The Month of Adar

5783 – 2023

We just began the month of Adar on Tuesday night at sundown. Adar is the last month on the Hebrew calendar.  The word Adar means strength. It’s said that when Adar comes, joy is increased. The Word tells us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” So in this month, expect an increase in the joy of the Lord and in your strength. Adar is also known as the month of good fortune.

The appointed time for this month is Purim, which will begin on Adar 13 (or March 6^th), at sundown and conclude on Adar 14 (March 7^th) at sundown. This is a time to celebrate the Lord’s victory over evil. This holiday commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from the genocidal plot of wicked Haman. During this month read the Book of Esther. It’s a story that ends in triumphant victory and great joy.
Declare that you will see victory over the plans of the enemy in your life.

We must keep our eyes on the Lord because the enemy wants us to look at the giants in our life to produce fear in us and to stop us from moving forward into all that He has for us ahead. (Numbers 13:28, 29) It was fear of the giants in the land that kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land. Just as Esther and Mordecai had to face the evil plan of their enemy, Haman, turn from fear and arise in courage and boldness, we are to do the same. We must stand in God’s strength and power to fight against the enemy of our soul.
Declare that you will not let the giants in your life produce fear in you. The king extended his scepter to Esther, just as God’s favor and access has been extended to us. Believe that He is for you. He is with you and He will help you.

As we enter Adar, we are completing the yearly cycle of months. God wants us to end this cycle by being in alignment with Him, walking in His timing, and being ready to move into all the new things He has for us in the new monthly cycle ahead. Our times are in His hands.
Declare that He can take us through any circumstance and into victory!

This is a month to celebrate certain endings in our life. To finish something is even better than starting.  (Ecclesiastes 7:8a) “Finishing is better than starting.”
Declare that you will complete the tasks that God has given to you to do, and if you should find yourself at the end of one of those tasks, celebrate the end of the task. Celebrate that you finished the task God gave you to do. Do not look back but look forward to the new that God has for you in the year ahead.

The constellation for this month is Pisces, a picture of two fish. This is a month to find your supply in the hidden world, just as Peter found the coin in the fish’s mouth to pay his taxes. Dive deep into His Word and He will show you treasures in His Word and He can reveal to you your hidden supply. We must remove worry and anxiety and look through eyes of faith and trust, so we can see what God wants to show us in His Word regarding our hidden supply. (Psalm 119:18) “Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law.” The two fish can also represent the Jew and Gentile, one new man in Christ.

This is a month to remove any mask you have been hiding behind so you can enter into your true identity and the true joy of who you are in Him. This joy will bring laughter. A mask will stop our joy. (We all know about that after coming through Covid and wearing those masks.) Laugh at whatever darkness is around you and watch God shift the atmosphere by penetrating and dispelling the darkness. The joy of the Lord and laughter can overcome depression and despair, as well. Laugh at the plans of the enemy. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is, “a time to laugh.” This is a month to laugh!

Testimony – I have a friend who went through a very difficult time in her marriage but after much prayer she knew in her heart that God was healing her marriage. She sat at her kitchen table and she laughed out loud at the plans of the enemy. Breakthrough came shortly after that and her marriage was totally restored. 
Declare that you will laugh in the enemy’s face! (Proverbs 31:25) “…and she laughs without fear of the future.”

As our true identity begins to be reflected in this month, both we will see in the natural and the spiritual realm. What is in your spirit will be reflected in your physical body. Esther’s true identity was hidden until it was God’s perfect time. Don’t try to be something you are not meant to be, but be who God made you to be.

Adar is also the time to break off any wrong decrees that have been spoken over your life. Declare that ungodly decrees that have been spoken over you, from the past or present, will no longer circle around you. Take authority over these wrong decrees, cut them off, and speak God’s words and His plans over your life. (Isaiah 54:17) You can change the atmosphere over your life by your declarations. God’s Word tells us that we shall decree a thing and it will be established for you. (Job 22:28)

This month is about arising to your moment of destiny by responding to the voice of God. Because Esther chose to do the right thing, Haman’s plan was exposed, and she saved the lives of her people – not just for that time, but for every Jew that would come forth from that time forward. When we come into a moment of destiny, a single word spoken, or a single act can affect a generation. God has moments of destiny for all of us. He is working to position us for those moments.
Declare that you will hear God’s voice, respond to Him in obedience, and walk in His timing, no matter the cost. Declare that you will recognize your moment of destiny because, like Esther, we have been called “for such a time as this!”

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Shevat, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Cheshvan

2022 – 5783

Cheshvan is the eighth month on the Hebrew calendar. Eight signifies revelation and a new beginning. This is a month to ask God for new revelation for a new beginning. God is about taking us into the new, about us walking in the new, about us becoming new, and about pouring out His new mercies upon us every morning (Lamentation 3:22,23) Ask God to bring a new beginning in your life where you need it. And if you can’t think of any area where you need a new beginning, then allow the Holy Spirit to show you anything you need to repent of. When we confess our sin, His blood will wash us clean, and we will receive a new beginning.

This month is associated with the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was one of the most blessed tribes of Israel. The blessing that Jacob pronounced on Manasseh and Ephraim was so extravagant that it became the standard by which blessings were measured. Expect blessing this month! Manasseh was Joseph’s oldest son who was born in Egypt. Joseph’s life had been filled with pain and hardship, but God was with him and God vindicated him. When Manasseh was born Joseph said it made him forget the pain of his past. This is a month to forget the pain and sorrows of the past and to receive hope for a new beginning in our life, in our circumstances, and in our relationships. “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”(Philippians 3:13b-14 NLT)

Cheshvan is associated with the Hebrew letter NUN, which symbolizes the Messiah. The Jews call Cheshvan the month of Messiah. They say the month is reserved for Him because there are no holidays or feasts this month. The Jews believe that the third temple will be inaugurated or dedicated during the month of Cheshvan. So, this is a month for us to pray for the Jews! Pray that they will come to know the Messiah as their personal Savior.

This is the month that you must war with words. Words that are not spoken correctly can go into the inward parts of our stomach and cause stomach issues. When we stuff hurtful words inside of us and bury them, we can develop issues in other parts of our body, as well. You can develop a nagging headache, a pain in your neck or shoulders, a pain in your side, a pain in your chest, or anywhere in your body and it can be from words or situations that you have not dealt with correctly. Ask God to show you if you have stored anything inside you. He will reveal it. His Word tells us, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is from me.” (Isaiah 54:17)

Chuck said to speak to your inner being and yell, “I am satisfied,” and push out anything in you that is dissatisfied. I would add to what Chuck said and declare over your body, “I am satisfied that this issue has been removed from me. It is no longer stored in my body. I am free from the effects of these incorrect or hurtful words, in Jesus Name.” When we deal with these words, Jesus can push out anything in you that was hurt, offended or dissatisfied. Deal with it, get rid of it, and you may get rid of a physical symptom that you couldn’t get rid of before.

This month is also known as the month of Noah because it was in this month that the great flood took place. In the story of Noah we see two different aspects of God – His judgement and His grace. God is a very patient and loving God and He does not like to bring judgement. He gives every opportunity for repentance before judgement comes. But this is a month to remember that eventually judgement does come. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Mathew 24:37 NIV) God also gives grace, and as great judgement covered the earth, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. As we walk in righteousness before God, we will find grace poured out upon us for the days ahead. Jesus is our ark of safety and the One in whom we are to abide.

The flood actually began on the 17th of Cheshvan and ended the following year on the 27th of Cheshvan. The story of Noah that occurred during this month shows us several things – the reality of judgement, the grace of God, and a new beginning. The next day after Noah came out of the ark, he offered a sacrifice to God. The Bible says that God found it to be a soothing aroma to His nostrils. God’s response to Noah’s sacrifice was covenant. God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood. The sign of His covenant promise was the rainbow. I shared this quote before but it’s worth repeating. “We must never forget what the rainbow stands for and not confuse it with one of the sins that actually brought the flood.”

A flood uncovers things and shows the roots underneath. This is a month to deal with root issues. Allow the Holy Spirit to put His finger upon the root issues He wants to deal with in your life. This is a good month to go through a time of deliverance to deal with those root issues. You can talk to John or Sheryl about deliverance or you can get Robert Heidler’s book, Set Yourself Free. It’s a manual for self-deliverance. I found the book to be very helpful. I wanted to go through deliverance as a spiritual tune-up but because of my work schedule and distance, I decided to use Robert’s book as a guide. I can tell you that if you come before the Lord with a sincere heart, he will show you what needs to be dealt with in your life. Deal with your root issues this month!

Cheshvan is connected to the fragrance of myrrh. Myrrh is a fragrance that was used in ancient times and was one of the gifts given at the birth of Jesus by the Wise Men. We see in the Bible that Myrrh was an ingredient of the consecrated incense used in the first and second temples in Jerusalem, and it was also listed as an ingredient in the holy oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and kings. Myrrh symbolizes purification, grace and peace. Esther was bathed in Myrrh for six months before being presented to the king (Esther 2:12) This month allow the purification process of the Holy Spirit to prepare you for more intimacy with Jesus our King. As I pass this Myrrh oil around the room, take a deep breath and smell the oil and ask the Holy Spirit to begin the purification process in you for a more intimate relationship with Jesus that will permeate your mind, will and emotions and your body. Just as Noah’s sacrifice after getting out of the ark was a sweet smelling fragrance unto the Lord, may our intimate relationship with Jesus bring about a beautiful aroma that pleases our Heavenly Father.

This month is linked with the constellation of Scorpio (the scorpion). The scorpion and the snake are both symbols for this month. Jesus said to His disciples, “I give unto you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”( Luke 10:19) This is a key month to stand in your authority. Satan wants to get an upper hand but we need to tell him, “As a representative of Christ, I am about to stomp my heel and crush your head, in the Name of Jesus!” I encourage you to rise up and walk in the authority Jesus has given us over the enemy through His mighty name and His shed blood. We’re going to end this recap by doing something together. We’re going to say a few declarations together and then stomp our heel!

• I declare that I will receive new revelation for the new beginnings that God has for me, in Jesus Name! STOMP
• I declare that no hurtful words will remain in me. With God’s help, I will deal with them and allow God to remove them from my body, in Jesus Name. STOMP
• I declare that I will forget the pain and sorrow of the past. I won’t relive it, or repeat it and I will expect blessing to come my way, in Jesus Name. STOMP

God bless you all in the month of Cheshvan and expect blessing to come your way!

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Elul

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Elul – 5782

The month of Elul begins tonight,, August 28th, at sundown, which is 7:36 pm. Elul is the sixth month on the Jewish calendar, but it’s the last month before we begin a new year. This is a very special month of preparation and transition into the fall feasts that begin next month in Tishrie. When Tishrie comes, the feasts begin on the first day, so prepare yourself now in this month in Elul. From sunset tonight until sunset on Yom Kippur there is a 40-day time of forgiving and self-examination. Look at your calendar now and mark the fall feasts on your calendar. These are appointed times to meet with the God of the universe.  If you had an appointment with a doctor, you would write that down and make sure you are there. If you were going to meet a friend for lunch or you had an important meeting to attend, you would write it on your calendar. So do the same with the Fall Feasts. 

Begin now, in this month of Elul to ask the Lord to search your heart to show you where you need teshuva, which is repentance. But the word teshuva is not just about being sorry or feeling bad for our sin, but it is about making a decision to turn away from our sin and turn back toward God. So, ask Holy Spirit to show you areas you need teshuva (shuva or chuva.) Holy Spirit will show you. I already started doing this this past week and I was driving in my car and thoughts of this woman in one of the church’s we worked at came back to me. They weren’t good memories. For whatever reason, this lady was nasty and very unkind and not just to me.  I started thinking about some of the things she had said to me, and I was getting angry just thinking about it. Then I thought to myself, “why am I thinking about this?” Then the lightbulb went on, and I said, “thank you Holy Spirit.” I did not realize that those feelings were still inside me. So, I asked God to forgive me for harboring that resentment and unforgiveness towards that woman. I asked the Lord to pull that out of me with all its roots so it will not have any effect upon my health.  Take time for introspection and teshuva, which is repentance. . An example of this is the Reset button ony our phone. If you hit that button, it will erase all your history, your settings, your contacts – everything. It will make your phone as it was when it was new. That’s what God does for us when He wipes away all our sin. We are completely clean and we have a brand new slate.

I’m going to share seven characteristics of the month of Elul. There are more than these but this will give a good understanding of what this month is about.

 A key phrase for this month is from the Song of Solomon, Chapter 6, verse 3 – “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” In Hebrew, the first letter of each word in that phrase spells out the name of this month – Elul. God is saying that He wants to meet with us in a special way this month. He wants us to experience a new level of intimacy with Him. Our part is to spend time with Him and allow Him to draw us into that new level of intimacy. Make that part of your preparation this month for the Fall feasts. Come into a new level of intimacy with Him.

The Hebrew letter for this month is YOD, which means “appointed mercy from the hand of God.” The letter YOD looks like a man bowing down to his king and receiving mercy. This is the month when God gave Moses another set of the 10 Commandments after he smashed the first ones.  God revealed Himself to His people in great mercy this month and His mercy is still there for us today. The letter YOD shows us what our position should be – to bow down and humble ourselves before our God and grab hold of His hand of mercy and forgiveness.

The Hebrew alphabet is an amazing thing. Each letter has a numeric value, as well as a picture associated with each letter. The numeric value of the letters that make up the word Elul have a value of 67. So Elul associated with another Hebrew word, Benaa, that has the same numeric value. It is a word that means wisdom and understanding. So from that association of the same numeric value, Elul is also known as a month to grow in wisdom and understanding, and to have a time of reflecting on where we stand in God’s mercy and justice. But not only do these two words have the same numeric value, they also look at the numbers 6 + 7 = 13, and that reminds the Jews of the 13 Attributes of God’s divine mercy, which come from Exodus 34:6, 7 when Moses went to Mt. Sinai a second time to receive a new set of commandments. 

This is the month that “the King is in the field.” We need to understand that in Biblical times a king lived in a palace; he was protected by thick, huge walls and iron gates. If someone wanted to meet with the king, they had to make an appointment, learn the proper protocol to meet the king, dress appropriately, and go through layers of security before entering the throne room. It was very intimidating, as one had to be very careful of what they said and did before the king. 

But for one month each year, the king left his palace and went out among his people. He set up a royal tent in a field near the town and anyone who wanted to see him was welcomed. An announcement was made that “the king was in the field!” 

I also heard it said this way by another Rabbi – during the month of Elul the king would take off his priestly robes and clothe himself like the people in common clothing. He would choose a different field each day to go and dwell among the people. It was important that the people were looking for the king to show up in their field or they could miss him. They could easily get distracted with the heat of the day, with their workload, with the bugs in the field, or how they felt physically or any number of distractions. If they allowed themselves to get distracted and they weren’t looking for the King, they could miss seeing him in their field.

Be looking for the king to show up in your field this month – the place where you live or where you work, which could be the office, the shop, the classroom, the store, the garage, etc. Don’t get distracted and miss when He is in your field.

Elul is a picture of the earthly ministry of Jesus. John 1:14 says “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He left His palace in heaven, took off His priestly robes and wore the garments of a carpenter. He lived in a tent of mortal flesh for 33 years. He was accessible to all, no appointment or special protocol necessary. Expect God to meet you in your field this month and look for Him!

This is a month to fix what is broken. We all have broken things in our lives – broken bodies, broken families, broken relationships, broken jobs, etc. Whatever is broken – God will tell you what is fixable and will give you the plan to do whatever is necessary to repair what was broken. If what has been broken is not fixable, He will tell you so you can let go and start new and fresh. 

This is a month to find our place in the company of the Lord.  Another way to describe this is finding your place in the order of the camp or in the body of Christ. We need each other. God never intended us to live a solitary life. Mistrust can keep us from connecting with the body and before long, we are totally alone. We don’t want to do that. Many times a pattern of isolation can indicate a root of rejection and mistrust. It will leave you in the wilderness alone and the devil can pick you off, just as a lion watches a herd and goes after the one that lags behind or is cut off from the herd.  If you are in your place in the corporate body, the enemy will have a hard time picking you off. There is safety in numbers so find your place in the company of the Lord. 

This is a month to run into the tower of might. We all become weary at times and feel like we can’t go on. Our strength can run out, but God’s strength is limitless. He can encompass and envelop us and give us rest. When you feel like you can’t stand under the burden you are carrying, the Lord says to “bring it under me.” Proverbs 18:10 says, “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run in to it and are safe.” Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives power to the faint and weary and to him who has no might He increases strength, causing it to multiply and make it abound.”

This is the “mother” month – a month of nurturing. You need to know who is nurturing you, as well as who has been put under your care to nurture. Make sure you know who God wants you to nurture, otherwise they may not receive your nurturing. 

Elul is related to the month of Gad, which means “good fortune.” There should be an expectation of good fortune throughout the month. Rewards will begin to manifest according to what you have done. This month we need to: think reward, declare this is a time of reward, and expect reward!

God bless you in the month of ELUL!

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Tammuz

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Tammuz – 5782
(Declaration are below and in right column.)

Tammuz is the fourth month on the Hebrew calendar. The number four is a picture of a door. We have walked through the door to a new month and recently, we came through the door to the new season of Summer. Summer is referred to as the Holiday of the Eyes because of the beauty of the season. Enjoy the beauty of this month but remember that there is also a warning for this month regarding our eyes. We must guard our heart and our eyes in what we see and gaze upon. Some phrases to keep in mind this month:  Watch what you watch! There is more than meets the eye. We are to look and then look again. (Sometimes we don’t see what we need to see the first time. God wants us to look at much closer so we can see what we need to see.) God wants us to see from His heavenly perspective. (When we look at a situation from God’s heavenly perspective, it looks totally different than our earthly perspective.)

Two events that took place in the month of Tammuz are important lessons for us today. First, look at 1 Corinthians 10:6-11 (Amplified Version) and see the importance of learning from the Israelites mistakes. Take note of verse 11:” Now these things befell them by way of a figure (as an example and warning to us); they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we, in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period.”) That’s us, folks. We’re here for the Grand Finale, the last days. We were born for such a time as this. So, if you dread looking at the news and the events taking place, remember that we were chosen for this time in history and God is with us through ALL of it!! He is instructing us to take note of the Israelites mistakes as an example and a warning to us, to admonish (to warn or reprimand someone firmly) and fit us for right action by good instruction. As you read about the examples we are going to look at, dig into these stories and look at all God is saying to us! There is more in there than meets the eye.

