The Head of the Year

Developing Discernment Series

Sunday Sermon 9.18.20

This weekend marks the Jewish New Year and is celebrated by Rosh Hashanah. It will be ending the Hebrew year 5780 and entering into 5781. (2020 to 2021). Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year”.

This is important to understand as we are seeking to develop discernment and understand the times in which we live. What is happening around us are not simply events set in motion by human action or inaction. They are related to and in fulfillment of a great, plan and purpose.

It is vital to understand, distinguish, and yes, discern what is going on.

In previous blogs, we have spoken about having our senses awakened and being able to discern with our eyes, feelings, taste and smell.

Today, we will conclude this series by speaking about using our mouth/words in discerning.

It is no small “coincidence” that the year 5780 introduced the decade of the mouth. 2020 and 5780 began a new decade, one in which the mouth would be preeminent. (Hebrew numbers and letters have word associations, values and symbols that support these things.)

And what have we seen happening in the decade of the mouth?

• masks to muzzle the mouth
• voices silenced
• interactions prohibited
• The Word attempted to be shut up
• churches banned from meeting and singing
• gatherings forbidden

Stadium gatherings that were planned this year, all over the world, for Gospel advancing and awakening had to be cancelled.

It takes little discerning to process this as a spiritual assault. There is an evil force seeking to silence the mouth and strip it of its power. But why?

Because the mouth DOES HAVE POWER. Your words have power. The Word of God is powerful and effective. And if that power can be rendered impotent, then that evil, spiritual force believes it has won and often convinces many there is no hope.

Your mouth is powerful. Look at what the bible says about it:

• Proverbs 18:21 – the tongue has the power of life and death
• James 3:5-6 – the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts; the tongue is a fire, it sets the whole course of one’s life on fire
• Matthew 12:36 – I tell you every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment
• Matthew 12:27 – the words you say will either acquit or condemn you
• James 3:10 – blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth, surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right
• 1 Peter 3:10 – if you want to see happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies
• Matthew 4:1-11- Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations and words with The Word of God & said man does not love by bread alone, but by every word of God
• Hebrews 4:12- the word of God is living and active and sharper than a double-edge sword, piercing between joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents if the heart

There is power in the words that we speak and these are the days in which we must use and choose our words wisely! We are not to be silenced.

We must allow the Lord to put his words in our mouth. Jesus did this, the Apostles did this and the Old Testament prophets did this. They submitted their mouth (along with their mind and will) to God and His Word, asking for his words to be put in their mouth.

Read it – Jeremiah 1; Isaiah 51 & 59; Luke 21; 2 Peter 1; Paul in most of his epistles; John 1.

Even in heaven, what do we see?

“I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him…He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is The Word of God.”

Revelation 19:11-21

When it is all said and done, at the end of all our time on the earth, what will remain is The Word of God. The Word of God will triumph forever.

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

1 Peter 1:25

So what are we doing with our mouth? What are we saying?

Stop now, take a private, personal inventory of what has come from your mouth in the last couple of hours? Yes, you’ve been working at your daily duties, but in between, around, before, amid and after; what comes from your mouth? (not to mention your thoughts…)

What words have been released? Life? Death? Encouragement? Peace? Compassion?

For us Jesus followers, what Word of God has come from our mouth? Have we spoken it? Prayed it? Declared it? Stood on it? Meditated on it?

For all of us, do we know it? Do we know the Word of God? Do we spend quality time reading and or studying it?

His word in our mouth is as powerful as Genesis 1, when He created all things. His word in our mouth, at the right time, will bring victory. His word coming from our mouth and anchored to love will change not only our world but THE world.

Those of us seeking to walk in discernment must learn to apply the Word of God to every situation and speak it forth.

We are about to enter the year 5781/2021, and although we remain in the decade of the mouth, we now enter the year of the teeth – 21.

Teeth in scripture represent judgment, rebellion, sin; so there are no assurances that the year ahead will be absent what we have seen in 2020, I’m sorry.

The assurances we do have are in the power of the Word of God to stay us, anchor us, stabilize us, cover us, use us, empower us, equip us and release us to stand in victory.

Utilizing the Jewish custom of reading the Psalm that corresponds to the birthday you are turning, 5781 – chapter 81 of Psalms says,

“I am the Lord your God; who brought you out of Egypt. OPEN WIDE YOUR MOUTH AND I WILL FILL IT.”

Psalm 81:10

Be that discerning one who knows what to say, when to say it; who knows when and how to apply the Word of God to the situation and does so with the authority and the power of heaven.

Be that one who knows the will of the Father in heaven and brings it down on earth with your words.

Don’t allow your mouth to be muzzled, it is time to speak forth, release life, truth, hope and peace- all found in the Word of God. It is time to live the very things we are speaking and speak the very things we are living. It’s time to move things from our heart and head and into every corner of our lives. It’s time to make the Word of God visible in and through our lives via words.

Dust off that Bible, open up that APP, and get into the Word deeper than ever before. It is your life and victory in the days that lie ahead.

Through this coming year and beyond, you will need your senses activated and in tune with the Word of God to be able to discern effectively what is happening. I trust these studies have helped in some way.

In closing, perhaps you will want to join in the Rosh Hashanah, New Year celebration by dipping an apple in honey as a symbol of the ultra sweet year we trust God will grant us.

Shanah Tovah, have a good year.

Go with God