s not Me; it’s your culture. I used to move greatly in America. My heart longs for times like the great revivals of old. You need to understand that Satan’s countermove to those great revivals was this American summer time culture. This obsession with continual summer fun may drive the economy, but it is stalling out the Kingdom!”

Well, now you know the truth – it’s either culture or kingdom. For some, I may have answered many questions as to what has happened to their spiritual harvest. For others, I have made them mad because I kicked over a sacred cow. The latter shows us just how engrained this is within our culture and how diabolical the plan of the enemy is. Why do I say it was diabolical? Because blood washed saints are upset that I was messing with their summer fun instead of being upset that anything would ever stop the expansion of God’s Kingdom in the earth!

So here is my final question for you:

“What are your plans this summer?”

New Teaching Started on Partnership with the Holy Spirit

This past weekend I began a new series titled “Partnership with the Holy Spirit.”  As soon as I started teaching, the Holy Spirit took over, and it proved to be a powerful time of instruction for the saints of God.

We have begun posting the sermons on our congregational website in MP3 format.  I encourage all of our students to start downloading these messages each week.  I have no idea how long the series will last.  Lately all of them seem to be taking a life of their own.  The series I just completed on “Foundations of Biblical Prosperity” I had planned to last two weeks.  God had other ideas and it took 12 weeks to complete.

You can download these new messages at:

http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org/library/weekly.htm

Just scroll down to the current week, right mouse click on the link and download the MP3 files to your computer.

Mentor’s Tip: The Enemy’s Tactics for Wearing Out the Saints

By Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

God has been speaking to me a great deal about understanding strategies in spiritual warfare. Most believers, if they are serious about spiritual warfare, tend to do so by the seat of their pants. For them, spiritual warfare is like occasionally confronting a bully on the playground in elementary school. They are aware of the event, but are never aware of the “long game” of warfare. Strategic warfare is a concept that is foreign to them. Unfortunately, the enemy is quite familiar with strategic warfare. In fact, it is the only game he plays.

What is the end result of this? Most believers approach spiritual warfare like they are either playing checkers or, even worse, dodge ball. Satan always plays chess! He strategically weaves things into the church and society over decades and even generations. I believe this is one reason the “Moral Majority” has become the “Minority Without a Clue.”

I plan on addressing many of these issues in our new class “Kingdom Authority & Warfare 3” this fall. Between now and then, I plan on sharing some insights to help you in the battle now. It seems that we are entering into a new stage of warfare that is adding pressure from all sides in the lives of believers. I receive e-mails and calls from Christian across the U.S. and other nations each week seeking understanding to what is happening in their lives and around them.

To start with, I want to look to the Book of Daniel for some insights. Speaking of the Anti-Christ, Daniel states:

Daniel 7:25 (NKJV)
²⁵ He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.

The Amplified Bible gives us a little more insight:

Daniel 7:25 (AMP)
²⁵ And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law; and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years].

I have taught for many years that the Anti-Christ system has already accomplished some of this. Daniel was writing about the end-times and that the saints shall become “worn out.” There is no way around it; Daniel was speaking of you and me. Notice that the Anti-Christ would change the times of the sacred feasts and holy days. This part he has already accomplished. Few believers know what the Feasts of the LORD are or that they are still a part of our acceptable worship of the Almighty. Instead, we have replaced them with holidays that originated in Babylon – the spiritual seat of power for the Anti-Christ system. Whether you are ready to hear this are not, it is time to grow up spiritual and fully embrace only what is in the Word of God – from Genesis through Revelation. Although I could go into more detail regarding this, I will leave that for another time.

There is another aspect I want to get into here. Dr. David Stern, in the Complete Jewish Bible, translates this verse somewhat differently. Let’s take a look at it.

Daniel 7:25 (CJB)
²⁵ He will speak words against the Most High and try to exhaust the holy ones of the Most High. He will attempt to alter the seasons and the law; and [the holy ones] will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

Everything in the Kingdom of God, and even this universe, moves in cycles. In fact, anything that is “alive” will have some sort of cycle to it. The Feasts of the LORD are cycles of learning more about Messiah and His workings in the full plan of redemption. There are seasonal cycles to nature. There are even cycles in the life of a woman that is all about reproduction and giving life. There are also seasonal cycles in the life of a believer and even the Body of Christ. Let’s take a look at them.

Winter: A time that appears to be dormant. Things appear to be dead. For plants, not much going on above the surface. A time to deepen the root system.

Spring: Everything springs back to life: much activity, new seeds are sown and a great deal of rain.

Summer: Things get hot, dry and a lot of hard work. Little benefit is seen from labor – which is always difficult.

Fall: Finally the payoff comes. The temperature cools down, there is a refreshing and a harvest from seeds sown and toiled over.

Looking at this list, you can easily apply these seasons to your life or your ministry. We all cycle through those at different rates. For some, it is a 6 month cycle; for others, it can be several years. The cycle is there, and it is undeniable.

Here is where the enemy’s plans come in to play. What if he is able to change your seasons? If he has done things to get us off the timing of God somewhere, our seasonal rotation could look like this:

· Winter, summer, winter, summer, winter, summer

· Summer, summer, summer, summer, summer

· Winter, winter, winter, winter

There would be no times of refreshing. There would be no real harvest. There would be only variations of the dead of winter and the drought of summer. If we are truthful, it kind of sounds like the testimonies I am hearing from believers worldwide.

I wish that I could tell you I had all of the answers to solve this dilemma, but I don’t. I do have some insights that I would like to share to restore your spiritual cycles.

1. Repentance: Repentance is always a great place to start. The enemy got in because we made a tactical mistake somewhere. Repentance always throws the devil off. He is incapable of repentance and cannot comprehend it. One of the major “doctrines of demons” today is that there is no need for repentance after you are saved. The biblical truth is that your repentance has just begun! Always be quick to repent and to be corrected by the Holy Spirit. It crucifies the flesh and breathes life into your spirit!

2. Seek to Get Back into the Rhythm of Heaven: This can start by researching and beginning to celebrate the biblical feasts. Do not just use the traditional Jewish observance. Allow Messiah to come alive and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you observe them. Never do anything that would take away from what Jesus has accomplished. Rather, seek to understand more of what He has done and what He will do. It is all there in the feasts.

There are also daily and weekly cycles that are specific to each one of us. Times of worship, devotion, fasting, prayer, study, etc. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you each week. They should get more meaningful over time and become spiritually rich. Don’t let the devil kick you into autopilot. Live each day with awareness to the Kingdom, and live it with purpose. The Kingdom of God has no drones – only sons and daughters that are alive, vibrant and aware!

3. Command the Enemy to Release Your Seasons: (Note – only do this after a time of repenting to make sure your armor is on properly.) I can tell you what I am seeing spiritually about this. If you have been going from winter to winter or winter to summer – over and over again – all of those springs and falls are not lost! I see a large dam that the enemy has erected to hold them back. You need to start binding the enemy over stealing your seasons and command him to release what he has already stolen. You may have a fight on your hands over it. Discouragement will come knocking on your door almost immediately. Actually, that is good news. Why would the devil hit you if you were missing it? Two great allies to a soldier of Christ are determination and consistency. The enemy has stolen your blessing, your refreshment and your fulfillment in the LORD. Heaven is saying that now is the time to fight to get it back. The more years the enemy has stolen means the more that must be released. It is time to go from being “worn out” to “thoroughly blessed!” The time of the harvest is near!

© Copyright 2009 by Michael K. Lake,Th.D.

All Rights Reserved

You may freely distribute this article, unaltered, to anyone that is hungry for more of God.