The first event is in Exodus 32. Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments and the blueprints for the Tabernacle. God wanted a place to come and dwell with His people, right in the middle of the camp. (That’s exactly where God still wants to dwell, right in the middle of our lives and all that we are doing.) But while Moses was on Mt. Sinai with the Lord, the Israelites grew anxious, fearful and turned to evil. They feared that Moses was dead and now they were on their own. They grew impatient with God’s delayed response, so they decided to make a new god, a physical god like they’d seen in Egypt, and say that this was the god who brought them out of Egypt. It’s hard to believe they could say such a blasphemous thing. They had no belief or trust in God and His care for them, so they had Aaron form a golden calf for them to worship. When Moses came down from the mountain and saw what they were doing, he became so angry that he smashed the Ten Commandments that God had just given him. He also crushed and burned the golden calf into a powder, poured the powder into water and made them drink it. Moses also gave the people a choice – whoever was going to serve the Lord was to come and stand by him. Those who did not, were killed by those who chose to serve God. That day 3000 men died (not including women and children.) Those who chose to serve God had to kill family members who decided not to follow God. What a terrible price they paid for their disobedience.

Here is the lesson for us. Proverbs 4:23 tells us we must guard our heart, for out of it spring the issues of life. No matter how long we have walked with God, we must be on guard that we do not form a golden calf in our life. Golden calves come in many forms (drugs, alcohol, sex, food, shopping, another person, a job, etc.) A golden calf is anything we worship other than God. God doesn’t always answer in our timing, but we need to trust Him and remember that He is perfect in all His ways. He will do what He said He will do. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

The second event that happened in the month of Tammuz was in Numbers 13. Moses sent out the 12 spies for 40 days and 40 nights to search out the Promised Land. They were to go in and see what the land looked like and bring back some of the fruit of the land. They came back and confirmed that it was a fruitful land, and it was a land flowing with milk and honey. This was such a contrast from the wilderness they had lived in for so long. Unfortunately, the 10 spies did not continue with a positive report but spoke an evil report of the large, fortified cities in the land, with very thick walls, and especially of the giants in the land. They gave a negative message by saying we were like grasshoppers to those people and that’s how we saw ourselves. The people became so disheartened from their report that they began to cry in utter despondency. Caleb had a totally different view, and he tried to quiet the people and give them a different report. He told the Israelites that they could conquer these people. He said, “they are like bread to us, and we can take this land that God has given us. Let’s go at once and take this land.” Sadly, the people believed the 10 spies and their negative report. They would not listen to Caleb and the voice of faith.

The lesson for us is that as we look at what God has for us, don’t look at the giants in your life. Remember Caleb’s words, “we are well able to conquer it!” God’s land for us is a good land and it is ours for the taking. We must see with eyes of faith. 2 Cor 4:18 tells us that we do not look at the things that are seen because they are temporary but the things that are not seen are eternal. The enemy will try to blind us to the truth of God’s Word and who we are in Him. Don’t see yourself as a grasshopper.  If God is for us, who can be against us. (Romans 8:31) In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loves us. (Romans 8:37) We must observe our face in the mirror of His Word, so we see ourselves as God sees us. (James 1:23-24) It’s in His Word that we will get a heavenly perspective of who we are in Him, and it will cause us to believe and trust Him, no matter how long He takes to bring the answer.

There is a three-week period this month that is called the Narrow Straits or the Dire Straits. The two events we just talked about are the book ends of this period. The incident with the Golden Calf happened at the beginning of the Narrow Straits and the negative report of the 10 spies happened at the end of the Narrow Straits. The dates are Tammuz 18- 9^th of Av. This is viewed as a very difficult time period for the Jewish people. The two bookend events opened a door for a curse over the Jews that is still going on today. Many terrible tragedies have occurred during this three-week period in Jewish history. 

Sometimes God will take us through a very narrow place in our life, but His plan is to bring us through that narrow place and into a good and a wide place. Just as a baby must go through the narrow birth canal, that baby will eventually come into the big, wide world that God has ordained for that child to live. The way to go through a narrow place is to keep our eyes on the Lord and to worship Him. As we do this, He will take us through safely. 

The constellation for this month is Cancer the crab. A crab is encased in a hard shell. God is saying He wants us to break off every shell we have put around ourselves, so we become more vulnerable to Him. It’s important to remove those shells because they can harden us and confine us, making us unable to grow.  We must keep our heart soft towards the Lord but hardened towards the enemy. 

The Hebrew name for the Cancer constellation is Sartan, which means film strip. This month we are to look at our lives, frame by frame, like a film strip. Look closely at how you are living. See what you see, and then look again! Ask God to open your eyes so you can see clearly where you need to make changes. If you don’t make the necessary changes, God can show you where you will end up.  Ask God to help you see your life from His heavenly perspective!

The tribe this month is Rueben, which means “behold, a son.”  Rueben was the firstborn of Jacob. He messed up when he got his eyes on his father’s concubine. He did not guard his eyes and his heart, and he lost his inheritance. If we get off track, we must repent and turn to back to God. Watch what you watch! 

For the month of Tammuz: Guard your eyes and your heart and do not allow a golden calf to form in your life like the Israelites did.  Watch what you say this month and do not speak an evil report like the 10 spies. Choose to confess and agree with the best that the Lord has for you, as Caleb did.  Speak forth your destiny in Him. Believe God and follow Him into the Promise Land He has for you. Keep your eyes on the Lord and worship Him and He will bring you through any narrow place! Review your life this month like a filmstrip and ask God for His heavenly perspective over your life so you can see where changes need to be made. Watch what you watch! Don’t put your eyes on things that don’t belong to you as Rueben did. God bless you in the month of Tammuz!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Tammuz, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Declarations for the Month of Tammuz

1. Declare that you will guard your heart and your eyes during this month. (Watch what you watch! There is more than meets the eye. See what you see and then look again. See your situation from God’s heavenly perspective.
2. Declare that you will not form a “golden calf” in your life. (Remember that golden calves come in many forms.)
3. Declare that you will believe God’s promises, no matter how big the giants may be in your life.
4. Declare that you will watch what you say and not speak an evil report like the 10 spies.
5. Declare that you will choose to confess and agree with the best that God has for you, as Caleb did.
6. Declare that you will accept and agree with whatever God has called you to do. Speak forth and declare your destiny in Him.
7. Declare that you will worship your way through any narrow place you go through this month.
8. Declare that you will remove any shell you have put around yourself and make yourself vulnerable to the Lord so you can grow in Him.
9. Declare that you will review your life, frame by frame, to see where any changes need to be made in your life. Ask God t
10. Declare that you will not lust for something that does not belong to you as Rueben did.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Iyar

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Iyar – 5782
(Declaration are typed in bold and underlined.)

Iyar is the second month on the Hebrew calendar. It is a connecting month and a month of transition. Iyar connects the first month of Nissan (when the Jews left Egypt) to Sivan (when they arrived in Sinai and Torah was given.) Iyar is the month to transition from redemption at Passover to provision at Pentecost. This was the month when the Jews transitioned, not only geographically, but also spiritually, into a new level in their relationship with God as He began to reveal His covenant secrets to them in their “wilderness training class.” This month was also one of the most important times in Jesus ministry. Jesus walked the earth in His resurrected body during the month of Iyar and met with His disciples many times. During this month He gave the Great Commission, gave instructions on how to train every believer to minister, heal the sick, drive out demons, and orders on how to establish His church by implementing the 5-fold ministry. He gave the church a commission to reach the world. This was a time of great transition for the disciples as they became apostles. Transition can be a difficult and challenging time, but we do not need to fear. We can be secure in Him because He orders our steps as we follow Him.

It was during this month of Iyar that God showed His people His covenant secrets hidden in His many names.  As the Israelites encountered difficult situations in the wilderness, God revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha (I Am the Lord who heals), as Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who sees and provides), and as Jehovah Nissi (the Lord, my Banner of Victory.) As you face difficulties and adversity in your own life, take time to meditate upon these names of God and declare that you will see Him manifest as your Healer, your Provider, and your Banner of Victory. When we know who God is and realize how much He loves us, we will learn the secret of running into His Name. To learn God’s covenant secrets, we need to seek Him. Robert Heidler explained, “The secrets of the Kingdom are hidden principles built into the universe. They are secrets of how to live in God’s favor and blessing and how to experience God’s promises.”Press into God this month, meet with Him in the secret place, and ask Him to reveal His secrets to you so you can walk in a new level of revelation, blessing, and faith. (Daniel 2:21-22, Deuteronomy 29:29, Matthew 13:11, James 1:5.)

This month is also known as a month of natural healing, which is different than miracles. Iyar is an acronym for “I AM God your Healer.”  God wants to permeate our body with natural healing as He reveals Himself as Jehovah Rapha this month.  The Hebrew word, “rapha,” means to completely make whole, to thoroughly mend and repair. Be careful of murmuring and complaining as Israel did, for this can open the door to sickness. Declare that God will set a guard over your mouth and keep watch over the door of your lips. (Psalm 141:3)

This month is associated with the letter VAV, which represents a nail, tent peg, or connecting pin. Every Hebrew letter has a numberical value. The letter VAV has the value of 6, the number of man. God connected with man on the sixth day as He created Him and breathed His life into Him. The VAV links the month of redemption (Nissan) with the month of giving (Sivan). If we move right this month, the rest of the year will connect properly. We also want to make sure that we are connected properly by being connected to a body of believers. We cannot be lone wolfs and expect the blessings of God. We were made to be connected with one another. Find the body that God wants you to connect with and allow Him to VAV you into that body. You will find encouragement, blessing and safety by being part of a body of believers.

This month is associated with the tribe of Issachar. They were a tribe that understood the times, knowing what Israel should do, and they understood the secrets of God. Isachar was known as advisors and counselors. We can be like them and understand the times we live in and know what to do as we immerse ourselves in the Word and press into God. We need to know how we are to connect this month so we can determine our course for the year. We must respond within certain time frames, so we can advance into the next season. Declare that you will see those times frames and move in God’s perfect timing.

The constellation this month is Taurus, the bull. To the Jews, the bull is a symbol of strength. An ox is a strong animal that carries heavy burdens. The Lord is our strong Ox, our burden-bearer, and we need to cast our cares upon Him (Psalms 84:7) so we can move easier through this transitional month. He told us to take His yoke upon us.  A yoke is a type of connecting piece. We see this in the month of the VAV, the connecting pin. Jesus is saying work with me because my yoke is easy and my burden is light. If we feel burned out and heavy laden, that shows us that we are taking on too much. We must ask the Lord to show us the thing we have taken on that we should not, or the things we no longer need to carry in this time of transition. Declare that you wil listen and receive revelation and rest because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

This month is associated with our conscience which has to do with our thought processes and our emotions. If our emotions are not right, negative feelings will permeate our thought processes.  God wants to cleanse our conscience during this month. Cleansing comes by the alignment of the window of heaven with the window of our conscience.  Pay attention to any issues that the Holy Spirit puts His finger upon in your soul – your mind, will, and emotions. Do not allow a hindrance to form which would keep you out of alignment and block the Holy Spirit from blowing His revelation into you! God wants us to be in alignment for the rest of the year.

Iyar is the month to receive spiritual advice. Make sure you are listening to true prophetic voices you can trust. The enemy will try to bring in a counterfeit voice and corrupt us as watchman.  This is a month we need to advance during the watch. Declare that you will do so.  Ask God for a watching eye that looks inward and outward, for understanding of the times and seasons like the Tribe of Issachar, and for the secrets of God to be revealed to you as you get fresh revelation in the secret place with Him. God bless you in this month of transition as we cross over from Passover to Pentecost!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Iyar, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Nissan

 FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF NISSAN

We just entered the month of Nissan on Friday evening at sunset.  The month of Nissan begins God’s spiritual year. If we look around us, we see new life springing forth everywhere and we can tell we have entered a new season. Chuck said in his book, A Time to Advance, that one of the Hebrew words for spring is also the word for repentance. Spring is a picture of coming out of a dead winter season and then seeing new life spring forth and flourish.  God is showing us this is a new starting point for all of us.  This month is also referred to as the month of Abib or Aviv. These terms refer to the stage of growth of the grain harvest that has reached full size. As you bring your firstfruits offerings before the Lord this month, wave your gift before the Lord and declare that the fullness of your harvest is being secured and that every seed you sow will prosper in new ways!

Nissan is the first of the twelve-month cycle on the Jewish calendar and it is a month of firsts. We see in the book of Exodus that during this month God gave the first commandment to Israel in Exodus 12: 1,2. God told them that Nissan would now be the first month of the year to them. What God was about to do through the exodus of His people from Egypt was so important that it shifted God’s calendar and put Israel into a yearly cycle of redemption. The Hebrew years are still numbered from Tishrei, with the first of Tishrei being Rosh HaShanna, but the months are now numbered from Nissan. We are currently in the year 5782 on the Hebraic calendar. The calendar year is based on the timing of the creation of the world.

In the month of Nissan, the first sacrifice is initiated with the Passover Lamb, which is a picture of Jesus, our Passover Lamb. God instructed the Jews to take a one-year-old, unblemished, male lamb on the 10^th of Nissan to their home, and on the 14^th day of Nissan they were to slaughter it and then put the blood on the doorposts of their homes. When God saw the blood over their doorposts, He passed over their home and all who were inside were saved from death. What a beautiful picture of how Jesus’ blood covers our sin, and protects us from death, or eternal separation from God. This event is where the word Passover comes from.

This was all a foreshadow of our redemption through Jesus. He was the first-born of all creation. He was the lamb without blemish. All the dates correspond to Jesus. He rode into Jerusalem on the 10^th of Nissan and was crucified on the 14^th of Nissan, the same day that the first Passover took place and the day that we still remember today. Then on the 17^th day of Nissan, the day Jesus rose from the dead, the Israelites rose up from their captivity in Egypt, went through the Red Sea that rose up in a heap and crossed over into their journey to the Promised Land.  God gives us steps to walk in newness of life. He says we are redeemed so we are to rise up just as Jesus rose up. Romans 8:11 tells us, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” God is saying if you are redeemed, you are a new creation, so start living like one. Chuck says in his book, A Time to Advance, “Because this is the month of redemption, we want to ask God to enter into the full redemptive plan for our life. Redemption means a price has been paid for you, which unlocks every prison door that has held you captive. Make a list of your prison doors and declare that you are opening and passing through each one.”

This brings us to the letter for this month which is Hei. Hei is a picture of the wind, or the breath of God, blowing through a lattice covered window. This signifies the wind of God blowing down into us every year. Allow the Spirit of God to blow on you this month.

The constellation for this month is Aries, the Lamb. It is no coincidence that our Creator put a picture of a Lamb in the heavens this month to remind us of His great sacrifice as the Passover Lamb. Here’s an amazing thing I found out. The names of the three main stars of the constellation Aires, when translated, mean “the wounded, the bruised, and the slain.” What does Isaiah 53:5 tells us, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

The entire month of Nissan is a prolonged festival. God starts off the beginning of months with a huge celebratory month. It’s the month of redemption, the month of the beginning of miracles, and the month that sets the course for your future. For those who are called to operate in the gift of miracles, know the season we are in. For those who need a miracle, let those who have the gift of miracles pray for you and believe God for your miracle to manifest. Our God is a God of miracles. He says to each of us, “what is in your hand, what is in your mouth? Give it to me and I will do a miracle. Your mouth is connected to miracles. Another way to say that is, “there’s a miracle is in your mouth.” Speak forth your miracle.

Because this month sets the course for our future, and because this month is associated with our speech, we must be very careful that we don’t make negative confessions during this month, or we will have trouble the rest of the year. Ask God to help you to speak positive words of life over yourself and others. Positive words grab the wind and change the atmosphere around us into blessings. It’s also key for this month that we speak forth our thankfulness to God for our deliverance. Take time to celebrate Passover. This is a time to remember and thank God for His great plan of redemption to deliver us out of the hand of the enemy. Derek Prince used to say every day, “I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the lamb out of the hand of the enemy.”

Nissan is associated with the tribe of Judah, which means praise. We know that Judah goes first, and God is instructing us through the tribe of Judah, who went first in battle in praise. Murmuring is our natural default, but God wants praise as our default. Praise confounds the enemy! Another meaning of the letter Hei, for this month, is violent praise. Use violent praise to confound the enemy!

In the Bible, Nissan signified the “New Year of Kings.” Watch for political changes to take place during this month. It’s also a time to evaluate every political structure or organization you are aligned with and, I would add, make sure they align with Biblical values. When you align with a political structure, you are saying, “I stand for, what they stand for.” Be very careful who you align with.

This month is associated with the position of walking. It is a month to put our best foot forward, as the Israelites did when they headed out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. This is also referred to our right foot of faith. Step forth this month in strength and in trust as the Lord leads you in the coming year. Remember who you are in Him and walk in your authority.

This is the month to cross over. The word Hebrew actually means “one who crosses over.” God is offering us a fresh start in Nissan. Death has passed over us and we are free. Jesus came down from heaven Himself to redeem us. No more types and shadows. Now we need to position ourselves to step forward boldly and cross over to the new He has for us.

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Adar II, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Adar II

 FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF ADAR

(Sentences in bold print are the highlights of the meaning of the month and can be used as declarations.)

We began the last month of the Hebrew calendar, Adar II, on March 3rd at sundown. We have two months of Adar because this is a leap year. It’s said that when Adar comes, joy is increased. As we leap joyfully into Adar II, we are completing the yearly cycle of months. The word Adar means strength and in the Bible strength is associated with joy. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” God wants us to end this Biblical cycle of months strong in His joy. Declare that you will finish this month strong in the joy of the Lord! Because we have two months of Adar this year, declare a double portion of joy in your life!

This month is related to the Hebrew letter Kuff. Kuff is a picture of the back of the head, what is behind or final. This month is the final month of the cycle of months on the Hebrew calendar. We are also in the final month of the winter season. Soon this month and this season will be behind us but we are to keep looking forward, no matter what the circumstances are around us. It’s easy for some of us to look back at who was in the White House previously and pray that things would be restored as it was, but we need to keep looking forward. It’s easy to look back at our country before covid and wish things were as they were 2 1/2 years ago, but we must look forward. Declare that you will not look back, but look forward. Philippians 3:13 (NLT) says, “But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

In relationship to the meaning of final, take note of things ending in your life this month and celebrate the ending. Eccles 7:8 – says, “The end of a matter is better than the beginning.” The NLT says “Finishing is better than starting.”  It’s easy to start something but it takes much more effort to finish something. Declare that you will complete the assignments that God has given to you to do, and if you should find yourself at the end of one of those assignments or tasks, celebrate the ending of it. Celebrate that you finished what God gave you to do. Do not look back, and wish you had done thngs differently, but look forward to the new that God has for you in the year ahead.

This month the heavens are declaring His glory through the constellation of Pisces. Pisces is a picture of two fish which depicts a multtitude of believers coming to Jesus (the harvest) and it also depicts the one new man of Jew and Gentile in Yeshua. These fish also give us a picture of diving down into the depths of God’s Word to find our supply in that hidden world, whether it is spiritual or financial.  Remember when Peter found his supply to pay his taxes? Matthew 17:27 says, “However we don’t want to offend them (Pharisees), so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Declare Psalm 199:18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law, ” and delare that you will find your supply in the hidden world as you dive deep in His Word.

