Aligning Vision and Adoration in Tammuz

Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the significance of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, focusing on the theme of "A Vision of Adoration." This month is a time to align our vision and attention with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, which can become a source of superhuman strength. We discussed the importance of understanding God's plans for each month and how this alignment nurtures our soul and helps us live life well. By walking in step with God, we can experience affirmation and see His plans manifest in our lives.

We explored the concept of the "blessing cycle," which includes breaking up, breaking out, crossing over, and possessing. This cycle can occur over various timeframes and is essential for understanding how God works in our lives. As we enter the summer season, we are reminded that the physical heat and light reflect a deeper spiritual revelation. This is a time of greater challenges but also greater potential and rewards.

The month of Tammuz is also known as the "month of the door" and the "holiday of the eyes," emphasizing the importance of vision and perception. We must guard our eyes and hearts, focusing on what God wants to reveal to us. This month, we are encouraged to watch our perceptions, be vigilant against idolatry, and align our actions with God's will.

We also discussed the tribe of Reuben, whose story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of letting emotions lead. Reuben's inability to control his emotions led to significant downfalls, reminding us of the importance of self-leadership and focus. The constellation of Cancer, the crab, symbolizes the need to be vulnerable with God while hardening ourselves against the enemy.

Finally, we emphasized the importance of adoration and worship as a means to navigate the challenges of this month. By increasing our adoration, we can create a protective barrier and take shortcuts through the straits, leading to God's blessings and rewards.

### Key Takeaways

1. Aligning with God's Timing: Understanding and aligning with God's plans for each month can nurture our soul and help us live in harmony with His will. This alignment brings affirmation and allows us to see God's plans manifest in our lives. By walking in step with God, we can experience a synergy that leads to transformation. [08:40]

2. The Blessing Cycle: The blessing cycle—breaking up, breaking out, crossing over, and possessing—can occur over various timeframes and is essential for understanding how God works in our lives. Recognizing this cycle helps us navigate different seasons and challenges, ultimately leading to possession and reward. [12:58]

3. Guarding Our Vision: The month of Tammuz emphasizes the importance of vision and perception. We must guard our eyes and hearts, focusing on what God wants to reveal to us. This involves watching our perceptions, being vigilant against idolatry, and aligning our actions with God's will. [27:03]

4. Self-Leadership and Focus: The story of Reuben serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of letting emotions lead. Reuben's inability to control his emotions led to significant downfalls, reminding us of the importance of self-leadership and focus. We must lead ourselves well to avoid similar pitfalls. [36:03]

5. Adoration as a Protective Barrier: Increasing our adoration and worship can create a protective barrier and help us navigate the challenges of this month. Adoration allows us to take shortcuts through the straits, leading to God's blessings and rewards. Worship and praise are powerful tools for overcoming obstacles and aligning with God's will. [45:53]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[03:41] - Introduction to Tammuz
[08:40] - Aligning with God's Timing
[10:10] - Understanding the Hebrew Months
[12:58] - The Blessing Cycle
[14:17] - Stepping Outside the Season
[15:40] - Guarding Our Vision
[17:53] - Recap of Last Month
[19:04] - Provision for Vision
[20:31] - The Energy of Summer
[22:24] - Challenges and Opportunities
[23:23] - Keeping Focus on Jesus
[24:29] - Joshua's Miracle
[25:17] - Infinite Potential in Christ
[26:01] - Practical Revelation
[27:03] - Guarding Eyes and Heart
[28:01] - Healing Negativity and Fear
[28:46] - Vigilance Against Idolatry
[29:25] - Prevalent Emotions
[30:53] - Righteousness and the Right Hand
[31:49] - The Gate of the Valley
[32:39] - Watching Our Progress
[33:24] - Covenant Alignment
[34:08] - Worship or Build a Golden Calf
[34:53] - The Tribe of Reuben
[36:03] - Self-Leadership and Focus
[37:39] - The Eyes of Our Heart
[38:27] - Look and Look Again
[39:27] - Patience Over Haste
[40:17] - The Constellation of Cancer
[42:02] - Agreement and Handshakes
[43:44] - Avoiding What-If Scenarios
[44:27] - Joshua and Caleb's Leadership
[45:09] - Surveying the Land
[45:53] - Increase of Adoration
[46:56] - Worship as Protection
[47:48] - The Litany of Praise
[49:14] - The Letter of the Month
[50:02] - Yoking with Yeshua
[50:57] - Everlasting Life
[51:47] - The Crowned Man
[52:21] - Plowing the Timeline
[53:16] - Destroyer of Time Restrictions
[54:09] - Obstacles and Pitfalls
[55:04] - Losing Focus
[55:53] - The Enemy's Tactics
[56:36] - Becoming Like Idols
[57:22] - Keeping Eyes on Jesus
[58:02] - Learning from Examples
[59:24] - Understanding the Straits
[01:00:22] - Reuben's Downfall

