Tag: Blessings
This voyage has become an iconic story in some of the earliest annals of American History
with its story of death and of survival in the harsh New England winter environment.
It originated as a 
A Time To Give Thanks For Encouragement And Support
We wanted to take a moment to lovingly acknowledge each and every one of the faithful Followers, E-mail and Blog Subscribers, Facebook Family, Friends and Community and all WordPress Members. Each of you have helped to preach the word in season and out by your support and continued involvement. (2 Tim 4:2)
You have been instrumental in getting the Word out into the world wide web air waves.
In obedience to the Lords’s directive, one year ago this weekend, Mini Manna Moments was launched.
To those first subscribers who were the ‘Barnabas encouragers’ and to the intercessors, (and you know who you are,) thank you! Because of your loving and faithful support, we are a growing family community of believers in Jesus our Messiah.
Keep sharing the Word with the ‘ones’ in your lives, for the 99 are safe, you can’t put a price on a soul.
James 1:22. Be not a hearer only…
Thank you to all the ‘friends’, who since April this year, have formed mininmannamoments Facebook community. 
Go into all the world and preach the Gospel… Luke 24:47
To those who helped to start the page by participating in the initial and subsequent posts and for telling others and paying the blessing forward.
Reaching the lost and feeding the flock is Mini Manna Moments heart motivation.
Most importantly, thank you to Our Heavenly Father for this is ALL His doing and ALL the praise and glory go to Him alone. (And the reason why we do not use personal names anywhere on the site.) This is all about pointing us to the Words of our Father God in Jesus Name.
John 12:32 When we lift up the Name of Jesus, He will draw all men to Himself.
Is this not marvelous in our eyes? Ps 118:23
Give thanks to the Father through Jesus the Son and give Him the glory great things He has done!
May the Lord Bless you with every spiritual blessing, (Eph. 1:3) guard and keep you and keep you in His shalom -peace, where nothing is missing or broken and no good thing is withheld.
You are much appreciated and greatly loved, with grateful hearts from your family and friends at minimannamoments.
Counting Our Blessings With Omer
ספירת העומר Sefirat HaOmer
Counting the Omer
So who is Omer?
Not a ‘who’ but a ‘what’.
It’s a time in between.
God commanded the people to bring a sheaf of the harvest (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:10).
The Hebrew word for ‘sheaf’ is omer. An omer is defined as ‘a measure of dry things, containing a tenth part of an ephah.’
The definition of an omer being a tenth part of an ephah is found in Exodus (Shemot) 16:36. An ephah contains 10 omers of grain.
It is usually translated as ‘sheaf’, a bundle of stalks of grain.
An omer is a dry measure of ancient Israel, one tenth of an ephah.
The value of an Omer.
An Ephah is an ancient Hebrew unit of dry volume measure, equal to a bath or to one-tenth of a homer. It is approximately equal to 22 litres, supposed to be equal to two pecks and five quarts. (Ten ephahs make one homer.)
Strongs #6016 AHLB#2554 (g) 1358 (a) Nm
Here is a picture of an ephah container
Three times a year God commanded the people to come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot).
All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest festivals. Passover (Pesach) is the barley harvest. Pentecost (Shavuot) is the wheat harvest. Both of these festivals are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the fruit harvest.
The OMER LINKS PASSOVER TO SHAVUOT
Leviticus/Vayikra 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that ye brought the omer of the wave offering; seven Shabbatot shall be complete:
Counting The Omer refers to the forty-nine day period between the second night of Passover, (Pesach) and the holiday of Pentecost, (Shavuot). This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, the Israelites would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking God for the harvest. The word, ‘omer’, literally means ‘sheaf’ and refers to these early offerings.
While Passover/Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Pentecost/Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Israelites became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards.
Counting up to Shavuot/ Pentecost, which is also the date of receiving of the 10 commandments at Sinai and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.
Make each day count..
Teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom.
Every day counts, if we count every day! The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot provide for us an ideal time for introspection and spiritual progress. An opportunity to reflect upon our own souls and burnish our divine image, a time of inner transformation.
The great illumination of ‘instant’ freedom that was experienced on the Passover/Seder night so often seems to pass us by. Slaves yesterday, free men today, we simply haven’t the vessels to be able to absorb the great chesed – loving kindness – and enlightenment that God had blessed us with. For this we have Sefirat HaOmer – the counting of the days of the Omer, that prepares us gradually for the great re-illumination of God’s light – receiving Torah on Mount Sinai.