It is during this month that we celebrate Purim, a story of great victory and deliverance over the enemy. Read the book of Esther and as you read about the Feast of Purim, you will see many things that are embedded in this book and in this celebration. Esther was hidden in a secret place for a season and then appointed as queen. Then she went into the secret place again with the Lord and received war strategies. She went forth in obedience, approached the king, revealed her true identity, the curse was reversed, and the Jews were not destroyed They defended themselves and stood up to the giants. Purim commemorates this victory and illustrates that “Death is swallowed up in victory.” As you read the book of Esther this month, Declare that any curse in your life will be reversed as you receive from the Lord the war strategy for your life!

This is a month to remove any mask you have been hiding behind so you can enter into your true identity and the true joy of who you are in Him. This joy will bring laughter. A mask will stop the joy. Declare that you will remove the mask and laugh at the plans of the enemy. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is, “a time to laugh.” This is a month to laugh!

Our true identity is linked to the spiritual realm, not to the natural. This is the month to discover your true identity in the spiritual realm, to activate your gifts, and walk in your true identity. Esther’s true identity was hidden until it was God’s perfect time, just as babies are hidden in the womb until the right time for them to be revealed.

We must keep our eyes on the Lord because the enemy wants us to look at the giants in our life to produce fear in us and to stop us from moving forward into all that God has for us ahead. In Numbers 13: 31- 33 we see the negative report of the 10 spies who gave into fear after seeing the giants in the land. We must not give in to a spirit of fear! Just as Esther and Mordecai had to face the evil plan of their enemy, turn from fear and arise in courage and boldness, we are to do the same. Declare that you will not let the giants in your life produce fear in you. Take God at His word. Believe what He says about you. You belong to Him, He is for you, and you walk in His authority. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Proverbs 31:25 “…and she laughs without fear of the future.”

Adar is also the time to break off any wrong decrees that have been spoken over our life. Declare that ungodly decrees that have been spoken over you, from the past or present, will no longer circle around you. Take authority over these wrong decrees, cut them off, and speak God’s words and His plans over your life. Isaiah 54:17 in the Amplified version says, “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; every tongue that rises against you in judgement you will condemn. This (peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition) is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication (righteousness) from Me, says the Lord.

This month is about arising to your moment of destiny by responding to the voice of God. Because Esther chose to do the right thing, Haman’s plan was exposed, and she saved the lives of her people – not just for that time, but for every Jew that would come forth from that time forward. When we come into a moment of destiny, a single word spoken, or a single act can affect a generation. God has moments of destiny for all of us. He is working to position us for those moments. Declare that you will recognize your moment of destiny, you will hear God’s voice, and respond in obedience because, like Esther, you have been called “for such a time as this!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Adar II, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Adar 1

 FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF ADAR

We are in a leap year in this year of 5782 on the Hebrew calendar. Leap years are considered pregnant with an extra month, so we have two months of Adar in 5782. We begin Adar 1 at sundown, February 1st, 2022.

It’s important to remember that the Gregorian calendar connects us to the earth realm but when we follow the Hebraic calendar, we connect to God’s time frame. Each month of the year has a particular place in God’s yearly cycle, along with certain feasts that are to be celebrated in certain months, and God has a particular message for each month to propel us forward into our destiny and our purpose, and to equip us to prosper. There is tremendous blessing in knowing what God is saying to us each month on His calendar!

When there are two months of Adar in a calendar year, Purim is celebrated in the second Adar, in order to connect the redemption of Purim to the redemption of Passover. We will look at Purim next month.

The word Adar means strength. We want to finish the year strong but not in our own strength. God shows us the key to our strength. It is illustrated through the Hebrew letter linked to Adar, which is KUF. One of the meanings of KUF is a picture of entering joy. “…The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

 God wants us to walk in the joy of the Lord so He can be our strength. True joy is not based on our circumstances but on our relationship with God through His Son. Forgiveness of our sins, salvation through Jesus Christ, eternal life in heaven, knowing Him and communing with Him should bring us great joy! When we spend time with Him and in His word, we realize that God is for us. His word manifests joy within us. We need to praise Him, and focus on Him, not our circumstances. When we praise Him and focus on Him, we are agreeing with Him and what His word says about us and it will bring great joy. This is a powerful weapon against the enemy! He hates it and it will cause him to flee! Use the weapon of joy!

The other meaning of KUF is to remove the masquerade. This is the month to remove any mask you have been hiding behind so you can enter into the true identity and true joy of who you are. There is an identity for each of us, which is linked to the invisible spiritual world, not to the natural. This is the month to discover your identity in the spiritual realm and become who you are meant to be, just as Esther did. Read the book of Esther this month and ask God for your war strategy to have victory over the enemy’s plans against your life!

The constellation for this month is Pisces, a picture of two fishes. This is a month to find your supply in the hidden world, just as Peter found the coin in the fishes’ mouth to pay his taxes. Dive deep into His word and He will show you your supply. Pisces can also represent a picture of the Jew and the Gentile becoming one new man.

Adar is linked with the Tribe of Naphtali, which means “sweetness is to me.” It is a time to leap like the doe with joy. It is a month to rejoice and celebrate and to enjoy the sweetness of our God.

This is the month to fully annihilate the plan of any “Haman” in your life.  Adar is the time for any wrong decrees to be broken off of you. Ungodly decrees that have been spoken over you, from the past or present, will circle around you but you must take authority over these wrong decrees, cut them off, and speak God’s words and His plans over your life.  That will make this month a time of celebration because the curse has been overturned and things have become sweet.

This month is about arising to your moment of destiny by responding to the voice of God. Because Esther chose to do the right thing, Haman’s plan was exposed, and she saved the lives of her people – not just for that time, but for every Jew that would come forth from that time forward. When we come into a moment of destiny, a single word spoken, or a single act can affect generations. (Check out the book called The Butterfly Effect. It’s a book about this very thing.)

God has moments of destiny for all of us. He is working to position us for those moments. We must learn to hear God’s voice, respond to Him quickly, (delayed obedience is disobedience) and recognize His leading. Develop sensitivity to His timing and walk in patience. Walk in obedience, at any cost, even if it seems foolish. Ask God to alert you to your moments of destiny because, like Esther, we have been called “for such a time as this!”

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Shevat

 FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF SHEVAT

Chuck Pierce spoke at Word Alive International Outreach, Oxford, Alabama at the Shabbat Service on Friday, January 7, 2022  (This is not a word for word transcription of the service but a meaning-for-meaning text interpretation.) 

Shevat – From Dead and Dormant to Sap Producing Hot Lava! A Time to Worship

Chuck said to put your hand on someone and say, “You gotta keep goin,” or another way to say it is, “keep on swimming.” The Lord is doing a lot with all of us and showing us that He can rearrange our lives and keep us moving. Chuck said his life has been rearranged more than anyone’s has over the last couple years. He said he is better for it because when you submit to the Lord, you resist the devil, and he has to flee. Always remember that! If you will go with the seasons that God is putting you in, you will find yourself just floating, instead of striving. It helps you to stay in that abiding place.

If you will look, you will see how the Lord has been changing us during Covid. He’s been changing us individually, corporately and territorially. Let’s look at Shevat. Time is so important for us to get. God is not in time, but we are in time. Once we understand that we are rolling backwards into our future, time becomes very important. We have a beginning, and we have an end. God knows every action we are to take in our life cycle from beginning to end here on earth. The beauty of our life cycle is that God can intervene in our life cycle and extend it through eternity based upon our choice of returning in worship to Him.  We must understand the times like the tribe of Issachar did. They knew the Word backward and forward and could tell time from the Word. God expects us to tell time. We want to know what Shevat is about this month so when we seek the Lord we are moving in time. He predetermines your time and your place. (Acts 17:26) He knows where we are supposed to be and when we should be there. Young people, this is important, because if you learn to seek Him, you will be at the right place at the right time. You’ll also know when you’re not at the right place at the right time. This has been a key to Chuck’s life. (Chuck shared the story of he and Pam’s second date and how God told him to “marry her.” They are now married 49 years.)

This month of Shevat is important. We are moving from dead and dormant. There is some new sap is flowing in you and new vision is flowing in you. You are getting ready to do something. You are getting ready to come to life in a new way, to make a decision you need to make. Don’t rush your emotions. God set time in place. Sowing seed time and harvest. Seeds go dormant for a while, laying dormant within you, and then all of a sudden sap starts flowing. You want to feel the sap flowing in you, feel the new flowing in you because the decisions you make this month will produce hot lava and you will flow from those decisions. That is key for all of us.

That is why we must understand the power of First Fruits. You’re not giving like you’ve been taught to give in the church in the past, based on your check, coming to church to pay a bill, to write your tithe. It’s about you giving into your entire future this month ahead so what you give into can manifest in your life. God chooses certain places to become First Fruit places. He has chosen Alabama to be a First Fruit for this nation. The Lord is setting it in order. Alabama is becoming a First Fruit offering for the nation. The new is now. That is the whole concept of First Fruits/ Rosh Chodesh. He wants us to understand we move from new to new to new to new to blessing to blessing to blessing to blessing each month until we are overtaken by the new and the blessings. This is what First Fruits is about. We are in a new era. This era becomes that saving dynamic that pushes us forward. (Isaiah 60)

Decisions each month become very real to us. Chuck shared about his experience when he was in the hospital as a young man. God put him in a room with a Pentecostal pastor who told him If he would get in the Word, the Spirit of God would come alive to him. Chuck started eating the Word. This month it is important that we allow that sap within us to start growing – your vision, your future, how you see things. (Proverbs 3:5,6) Give God your First Fruits and He will heal your nervous system, and your bone marrow. He will restore your storehouse and your barns, and He’ll overflow your vat. God told Chuck, “Give me the best and I will restore the rest.” That has been a life-long journey for Chuck. He began in the 70s giving the best of his time and anything God provided for him. He gave on behalf of his family to see a family that that had great potential to get restored. It is now 50 years later, and God has restored all and is still leading him forward into the best.

The Word of God goes down deep into your bone marrow (The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12) If you will let the Word get to your bone marrow, as your blood manufactures from your bone marrow, it carries the Word to every thought process of your body. Every time Chuck gives and pursues God by revelation over First Fruits, that Word is activated by revelation through his body. It pumps through his heart. It causes the cells of his brain to come alive. When he is sick, that Word can get to that place in his body that is sick. He is confident, and he has gone through deathly trials, but he is confident that he has given his best. The Word can get to that place where the doctor said there is a cancer, but the Word can penetrate it and perforate it and cause it to be removed from your body. That is how powerful the Word of God is and when you move in the timing of the Word, it gives day by day revelation of how to succeed on the path He has put you on. We are all special. Hell hates that we are special. Every one of us here are special. You wouldn’t even be here if you weren’t special. It doesn’t matter how you got here, from the time you were formed in your mother’s womb, you were being matrixed by Him to be called back to Him because he has a special plan for you. It does not matter how bad Daddy was or Grandpa was. He has a plan. God is not conditional on how much He loves you. He loves you no matter what.

Every blessing in heavenly places is yours. (Eph. 1:3) Chuck shared an experience he had while on a bus. He found himself seated in heavenly places. He was seated and the seat next to him was vacant. God was in the room with him, and God said it was his dad’s seat and God showed him all the blessings his dad chose not to get. We can’t see that from a victim mentality. God showed him what his dad chose not to enter into. God said Chuck could have all his dad’s blessings and his grandpa’s blessings because it belongs to his bloodline. You can have it all; it belongs to your bloodline. When you see how special you are and who you are in Him, hell will not be able to stop you from getting what belongs to you.

We must understand we are a corporate people rising up together. We rise individually, we ascend, but not only are we seated individually, but also corporately. How we are seated corporately is going to cause the territory we are part of to come alive. There is a new church forming. That is why God pulled us aside. He is forming us new so He can gather us new. Every time we come back together, we are making headway in kingdom expression. Kingdom unlocks! One of the things about 2022 is that it is linked with keys. We are all getting keys transferred to us. Every time you make a faith act, a key to the kingdom is being transferred to you. That key is going to cause you to unlock something that has never been unlocked. There are gifts in us right now. Shevat is an important month where dormancy still exists, but sap is moving. All of sudden, you will get keys this month to unlock something in you so the sap can flow through you. You will become a conduit in a new way. Sap will flow through you in such a way that people will see it seep out of your pores. It will look like favor on you, and when you go somewhere you need access, you will have the favor, and people are going to look at you and say, “come on in. “

This new that we are in agreement with causes us to have a new presence and a new favor about us. We have to start unlocking that this month. A new anointing, the priesthood. We are carrying a new anointing. We have not gone through all this stuff over the past two years to not be anointed. We are not going back to the last season. Chuck said he reads chunks of Isaiah every day. From the end of Isaiah 59 to the end of the book, God is forming a new wedding covenant with us. We are getting a new identity. We are moving from Hephzibah to Buelah. We are becoming a beautiful thing in the earth realm with a new anointing. In Isaiah 61 – He prophesies a new anointing and says come on in and change your identity, so you wear it. We have to gather in new ways because the cluster is where the new wine is. If we don’t gather in a new way, we drink last season’s wine. We must let go, come back together, let go, come back together. God is doing the same in the political realm. We are not going to drink old wine from the last political season. He is getting ready to seat in the grapes that will be clustered from territory to territory to territory, so the new wine begins to flow in this nation. God said He can birth a nation in a day. That is not a difficult thing for Him. The nations are a drop in the bucket to God. He is waiting on us to work with. We must be turned toward Him in timing. When new birth comes forth that makes the enemy rise up against us. The enemy hates the thought of the new rising up in you. Wouldn’t you rather take the enemy out than to live in the old? There is no other way to look at it.

We are headed for great warfare over the next three years. That warfare is all around the new thing that God is establishing in us, in our nation, in our territory, in Alabama. This divine pause you have been going through is because God is redefining the remnant. God is asking, “Who will go for me in this season? (Ish 6:8) Who will move forward? How are they going to move forward? What are they going to do?”

New dimensions of apostolic-prophetic alignments are happening. That is important because God is setting a foundation we can stand on. It is shaky out there right now. He will work it in every sphere of society – political, educational, and new insights in medical breakthroughs, etc. We have come into understanding all sorts of new things. A firm foundation is being built again. That is what it means to unlock the kingdom. We’re unlocking something we can stand on for our future. It is causing the gifts to come alive in a new way. It is causing us to demonstrate in a new way. And with this war intensifying in this era, the dragon hates the new birth (in us). God says I have Judah already prepared to worship its way into a place, so the dragon’s fire is put out.

With that, you have to think how does this apply to me? That is where God becomes very personal. The Bible says He is the Father of your spirit. Your mother and dad did not create your spirit. They created the DNA strand in you, but God knit you together and is the Father of your spirit. The only way your spirit can come alive to work from the deepest part of you, out through your entire body, is for you to bring it back to the Father who created it. You can only bring it back to the Father who created it through His son, that He gave to the earth to shed His blood, so that His blood would go down into the iniquity of the earth and then come back up through mankind and redeem us.

When that happens by His Spirit, He causes us to rise up like a hot air balloon. You gain access to that inheritance which means your portion that He destined for you. This year is about encircling your portion. How are you going to surround and encircle that which He is giving you? Think of you as a tree planted inside that portion. The best time to plant trees is winter. The best time to plant trees is Shevat. This month is the very best time to plant trees because the roots will go down deep, the sap will accumulate, and it will produce greatly. Same as you.  That is what makes this month so important. (The tree in Psalm 1 is a key passage for Shevat.)

The enemy knows if you get in time and you get in place, look what happens. All of a sudden, you will start multiplying, you start mobilizing and going, and the war for your recovery and restoration – you are going to win it. ( Neh 4:9-20) He knows you will branch out in a way that you will overshadow the enemy. That’s why he hates the thought of you getting in timing this month. You will start the process to branch out and instead of the enemy overshadowing you, you will overshadow the enemy. You’ll know which stock to buy. You will know what moves to make. You will know who to align with. You will know exactly what you are supposed to do.

Chuck had to start Shevat three days before it occurred (Start the Year Off Right Conference) and he knew he had to give into First Fruits then and he had to give into First Fruits here in Alabama, a First Fruit state, so he is sure he branches out this month. It’s not just about you. We must see how important this moment is. God spoke to Chuck and In November and December Chuck had long discussions with key people in the nation and in political realms. Beginning now, through the first portion of April, becomes very important for how we secure our future. This will set the course for the next four years. God started saying it in November and He is still saying it. It’s so important we understand the time we are walking in.

Don’t forget why the Lord came. He came to redeem mankind from the devil. (1 John 3:18) We have to remember that we must be redeemed from the devil. Jesus came to redeem mankind from the devil. He said, “I came to destroy the works of the devil.” That means how satan works in the affairs of mankind. God gave His only Son who could represent Him here in the earth to make sure the devil is overthrown. Look what He did. God said I have a purpose for man. I’m going to plant a garden; I’m going to put man in it; I’m going to give him access to the garden. We need to get to know the word “access.” The whole Bible is access. It started when God looked down at the chaos of the earth and said, “I am going to rearrange this. I’m going to plant a garden, here will be its boundaries. I’m going to put man in it, because he wasn’t doing too well by himself in it, with all the animals.” He said because man was causing portions of the garden to become desolate, I have to do something by giving him someone equal to him, a woman, so the garden can prosper. Never think anything else about man and woman. We have been put together to prosper a garden. We are not put together to compete with each other, to rule against each other, but we have been put together to prosper. Because of that, the garden started to prosper. Man named all the elements. Man knew who the serpent was. He named the serpent. He knew what the serpent was capable of doing. When the woman fell to the crafty way of the serpent, instead of man taking responsibility for not training woman over that one crafty animal, he said it was the woman who did it, so God dealt with man. God knows. He knows what He wants us to subjugate. Subjugate means you will cause a marketable rule to come into a portion. Each of us are called to subjugate something. We are not to Lord over, but to cause what we have been given to be stewarded correctly so it can prosper up to 1000 times. You need to think that is who you are. Put your hand on your chest and say, “I multiply everything way beyond my brain.”

God said to man you are going to work this garden, and worship and work are the same thing. If you get out of sync where work is greater than worship, then you are going to get messed up. The two words are the same in the garden. How we work and how we worship should be one in the same. Giving became so key. When He threw them out of the garden because they didn’t rule it right, He did not curse man, He cursed the ground. He cursed the serpent. And He said you will have to deal with both of these things. Man had to start dealing with the ground that God had put a curse on and deal with the serpent, but now the serpent did not have legs to run on. The serpent knew that man now had an advantage to put his heel on its head and to crush it.