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide: A Vision of Adoration

#### Bible Reading
1. Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
2. Numbers 13:1-2, 17-20, 30-33 - The story of the twelve spies sent to explore Canaan.
3. Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Proverbs 4:23 say about the importance of guarding our hearts?
2. In Numbers 13, what were the instructions given to the spies before they explored Canaan?
3. How did Joshua and Caleb's report differ from the other spies' report in Numbers 13?
4. According to Isaiah 41:10, what promises does God make to those who trust in Him?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to guard our hearts and eyes, especially during the month of Tammuz, as discussed in the sermon?
2. How does the story of the twelve spies in Numbers 13 illustrate the concept of vision and perception?
3. What can we learn from Reuben's story about the consequences of letting emotions lead our decisions?
4. How does increasing our adoration and worship act as a protective barrier against challenges, according to the sermon?

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you let your emotions lead your decisions. How did it affect the outcome, and what could you have done differently?
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of aligning with God's timing. What steps can you take this month to better align your actions with God's will?
3. The concept of the "blessing cycle" was discussed in the sermon. Identify a current challenge in your life and consider which part of the blessing cycle you might be in (breaking up, breaking out, crossing over, or possessing). How can you move forward?
4. Guarding our vision and perception is crucial. Are there specific things you need to avoid or focus on to better align your vision with God's?
5. The sermon mentioned the importance of self-leadership and focus. What practical steps can you take to improve your self-leadership this month?
6. Adoration and worship were highlighted as powerful tools. How can you incorporate more adoration and worship into your daily routine to create a protective barrier against challenges?
7. Think about the giants in your life that you need to face. How can you apply the lessons from Joshua and Caleb to overcome these obstacles with faith and courage?

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning with God's Timing
Understanding and aligning with God's plans for each month can nurture our soul and help us live in harmony with His will. This alignment brings affirmation and allows us to see God's plans manifest in our lives. By walking in step with God, we can experience a synergy that leads to transformation. This month of Tammuz is a time to focus our vision and attention on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, which can become a source of superhuman strength. As we align with God's timing, we open ourselves to His guidance and blessings. [08:40]

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (ESV): "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted."

Reflection: How can you align your daily schedule and priorities with God's timing this month? What specific steps can you take to ensure you are walking in step with His plans?

Day 2: The Blessing Cycle
The blessing cycle—breaking up, breaking out, crossing over, and possessing—can occur over various timeframes and is essential for understanding how God works in our lives. Recognizing this cycle helps us navigate different seasons and challenges, ultimately leading to possession and reward. As we enter the summer season, we are reminded that the physical heat and light reflect a deeper spiritual revelation. This is a time of greater challenges but also greater potential and rewards. [12:58]

Deuteronomy 1:8 (ESV): "See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them."

Reflection: Identify a current challenge in your life. How can you see this challenge as part of God's blessing cycle, and what steps can you take to move from breaking up to possessing?

Day 3: Guarding Our Vision
The month of Tammuz emphasizes the importance of vision and perception. We must guard our eyes and hearts, focusing on what God wants to reveal to us. This involves watching our perceptions, being vigilant against idolatry, and aligning our actions with God's will. By focusing on what God wants to show us, we can avoid distractions and stay true to His path. [27:03]

Proverbs 4:25-27 (ESV): "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil."

Reflection: What are some distractions or idols in your life that are diverting your focus from God? How can you guard your vision and align your actions with His will?

Day 4: Self-Leadership and Focus
The story of Reuben serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of letting emotions lead. Reuben's inability to control his emotions led to significant downfalls, reminding us of the importance of self-leadership and focus. We must lead ourselves well to avoid similar pitfalls. By practicing self-control and focusing on God's guidance, we can navigate life's challenges more effectively. [36:03]

Proverbs 25:28 (ESV): "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where your emotions led you astray. How can you practice better self-leadership and focus on God's guidance in similar situations in the future?

Day 5: Adoration as a Protective Barrier
Increasing our adoration and worship can create a protective barrier and help us navigate the challenges of this month. Adoration allows us to take shortcuts through the straits, leading to God's blessings and rewards. Worship and praise are powerful tools for overcoming obstacles and aligning with God's will. By focusing on adoration, we can strengthen our relationship with God and find peace amidst challenges. [45:53]

Psalm 34:1-3 (ESV): "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!"