Forty-nine days that can change your world: The forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot, (between leaving Egypt and receiving Torah at Sinai), are days laden with challenging spiritual potential. The opportunity for growth and transformation is ours for the taking. We must count our days and make our days count!
The Waving of the Omer
Likewise, the Scriptures also reveal that the offering of the Firstfruits: ‘the Waving of the Omer’ is a picture of the resurrection of the Messiah, as well as our own future resurrection. (1Cor 15:20-23; Rom 8:23; James1:18).
During the feast of unleavened bread, barley was the crop that was being harvested, so that is what would have been brought. What was significant was that this was the very first of the crop and expresses commitment to God and thanksgiving to Him for His provision.
As they waved the omer before the Lord and began counting the days between this firstfruit offering and the next firstfruit of the 2nd harvest at Pentecost/Shavuot It became known as counting the omer.
The One Redeemed by the Passover Lamb is maturing and counting the days until her betrothal to Messiah.
A OMER IS A TENTH OF AN EPHAH Exodus 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
A SHEAF REPRESENTS a person or a group of people – Genesis 37:5; Genesis 37:7
The journey from leaving Egypt (a type of the world) consists of a time of preparation to meet with the Elohim of Israel at Mount Sinai.
COUNTING THE OMER REPRESENTS GROWING IN SPIRITUAL MATURITY – to as believers Ephesians 4:14; Ephesians 4:15
The spiritual journey consists of:
THE OMER WAS THRESHED (BEATEN) REPRESENTS HUMILITY Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 41:15
MOUNT SINAI REPRESENTS HUMILITY
THE HUMBLE WILL BE EXALTED
Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:12; Philippians 2:8; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of Elohim, that he may exalt you in due time:
THE OMER WAS PARCHED IN FIRE –
FIRE REPRESENTS JUDGMENT – Genesis 19:24; Exodus 9:23 Jeremiah 52:13, Revelation 20:10
FIRE REPRESENTS REFINEMENT AND PURIFICATION Psalm 12:6; Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3
FIRE REPRESENTS THE TRIALS OF OUR FAITH – 1 Peter 1:7, James 1:2 James 1:3, James 1:12
THE OMER WAS TOSSED IN THE WIND – OMER TOSSED TO THE WIND REPRESENTS EVERY KIND OF DOCTRINE – Ephesians 4:8; Ephesians 4:11; Ephesians 4:13; Ephesians 4:14
THE OMER WAS GROUND INTO FINE FLOUR: REPRESENTS REFINEMENT, PURIFICATION AND BEING MADE WHITE (RIGHTEOUS)- Isaiah 48:10; Daniel 12:10; Revelation 3:5
John 13:16-17 ‘And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever. The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.’
After the Children of Israel left Egypt, 49 days passed before they received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Tradition teaches that each of these days was necessary for the Children of Israel to refine themselves and be worthy of this gift. On each day they examined and corrected another of their inner traits and qualities. There were 49 in all.
These forty nine traits were comprised of seven basic attributes. Each of the seven contained all of the other seven, thus comprising forty nine.
Hebraic sources tell us that the soul of man includes these seven Basic Attributes: * Love/Kindness (Chessed) * Vigor/Discipline (Gevurah) * Beauty/Harmony/Compassion (Tiferet)* Victory/Endurance/Determination (Netzach) * Humility/Devotion (Hod) * Foundation/Bonding/Connection (Yesod) * Majesty/Dignity (Malchut)
The above are also found in the New Testament/Brit HaDasha, these same virtues were spoken about in 1 Peter and Galatians and 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5:22-26 22
The Ruach HaKodesh/The Holy Spirit will only reside in clean holy vessels. This is the time where we need to examine ourselves and prepare ourselves to be filled or refilled by the Ruach HaKodesh. A time to reflect on our relationship with Him and prepare our hearts for The Feast Of Pentecost/Shavuot.
When Yeshua told the disciples/talmidim to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. The disciples/talmidim, were waiting for the promise of the Father and preparing themselves to receive the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, they were also preparing themselves to receive the Torah in their hearts, just as the children of Israel received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. They were preparing to become vessels for the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh and to receive the power of Messiah in their lives for the purpose of being witnesses of Messiahs love to the World .
While they were waiting the disciples were not just sitting around doing nothing, they were counting the Omer, as they had done every year, examining their lives in preparation to receiving the gift of the Ruach Ha Kodesh on Shavuot that Yeshua promised them would come. This year would be the literal fulfillment of the Feast.