Think of the two boys, Cain and Abel. They were still taught to worship even when they left the garden. Abel brought the First Fruits. They both had worked in the land they had been given. One with crops and one with the cattle and sheep. Abel somehow got it about worship. He brought the best he had to the Lord at First Fruits. Cain brought whatever he wanted to bring, and God looked and said you can do a little better than this. God doesn’t look at what you bring but He looks at what you keep. He looks at that portion of your heart that is not worshipping Him. He told Cain I will give you another shot at this. God is longsuffering. Go back and bring me another offering. If you bring the best, I will be just as happy over you as I am over Abel. Cain goes out and doesn’t say, “I have to get this right. I have to worship the Lord. I have to review my portion.” Instead, he talks to Abel, gets angry because of the favor on him, and he kills Abel. Then Abel’s blood goes into the ground, and with that curse they had been working, that blood begins to shout out. Cain just wandered from then on.

If you ever want to break wandering in your bloodline, lustful wandering, harlotry in your bloodline, just start giving. It’s that simple. If you want to break greed or covetousness in your bloodline, or second-rate mindset in your bloodline, all you have to do is start giving. Giving will break it off your blood, and then all of a sudden you will start this divine reversal in your life. Before long, every place you are walking is responding to your blood, filled with the glory of God.

This isn’t just some message, it is a reality. Chuck said, “why would God choose someone like me?” He said he is smart, and always worked hard, but that does not get it with God. After he made the choice to go back to the dorm (referring to he and Pam’s second date), God spoke to him and said, “you are called for the healing of the nations.” Why would He choose an East Texas boy who had gone through all kind of hell, to travel to the nations and meet with presidents and kings? Why would God do that? It makes no sense to the logic. He knows it is because Chuck would rather choose to bring God the best he has than to keep any of it. It’s that simple. Why would he keep something that he can give to God, and He can multiply it? If he does that, God blows down on his thoughts. He causes him to be able to have the right word at the right time. He causes him to have a word of wisdom to dismantle the devil. He will do the same for you. God does not say that person is just awesome. God says if you will return your spirit to Me, to worship Me, and really respond to Me with your greatest love, I will give you every key you need at the right moment.

With First Fruits we are coming into a harvest season. He shared recently how the sickle of heaven is moving and that is producing harvest. It is causing the earth to be rearranged. Because of that, harvest has a mandate about it. That mandate begins with First Fruits. God wrote an entire covenantal word around First Fruits. God said If we get in that covenant cycle, He will make sure we can unlock every point on our path in a month. That is what First Fruits is really about.

We always want to say, “Lord what are we giving into this month?” Prepare your First Fruits offering now. We aren’t giving an offering, but we are giving a First Fruit to unlock what God has for us by this time next month. That is how you want to think. There are certain blessings that are going to unlock for me. There are no rules on First Fruits. No rules on how you give, what you give. It’s just, “Lord I am going to look at my lump, and present to you the best I know of that lump right now so you can cause the rest of the lump to some way come alive and be blessed.” All of a sudden, when you go through the Word of God, and you see this month and you realize how you are giving this month is causing a plan to sustain three generations coming behind you. It is causing some madness to fall off that bloodline of yours. It is causing a leader to arise and redeem something that needs to be done.

This month is the month of Asher, related to tribe of Asher. Asher was a fruitful, bountiful tribe. All of sudden you are tasting and you’re seeing. You know what God is going to do in this covid thing this month? He’s going do away with this thing because our taste was removed. There’s going to be this supernatural healing sweep through and, all of a sudden, we’re going to start savoring the moment and savoring the taste of something. You won’t just eat, you are going to eat with Him. All of a sudden, you will savor some taste you missed in another season.

One key person linked with the tribe of Asher is Anna. Anna was able to recognize Yeshua because she gave her best to the Lord every month. The minute they brought Yeshua in (the temple) she knew who He was. She could see! Some of you have the capacity to say. “that’s God. I see what God is doing. I know what He is doing.” This month there will be lots of healing. Chuck has had to press through since June with a bad diagnosis. The Lord told him back in June that if he would press through and not agree… (He would say, “Lord it’s not easy to not agree with the pictures I see.”) But God said, “if you will not agree, I will be faithful, and your stomach will be healed by the end of Shevat.” You have to think like that or else the enemy will take you out when you say, “Oh my God, I just sneezed!” Don’t let this Covid thing overwhelm you. A cold can lead you into pneumonia and into death. You have to know that this thing that is floating out in the air that is after me, we’re about to go to war together. Do whatever is necessary to push it back, so you do not agree with it in your body. Chuck has had three diagnoses of covid. You just have to say, “I’m pushing this thing back.” The Word of God says the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, who can withstand a broken spirit? (Proverbs 18:14) I say, “Lord, if there is anything broken in me, find it, test it, deal with it, and then fix it so I can withstand this thing that’s trying to weaken me. “

How you eat this month is very important! Sometimes we would rather eat whatever we want (like biscuits and gravy), rather than feel good. We just want the taste of it, but that is how sin is. It tastes so good for a moment but then it’s not good. This month it is important that you taste and see that the Lord is good. This month your righteous shield becomes important. How you operate in right standing is important. That is your conscience. You can’t make up rules and regulations on how people operate. The Bible says three things – don’t fornicate, don’t drink blood offered to idols, and stay away from idolatry. That’s all it says. How you eat, you work it out. When you’re eating, if you worship, something will happen in your life. When you drink something, enjoy it.

Listen to the wind in the trees this month. Holy Spirit is going to start moving. You will be surprised over how Holy Spirit moves. He is going to start moving and you will say,” I feel His presence.”  Chuck said if he leaves us with one thing, it’s this – he rehearses how God showed him Alabama. God showed him Alabama as his first glory well that would spring up in such a way that the nation would drink from it. He showed him Anaston in 1988. Chuck stayed there three days. He never understood why God said, “I will bring double portion from this place.” Rehearse what God is doing in your life right now. It will cause the sap down in you to come alive. That is why First Fruits worship is so important. It is like a rehearsal; a rehearsal for a final ingathering; it’s a rehearsal for every month to remind me to put Him first. Put Him first this month. Before I think about me, think about Him. That’s what First Fruits does. Before I pray for our nation and its government restructuring, think about His government, and what He is doing to reposition it. This Shevat is going to cause dormancy to start breaking off of us. Take your gift and begin to wave it before the Lord. It is stirring up your inward being. It is fanning a seed where a seed still has some ice crystals on it. It’s causing the ice to melt off some seed inside of you. It’s causing you to make a decision this month. The word of God is real today. It’s not just historical. It’s written so its life cycle goes day by day, moment by moment. And when we celebrate Rosh Chodesh, it causes that cycle in us to come alive.

Father, we loose this anointing today. All of you on the web, you are receiving the power of these words going into you. They live in me. “Him, in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)  And when I worship Him right now, I know action by His Spirit is taking place in me. Let’s worship and shout, “My blessings are on the way!” You are seated in heavenly places.  All the seats that were connected to your bloodline, you can have every blessing they chose not to get. I say today your blessings are on the way. Give a shout and when you come you bring it, you drop it in, and you say my blessings are on the way. I bless you abundantly!  Alabama, keep rising!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Tevet, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Tevet

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Tevet

The month of Tevel is the 10^th month on the Hebrew calendar. The number ten is connected with order, tithe and testimony.

In this month God is encouraging us to get things in order, and to grow up and mature in Him. It’s a month to get focused, get our priorities straight, and to look at the course we are taking in life. It’s a time to consider further education, and review prophetic words spoken over us. Prov 3:11-12 (NLT) – My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines, you, and don’t be discouraged when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights.” The Lord corrects us to help us grow up and mature in Him.

Maturing equips us for good works. The word Tevet comes from the Hebrew root word Tove which means good. We see the first mention of this word in Genesis 1, verses 3 and 4. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.” God wants to separate the light from the darkness in us, as well, so we can see clearly. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. (Psalm 119:105) He leads us step by step along our path with His Word lighting the way. Prov 6:23 says, “For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life.” So, if God brings correction in your life this month, don’t reject it, but embrace it, and grow from it. Correction shows us how much God loves us.

This month is connected to our vision. Part of maturity is our perspective or how we see things. The Bible says we can’t serve two masters. We will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. The Jews call this the battle of the good eye versus the evil eye. Mathew 6:22-23 says, “Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. (Looking at things from God’s perspective) But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness…” Verse 24 says, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Having a good eye means that we see God infinitely more valuable over money. We choose to serve God and seek Him as our provider. The evil eye is a euphenism for covetousness. It’s when we want what someone else has and we will do whatever we need to do to get what they have.

The letter this month is Iyan, and it’s a picture of an eye. This month is connected with focus and vision. The letter Iyan has a value of 70 which is connected to vision. The number 80 is connected to our mouth and speaking. 70 comes before 80, so we need to look before we speak. There is great wisdom to look from a heavenly perspective before we speak. There is also great maturity in pausing and looking back at what God has done. Evaluate your life this month. It may be helpful to write things down and then do an evaluation of the things going on in your life. Ask God where changes need to be made, what needs to be eliminated and what things needs to be added. Make sure you get God’s perspective on all of it.

Another way of growing up is through fasting. When we combine fasting with focusing on God’s word, we position ourselves to hear God clearly. There is a day of fasting this month and it is on the 10^th of Tevet.  This fast had to do with the seige of Jerusalem by the Babylonians on the 10^th of Tevet. King Zedekiah did not listen to the words of Jeremiah the prophet to surrender and spare his life and his family members. He chose to refuse to listen to what God said through Jeremiah. So because of fear and not obeying the voice of the Lord, he was captured by the Babylonians. He had to watch his sons get killed, he had his eyes gouged out, and he was sent away to exile in Babylon. The 10^th of Tevet has become a day of fasting for the Jews to reflect upon their path and their decisions, and to reflect upon the consequences of their decisions. May I add that we need to also reflect upon whether we are being obedient to any personal word God may have given us.

Another point on fasting. When we think of fasting, Queen Ester comes to mind. In Esther chapter 2 she was crowned Queen in the month of Tevet. Esther had great maturity for her age. She was a young woman when she was chosen by the king, but her uncle raised her in the way she should go. She grew in wisdom and had great favor on her life. She knew she was loved by God and it gave her great maturity, great focus, and great vision to fulfill the plan that God had for her. During this month of Tevet, may we remember that just like Esther, we have been called for such a time as this.

God wants us to grow up in our emotions as well. Our emotions are indicators of what is going on inside of us. Jesus had righteous anger, but He did not sin.  He was not controlled by anger. God has called us to be child-like but not childish. He wants us to be mature in our emotions. He tells us in Gal 5:16 that if we walk by the Spirit, we won’t carry out the desires of the flesh.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will grow within us. We need to allow the fruit of self-control to grow and mature in our lives so we are not controlled by the flesh.

This month is associated with the tribe of Dan. His name means to judge, to rule, to mature. It takes maturity to be a just ruler. Dan judged his people. They were the rear guard of the tribes in battle and they were very crafty in battle. They knew how to find the achillees heel of the enemy. Samson was part of the tribe of Dan. We can learn some things from Samson too. He had great strength but he had no self-control over his emotions. His enemies gouged out his eyes and in his last battle he cried out to God and took down the enemy, but he lost his life. We must learn to operate by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by our flesh. Dan was also an anointed craftsman with sculpting, working with metal and engraving. The tribe of Dan built the furniture God had designed for the tabernacle. They were appointed and anointed to do this job. This is a time to mature our artistic talents for the Lord and to use our craft for him.

The tribe of Dan also represents a great tragedy, as Dan did not fulfill his destiny. All the tribes of Israel messed up, but they eventually fulfilled their destiny. Even though God showered Dan with blessings, and poured out His mercy upon him, Dan chose to walk a path of darkness. He did not respond to God correctly. When God pours out His blessing and mercy upon us, we have a choice in how we respond. We can respond by living for ourselves and following our own desires, or by giving ourselves in worship and obedience to Him. Read the story of the tribe of Dan in the Book of Judges and learn from Dan’s mistake. Choose to respond correctly to God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life.

Tevet is the tenth month on the Hebrew calendar. The number ten represents godly authority. We are to pray for our leaders this month. The enemy will use great strategies this month to pull leaders away. Pray for God’s protection over them and that no division or offense will arise between you and the leaders in your life.

AYIN is also a picture of a spring or well. Let new life spring up and flow out of you.

The constellation for this month is Capricorn (the goat). We will see the nations that are not allies of God’s covenant, known as “goat nations,” take a wrong turn. This is also a time to leap forth like a goat. Be willing to war in prayer when God calls you to war and stand for your inheritance and don’t back down! This is a very important month to pray with boldness into our destiny. Be stubborn in prayer like a goat.

Tevet began at the end of Hanukkah this year. To understand the month of Tevet, we must understand what Hanukkah is about. Hanukah was about God pouring out His mercy on His people, His faithfulness to His people, about the restoration of His Temple, about the miracle in allowing the oil for the menorah in the temple to burn for eight days when it was only enough for one day, about how His light overcomes the darkness, and about receiving light, which is revelation from God. God wants us to come out of Hanukkah filled with faith and celebrating His goodness.

This is a month to fill ourselves with the word of God. 11 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

May each of us grow up and mature in Him, no matter how old we are. May we receive and grow from correction from the Lord, and may we be fully equipped for every good work God wants us to do. As we fill ourselves with His word may new life spring up and flow out of us. May we always respond in worship and obedience to the God’s blessing and goodness in our lives. God bless you in the month of Tevet!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Tevet, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Kislev

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Kislev

Chuck Pierce has referred to Kislev as a month to decode mysteries. Chuck said, “There are many things we don’t know. God is with us. We must take a step to decode that thing we are very uncertain about. It’s going to take a step, balancing the knowns we know, and all of a sudden that which you were uncertain in, you will find a new solution.” This is a month for God to provide solutions to situations that you could not figure out before.

Kislev is associated with the Hebrew letter SAMEKH. We can tell the meaning of a letter by its shape. SAMEKH is a picture of a circle, ring or repeating cycle. This is the month to come full circle, to confront those things that defeated us in the past and to break out of old cycles. Many Christians are trapped in destructive cycles, but God wants to set us free. “He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.” John 8:36

God also wants us to come full circle in our trust and confidence in Him. The name Kislev is derived from a Hebrew word meaning security and trust.  Our trust and security for what we don’t know and for our future needs to be in Him. Difficult times reveal where our trust level is at and who we are trusting in. It must be in Jesus! We belong to Him and we are secure in Him. “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

It’s also a month for a second chance at missed opportunities. God is a God of second chances. Don’t miss your opportunity this time.  Missed opportunities can come back around but so can old enemies, so be on guard. “…The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam 3:21-23

Kislev is associated with the constellation Sagittarius (the archer).  It is a month to shoot straight and move quickly. Like an archer, there may be times we need to cut our losses and move on! Ask God for wisdom regarding the situations you are dealing with. God will direct you according to His perfect plan.

This month is a time to fight against empires and cultures. It is also a month to develop our war strategies and to have a prophetic revelation for war. In a season of war we can have peace in the conflict because we are on the offensive.

During the month of Kislev, the days become shorter and the darkness is longer. Because it is a month of physical darkness, the Jews say it is a month of dreams and night visions. Kislev is a month to be aware of your dreams. If God speaks to you in a dream this month, pay attention to what God is revealing to you! Write it down, pray over it for clear revelation.

This is also a month to look at your sleeping patterns. Are certain thoughts or past events resurfacing in your sleep and causing you to lose sleep? Deal with those issues that God brings up during the night. Pray that your sleep would be sweet. “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24

During this month of darkness, we begin the celebration of Chanukah – the Feast of Lights. Chanukah is a feast for the Jews and Christians, as well. This feast is mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus went to the temple to celebrate Chanukah, which is called  the Feast of Dedication and He gave a special Chanukah message. Read it in John 10. He told them that He is a God of miracles!  Chanukah is the story of a miracle that God performed in the temple by allowing the sacred oil for the menorrah to burn for eight days, when it was only enough oil for one day. That shows us that God multiples what we have and He makes it more than enough. This is also a time to declare that Jesus is the light of the world and a month to let your light shine! I encourage you to celebrate Chanukah! Jesus did!

The Jews consider Kislev a month of the womb. This is the month that the Holy Spirit moved on Mary’s womb and Jesus was conceived. During one of the darkest months of the year, the Light of the World was conceived. It is a month for God to conceive new things in you and for the river of God to flow from your innermost being. 

This month is also associated with the tribe of Benjamin. This tribe was gifted in the art of the bow. They could shoot skillfully with either hand and not miss. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son. Rachel, Benjamin’s mother, died in childbirth. She named her son Benoni (son of my pain) but Jacob renamed him Benjamin (son of my right hand).  After Jacob thought he lost his favored son, Joseph, he put all his attention and fears on Benjamin. He was very fearful of losing him, so he overprotected him. This delayed Benjamin from coming into his destiny. Eventually he did overcome and entered his destiny. God gave him a second chance so he could overcome those things that defeated him in the past. Many times, we wonder why God did not shelter us from very difficult circumstances or battles. God has a purpose for those difficulties, and He wants us to gain strength and overcome those difficulties and be victorious.

Sometimes we can get branded with an identity God did not choose for us. This is a month to come into your new identity. If you have been held captive by fear, God wants to set you free this month. Ask God to show you any habit or patterns that are holding you in that old identity. Clear your conscience and receive your new identity in Him.

In this decade of Pey, it is important to guard the words of your mouth. That is key for coming into your new identity. This is a time of confession and decree. What you say now will determine your future! Our confession for the month of Benjamin: “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7.

In this month of Kislev, may God bless you to break out of old cycles, to grab hold of your second chance at missed opportunities, may God speak to you in your dreams and give you revelation, may your sleep be sweet, may God conceive new things within you, may walk in your new identity in Him in courage and strength, and may your speak forth your future in alignment with God’s purposes and plans for your life. God bless you in the month of Kislev!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Kislev, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Cheshvan

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Cheshvan

(Declarations for the Month of Cheshvan.)

Cheshvan is the eighth month on the Hebrew calendar. Eight signifies revelation and a new beginning. This is a month to ask God for new revelation for a new beginning. God is about taking us into the new, about us walking in the new, about us becoming new, and about pouring out His new mercies every morning… (Lamentation 3:22,23). As we begin moving in new revelation, we will be digesting and assimilating God’s wisdom and truth. Ask God to bring new beginnings in your life where you need them.
We can also have a new beginning when we allow Him to show us anything we need to repent of. If we confess our sin, His blood will wash us clean, and we will receive a new beginning!

I want to add something that the Holy Spirit put on my heart regarding a new beginning. There is something that we can do that will open a whole new beginning of blessing in our lives. We all know the importance of tithing. We know that the tithe is 10% of our income and that it belongs to God. When we tithe we are returning it back to Him. If we hold onto it, we are robbing God. We know that God has told us we are to give offerings, which are seperate from our tithes.