Reflection: How can you incorporate more adoration and worship into your daily routine? What specific ways can you use worship to create a protective barrier against the challenges you face?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "We create the future... when we're trying to create new we actually have to go from the future we have to go to God for that that's how we get new ideas in new ways otherwise we're just referring to something that worked in the past and sometimes he uses that right but there's a lot of times he wants to do really new things that we haven't seen before." [16:46] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Your life moves in the direction of your most dominant thoughts so keep that in mind right depending on what you're thinking about that will be the trajectory and if you're not experiencing what the Bible promises you're probably not doing the things that are you're instructed to do it's really that simple." [16:46] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We live in a world of limitations, but who we are in Christ is infinite and unboundaried. So the boundaries don't exist for us in the same way as they do for other people. So keep that in mind. We have infinite potential and access." [25:17] (14 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So it's how we see it, right? So hidden behind each challenge is the revelation and potential. So experience the challenge and expect powerful potentials. So this month, like we're getting, again, to the last part of the year cycle, and this is where the potential, it's like in some of the video games where you power up, right? So this is the time to power up and really tap into what God wants to do because the revelation is greater, the godliness is greater, and you're going to be able to come into alignment with that, and the potential is enormous." [22:24] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So the first theme this month is the vision. So it's around guarding your eyes and your heart. And this is kind of the process of, if you will. So the eyes of our heart, again, are the mindset, the thinking, it's the mercy seat here, it's based on our thoughts. And the eyes act like a camera, right? It's the lens. And we focus in on a subject, and we could be focusing in on the good news or the bad news in every situation. We focus in on what's good or bad. Once we focus in, we're creating an image, which are really the seeds that get planted in our thoughts and our mindset." [37:39] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "So we are entering into a new season this month so one of the things I like to highlight is that God always has what I call the blessing cycle so it's breaking up breaking out crossing over and possessing and this cycle can happen in a day in a week in a month in a year and maybe at varying levels too and if you think about that you'll probably see it in your own life like you had to break up with a thought you had to break out of the habit maybe you needed to you had to break out of the habit maybe you needed to you had to break out of the habit maybe you needed to just reinforce how you're going to do that new thing that's the crossing over and then you actually get the thing in your possession so that's where we are with possession." [12:58] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "So the month of Tammuz kind of a funny name I try to put up a slide each month to kind of recap last month with some of the highlights so last month was the month of Sivan and this is when they received the Israelites the Jews they received the Torah so the teaching and instructions was given in that month it was also the same month at Pentecost the Spirit was poured out so a really profound month and lastly it was all about his extravagant provisions and reminding ourselves that his provisions are always for the vision for our life like that's his goal right he wants to bless us so that through our life there's there's this new new thing happening but it's not always like for our own vision you know we might have in mind like this really amazing brand new car that cost $300,000 and that's why we're gonna get the million dollars and he might say yes and he might say or we're going to Africa I don't know it could be something like that but the the thing that we want to remind ourselves of is during this last month they left with great plunder and gold so that they could build the miracle so God had a vision for them something that was coming for them to do and the provision was to support the vision." [17:53] (81 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So the first part that we're going to talk about is the first nugget here, the breadcrumb, is the tribe of Reuben. And his name means behold a son. So again, another play on the whole son piece. As if Jesus. Isn't everything already, right? But it started in the Old Testament. It's coming forward here in these conversations, and it's all about the son. And so some things that you should know about this tribe is that Reuben had really good intentions. He was the one that was going to come back for Joseph in the well, but somehow he didn't make it back, right? So there's parts of him where he doesn't lead himself well because his emotions get in the middle of things." [34:08] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So the constellation that we're highlighting this month is the crab, which you guys all know what a crab looks like. It has a hard shell. It has very large eyes. It has large hands. So again, the righteousness, the right hand, there's a lot that has to do with the hand this month. And in the Hebrew, if you were to research just what the right hand means, there's just so much. And it's biblical. We just talked about Isaiah. And in this place for this month, it's really about becoming vulnerable with God, because when we're in those places, when things get a little challenging or hard, a lot of times we want to armor up, right? We want to put our shell on to make it through. And what he's asking us to do is take that off with him, because we know that our emotions are probably the most powerful thing that we actually have capacity for, because it's through our emotions that we create, right? We create everything through our emotions. It's the reason we do things and the reasons we don't do things. So in that place, we're going to create with him, but we have to take the armor off." [40:17] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So the last part here is, survey the land around you, and don't let the obstacles prevent you. Confess the best the Lord has for you. Agree with his call on your life. Do not speak an evil report. Okay? Think about who you are and what you are destined to accomplish. Remember, God is so focused in on the destiny that he has for you. That's what every cycle is about, because it's a blessing cycle. So we're coming into that last quarter of the full year, and your destiny is on the line every day, really. Like, will you give it up to the enemy? Will you give it up, or will you take hold of it and charge forward with it? So you're really in that place here, where you need to speak it out, right? What God has, the good things that he has for you, and no evil reports." [45:53] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?