Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah and welcome back to the fifth part of our series on Transformation in which we are looking at upward spiritual transformation in Messiah. Last week we looked at the importance of the 'Quiet Time', time spent alone with Elohim (God) gazing at His face which is a way of saying 'turning to Messiah' and contemplating Him. And in that connection I invited you to read Section 331 of the Olive Branch received in 1991 in which we received the promise:

"...I am within you, yet ye have not learned to listen unto My voice but unto the voices of the flesh. Therefore I shall restore unto those of the Messianic Community the keys of meditation, that ye may not be deceived by the many competing voices within you but will come to discern and appreciate the Voice of He who speaketh unto you now ...There are many who speak longingly of being reunited with Me after they have laid down their flesh in death but have not understood that I am Yahweh, the Ever Present One, whom they may meet now" (OB 331:6-7,10).

Our upward transformation begins when we turn from self to Yah'shua (Jesus), and this transformation continues in relation to the time we give to gazing upon His loveliness and beauty of character. When we call upon His Name, it is that perfect character, nature and essence that we are calling upon because we want that so much in ourselves too. This gazing, comtemplating and meditation infuses us with His being which changes our own souls, making us become more like Him degree by degree, and this spills over into our words and deeds in this mortal plane of existence so that when others interact with us, they are interacting with His essence by proxy which in turns draws them to Him for an even more personal, face-to-face, and intimate revealing in their own Quiet Times.

There are, of course, many ways in which we can study Christ and contemplate His loveliness of Being, but the major way that Christians and Messianics down the ages have done so, and approved of, is in their daily Quiet Time. Over the years we have spoken of many of these qodeshim (saints, set-apart-ones) like Thomas à Kempis whose book, Imitation of Christ, this congregation went through when we were in Norway many years ago. And most of them would agree that those who miss out on a Quiet Time finish up with an unquiet time. French mathematician, physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal said that "nearly all the ills of life spring from this simple source that we are not able to sit still in a room." But the quiet time obviously offers more than sitting still in a room - in the stillness we can meet Elohim (God) Himself.

There are many promises to this effect in Scripture. We're actually commanded to do this. On one of the moedim (appointments) such as the one we observed yesterday, we read in Nehemiah chapter 8:

"So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, 'Be still, for the day is qadosh (holy, set-apart); do not be grieved'" (Neh.8:11, NKJV).

Setting aside time for communing with Yahweh is very important indeed but did you know that He has done something similar with you too? Listen to this amazing promise:

"But know that Yahweh has set apart (made qadosh, holy) for Himself him who is godly; [therefore] Yahweh will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still" (Ps.4:3-4, NKJV).

When you set-aside quiet time for Him, even if you're angry about something and it's eating you up inside, you are doing a godly thing, and He sets you apart to Him and will hear you. That is how a channel is opened to Heaven and in this case when we are upset about something provided we make the decision not to translate that anger into sinning (by, for example, accusing or blaming Yahweh, as Job refused to do). If we do, then we need to repent of that first - change direction - before we enter into our Quiet Time else all we will hear is our anger. Then, "meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still" - be quiet in your soul, in your thoughts, in your feelings, in your flesh. Put another way, become receptive which is impossible if you are angry or agitated. Ask Him to still that first.

When you do that, a transformation begins. You all know this passage which I quote a lot:

"Be still, and know that I am Elohim (God)" (Ps.46:10, NKJV).

I don't know about you, but this seems to me to be a pretty good deal. Ruth Paxton in her book, The Wealth, Walk and Welfare of the Christian, tells how, in a time of deep spiritual need, she watched the sun rise over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, and said: "The sun began to rise, flashing its glory light upon the heavens above, making them look like the divine painter's pallette; then gradually touching one point after another in the Canyon and lighting it into glorious colouring." She then explains how, through the whole day, she drank in the scene until darkness fell and then it was gone. "But not," she goes on to say, "not gone forever. It was imprisoned on my mind to remain there the rest of my life."

This is what the Quiet Time will do for you. Let me read Paslm 91 to you now - I'm using the New International Version (NIV) for this one but by all means follow with your own preferred version. Note especially the first verse:

"He who dwells in the shelter of El Elyon (the Most High) will rest in the shadow of El Shaddai (the Almighty). I will say of Yahweh, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my Elohim (God), in whom I trust.'

"Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

"If you make El Elyon (the Most High) your dwelling -- even Yahweh (our Heavenly Father), who is my refuge -- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his malakim (angels) concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"'Because he loves Me,' says Yahweh, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My Name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation (deliverance)" (Ps.91:1-16, NIV).

This is what the Quiet Time will do for you, giving you that confidence and assurance which we all need. You get up early, as the sun rises, and you take a 'time exposure' to Yahweh. It is printed indelibly upon you, fortifying you for the day ahead, giving you a right perspective and equipping you for whatever may turn up, because you will be aware - conscious - that He is with you. And when the sun sets on your day, the vision is still there - within you - and you will be able to enjoy - take pleasure in - your evening Quiet Time all the more. And as you get to better know Him, you'll want to know Him more and more, and maybe even set aside time at noon as Daniel did, until your Quiet Time completely spills over into every minute of your day while you're working, overflowing the bounds you initially set up in the morning and evening, and find yourself praying continually, as it is written in Scripture:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Elohim's (God's) will for you in Messiah Yah'shua (Christ Jesus.) Do not put out the Ruach's (Spirit's) fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May Elohim (God) Himself, the Elohim (God) of shalom (peace), sanctify you through and through. May your whole being (spirit, soul and body) be kept blameless at the coming of our Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ). The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thess.5:16-24, NIV).

I think we'll leave it at that for today. Let's have a short prayer together: "El Elyon, God Most High, give us all individually and together now the sense to see that if we are to keep our balance in an unbalanced world, and to keep our peace in an unquiet earth, then our daily Quiet Time, as well as our corporate worship in Sabbath and other commanded assemblies like this one, not become a passing whim, but life's greatest priority. As we commit - or recommit - to an investment in daily Quiet Times with You, may You answer our prayer which is our wish to know you ever more intimately and to continuously walk with you in in our wakeful hours and in our sleep, so that we may be still and balanced within. In Yah'shua's (Jesus') Name. Amen."

See you tomorrow for Rosh Chodesh. May the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) go with you!

Acknowledgments

[1] Selwyn Hughes, Every Day With Jesus: The Transformed Life (Crusade for World Revival, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, UK: 1979)
[2] The New English Bible, OUP & CUP: 1970)
[3] Thomas à Kempis, ed. Rev.William Benham, The Imitation of Christ (George Routledge & Sons, NY: 1909)