Last week the Holy Spirit spoke to Sig about giving Asaph an offering to bless him as he went back to college. So many of you responded as well and blessed that young man with an offering. God wants us to give offerings and there are many kinds, but there is something else we need to make a part of our giving and that is  First Fruits giving.

First Fruits is honoring God by giving back to Him the first and best of all He has given to us! By giving the first of what you receive, you acknowledge that He is truly first in your life, and is honored above everything else. There are blessings promised for all three kinds of giving but the fullness of blessing is released when we worship Him with all three.

In the Old Testament the First Fruits offering was given to the priests. Today we give a First Fruits offering to our pastors. Let me read Ezekial 44:30 –  “The first of all the first fruits of every kind, and every contribution and offering of every kind, from all your contributions and offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priest the first of your coarse meal and bread dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house.” (Amplified Version)

We give a First Fruits offering at the head of the month.  When a new month begins,  we celebrate that first day as a First Fruits. This celebration is called Rosh Chodesh. That is a great time to give a First Fruits offering. If you have some other first occur in your life and you want to give a First Fruits offering, do it! You don’t have to wait until the first of the month.

This is what a First Fruits offering does – it honors God as your source, it sanctifies the rest of your income, and it releases the fullness of God’s blessing on your household. Proverbs 3:9, 10 – promises that if we honor the Lord with the firstfruits of all our crops (income); then our barns will be filled to overflowing and our vats will brim over with new wine. God wants us to develop a mentality of firstfruits in every area of our life –  our time, our talents, and our money. I encourage you to give a First Fruits offering, along with your tithe and other offerings and when you give, give willfully, give cheerfully and give abundantly and you will see a new beginning of prosperity and blessing in your life.

Cheshvan is associated with the Hebrew letter NUN, which symbolizes the Messiah. The Jews call Cheshvan the month of Messiah. They believe that the third Temple will be inaugurated or dedicated during the month of Cheshvan and that Jesus will establish the beginning of His reign upon the earth.  So, this is a month for us to pray that the Jews will come to know Messiah as their personal Savior. Pray for the Jews this month.

This month is associated with the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was one of the most blessed tribes of Israel. The blessing that Jacob pronounced on Manasseh and Ephraim was so extravagant that it became the standard by which blessings were measured. Expect blessing this month. Manasseh was Joseph’s oldest son who was born in Egypt. Joseph’s life had been filled with pain and hardship, but God was with him and God vindicated him. When Manasseh was born Joseph said it made him forget the pain of his past. This is a month to forget the pain and sorrows of the past and to receive a new hope for the new beginnings in our lives, in our circumstances and in our relationships. “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 3:13b-14 NIV)

This month is also known as the month of Noah because it was in this month that the great flood took place. In the story of Noah we see two different aspects of God – His judgement and His grace. This is an important message regarding this month – it can be a month of judgement or of grace. God is a very patient and loving God and He does not like to bring judgement. He gives every opportunity for repentance before judgement comes. But this is a month to remember that eventually judgement does come. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Mathew 24:37 NIV) But God also gives grace, and as great judgement covered the earth, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. As we walk in righteousness before God, we will find grace poured out upon us for the days ahead. Jesus is our ark of safety and the One in whom we are to abide.

The flood actually began on the 17^th of Cheshvan+ and ended the following year on the 27^th of Cheshvan. The story of Noah that occured during this month shows us the reality of judgement, of the grace of God poured out, and a new beginning. The next day after Noah came out of the ark, he offered a sacrifice to God. The Bible says that God found it to be a soothing aroma to His nostrils. God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood. The sign of His covenant promise was the rainbow. God has made covenant promises to us, as well. Jer 29:11 tells us, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.” Even when you see judgement at work in the world, God has grace for those who follow Him. Set your heart to seek Him.

A flood will always uncover things and show the roots underneath. This is a month to deal with root issues. Allow the Holy Spirit to put His finger upon the root issues He wants to deal with in your life. This is a good month to go through a time of deliverance to deal with root issues. As John and Sheryl have taught us, deliverance is something we need to do at least yearly or twice a year. It’s like a regular checkup for our spiritual life. We have two deliverance teams in our congregation right now that can take you through the process of deliverance. You can set up an appointment with either Sheryl and Darlene Christian or John and Richard Martin.

Cheshvan is connected with the fragrance of myrrh. Myrrh is a fragrance used from ancient times and was one of the gifts given at the birth of Jesus by the Wise Men. We see in the Bible that Myrrh was an ingredient of the consecrated incense used in the first and second temples in Jerusalem, and it was also listed as an ingredient in the holy oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and kings.

Myrrh symbolizes purification, grace and peace. Esther was bathed in Myrrh for six months before being presented to the king (Esther 2-12). This month allow the purification process of the Holy Spirit to prepare you for more intimacy with Jesus our King. As I pass this Myrhh Essential Oil around the room, take a deep whiff of the oil and ask the Holy Spirit to begin that process in you for a more intimate relationship with Jesus. Just as Noah’s sacrifice after getting out of the ark was a sweet smelling incense unto the Lord, may our intimate relationship with Jesus bring a beautiful aroma that others can smell and one that our Heavenly Father finds very pleasing.

This is the month that you must war with words. Words that are not spoken correctly can go into the inward parts of our stomach. Many stomach issues are the result of receiving wrong words. I want to add that you can also store hurtful words in other parts of your body, as well. You can have a nagging headache, pain in your neck and shoulders, a pain in your side, a pain in your back, a pain in your chest, and it can be from words or situations that you have not dealt with correctly. Ask God to show you if you have stored anything inside you. He will reveal it. After you’ve dealt with it, Chuck said to speak to your inner being and say, “I am satisfied.” I would add, “I am satisfied that this issue has been removed from me. It is no longer stored in my body. I am free from this issue, in Jesus Name.” Jesus can push out anything in you that was hurt, offended or dissatisfied. Deal with it, get rid of it and you may get rid of a physical symptom that was associated with it.

This month is linked with the constellation of Scorpio (the scorpion). The scorpion and the snake are both symbols for this month. Jesus said to His disciples, “I give unto you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 This is a key month to stand in your authority. Plant your heel on the enemy’s neck and say, “I am preparing my heel to step on you.”

May you receive new revelation for a new beginning this month. May His grace be poured out upon you and may you walk in the authority Jesus has given you over the enemy through His mighty name!!! Happy Cheshvan!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Cheshvan, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Tishrei

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Tishrei

(Declarations for the Month of Tishrei are in bold and underlined.)

We are now in the 7th month on the Hebrew calendar. We know that all 7’s are special to God and this month includes some very special Fall Feasts. We are going to look at the four different parts of the Fall Feasts and what God is saying to us in each part.  God gave us the feasts to create a pathway into His glory and to help us to begin our year with a clean heart and new revelation from Him for our path ahead. Make time to seek the Lord and His purpose during each part of the feasts this month. These are appointed times to meet with God. Take the time to meet with the Creator of the universe, and receive the blessings He has for you in these Fall Feasts.

Remember, that on the Hebraic calendar the day begins at sunset. So, at sunset on Monday evening, September 6th, we will begin the Feast of Trumpets. During this month, we will hear the shofar blast several times to signal different parts of the Fall fFeasts.

Feast of Trumpets  – The blast of the shofar signals the Feast of Trumpets. In Numbers 29:1 it says that we consecrate the first day of the seventh month with the blowing of the ram’s horn. It signifies a time to awaken – for the believers and unbelievers alike! It is a time to return to the Lord! God knows our weaknesses, and that we have a tendency to drift. As believers, He wants our attention to examine ourselves for any areas of passivity, lethargy and distraction from our devotion to Him. Declare that you will examine yourself and ask for God to show you any areas of passivity, lethargy and distraction in your life.

Rosh HaShana – The first day of Tishrei, and the first day of the Jewish New Year 5782. We are in the decade of Pey, which began in 5780. Pey has a value of 80 and signifies a divine beginning or opening. Pey represents the mouth, a time to speaking forth and declaring. The number two is connected with the letter BET and represents a home, or tent, body or household. It means to be inside or within. We need to abide in Him in 5782, as He also abides in us. This is key for the days ahead in this new year! Declare that in this new year of 5782 you will abide in Him!

The Ten Days of Awe – A second blast of the shofar begins the Ten Days of Awe, which starts with Rosh HaShanah and ends with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). These 10 days are a the time of reflection and returning to the Lord and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin within our heart. Write down whatever He shows you, confess it, and repent of it. It is also a time to ask those we have wronged for forgiveness. Declare that you will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin that you need to confess and put under the blood of Jesus and that you will ask for forgiveness from those you have wronged.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – The shofar blasts again calling us to repent. This is considered the holiest day of the year, a day of fasting, not feasting, and for us as believers, it is a day to put our sins under the Blood of Jesus. Take the list you have made, declare 1 John 1:9 over the list you have written down and then tear it up. The Blood of Jesus has washed you clean and God has thrown your sin into the Sea of Forgetfulness. Don’t let the devil try to make you go fishing in that sea and pull anything back up. Declare that your sin has been been washed away and forgotten and you will forget it too!

Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) – A final blast rings out as the full moon appears, which will be at sunset on September 20th. This is a call for the celebratation and feasting to begin for the next eight days. This is a time to declare God’s goodness and experience His glory. We are to thank Him for His physical provision and His spiritual provision of tabernacling within us. God wants us to “remember” how the Israelites lived in tents or temporary shelters called sukkahs and how God tabernacled with them. Make your own sukkah and spend time with Him. We are to remember His goodness, His faithfulnss, His mercy, and His love and to tell those things to our children and grandchildren. Declare that you will remember the goodness of God and celebrate His provision, His goodness and that He tabernacles within us!

This month is associated with the Tribe of Ephraim which means to be fruitful and multiply. Declare that you will be fruitful and multiply this year, as old cycles and habits end and a new year begins.

Tishrei is the month of reflected light. Just as moonlight is a reflection of the sun’s light, so we need to reflect the light of Christ to our world. This affects the environment around us, the way we process time, and the way we work. Declare that you will reflect the light of Christ to your world in the days ahead.

Tishrei is the month for arousal and awakening, as well as bitterness. We are to move through bitterness, not stay stuck in it.  Ask the Lord to reveal any bitterness that may be stuck inside of you. Declare that you will confess it, turn from it and you wil not carry it into the new year.

Tishrei is associated with the Hebrew letter, LAMED, which signifies to return to your absolute source. Declare that things that have been scattered in your life will be returned to you. Lamed also pictures a shepherd’s staff, which gently directs sheep back to their Shepherd, their absolute source.

The Jews greet each other with the New Year greeting, Shanah Tovah, which means “a good and sweet year.” Declare that your year ahead will be a good and sweet year in Him, regardless of what you see going on in the world!

Declare that His glory will shine upon your path and you will receive new revelation for the year ahead as you celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles! Shanah Tovah everyone!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Tishrie, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Elul

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Elul – 5781

(Declarations for the Month of Elul are in bold and underlined.)

We are now in the sixth month since the head of the months that began with Nisan, and next month, in the month of Tishre, we begin a new year, 5782. Elul is a month of transition as we are preparing to transition into the fall feasts and begin a new year.

We are going to look at seven different characteristics regarding the month of Elul.

The theme for this month is Song of Solomon 6:3 – I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine!

In Hebrew, the first letter of each word in that phrase spells out the word ELUL.

God wants to meet with us in a special way this month. He wants us to experience a new level of intimacy with Him. So we need to spend time with Him and allow Him to draw us into that new level of intimacy.

This is the month that “the King is in the field.”

Let me give you the background to this phrase. We need to understand that in Biblical times a King lived in a palace, protected by armed guards and big walls and iron gates. If you wanted to meet with the King you had to make an appointment, learn proper protocol to meet the King, you had to dress correctly, and you went through layers of security before you entered the throne room. It was very intimidating; and you had to be careful of what you said and did before the King.

But one month each year, during the busy harvest season, the king left his palace and went out among his people. He set up a royal tent in a field near the town, and anyone who wanted to see him was welcomed. An announcement was made: The King is in the field!

This is that month when the King is in the field. God is especially accessible to us during this month of Elul.  This is the time when God comes into our field – where we live, where we work, in our office, our shop, our classroom, wherever we are. He wants to meet with us in the everyday affairs of our life. Invite Him to come and expect Him to come.

There is another way that the King is in the field. He is also on the battlefield, when we are being hard pressed by the enemy. He comes with His armies of angels with deliverance, with power over the enemy, and leading us into victory.

Elul is a picture of the earthly ministry of Jesus. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Jesus left his palace in heaven, came to earth (our field) and lived in a tent of mortal flesh for 33 years. He was accessible to all, no appointments necessary. No special protocol or dress code required. Anyone could come to Him. That’s what this month is about.

This is a month where God is going to fix what is broken or start over fresh and anew.

We all have broken things in our lives – broken bodies, broken families, broken relationships, broken jobs, whatever is broken – God will tell you what is fixable and will give you the plan to do whatever is necessary to repair what was broken. If what has been broken is not fixable, He will tell you so you can let it go and start new and fresh. He knows what is best so trust Him to do what is needed.

This is the month to find your place in the company of the Lord.

Another way to describe this is finding your place in the order of the camp or in the body of Christ. We need each other. God never intended us to live a solitary life. Mistrust can keep us from connecting with the body and before long, we are totally alone.

Many times, a pattern of isolation can indicate a root of rejection and mistrust. It will leave you in the wilderness alone and then the devil can pick you off, just like a lion who watches a herd and goes after the one that lags behind or is cut off from the herd. There is safety in numbers. You will find protection when you are in your place in the corporate body. Find your place in the company of the Lord!

This is the month to run into the tower of might.

The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

We all become weary at times and feel like we can’t go on. Our strength can run out. But God’s strength is greater than ours and it never runs out. He can encompass and envelop us and give us rest. When you feel like you can’t stand under the burden you are carrying, the Lord says, “Bring it to Me.”

This is the “mother” month – a month of nurturing.

You need to know who is nurturing you, as well as who you are to nurture. It goes both ways. Ask God who He wants you to nurture so they will receive your nurturing.

Elul is related to the tribe of Gad, which means “good fortune.”

There should be an expectation of good fortune throughout the month. Rewards will begin to manifest according to what you have done.

This month:

Think reward!

Declare this is a time of reward.

Expect a reward!

 All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Av, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Av

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Av – 5781

(Declarations for the Month of Av are in bold and underlined.)

Av is the fifth month on the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew letter this month is TET. TET actually means “father.” Av is the month for the divine will of the Father to be executed. God wants us to remember that He is a good, good father who is loving, kind, and merciful and all His plans for us are good.  Sometimes God, in His love and mercy, and as a perfect father, will tear things down and start over in our life. He may allow some things to be destroyed so He can rebuild because He knows what is best.  Declare that you will submit to your loving, Heavenly Father’s plans, knowing that He always wants the best for you.

The picture for the letter TET is a womb.  The number for TET is 9 which refers to the 9 months it takes to birth a child.   What is conceived this month may not manifest for a while, but God can show us, as His prophetic people, what has been conceived and what is growing within us and in the earth realm, even before it manifests. Declare that what God wants to be birthed will come forth into fruition. That’s important for how we pray this month.

The root word of Av means “to will” or “to desire.” This month is a month of choice, as we’ve seen with the Israelites. Declare that you will bring your will and your desires into alignment with God’s will so you can walk in His perfect plans for your life.

It is during this month, on the 9^th of Av, at Kadish Barnea, that the Israelites chose to refuse to enter the Promised Land. They chose to believe the voice of unbelief over faith. That choice had huge consequences for Israel that are still in effect to this day!! When they chose to listen to the voice of unbelief, they put themselves under a curse. The 9th of Av and the days surrounding it continues to this day to bring tragedy and death to the Jews, which has made the month of Av a month of mourning and destruction. We need to see that God does not take the sin of unbelief lightly. Because of Israel’s unbelief to enter the Promise Land they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. After that generation died off God, in His mercy, gave them a second chance to enter the Promised Land. But Israel never really repented of the sin of unbelief, so every year that window of destruction opens again. The message to us is that we have a choice, as well. Take heed. Examine your life this month and observe what voice you are listening to. If you have been listening to the voice of fear and unbelief, then repent, believe God’s promises, mix your faith with His promises and move ahead! If we don’t repent of the sins of the past, Satan is free to bring a curse. This is a month to break curses in our life. Don’t allow any curse to continue. Jesus broke every curse when He hung on the cross. (Galatians 3:13) Declare that you will choose to listen to the voice of faith and possess the promised land He has for you. Declare that you will break any curses operating in your life through the power of Jesus Name and His blood.

One of the characteristics of this month is that we either metamorphose or we disintegrate. Metamorphose is what happens to the caterpillar, that transforms into a butterfly. It changes completely in form or nature. Ask God where He wants to bring changes in your life and declare that you will metamorphose into His plan for you.

This month is associated with our hearing. Last month was associated with our vision and guarding our eyes. This month it’s about what we hear. We need to listen to our Father’s voice and listen for key impressions. Pay attention to what you hear! Declare that as God gives you instruction and guidance, your ears will be open and in tune with Him.

This month is also about considering what you hear and determining a new level of discernment. It’s a month to hear and understand. If you decide to oppose counsel and advice, then it will also be a month when the consequences begin. There are many voices bidding for our attention, but God is not the author of confusion. So, listen closely for your Father’s voice. Jesus said in John 10:27-28 that “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  We are all created with that ability to hear God and to know His voice. We will know His voice the more we spend time with Him.   Also, the devil will try to oppose us from hearing the voice of God because he knows that our faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Declare that you will rise to a new level of discernment; that you will recognize your Heavenly Father’s voice speaking through different people so you don’t oppose good counsel and advice; and that you will be on guard for the opposition of the enemy in your hearing.

This is a month where we will see sovereign happenings, where God makes decisions to do certain things based upon what we have decided at other times.  Remember the month of Nissan? We needed to be careful of negative confessions or we could have trouble the rest of the year! In the month of Iyar if we moved right, the rest of the year connects properly. The month of Sivan was a month of cause, not effect. The things we did in Sivan had an effect on the months ahead. In this month of Av, we will see some things happening based upon what we decided previously. God is always watching us, always listening, and always recording.

Av is connected with the constellation Leo (the lion). This is the month the Lion roars. It’s also a month for our roar to come forth because when the people of God roar a prophetic covering is created. Also, when the heavens are unlocked above us a sound begins to resound in the earth realm. The enemy goes about “like a roaring lion” but we do not need to fear him. God has given us power over the enemy through the Name and the Blood of Jesus. Declare that you will not walk in fear, but you will let your roar come forth and produce a prophetic covering over you.

