THE YEAR OF RELEASE!

In recent words that I have written, I shared about the coming Jewish Shmita year beginning on Rosh Hashanah September 6^th 2021-2022. This was to be a Sabbath year of rest but was also a year when slaves were released from captivity and fortunes restored—it was a year of freedom and release. Today in preparation for the Year of Release and the Great Cross Over into a most notable season of history—a time of promises fulfilled, and destiny realized—a new breed is arising for this historic moment, ready to conquer and occupy lands for the Kingdom of God. A people presently chosen, known, and ordained for this hour, from before time, are now beginning to mobilize. We are about to enter the time of the Great Crossover into our promised destiny. It is, therefore, possible to stand resolute in the call of God, and in the face of tyranny, stand with resolve, knowing that the living God stands with us and goes before us.

God’s ways and methods for accomplishing His ends, however, are so much higher than ours, that to the undiscerning, things may appear quite desperate, with the enemy seemingly having the upper hand. Our heart’s desire is for God to move quickly to fix the problems, but things don’t always unfold the way we have imagined or expected. It may require some time. It may require a series of battles—a campaign that God is leading us through onto victory.

The saints of God must therefore be prepared to dig in, and to fight with a mindset and resolve for the long haul, and whatever it may take to succeed. Conflict is not usually a bed of roses. To attain victory and the conquering of the promised land, it may require a walk through the Red Sea, with ominous walls of water on either side looking like they’re ready to crash in on us. It may look like a harrowing road ahead, with howling winds and great storms, yet, through it all God is saying, keep your eyes fixed on Me and follow My lead, I will be with you, and I will keep you safe.

Things may appear to get uglier before they get better. The path ahead will require a close walk with our Lord, and it will necessitate coming fully alive to our identity as supernatural warriors in Christ. It will require deep roots. To grow to the heights, it’s necessary to have very deep roots, as any strong wind that comes along will take you down and out. The people of God must become like the mountain tree whose roots are buried deep in the Rock through growth in endurance and is able to withstand the battering winds and storms. Through this trying time there are many in the church, and for sure in the world, who do not have deep roots—the saints are there to keep them steady in the storm, not to attack them.

The year of release is the year to be fully who you are in Christ. It means God is opening the gate to your stall. It means there is an assignment for you—a path ahead with signposts positioned along the way. God is our guide who knows the way ahead. Sometimes, the road takes turns and twists, but God knows how to get us to our destination. The question you must answer yourself is, do you trust him?

During the days ahead it will be important to be saturated in the Word, reading it daily, as we will be receiving important instructions and messages from the Lord through His Word. Watch for the signs and stay objective. Look for the thread that ties things together. God can speak to you in many ways and through many voices; take note of the things that are being confirmed. Recognize that no one has the whole picture. Allow God to fine-tune your senses and don’t become dogmatic, set in your opinion. Be flexible and willing to yield when it becomes clear that you have taken a wrong turn. God has differing paths for different people. He has specific tasks and assignments for certain individuals. Know what yours is! Don’t follow blindly! Trust God in the strange ways that He works, as His ways are so much higher.

Joshua was appointed the commander of the armies of Israel and knew what to do because God was with him, and over the years He had learned to understand God’s strange ways of accomplishing His ends. Israel, as a people, agreed with God to obey and follow Joshua when Moses had passed. Soldiers like Joshua are brave and confident because of their training. They have been fashioned in conflict and in tests of endurance. They are secure within their team who have trained alongside them. They are specialists and skilled with weaponry; they know when and how to deploy their weapons and they have no fear. They are interconnected through intelligence and communication with each other and with the home base, both Heavenly and locally. Soldiers understand the mission and the potential costs.

THE ARMIES OF GOD

Things are about to shift for the saints with the new season starting in the Year of Release. The Lord God is going ahead of us. He goes before us, and He will be with us. He will not leave us nor forsake us, so do not fear, or be dismayed as he told Joshua. We have been kept in a measure of silence during the years of training and preparation. God is about to release us to our destiny and He\’s about to release our voice—remember, we are in the decade of the voice—the decade of pey according to the Jewish calendar. To be a voice for the Lord comes with a cost! Will you answer the call? Remember Moses and Jeremiah, they both resisted the call, but God assured them that He would be with them, just as He will be with us!

Moses commanded Joshua to read the book of the law written in Deuteronomy every seven years, in the Year of Release, at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut. 31:10). God’s reasoning in these instructions, was that the people would learn to fear the Lord their God and be careful to do all the words of the law. Moses then said to the people:

“Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:46-47

Holding the Word of God dear to our hearts is also a word that is for us today as we prepare to crossover into this new season of strength. When it was time to crossover, Joshua told the people to be ready, to consecrate themselves to the Lord, for they were about to cross over into a new land. God had found a generation that He could work with to conquer and take the land that was close to His heart—a land representing one that is ruled by the Kingdom of God and the Lord our God, a land that is Holy, characterized by righteousness and the Lordship of Christ.

At present, there is great shaking in the world, in all nations. We have entered a time of trouble where evil has progressively been creeping in through governments of nations. Their intention is to take control of mankind and turn them toward the kingdom of darkness in service to Satan its ruler. This is a moment that we have been chosen for, and have been prepared for; a time in which God has set the dynamic. God has set the stage for the battles ahead. He has already gone ahead to ensure victory. We stand in the victory that has already been won by Christ on the Cross.

As the armies of God rise and get ready to move out, the kingdom of darkness is in disarray. They are in fear of the King of kings and of the armies that follow Him. In the days ahead we will see victories; we will see exposures of hidden things; we will see God shine His light into the darkness; we will see many prominent figures fall; we will see turmoil, civil unrest, and wars; and we will see the armies of darkness rise up, enraged in hatred and in violence. I believe God is saying to us that when we see all these things, that we are not to fear—we are to fear Him! In such times we are to know, recognize and remember that He is on His throne. God is in full control, and we must continue through it all, to always look to Him. As we walk through this time, through our Red Sea into victory, we keep our eyes on the destination, and we keep our eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel. We are about to run the gauntlet, but remember, it’s the gauntlet to the Promised Land and to Glory. God would say to His enemies and to us:

“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’

“For the LORD will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free.” Deuteronomy 32:35-36

Sometimes God will delay His work, that we may understand our sinful nature and our weakness to accomplish anything of value apart from Him. When our power is gone and all seems lost, and we are having a Red Sea moment with the enemy gaining strength—or so it may appear, we begin to cry out to God, and repent of our idolatry and apostasy. At such times God will then in His tender mercies, draw graciously near to us once again, to heal, to quicken, and to deliver. He will decree swift vengeance to the evils that have kept us in despair, ride in on His white horse, and lead us into victory.