Month: September 2009
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: http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org |
Biblical Life College & Seminary P.O. Box 588 | Marshfield, MO 65706-0588 Phone: 417-859-0881 | Fax: 417-468-2037 Website: http://www.biblical-life.com |
Vision Project Update 09/18/2009
We have been making wonderful progress on the Biblical Life Vision Project. Before I share are progress, I want to thank our Biblical Life students, graduates and partners for all your help. I have been blessed and humbled by your response. This morning I received a phone call from a family in New York that have prepared a special room in their home to study the new DVD materials. They plan on inviting other believers in their area that are hungry for more of God and His Word to study with them. In my heart, I believe this will begin happening around the nation and the world.
Because of your help, we have the following in place:
1. New computer for basic day-to-day operations of the ministry.
2. Updated software for operations.
3. New video camera for taping the new classes.
4. Video editing software.
I have spent the past two days collecting my notes to prepare for the first session that will start on September 30. Everyone is excited, both for the new classes to begin and the realization that they will be videotaped.
As we begin videotaping, the next two items that we will need are:
1. DVD Duplication Tower
I have found an outstanding unit available through National Audio Company in Springfield, MO. It will create 10 DVDs at a time and also has a 250 gig hard drive for quick production of the most used videos. It is also one of the most affordable units I have been able locate. Cost: $925.00 (with shipping from manufacturer).
2. Dedicated Computer for Audio/Video Editing & Production
I believe the same unit that we originally purchased through the Sam’s Club for our operations will serve perfectly for this project as well. A dedicated computer is necessary to ensure conflict issues do not arise between production software and our administrative operations software. Cost: $1,400.00.
Plans for Courses and Production
1. I have already outlined the three new courses that we will first develop for DVD. After these are complete, we will begin taping all of my previous courses for DVD. The three new studies are:
· The Feasts of the LORD & Their Spiritual Significance in the Life of the Believer
· The Sabbath: A Biblical Investigation
· Biblical Health & Healing
2. A gift to those that have helped. Once our first session the Feasts is edited and ready for production, we will be mailing out a copy to all that have contributed as a special "Thank You" and let you see firsthand how this project is going to bless the Body of Christ.
I cannot impress upon you just how important your prayers will be as we press forward in this project. As I begin teaching, your prayer cover will enable a new level of anointing to flow in the teachings. As a team, we will see bondages broken, lives transformed and the Bride of Christ prepared for her Lord’s return!
Biblical Life Vision Project Update
The last few weeks have been quite busy for us at Biblical Life. Between processing enrollments and working on the Vision Project, we have had to burn the midnight oil a few times. Because we have been so busy, we have not been able to develop new Mentor’s Tips this past month. We hope to start them again in October. Here is where we are on the Vision Project:
1. Purchased first 64-bit desktop computer (3 more to go). It has been programmed and is working perfectly.
2. Updated the following programs used for the ministry:
ACT! for 2010 (to operate the school database)
Adobe Acrobat Pro V 9 (to create professional PDF files)
Expression Web V 3.0 (to maintain our websites)
Audition CS 3 (to create MP3 files and other audio recordings)
Our next step is to purchase the video camera we will use for videotaping our new classes. We have settled in on the Sony HDR-WR500V. We have found a site that sell the camera for $1,099.00. We currently have $955.00 in the vision account. We are believing God that we will be able to purchase the camera this week.
After the camera is purchased, our next goals will be editing software (Sony Vegas Pro 9 – $400.00 and a duplication tower to produce the DVDs – $1,100.00).
We plan on starting the new class on September 30 for taping. The new series will be: The Feasts of the LORD and their spiritual significance in the life of the believer. Preparing new course materials for DVD requires much more work than for audio recordings. We are preparing both lecture notes and PowerPoint. We know these new materials will be a blessing and all associated with Biblical Life will be proud of them! Please keep these in video classes in your prayers!
May God bless you and the Holy Spirit commune with you as we approach the Fall Feasts!
Biblical Life College & Seminary Notes 