Av is connected with the tribe of Simeon. The meaning of Simeon is to hear and be concerned. When Simeon heard about the rape of his sister, and he was very concerned over this event, but he should have responded in a different way. He had no control over his anger and his actions of revenge, so he opened the door to a curse, causing him to lose out on the blessing of his inheritance. Declare that you will operate in the fruit of the spirit of self-control and not allow your emotions to rule your actions.

God bless you in the month of Av. May you align yourself with God’s message this month and enter your promise land!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Av, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Tammuz

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Tammuz – 5781

(Key points are underlined and written in bold print to be used as prayer points or declarations.)

Tammuz is the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar. There are two key events that took place in Jewish history during this month. The first is when the Israelites made a golden calf because they got tired of waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai. They rejected the one true, living God and wanted something to worship so they made an idol.  We must remember that at times we can get tired and impatient of being in the wilderness. Our flesh cries out for comfort and security, and we want it now! Anything that we look to instead of God can be a golden calf. It can be money, food, a person, your talents and abilities, sex, good luck charms – anything other than God!  Looking to a golden calf can enslave us, cause us to walk in barrenness, live under a curse, or cause God’s presence to leave. Declare that you will be on guard, and you will not come into agreement with the development of a golden calf in your life!

The other event that took place this month was when Moses sent the 12 spies to check out the Promise Land. They reported that indeed it was a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and a fruitful land with grapes so large it took two men to carry them on a pole, but they also said there were giants in the land and that they felt like grasshoppers in their sight. The people rebelled against the Lord and refused to go in and take the land. God’s plan was for victory and possession of the land, but the people chose to believe the negative report of the ten spies. We must remember that God can help us to overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. He wants us to believe Him, to follow Him, and to obey Him. Declare that you will watch your mouth this month and confess the best the Lord has for you. Declare that you will not speak an evil report about yourself, but you will agree with God’s call and His plans for your life. Declare that you accept His plans and speak forth your destiny this month!

The Tribe of Rueben is linked with Tammuz. Rueben was the first-born son of Jacob. Rueben held a position of great privilege as the first-born. He was destined for a double portion of his father’s estate. Sadly, he forfeited his birthright by committing adultery with one of his father’s concubines. Rueben chose sex to bring him comfort and that wrong choice caused him to lose his birthright. Rueben and his descendants ended up settling east of the Jordan, outside of Canaan. Rueben did not cross over, so not only did he lose his birthright, but he rejected the promised land and settled outside of God’s promised land.

God wants us to remember and learn from these key events that took place during the month of Tammuz and from the tribe of Rueben. The way to move through this month is through worship. Press into God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. When we worship God, it puts our eyes and our focus on Him, and our spirit is open to Him! Declare that you will learn to worship Him in a greater level this month!

This is a month to guard our heart and our eyes. One definition of the word Tammuz is “hidden.” The Lord calls us to fix our eyes on the hidden things. 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” So how do we see the unseen or hidden things? The Word tells us to turn our eyes to Jesus and He will enable us to see things we could never see with our natural eyes. He removes the veil from our eyes and from the eyes of our heart. His perfect light exposes hidden things in our lives that we would never see otherwise. Declare that your eyes will be opened to see the hidden things you were never able to see before.

This month is associated with the Hebrew letter CHET, which pictures light radiating from our eyes. Declare that His light will be seen in your eyes; that you will guard that light; and that you won’t let the enemy put out that light.

The constellation for this month is Cancer. The Hebrew word for Cancer is “Sartan” which means filmstrip, so Tammuz is often referred to as “The Filmstrip Month.” Declare that you will take the time to look at your life this month, frame by frame, holding up each section of your life to the light of His Truth and allow Him to make the necessary adjustments you need to make. He can also show us where we could end up if we don’t make those adjustments so declare He will give you His help to adjust!

The picture for the constellation Cancer is a crab. This is a month to take our protective shells off, which makes us vulnerable. If we don’t take those shells off, we can become hardened and unable to enter our next level of growth. Declare that you will throw off those shells that you’ve wrapped around yourself so tightly for protection. Declare that you will allow yourself to be vulnerable to God and that you will move into your next level of growth!

Tammuz is the month of covenant rights which are connected with power and strength. Declare that you will watch who you are connected with, who you shake hands with, and who you are entering into covenant with this month!

Lastly, Tammuz means “to connect.” This is a time that God is bringing us from one place to another. He does this by taking us through a narrow place. During this month and into the following month of Av, we will be entering a three-week period known as “The Dire Straits.” It begins on the 17^th of Tammuz, which is when the Israelites formed the golden calf. It ends on the 9^th of Av, which commemorates the destruction of both the temples in Jerusalem. Declare that even though this is a narrow and difficult place in time, as your eyes and your heart are fixed on Him in worship, and you make the necessary adjustments needed in your life, you will move safely through this passage of time.

God bless you in the month of Tammuz!

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The Month of Iyar

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Iyar – 5781

(Key points are underlined and written in bold print to be used as prayer points or declarations.)

Iyar is the second month on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of transition. It connects the first month of Nissan, when the Jews left Egypt, to the third month of Sivan, when they arrived in Sinai and Torah was given. This was a time when the Jews transitioned into a new level in their relationship with God as He began to reveal His covenant secrets to them. Transition can be a difficult and scary time, but we do not need to fear. The Lord is near, and He will order our steps throughout the month.

It was during this month of Iyar that God showed His people His covenant secrets hidden in His many names.  As the Israelites encountered difficult situations in the wilderness, God revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha (I Am the Lord who heals), as Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who sees and provides), and as Jehovah Nissi (the Lord, my Banner of Victory.) When we know who God is and realize how much He loves us, we will learn the secret of running into His Name. To learn God’s covenant secrets, we need to seek Him. Press into God this month, meet with Him in the secret place, and ask Him to reveal His secrets to you so you can walk in a new level of revelation, blessing, and faith. (Daniel 2:21-22, Deuteronomy 29:29, Matthew 13:11, James 1:5.) As you face difficulties and adversity in your own life, take time to meditate upon these names of God and declare that you will see Him manifest as your Healer, your Provider, and your Banner of Victory.

This month is also known as a month of natural healing, which is different than miracles. Iyar is an acronym for “I AM God your Healer.”  God wants to permeate our body with natural healing as He reveals Himself as Jehovah Rapha this month.  The Hebrew word, “rapha,” means to completely make whole, to thoroughly mend and repair. Be careful of murmuring and complaining as Israel did, for this can open the door to sickness.

This month is associated with the letter VAV, which represents a connecting pin. If we move right this month, the rest of the year will connect properly.  The VAV links the month of redemption (Nissan) with the month of giving (Sivan). Your prosperity is linked with how you react in this month.

This month is associated with the tribe of Issachar. They were a tribe that understood the times, knowing what Israel should do, and they understood the secrets of God. They are the connecting tribe between Judah and Zebulun. We need to know how we are to connect this month so we can determine our course for the year. We must respond within certain time frames, so we can advance into the next season.  Our prosperity is linked with how we react in this month.

The constellation this month is Taurus, the bull. To the Jews, the bull is a symbol of strength. An ox is a strong animal that carries heavy burdens. The Lord is our strong Ox, our burden-bearer, and we need to cast our cares upon Him (Psalms 84:7) so we can move easier through this transitional month. As we rely upon the Lord, we will move from strength to strength.  Ask the Lord where you can improve in your faith and trust in Him, so your strength can manifest and increase.

This month is associated with our conscience which has to do with our thought processes and our emotions. If our emotions are not right, negative feelings will permeate our thought processes.  God wants to cleanse our conscience during this month. Cleansing comes by the alignment of the window of heaven with the window of our conscience.  Pay attention to any issues that the Holy Spirit puts His finger upon in your soul – your mind, will, and emotions. Do not allow a hindrance to form which would keep you out of alignment and block the Holy Spirit from blowing His revelation into you! God wants us to be in alignment for the rest of the year.

Iyar is the month to receive spiritual advice. Make sure you are listening to true prophetic voices you can trust. The enemy will try to bring in a counterfeit and corrupt us as watchman.  This is a month we need to advance during the watch. Ask God for a watching eye that looks inward and outward, for understanding of the times and seasons like the Tribe of Issachar, and for the secrets of God to be revealed to you as you get fresh revelation in the secret place with Him. 

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Iyar, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

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The Month of Nissan

First Fruits Recap of the Month of Nissan, 5781

(Key points are underlined and written in bold print to be used as prayer points or declarations.)

The month of Nissan begins at sundown on Saturday evening, March 13th, 2021. Nissan is the first month of the twelve-month cycle for the Hebraic year. The word Nissan means “the beginning of miracles.” As this new season of Spring unfolds before us, we can see the miracle of new life blossoming around us. Position yourself to allow new life to come forth and flourish in you and set the course for your future.

This month we celebrate the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. This is the month of redemption, so pray that you will walk in the full redemptive plan that God has for your life. Chuck Pierce says in A Time to Advance, “Redemption means that a price has been paid for you, which unlocks every prison door that has held you captive. Make a list of your prison doors and declare that you are opening and passing through each one.”

This is a great time to give an offering during the appointed feasts. The feasts are to be celebrated and honored, revealing who God is to every generation. These are times for us to pull aside, sit at His table, and experience more of Him.

“These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day…”—Leviticus 23:37

“You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month… I am the Lord your God.”—Leviticus 23:41, 43

This month the heavens are declaring the glory of God by pointing to the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! The constellation for this month is Aries, the ram (the Passover Lamb). Each month God puts another picture of “His story” in the heavens. The Israelites were redeemed by putting the blood of the lamb over their doorposts so the death angel would pass over them. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His blood is applied over the doorpost of our heart. We escape spiritual death and receive eternal life in Him. It’s very important that we express our heartfelt thankfulness to God for our deliverance! Take time to celebrate Passover this month and thank God for freeing you from the bondage of sin and that He continues to deliver you!

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in our spirit. This is a picture of the Hebraic letter associated with this month, called Hei. Hei is a prophetic picture of a window with the wind of God blowing down into us. We need a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to blow on us during this month that we may blossom and bear much fruit.

The Lord is also calling us to rise up and praise Him during this month associated with the tribe of Judah. We know that Judah goes first in praise and worship. We also know that Judah is associated with apostolic leadership, and Judah is a warring tribe that knows how to operate with sound. This is also the time when kings go out to war. We must use discernment and have eyes to see where the enemy could enter our borders. We must war with our worship for our covenant promises and all that God says is ours. Ask God for a sound that will break you into a new dimension of victory and wholeness.

When God led Israel out of Egyptian bondage, they put their best foot forward as they headed to the Promised Land. Consider where God is leading you in the year ahead and put your best foot forward in strength and trust in Him!

Nissan signifies the New Year of Kings. We may see many political changes take place this month. Evaluate every political structure you are aligned with. Ask God if those structures are in alignment with His ways.

Nissan is linked with those who manage economic activities and performance. Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish and pay his taxes. This is the month to learn to fish. Ask God for His strategies to handle your economic activities according to His plans and purposes.

Nissan is associated with our speech. Be very careful about making negative confessions during this month. Those negative confessions can germinate inside you and bring you trouble the rest of the year!

This is also the month to look at our lives and see how we are positioned. Ask God to help you to align correctly. Pray that you will be in proper alignment with His plans and purposes for your life.

God bless you with every good thing that He has for you in the new 12-month cycle ahead! May you step boldly into the new year with your right foot of faith and may you see many miracles upon your path! Shalom!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Nissan, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

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The Month of Adar

FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF ADAR


(Sentences in bold print are the highlights of the meaning of the month and are to be used as declarations for our lives.)

We are now in the last month of the Hebrew calendar, the month of Adar. This is a joyful month, a time to celebrate the Lord’s victory over evil. Declare that you will see victory in your life over the plans of the enemy.

This is a month to celebrate certain endings in our life. To finish something is better than starting. Declare that you will complete the tasks that God has given to you to do, and if you should find yourself at the end of one of those tasks, celebrate the end of the task. Do not look back but look forward to the new that God has for you. (Ecclesiastes 7:8a)

The word Adar means strength. We want to finish the year strong but not in our own strength. God shows us the key to our strength. It is illustrated through the Hebrew letter linked to Adar, which is KUF. One of the meanings of KUF is associated with entering joy. “…The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) God wants us to walk in the joy of the Lord so He can be our strength. True joy is not based on our circumstances but on our relationship with God through His Son. Forgiveness of our sins, salvation through Jesus Christ, eternal life, knowing Him and communing with Him should bring us great joy! When we spend time with Him and in His word, we realize that God is for us. His word manifests joy within us. We need to praise Him, focus on Him, and not our circumstances in our personal life or in the world. When we do, we are agreeing with Him and what His word says about us. This is a great weapon against the enemy! He hates it and it will cause him to flee! Declare that you will use the weapon of joy!

The other meaning of the letter KUF is to remove the masquerade. This is the month to remove any mask you have been hiding behind so you can enter into your true identity and the true joy of who you are in Him. There is an identity for each of us that is linked to the invisible world, not to the natural. This is the month to discover your identity in the spiritual realm and become who you are meant to be, just as Esther did. It is during this month that we celebrate Purim, a story of great victory and deliverance over the enemy. Read the book of Esther this month and declare that God will give you your war strategy to have victory over the plans of the enemy in your life!

The constellation for this month is Pisces, a picture of two fish. This is a month to find your supply in the hidden world, just as Peter found the coin in the fish’s mouth to pay his taxes. Dive deep into His word and He will show you His treasures and your supply. Pisces can also represent a multitude of believers, as well as represent a picture of the Jew and the Gentile, who will become one new man.

Adar is linked with the Tribe of Naphtali, which means “sweetness is to me.” It is a time to leap with joy like a doe let loose and to leap up and over the obstacles and circumstances in our life. (Habakkuk 3:9) This month is a time of celebration because our curse has been overturned and things have become sweet. This is the month to fully annihilate the plan of any “Haman” in our life. Adar is also the time to break off any wrong decrees that have been spoken over our life. Declare that ungodly decrees that have been spoken over you, from the past or present, will no longer circle around you. Declare that you will take authority over these wrong decrees, cut them off, and speak God’s words and His plans over your life.

Just as Esther and Mordecai had to face the evil plan of the enemy in the land, turn from fear and arise in courage and boldness, we are to do the same. We must stand in God’s strength and power against the anti-Christ spirit that comes against us. Declare that you will not let the giants in your life produce fear in you. Take God at His word. Believe what He says about you. You are His and you walk in His authority. The curse has been reversed. Declare that you will laugh in the enemy’s face! (Proverbs 31:25) Laughter is like medicine to our body. Laughter and joy are the characteristics for this month.

This month is about arising to your moment of destiny by responding to the voice of God. Because Esther chose to do the right thing, Haman’s plan was exposed, and she saved the lives of her people – not just for that time, but for every Jew that would come forth from that time forward. When we come into a moment of destiny, a single word spoken, or a single act can affect a generation. God has moments of destiny for all of us. He is working to position us for those moments. Declare that you will learn to hear God’s voice, respond to Him quickly, recognize His leading, develop sensitivity to His timing, and walk in patience and obedience, at any cost, even if it seems foolish. Declare that you will recognize your moments of destiny because, like Esther, you are called “for such a time as this!”

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Adar, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

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The Month of Shevat

FIRSTFRUITS RECAP FOR MONTH OF SHEVAT

How blessed we are to know what God is saying to us each month through the Hebrew calendar. As we walk through the uncertainty of the year before us, rest in the fact that God sees every month ahead and all that each month holds. He will direct our steps as we look to Him and follow what He is saying to us each month.  Psalm 1 has special significance in this month of Shevat as it gives us a picture of what we are to look like as a blessed man or woman of God.

The characteristics for this month:

The Hebrew letter for Shevat is TZADIK, which symbolizes the “righteous one.” Jehovah Tzidkenu, the Lord Who is our Righteousness, is an expression of God for this month of Shevat. In this month we will see righteousness become our foundation. Righteousness means to be in right standing with God and can only be obtained by salvation through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. When we are rooted in righteousness we will not be moved.

This month is linked to the constellation Aquarius (the water carrier). Look for those who are bringing pitchers of water to you, and offer His refreshing, living water to others, as well. The tree in Psalm 1 is a prosperous tree (or a blessed tree) because it is firmly rooted by the streams of water. It has great stability, and it will not be moved. This month the river of God touches the roots, and the roots awaken to the water of life. Pray for your roots to awaken to the water of life. Make decisions carefully this month. Check your positioning. You may have to position yourself to be watered in a new way.

This month shout “My blessings are on the way!” Let this declaration rise up within you as you see your wagons of supply arriving with water pots to quench your thirst and share that supply and living water with others!

This month is linked with the tribe of Asher, which is a picture of pleasure, happiness, delicious, and fatness. During this month beware of the delicacies of the king.  Read the book of Daniel this month and consider doing a Daniel fast.  Then ask God to show you how to eat in a new way. Doing a fast in January and then following God’s new eating plan can help set you up to digest whatever God gives us to eat for the future.  Also, eat the Word daily so your body will be healed and properly aligned. What you are tasting and meditating on in His word produces life or nourishment for your future. Make your delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on His law, day and night.

Look at your field this month and see what is planted there. Who is planted in your field? Are the trees in your field ready to bear fruit? Shevat is called the month of the new year of trees. Pray that you will be like the tree in Psalm 1, firmly planted by the riverbank, soaking up His living water into your roots, bearing good fruit in season, having leaves that do not wither, and being prosperous in whatever you do.

The meaning for this month could not be timelier with all that is going on in the world. The winds of adversity are blowing, there is much shaking, things are being uprooted, great changes are occurring quickly. Righteousness must be our foundation if we want to remain standing! God is showing us how to stand through this tumultuous time in the earth. He gave us a beautiful picture of a strong, well-watered, firmly planted tree, prosperous tree in Psalm 1. See yourself as that kind of tree. God shows us how – by reading and meditating on His Law, day and night. As you read and meditate, picture your roots going down deep into the river of God and soaking up that living water. May we flourish in Him and bless others with the fruit we bear and offer shade for the weary in these scorching times.

All information in this Firstfruits Recap for the month of Shevat, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and “His Appointed Times,” by Christine Vales.

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The Month of Tevet

First Fruits Recap on the Month of Tevet — The month of Tevel comes right in the middle of Hanukah. This month reminds us that God is a God of miracles and His light overcomes the darkness. This month begins with a reminder of His faithfulness to His people. We are to be filled with faith and celebrating the goodness of God. This is a very important month to pray with boldness into our destiny.

To understand the month of Tevet, we must understand what Hanukah is about. Hanukah was about God pouring out His mercy on His people, about the restoration of His Temple, about miracles in allowing the oil for the lamp in the temple burn for eight days, and about receiving light, which is revelation from God. God wants us to come out of Hanukah filled with faith.

