Ron Sawka Ministries
March 1, 2023; Adar 8, 5783
www.rwsministries.com
“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, ‘Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.’ And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them” (Neh. 8:10–11).
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Ps. 37:3, emphasis added).
Be Sure to Celebrate Often and Abundantly!
We are well into the twelfth Hebrew month, Adar (Feb. 22–Mar. 22), and the theme is “celebrate.” I’ve even heard it said that one of the great hindrances to our spiritual growth is because we don’t celebrate enough. And when I say “celebrate,” I do mean celebrate the Lord and His goodness.
Celebration, of course, isn’t about us. For example, let’s say my grandkid’s birthday were today. We would celebrate it. It wouldn’t matter if I were facing some obstacles, or whether I were feeling exceptionally energetic, or even if were happy or not. I’d lay all that aside and choose joy because I’d want to celebrate my grandkid’s birthday—I’d want to honor them.
It’s exactly the same when it comes to the Lord. We lay aside our own things, and choose joy because we celebrate and honor Him. But even though celebration is for the Lord, the benefits are mostly for us. Somehow His power and strength are released.
We could make a long list of benefits just from the text above, but I really want to emphasize just one thing: God doesn’t want us to be careworn or burdened down. The people in Nehemiah’s day had heard the law and were wailing and mourning because of their failures. They were staying in a state of repentance and felt the weight of their unworthiness. The Lord commanded them to stop. Instead, they were told to rejoice. In return, they could expect the following:
1. They would receive His strength (“the joy of the Lord is your strength”).
2. They would begin to notice His goodness and grace like never before (“eat the fat”). Yes, indeed, your eyes will be opened more and more.
3. They would find themselves being filled with the Holy Spirit (“drink the sweet”).
4. They would be a blessing to people around them (“send portions to those who are in need”).
This really is amazing! Yes, this was Old Testament, but we in the New Testament age need this just as much. Often, we are too apt to see things where we have fallen short. We get into the habit of saying/thinking, “I should have done this,” or “I ought to have done that.”
That easily becomes a burden. What does God want? He really does want us to enjoy our lives. He wants us to be joyful. When we celebrate Him and His goodness, we receive His strength. Good things happen.
Thanks for praying,
Ron and Teddy
Adar—The Twelfth Hebrew Month: Entering Your True Identity
February 22–March 22, 2023
Our true identity is a precious and powerful thing. God doesn’t want it to be hidden by fear, by masks, or by sin. The more we embrace and walk in our true identity, the more we experience His blessing.
More about Adar may be found here.
Ron’s Travel Schedule
Feb. 28–Mar. 6–Lahore, Sialkot, Pakistan
Weekly Broadcast Schedule (Times are listed in Japan Time, UTC+9:00.)
Apostolic Center Training—Tuesdays, 8:30–10:00 p.m., English/Chinese, registration required.
Apostolic for Chinese—Saturday, Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m., open meeting
Apostolic for Russia—Fridays, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Prophetic Praise with Pete—Sundays–Thursdays, 10:00–10:30 p.m.
MPP—Mondays–Fridays, 6:00–6:45 a.m.
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Resources
Ron’s new book, How to Activate Prophecy and Revelation Gifts, the first title in our new “Apostolic Center Training Series,” is intended as a tool for training others in prophetic activation. It is now available for Kindle. Print copies can also be obtained from our office in Sano. Contact info@rwsministries.com for information about ordering copies, or to obtain any of the four books from the “Building Apostolic-Prophetic Foundations” series, which are also available on Kindle:
• Judah Goes First: The Power of Apostolic-Prophetic Praise
• Activated to Prophesy: The Essential Experience for This New Church Era
• Apostles and Apostolic Anointing: Raising Up the End-Times Believers
• Apostolic Centers: Wineskin for the New Era
For English or Japanese books, contact info@rwsministries.com.
For Chinese books, chinese@rwsministries.com
For more information or to connect with our ministry team, please write us at info@rwsministries.com or info@mppjapan.com.
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Japan
Japan Apostolic Fund Supporters should give directly to CTF Japan. Also, Yarn Alive donations can be given directly.