All of Jesus’s/Yeshua’s post resurrection appearances occurred within the days of the Omer count.
God is looking for FRUIT to abound in our lives. Galatians 5:22.
Our place, like Mary, is to be sitting At The Feet Of Our Master Jesus/Yeshua receiving His teaching.
These 7 virtues are a perfect picture of Jesus/Yeshua our Messiah and it is His desire that we be conformed to His image by the power of Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. A blessed time for us to grow more spiritual fruit in our lives and die more and more to the works of the flesh so that He will be glorified in the Life He Has given us.
Week 1 Attribute 1 Love/Ahava Kindess/Chesed abundance/
Week 2 Attribute 2 – Vigor/ (Gevurah) strength/restraint/ Discipline/boundaries
Week 3 /Attribute 3 – Beauty/Harmony/Compassion/balance/heart (Tiferet)
Week 4 /Attribute 4 – Victory/Endurance/Determination (Netzach)
Week 5 /Attribute 5 – Humility/Devotion/refining/ (Hod)
Week 6 /Attribute 6 – Foundation/Bonding/Connection/foundation (Yesod)
Week 7 /Attribute 7 – Majesty/Dignity (Malchut)
Developing some of the attributes of God in our lives, e.g. Loving kindness, Justice, Beauty and Harmony. Constancy, Splendor, Sovereignty, Foundation and Connection.
We are to count 50 days, including the Day of Firstfruits, to the day after the 7th weekly Sabbath, which is Shavuot (Pentecost) (Leviticus 23:15-16).
Notice the scriptures deal mostly with the Holy days of Yom Habikkurim, the ‘counting of the omer,’ and Shavuot.
The counting of the omer can only be understood in the context of the Biblical calendar that is lunar based.
We are given more detail as the scriptures say “begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain,” (Deuteronomy 16:9). This further illustrates the theme of the Day of Firstfruits being the day when the firstfruits of barley is reaped from the field using a sickle.
Pentecost is the Greek word for 50. In Hebrew it is Shavuot pronounced Sha-voo-ote. In (Luke 6:2 and John 5:1) it is also called the feast of weeks because of the counting.
Counting the days between them ties the two first fruits harvests together, just as Jesus ties His resurrection, as sentient and the giving of the immersion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost/ Shavuot /the feast of weeks.
In one respect, the 50th is the uncountable number. The Omer period lasts for 50 days – yet only 49 are to be counted. The counting of 49 automatically leads to the arrival of the 50th. This elevated state was reached at Sinai. It truly surpassed everything that came before it. It was on the 50th day, Shavuot, that the union between Israel and God, like a marriage, (a covenant), was solemnized.
With this act the Israelite nation supernaturally transcended worldly existence to become one with God. Israel achieved this unity when they arrived at Sinai to encamp in a unified state: like a single person with a single heart. The names of the 12 Tribes of Israel, which were engraved upon the Stones worn by the High Priest/Kohen Gadol, have a total of 50 letters, merged as one entity with their Creator. Such amazing grace!
2 other alternative ways to count the Omer are: every day read one of the 49 parables in the gospels: see
https://www.minimannamoments.com/49-parables/
or simply count each day and remember to count our blessings and name them one by one.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
(Full text of song at bottom of page.)
Yet how often do we really do that?
In today society counting blessings is often more related to the things we own, worldly possessions etc., however, Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15 that a man’s success is not measured by such. Our sophisticated society and culture has altered our thinking and reasonings and in doing so has dulled our sensitivity to how to keep a childlike quality in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Remaining simple in a childlike faith and humble in attitude is a key to total trust in Him and His ability to provide for us, instead of our puffed up declarations of, I did it my way in my own strength.
The devastating weather this spring has brought sadness, loss and suffering to many around the world, while praying for those affected by the storms, it’s comforting to remember that whatever happens, we are in His hands and that our souls/spirits ultimately belong to Him; Ecc 12:7; and that we should not neglect to: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Psalms 103:2 – and to give thanks unto the LORD; for [He is] good: because His mercy [endureth] for ever. Psalms 118:1-18 for when we go through hardships; Is 43:2 confirms He is with us. As we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own natural understanding. Prov 3:5 He will never leave us nor forsake us and He will restore those whose trust is in Him.
~
This post is part of the 4 Spring Festivals of Gods Appointed Seasons and should be read in conjunction with the previous posts all available at https://www.minimannamoments.com/ More Post links at the bottom of page.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Johnson Oatman, Jr., pub.1897
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