Tevet is linked with the Tribe of Dan. Dan means “to rule, to judge or to execute judgement.” This is a month for us to judge, to grow up and mature. Dan represents a great tragedy, as he did not fulfill his destiny. All the tribes of Israel messed up, but they eventually fulfilled their destiny. Even though God showered Dan with blessings, and poured out His mercy upon him, Dan chose to walk a path of darkness. He did not respond to God correctly. When God pours out His blessing and mercy upon us, we have a choice in how we respond. We can respond by living for ourselves, or by giving ourselves in worship to Him. Read the story of the tribe of Dan in the Book of Judges and learn from Dan’s mistake.  Choose to respond correctly to God’s faithfulness and goodness in your life.

Tevet is the tenth month on the Hebrew calendar. The number ten represents godly authority. We are to pray for our leaders this month. The enemy will use great strategies this month to pull leaders away.  Pray for God’s protection over them and that no division or offense will arise between you and the leaders in your life.

Tevet is associated with the Hebrew letter AYIN, which is the picture of an eye. This is a month to see. It’s important to get focused this month, to let our good eye see, to war against the evil eye and break the power of evil watchers. The evil eye structure is imbedded in our culture and causes dark angels and evil structures to manipulate us and misdirect us in our future. Don’t miss times of gathering together with fellow believers where we invite angelic visitation to help guide us, protect us, and press us through the year ahead according to the revelation God has given us. AYIN is also a picture of a spring or well. Let new life spring up and flow out of you.

The constellation for this month is Capricorn (the goat). We will see the nations that are not allies of God’s covenant, known as “goat nations,” take a wrong turn. This is also a time to leap forth like a goat. Be willing to war when God calls you to war and stand for your inheritance and don’t back down Be stubborn like a goat in prayer, and step on the serpent’s head this month!

Tevet is a month of holy anger and righteous indignation. Things that are out of order begin to manifest. This can cause us to become angry, but we must not sin. Our anger can give place to the devil and hinder our promise from manifesting. Take the time to fill yourself with the Word of God to set yourself free from unbridled anger and from those sins that so easily beset us.

This is a month to be sure our blood is cleansed and purified. Fasting is a good way to do that. It will cleanse our blood physically and the time spent with God will help us to ponder our path for the new year (on the Roman calendar). May God bless your path, and may you respond to God in the way that pleases Him!

All information in this Firstfruits Recap on the month of Tevet, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance,” by Chuck D. Pierce and from the message by Dr. Robert Heidler, “Firstfruits Tevet”, December 13, 2020.

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The Month of Kislev

Chuck Pierce said on Sunday, November 15, 2020, during the worship time of the First Fruits service, “Kislev is a month to decode mysteries. There are many things we don’t know. God is with us. We must take a step to decode that thing we are very uncertain about. It’s going to take a step, balancing the knowns we know, and all of a sudden that which you were uncertain in, you will find a new solution.”

Kislev is associated with the Hebrew letter SAMEKH. We can tell the meaning of a letter by its shape. SAMEKH is a picture of a circle, ring or repeating cycle. This is the month to come full circle, to confront those things that defeated us in the past, to have a second chance at missed opportunities. God is a God of second chances. Don’t miss your opportunity this time.  Missed opportunities can come back around but so can old enemies, so be on guard.

This is a month to break out of old cycles. Many are trapped in destructive cycles, but God wants to set us free.

God also wants us to come full circle in our trust and confidence in Him. Trust Him with those things that you don’t know or understand yet. He will help you to find the right solutions and answers you need.

Kislev is associated with the constellation Sagittarius (the archer).  It is a month to shoot straight and move quickly. Like an archer, there may be times we need to cut our losses and move on! This month is a time to fight against empires and cultures. It is also a month to develop our war strategies and to have a prophetic revelation for war.

During the month of Kislev, the days become shorter and the darkness is longer. Because it is a month of physical darkness, the Jews say it is a month of dreams and night visions. Kislev is a month to be aware of your dreams. If God speaks to you in a dream this month, pay attention to what God is saying to you!

This is also a month to look at your sleeping patterns. Are certain thoughts or past events resurfacing in your sleep and causing you to lose sleep? Deal with those issues that God brings up during the night. You need your sleep to be healthy!

During this month of darkness, we celebrate Chanukah – the Feast of Lights. Chanukah is a feast for the Jews and Christians, as well. This feast is mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus gave a special Chanukah message – our God is a God of miracles! This is a time to declare that Jesus is the light of the world and a month to let your light shine!

The Jews consider Kislev a month of the womb. This is the month that the Holy Spirit moved on Mary’s womb and Jesus was conceived. It is a month for the river of God to flow from your innermost being. 

This month is also associated with the tribe of Benjamin. This tribe was the gifted in the art of the bow. They could shoot skillfully with either hand and not miss.

Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son. Rachel, Benjamin’s mother, died in childbirth. She named her son Benoni (son of my pain) but Jacob renamed him Benjamin (son of my right hand).  After Jacob thought he lost his favored son, Joseph, he put all his attention and fears on Benjamin. He was very fearful of losing him, so he overprotected him. This kept Benjamin from coming into his destiny. Eventually he did overcome and enter his destiny. God gave him a second chance so he could overcome those things that defeated him in the past. Many times, we wonder why God did not shelter us from very difficult circumstances or battles. He has a purpose for those difficulties, and He wants us to gain strength to overcome and be victorious.

Sometimes we can get branded with an identity God did not choose for us. This is a month to come into your new identity. If you have been held captive by fear, God wants to set you free this month. Ask God to show you any habit or patterns that are holding you in that old identity. Clear your conscience and receive your new identity.

In this decade of Pey, it is important to guard the words of your mouth. That is key for coming into your new identity. This is a time of confession and decree. What you say now will determine your future! Our confession for the month of Benjamin: God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7.

When you feel the attack of the enemy coming, or you feel that cloak of fear, you say, “No Satan! God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” Then you are resisting the devil and he will flee from you. You will sense that fear moving away. Ask God to bring you into your true identity this month and God will give you courage and peace.

Chuck Pierce showed a video clip at the end of the First Fruits service on November 15, 2020 of the garden at Glory of Zion and how it grew and prospered over the past year. Chuck said that in the word our heart and mind is equated to the land. The garden is a good example of what God wants to do with our heart and mind in coming full circle this month. Chuck ended with this prophetic word: “God says I am bringing a divine transference this month. I am calling that Benjamin nature of yours into Judah. As you praise, as you worship, as you extend your hand, that best of you will shift and cause your land to prosper.”

All information in this First Fruits Recap on the month of Kislev, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce and from the message by Dr. Robert Heidler, “The Month of Kislev – The Month to Discover Our True Identity.” (November 20, 2020)

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The Month of Cheshvan

We are now in the eighth month on the Hebrew calendar. The number eight signifies eternal revelation, new birth, and new beginnings.

This month is associated with the Hebrew letter NUN, which symbolizes the Messiah, so this month is called the month of Messiah. Pray for the Jewish people this month to come to know Jesus as their Messiah. Cheshvan is the only month with no holidays; therefore, the Jews believe that this is the month that is reserved by Messiah for the dedication of the third temple.

The constellation Scorpio (the scorpion) is linked with this month. Both scorpions and snakes are linked with Cheshvan. The Word tells us that we have been given authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, so it is a key this month to stand in the authority Jesus has given us through His Name and His Word.

This is the month to smell the fragrance of God and the month when the fragrance of God begins to flow out of us so a move of the Holy Spirit can begin. Pray for the fragrance of God to permeate your entire being – body, soul, and spirit, so God can sanctify you in every area. Our spirit is sanctified when we receive Christ but our body and soul need a progressive work of sanctification throughout our lives.

Watch the words that come out of your mouth this month, as well as what words you receive! Wrong and hurtful words can go into our inward parts and manifest as stomach problems or other physical ailments. We must war with words this month! Do not speak wrong words and do not receive wrong words! Push out any hurtful words that were spoken over you! Do not agree with them and do not let them take root in your life!

The Great Flood began in the month of Cheshvan and ended a year and 10 days later in the month of Cheshvan. The flood was a sign of judgement, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The first thing Noah did after getting off the ark was bring a sacrifice to God. God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice and God said He would never again destroy the earth and all mankind with a flood. The sign of His covenant promise was the rainbow and it was revealed during this month! We must never forget that God is the Creator of the rainbow and its true meaning is a sign of His covenant with us!

Cheshvan is a month that God pulls us aside to bring a new anointing out of us. We must cry out for the anointing to get pressed out of us. As we deal with our trials and difficulties through His anointing, Christ will be seen in us. Put your heel on the head of the enemy and cut off his plans. If we are flowing in revelation and anointing, we will be conformed more and more into His image!

The tribe of Manasseh is associated with Cheshvan. Robert Heidler shared in his message this past Sunday that Cheshvan is a month to remember the reality of judgement, but also a month to turn to God and receive grace. It’s a month to forget the pain of the past as Joseph did when Manasseh was born, to be restored to God, and to go through the door to your future. It’s a month to receive God’s covenant promise. (Jeremiah 29:11) Even when you see judgement at work in the world, know that God has grace for those who turn to Him! So turn to Him this month! Set your heart to seek God! Receive grace for your new beginning this month!

All information in this First Fruits Recap on the month of Tisrei, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Tishrei

We are now in the month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. All sevens are special to God and dedicated to Him. This month contains several appointed times with God which are called the Fall Feasts. God has given us these appointments as a time to return to Him and to prepare us to walk in His plans for the new year. The Fall Feasts are an appointed time to awaken, to allow God to search our hearts, to cleanse us, and to draw us into fellowship with Him and experience His glory as we begin the new year.

At sundown on September 18^th we began four different appointed times at once. We began the new year 5781 which is celebrated as Rosh Hashanah, the head of the year; we began the new month of Tishrei; we began the first of the Fall Feasts which is the Feast of Trumpets; and we began the Ten Days of Awe (Repentance) which continues until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated with the blast of the shofar. It signals a time to awaken. God is calling us out of our slumber, our apathy, our indifference, and our fear. Shofars are not melodic instruments. Their sound is meant to pierce our soul! Shofars are used to awaken us, to declare war, to announce the new moon, and as a shout of victory over sin and death. The shofar is blown at different times throughout the year. The Jews blow the shofar every day during the month of Elul, the month that precedes Tishrei. They conclude with a blast of the shofar on the first of Tishrei, the Feast of Trumpets, as a call to awaken. It is sometimes called the “last trump.”  Jewish tradition states that the creation of the world was on the first day of Tishrei, so the Jews also celebrate the birthday of the world on this day!

On Rosh Hashana we begin the Ten Days of Awe (Repentance). These ten days end on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. The Ten Days of Awe are meant as a time of introspection. For the believer it is a time to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal any unconfessed sin in our heart. This is a time to spend with God, to listen for His voice, and allow Him to show us any area in our heart that needs to be cleansed. Write down anything He reveals to you during this time.

The next part of the Fall Feasts is the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. This is a solemn day of fasting, a time to confess our sin before God, and to be restored by His atonement. Pull out that list of things that God showed you during the Ten Days of Awe and confess every sin and put it under the blood of Jesus. Then tear up that list and destroy it after you have confessed your sin before Him. Thank Him that His blood has cleansed you and made you white as snow. Take time for communion to remember the great sacrifice that Jesus paid for our sin. This is considered the holiest day of the year by the Jews. The Day of Atonement is to end with a trumpet blast and is sometimes referred to as the “great trump.”

The last part of the Fall Feasts is Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Booths, Feast of Ingathering, or simply “The Feast.” It always begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of Tishrei. It begins five days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 15 days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Feast of Tabernacles is a time of feasting, and a time to tabernacle with God. After being awakened and allowing the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, we have confessed our sin and put it all under the blood of Jesus. We are now ready to enter boldly into God’s presence and spend time with Him.

This is the time we remember how the Israelites lived in tents or sukkahs in the wilderness and how God tabernacled with them in the middle of the camp. He wants to come and tabernacle with us and He wants us to experience His presence and His glory. We are to remember His goodness and to talk of the many great things He has done as we feast with one another. Take time to get together with friends and family, have a meal together, talk about the goodness of the Lord, and expect His glory to show up.

Some general characteristics of this month:

This is the month to touch. Remember the woman who pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment (Mathew 9). Press in and touch Him, feel His presence, and allow His healing power to flow into you.

This month is linked with arousal and awakening, as we saw with the blast of the shofar that begins the Feast of Trumpets, but this month is also linked with bitterness. Ask God to help you to be awakened to any bitterness in your heart. You do not want to carry bitterness into the new year. Confess it before the Lord and get rid of it!

Tishrei is associated with the constellation of Libra (the scales). Libra signifies the deeds of man being weighed and judgement being released. With all the corruption in our government, we need to cry out to God to weigh the deeds of man and to release judgement where it is due. God is a just judge! Cry out to Him for a righteous justice system, especially during this month. The heavens declare the glory of God as the sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. We need to pull down the Word of God above us and see it manifest in our midst.

Tishrei is associated with the Hebrew letter LAMED which signifies returning to our absolute source. Decree this month that things that have been scattered will return to you! This can encompass many areas of our life. Ask Holy Spirit to show you what has been scattered in your life and call it back, in Jesus Name!

This month is associated with the Tribe of Ephraim which means “Be fruitful and multiply.” Ephraim was the second son of Joseph. Ephraim went before the firstborn Manasseh. Declare that you will be fruitful and multiply this year and remember that God can bring you into an unexpected place to receive a blessing.

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I want to add something extra to the notes this month in relation to Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement.

The year 5780 has been an unprecedented year. It’s been shocking to see the events that have unfolded before us each day and we’ve been hearing from the prophets that the fall is going to become even more difficult. God is visiting us in judgement by bringing calamities to warn us to turn back to Him. He is actually bringing us hope that if we turn from our sin and call out to Him, He will bring healing and revival to our land. When a doctor tells a patient that he is dying from a disease, he tells the patient that if he will follow his protocol to get well, he will have a good prognosis. God is telling His people the protocol to see healing in our land. The protocol is II Chronicles 7:14. This verse says that “IF my people will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and TURN from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, I will FORGIVE their sin, and HEAL their land.”

We are standing at a crossroads in America. We have a window of time for America to turn back to God. America is following in the footsteps of ancient Israel before judgement fell upon them. God gave them warning after warning, but they did not heed the warnings. Judgement fell and they were taken into captivity.

We need to take this appointed time of the Ten Days of Awe (Repentance) and the Day of Atonement during the Fall Feasts and not only repent for our own personal sin but repent for the sins of our nation. We need to cry out to God for His mercy upon our nation.

Beginning Friday, 9/18/20, until Monday, 9/28/20, there is a call for a national movement to turn our hearts toward God and call out for revival in this land. On Saturday, 9/26/20, there will be a rally on the Washington Mall as people from around the country come to meet in a solemn assembly and fast and pray for our nation. Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jew, is organizing the rally called The Return. He is the one that wrote the book called The Harbinger. He recently published his second book called Harbinger II. It tells of more harbingers (or signs) that have happened since 2001. These harbingers show that we are following in the same path as ancient Israel.

After 9/11, we were brought to our knees as a nation, but instead of staying on our knees and calling out to God, we joined together and said, “We are strong, we will rebuild, we can overcome our enemies.” We, as a nation, did not repent and turn from our wicked ways. We did not acknowledge God as the only one who can bring healing to our land. We looked to our own strength.

I implore you to participate in this event of The Return in whatever way you can – by going there, by hosting a group at your home, by hosting a Zoom group, or by participating by yourself at home.  This is a time to lay down our divisions, come together as the body of Christ, flow together in unity, and seek the face of God to bring revival to the church, and healing to our land.

If you want more information on The Return, please go to www.TheReturnWebsite.org. God bless you all! Shanah Tova!

All information in this First Fruits Recap on the month of Tisrei, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce.

Archive of Previous Month’s Teachings

The Month of Elul

The Month of Elul – Elul is the sixth month in the Hebraic calendar. Elul is a month of transition. We are preparing to transition into the fall feasts and begin a new year next month, in the month of Tishrei.

Listed below are seven characteristics regarding the month of Elul.

1. Song of Solomon 6:3 – I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine!
In Hebrew, the first letter of each word in Song of Solomon 6:3 spells out the name of this month: ELUL. This is the theme for this month. God wants us to experience a new level of intimacy with Him. Spending time with Him, with all other distractions put aside, is key to being drawn into that new level of intimacy.

2. The month that “the King is in the field.”
In Biblical times a king lived in a palace protected by armed guards, big walls, and iron gates. If you wanted to meet with the King you had to make an appointment, learn proper protocol to meet him, dress correctly, and go through layers of security before you entered the throne room. It was a very intimidating experience.

But one month each year the king left his palace and went out among his people. He set up a royal tent in a field near the town, and anyone who wanted to see him was welcomed. An announcement was made: “The King is in the field!”

This is that month when our King is in the field! God is especially accessible to us during this month of Elul.

This is the time when God comes into our field – where we live, where we work, wherever we are in our everyday affairs. He wants to meet with us in that place.
Elul is a picture of the earthly ministry of Jesus. John 1:14 says The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus left his palace in heaven, came to earth (our field), and lived in a tent of mortal flesh for 33 years. He was accessible to all; no appointments necessary; no special protocol; no dress code required; no layers of security to meet with Him. That’s what this month is about. Expect to meet with God in your field this month.

3. A month to fix what is broken.
We all have broken things in our lives – broken bodies, broken families, broken relationships, broken jobs, etc. God will tell you what is fixable, and He will give you the plan to repair what is broken. If something is not fixable, He will tell you so you can let go and start new and fresh.

4. The month to find your place in the company of the Lord.
Another way to describe this is finding your place in the order of the camp or in the body of Christ. We need each other. God never intended us to live a solitary life. Mistrust can keep us from connecting with the body and before long, we are totally alone. Many times, a pattern of isolation can indicate a root of rejection and mistrust. Just as a lion watches a herd and goes after the one that is cut off from the herd, isolation will leave you in the wilderness alone where hell can pick you off! If you are in your place in the corporate body, the enemy will find it difficult to pick you off. There is safety in numbers. Find your place in the company of the Lord!

5. The month to run into the tower of might.
We all become weary at times and feel like we can’t go on. Our strength can run dry. But God’s strength is endless and so much greater than ours. He can encompass and envelop us and give us rest, causing our strength to multiply and abound. When you feel like you can’t stand under the burden you are carrying, the Lord says, “Bring it up under Me.”
Proverbs 18:10 says “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives power to the faint and weary and to him who has no might He increases strength, causing it to multiply and making it to abound.”

6. This is the “mother” month – a month of nurturing.
You need to know who is nurturing you, as well as who has been put under your care to nurture. Make sure God is directing you in who you should nurture.
Ephesians 4:11 – And He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the works of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
John and Sheryl operate in the office of apostle, prophet, and teachers. Their job is to equip the saints. Equipping includes nurturing and tweaking. If they come to you to tweak the gift in you, receive it as nurturing, and allow the Holy Spirit to perfect that gift in you.

7. Elul is related to the month of Gad, which means “good fortune.”
There should be an expectation of good fortune throughout this month. Rewards will begin to manifest according to what you have done. This month we need to: Think reward! We need to declare this is a time of reward! We need to expect reward!

All information in this First Fruits Recap on the month of Elul, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce.

First Fruits Recap – The Month of Av

The Hebrew month of Av is the fifth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar. The name Av means “father.” This is a month for the divine will of the Father to be executed.

The month of Av is about going through a narrow place. The Jews call it the eye of the needle month. If you press through and make it through, you will come into a place of fullness and blessing. This is the month we metamorphose to get through that narrow place or we disintegrate.

Constellation: Leo (the lion) – This is the month when the people of God roar and a prophetic covering is created, what is above us is unlocked, and a sound begins to resound in the earth realm. (Amos 3)

Alphabet: TET – resembles a womb. Certain things will be conceived this month. The secret of pregnancy moves into the earth realm. Just like a woman can hide a pregnancy for a certain amount of time but then she begins to show, you will see this process in the earth realm, as well. This month the earth begins to contract, so we must watch where earthquakes are occurring.

This is a month where the Kingdom advances through partnership. Be very aware of who you partner with this month and watch your alignments.

This month is associated with the Tribe of Simeon. Simeon messed up, but there is redemptive power for Simeon. This is a month to hear and to be concerned.

This is a month where God may destroy some things so He can rebuild. If God allows something in your life to be destroyed, let it go, and receive the new that He wants to build.

In this month you are developing a new level of discernment or you are opposing counsel or advice. Allow God to work with you and do not resist His leading like a horse or mule that has to be harnessed.

Av is a month when we must listen carefully, as we will hear key impressions this month. Ask God to help you to hear and understand. If you have received a word and you decide not to heed that word, this is the month where your consequences begin.

The month of Av is traditionally regarded as the most tragic in the Jewish calendar. The 9^th of Av was the day the people of Israel chose to receive the negative report of the 10 spies and refused to enter the Promised Land.  They chose to listen to the voice of unbelief! They refused to mix the promise with faith.

God originally intended that Israel would enter the Promised Land during the month of Av and it would be a month to celebrate His goodness and the fulfillment of His promise to His people. Their choice of unbelief put them under a curse and turned the month of Av into a month of mourning and destruction.

If you study the history of the Jews, you discover that the Jews are caught in a cycle of destruction. Every year, on the 9^th of Av, a window of destruction opens over them. Listed below are some of the events that have taken place throughout history on that date:

• Av 9 – 587 BC – the armies of Babylon destroyed Solomon’s Temple.
• Av 9 – AD 70 – The Romans destroyed the 2^nd temple.
• Av 9 – AD 135 – the final defeat of Jews by Rome.
• Av 9 – AD 1095 – The 1^st Crusade is launched, which killed thousands of Jews.
• Av 9 – AD 1290 – The Jews are expelled from England.
• Av 9 – AD 1492 – The Jews are expelled from Spain.
• Av 9 – AD 1942 – The Jews were deported from the Warsaw ghetto to the death camps.
• Av 9 – AD 2005 – The expulsion of the Jews from Gaza began.

When we don’t repent of the sins of the past, Satan has an open door to bring the curse of that sin back around on us. If we have truly repented, we won’t repeat that sin again.

Israel did not repent because they repeated the sin of Kadesh Barnea once again when Jesus came. They heard Him preach, and saw Him perform miracles, but they still turned back in unbelief and refused to receive the promise of the Messiah. But the Bible tells us that one day Israel will turn and believe in Jesus as Messiah and when that happens, the 9^th of Av curse will finally be broken.

God still wants to pour out His blessings and have His children celebrate His goodness during the month of Av. We are given a choice this month – to listen to the voice of faith or the voice of unbelief. We can choose to believe God’s promises, mix the promises with our faith, and enter His blessings, or we can choose to not believe and receive a curse! God does not want us to live under a curse. Choose to believe what He says and receive His blessings!

(All information in this First Fruits Recap, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce, as well as excerpts from Robert Heidler’s messages on the Month of Av.)

First Fruits Recap – The Month of Tamuz

The month of Tamuz is the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar. Every month has a new prophetic meaning to move us forward into God’s plan. Knowing the meaning of the month helps us to stay in God’s timing, in alignment with the Holy Spirit, and avoid the snares of the enemy.

Tamuz is associated with the alphabet CHET, which means light radiating from your eyes. This is the month that Moses received the Torah on Mt. Sinai and his face glowed with the glory of God. God wants us to draw close to Him, so we receive His glory and shine for Him. Be on guard – the prince of darkness will try to extinguish the light and the glory from shining forth from our eyes.

Tamuz is associated with the Constellation of Cancer, the crab. This is a month to remove any shell off ourselves, allowing us to be vulnerable to the Lord. If we don’t take the shell off, we become hardened and we cannot enter into the next level of growth. Growth requires that we are soft and pliable in God’s hands.

This month is associated with the Tribe of Rueben. Rueben was the first-born but he lost his inheritance, and his descendants followed in his footsteps. He never crossed over and he settled east of the Jordan. Ask God to help you guard your heart and your eyes so you don’t get thrown off course like Rueben did.
(Duet. 11:26, 30:15-19) Determine now that you are crossing over!

This month has been called the filmstrip month because we need to review our life, look at our progression, and see where we need to make changes. Stop and make necessary adjustments to stay in line with God’s plan and look ahead.

This is the month when Israel developed a golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments. Be careful that you don’t agree with the development of a golden calf. Anything we look to other than God can be a golden calf such as another person, money, power, positions, a job, talents, abilities, material possessions, good luck charms, food, alcohol, drugs, etc. We look only to God and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The way to move through this month is through worship. When Moses discovered the golden calf, he broke the first set of tablets on the 17^th of Tamuz. This begins a three-week period ending on the 9^th of Av on which the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.

The month of Tamuz is also when Moses sent out the spies into the Promised Land. They returned on the eve of the 9^th of Av. Ten of the twelve spies gave a negative report about the Promised Land. They did not believe they could take the land. They were afraid of its inhabitants and they had no faith in God’s promise, His help, or His might. Since that day, the 9^th of Av and the days surrounding it have been disastrous and deadly times for the people of Israel. The Israelites call it a cursed period of time – all because of their unbelief of God’s promise. May we learn from their mistakes and believe what God has said in His Word and when He speaks to our hearts.

Tamuz is a month of covenant rights which are linked with power and strength. Covenant alignment becomes very important. Notice all your handshakes this month and who you are entering into covenant with.

Watch your mouth and confess the best the Lord has for you. Agree with His plan for your life. Accept your call from God and speak forth your destiny this month. Like who you are in the Lord. Be careful not to speak an evil report over yourself this month.  Declare that you are going to be all that God has created you to be and do! Rejoice and speak positively over God’s plan for your life! It’s a good plan!

 All information in this First Fruits Recap, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce.

First Fruits Recap for the Month of Sivan:

Sivan is the third of the 12 months in the Jewish calendar. It is the month in which we celebrate Pentecost, also known as Shavuot. Pentecost is actually a three-fold feast that celebrates God’s provision in the following areas:

• God’s physical provision – it commemorates the ingathering of the wheat harvest.
• God’s provision of revelation – the giving of the Torah, which took place at Mount Sinai at the time of Pentecost.
• The provision of the Holy Spirit – The Baptism of the Holy Spirit of the 120 in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.

The Hebrew letter associated with this month is Zayin – receiving mercy for completion. We receive supernatural mercy and grace to complete things this month. Ask Holy Spirit what He wants you to complete this month.

The tribe associated with Sivan is the Tribe of Zebulun, noted for their ability in business and the marketplace.  Sivan is the “businessperson’s month.” God wants us to do business with Him this month.

The characteristics for the month of Sivan:

This is a month of giving. It is a key factor for this month. Besides your First Fruits giving and tithe, prepare a special gift during this month. There are three aspects of giving we need to enter into: substance, time and revelation. We must learn to be a cheerful giver. Just giving because we feel we have to creates a snare or an idol. The month of Sivan is the time to review your giving process and to receive new boundaries for giving. God wants us to prosper in a new way! In today’s service at GOZ (5/24/20), Chuck prophesied “ Access that well or pool of My Spirit that will cause you to see opportunities, to see access, to see how to prosper in the days ahead.” God wants us to learn His prosperity principles this month.

This is the month to be merciful. Miriam became a leper for not aligning properly with Moses but God was merciful to her and gave her the opportunity to shift into proper alignment. This is also the month for us to review our alignment.

This is the month to connect your talk to your walk. (Proverbs 10:9). What you are decreeing must connect with what you are walking. We need to connect our mouth with our walk, refine our emotions, move into God’s purposes, and walk out His purposes.

In your physical body, this month pictures walking, and walking means “continuous, ongoing progress.” This is the month to go from one level of strength to the next. (Read Psalm 84)

This is a month of cause rather than result. There are certain months you are a catalyst and certain months that you see the results of what you have created – good or bad. The results of your actions this month may manifest later, just like the principle of sowing and reaping.

Sivan is also the wedding month, the covenant month. Song of Solomon is a great book to read during this month.

God is moving through the months. Earth and heaven are connected in a timed sequence.  What you experience one month is part of what causes you to come full circle. We are gaining wisdom as we move forward in God’s plan. We may have wasted many years, but the redemptive, restorative power of God can quickly restore what was lost. That is why the Bible says that the years the locusts have eaten can be restored. Once you get moving in God’s time, restoration accelerates. Your restoration will double, quadruple, or go seven times faster than your waste. If you wasted 21 years, you can recoup that in three years. God can restore all that is lost or wasted! In the service at GOZ today (5/24/20) Chuck prophesied “There is a curse from the past…that needs to break, it is breaking off of us right now. Past dimensions where things were robbed from you. I am putting it in the new, along with a multiplier added to it. So it will cause your new place to multiply. My people have not understood multipliers, but I am bringing a multiplying effect over losses….” God is a God of restoration and He can restore like no other!!

(All information in this First Fruits Recap, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce, as well as prophetic words that were given during the service at Glory of Zion on 5/24/20.)

Month of Iyar 5780:

This is a month of transition. We came through the month of Nissan as we celebrated Passover. We are headed to the month of Sivan where we will celebrate Pentecost. This is the month in between; it is a connecting month. The Hebrew alphabet for this month is VAV which is a picture of a connecting pin. If we move right this month, the rest of our year connects properly!

Iyar is associated with the tribe of Issachar. They were known for their anointing to know the times, the seasons, and the secrets of God. Issachar is the connecting tribe between Judah and Zebulun. Ask the Lord how you are to connect this month to gain revelation for your course during the year, as well as respond correctly to the time frames that will move you into your next season.

This month is also known as the month of Ziv which means radiance. So we see this month is linked with light, signifying revelation. God will pour out an extra blessing upon those who seek Him to know His covenant secrets. Seek the Lord to give you the revelation to know His secrets (Matthew 13:11).

This month is associated with natural healing. One of the names of God is Yahweh-Rapha, I AM the Lord your Healer (Ex. 15:26). Ask God for healing to flow into your body naturally this month. (One of the greatest natural healing methods that God has given us is fasting.) We must also pray for a guard over our mouth (Psalm 141:3), as murmuring and complaining can open the door to sickness.

This is the month to deal with issues in our soul – our mind, will, and emotions. If we ignore any issues in these areas, we will be out of alignment the rest of the year. Do not delay – deal with any issue that the Holy Spirit puts His finger upon!

The constellation for this month is Taurus, signified by the bull. The bull is a symbol of strength. We need to move from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7). In this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33), but we must keep moving by relying on the Lord. Ask the Lord to show you where you can improve so your strength will manifest and increase.

This is a month to contemplate numbers, whether they come by a dream, a vision, or divine revelation. God speaks through numbers and they carry great meaning throughout the Scriptures. Pay attention to any numbers that God shows you.

This is a month to receive spiritual advice. God gave the church the strategy of the five-fold ministry to equip the saints. If you need spiritual advice, seek out one of His ministers that operates in the gift that will help you with the advice you need.

This month let your watching eye look inward and outward as we go through this month of transition and cross over from Passover to Pentecost.

Declarations for the Month of Iyar:

1. Declare that you will move right this month so the rest of your year will connect properly.
2. Declare that God will show you how you are to connect to receive revelation for your course during the year and that you will respond correctly to the times frames that will move you into your next season.
3. Declare that God will give you the revelation to know His secrets and that He will pour out an extra blessing upon you as you press into Him.
4. Declare that your body is healing naturally this month and that God is putting a guard over your mouth, so you won’t complain and grumble and open the door to sickness.
5. Declare that the Holy Spirit will show you and help you to deal with any areas in the soulish realm of the mind, will, or emotions so that you will be in proper alignment for the rest of the year!
6. Declare that your strength will manifest and increase as you rely upon Him.
7. Declare that you will have eyes to see and revelation to understand any numbers that God is speaking to you about.
8. Declare that you will have a watchful eye to see what God is showing you upon your path in this month of transition.

(All information in this First Fruits Recap, whether a direct quote or paraphrase, has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce, as well as information from the First Fruits messages by Dr. Robert Heidler, from Glory of Zion.)

The Month of Nissan, 5780

Nissan begins at sundown on Thursday, March 26^th.  Nissan is the first month of the twelve-month cycle for the Hebraic year. This can cause confusion because we celebrate the head of the year in the fall, in the month of Tishrei.

As Chuck Pierce explains in his book, A Time to Advance:

“Originally, the Hebrew year started in the month of Tishri, but when God initiated Passover, He put Israel into a yearly cycle of redemption and commanded that Nissan now be the head of the months. … ‘This month (the month of Nissan) shall be for you the first of the months (Exodus 12:2).’

So, while the Hebrew years are still numbered from Tishrei (The first of Tishrei is Rosh HaShanna, the head of the year), the months are now numbered from Nissan. That is why the Jewish ‘New Year’ begins at the start of the seventh month.”

It becomes confusing when we try to compare the Hebraic calendar with our Roman calendar, where we see the beginning of the new year and the first month of our 12-month cycle beginning at the same time on January 1st. Passover shifted God’s calendar by making Nissan the first month in the 12-month cycle instead of Tishri. This shows us the significance of Passover and the new cycle of redemption that began with this event.

Since we’ve been grafted into God’s redemptive plan, we must learn to operate according to His calendar – in His time. We don’t have to throw out the Roman calendar, or become legalistic about the Hebraic calendar, but our ability to secure the blessing of our covenant is in the timeframe of the Hebraic calendar. Each month has a unique character and flavor because of the things that take place during that month. God has a different message for us each month. We need to know what He is saying to us so we can walk in alignment with His message and receive the blessing for that month, as well. God has a very important message for us in the month of Nissan. Not only is it a month of redemption, but also a month where we begin to see miracles, and the month that sets the course for our future.

The month of Nissan is also known as the month of Abib or the month of Aviv. The Hebraic term, Abib, is referring to the stage of growth of the grain when the seeds have reached full size. Aviv is referring to the season of Spring. Either term is referring to the month of Nissan, by making a correlation to the fullness of the grain or the season of Spring.

The Jews would wave the harvest before the Lord this month. Barley was planted in the fall and was harvested during the month of Nissan. Two sheaths were presented to the Lord as a First Fruits offering. Chuck Pierce says in A Time to Advance, “As you pray over your First Fruits giving and any other offerings during this month, wave your gift before the Lord declaring that the fullness of your harvest is being secured and that every seed you sow will prosper in new ways.”  As you give this month, declare a special blessing and return on the first of your First Fruits offerings for the new 12-month cycle.

The Hebrew letter associated with this month is Hei, signifying violent praise. Hei is a picture of the wind blowing through a lattice over a window. This gives us a prophetic picture of the wind of God blowing down into us. This was the month when the wind of God blew upon the Red Sea and opened the path for the Israelites so they could begin their journey to the Promised Land. Ask the Holy Spirit to blow on you and down into you during this month.

Nisan is linked with the constellation of Aries, the ram (lamb). This is the month that we celebrate the Passover lamb. The heavens are declaring God’s glory and His story! Every month there is a different constellation in the sky above us to remind us of another part of God’s message from Genesis to Revelation. 

Prayer Points for the Month of Nissan

• Judah goes first in the lineup of tribes. Whenever Israel marched through the wilderness, Judah was the first in the lineup. So, we see the connection to the first month of the year and the first tribe. Judah is linked with apostolic leadership. Judah was a warring tribe that knew how to operate with sound. Judah means praise. Praise becomes our weapon of war! Expect warfare this month but stand in God’s power and praise Him!
• We see a connection between Judah and the time of spring (Aviv) when the kings would go out to war. Judah was a warring tribe that is linked with praise but also warfare. We must discern what could infiltrate our boundaries and war for our covenant promises. Let praise arise and come out of you and break you into a new dimension of victory and wholeness. There is a sound in each of us that needs to be released. Let that sound be released and war with it! Declare that your path of healing and miracles is now before you.
• “This is the month of redemption, so be sure to ask God to help you enter into the full redemptive plan for your life. Redemption means that a price has been paid for you, which unlocks every prison door that has held you captive. Make a list of your prison doors and declare that you are opening and passing through each one.”
• “Nissan is associated with our speech: the ability to express our deepest feelings and insights. If you are making negative confessions during Nissan, you will have trouble the rest of the year!.” Celebrate Passover this month! Thank God for bringing you out of the bondage of sin and for His deliverance and many blessings. Watch what comes out of your mouth this month!
• “Nissan is a time to put your best foot forward, just as Israel did when they walked out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. Step forth in strength and consider where the Lord is leading you in the coming year.”
• “Biblically, Nissan signifies the ‘New Year of Kings.’ This month is when many political changes will take place. This is a great time to evaluate every political structure or organization with which you are aligned or involved.” *(Make note of any political affiliation with abortion. God hates the shedding of innocent blood!)
• “Nissan is the controller month. A controller in the business world is the chief accounting officer who has the authority to guide or manage economic activities and performance.” Ask God for revelation in obtaining the financial supply you need to meet your financial obligations. And remember that praise becomes our weapon of war as we contend for the unlocking and transference of wealth.
• Evaluate your life and make sure you are positioned and aligned correctly. When everything was aligned in Israel, it created a place where the glory of God could dwell in their midst. Set things in order for the coming season. Ask God to give you strategies to align correctly. God is speaking to His church about alignment because of the harvest. We must be aligned with His leaders, His people, His timing and His glory.

God bless each one of you in this month of Nissan, the head of the months, and may you fully cross over into this new season of inheritance and enter your place of fulfillment!

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All information in this First Fruits Recap, whether a direct quote or paraphrase,  has been taken from the book, “A Time to Advance” by Chuck D. Pierce, as well as information from the First Fruits message by Robert Heidler, from Glory of Zion.