Jul 28, 2023
As we go through trials, there will be temptations to complain. Find out what happens when you resist complaining and yield to God's work of truth in your heart to bring the joy of heaven!
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Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, A Women World Leader’s Podcast. I’m your host Robin Kirby-Gatto.
Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God’s grace, in our lives, in our ministry, and around the world.
Today’s Title: The Concession of Grace
“Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs.” Isaiah 61:7 AMPC
Recently we’ve been going through an unexpected kitchen renovation in our apartment. This started June 26th when plumbing issues showed up in four of the apartments in our historic building, which was built in 1928. The pipes, full of rust and degraded, had holes throughout. As a result, anything that went down the drain would leak behind the walls.
Our apartment, which is on the top floor, and the three apartments under us had to have a kitchen renovation in order to put in new pipes. Management alerted us that we couldn’t use the kitchen sink, as well as needed to prepare for our kitchen being redone, so that the plumbers could remove the wall and put in new pipes. I really didn’t know what to expect since I’d not undergone anything like this before. Not only did we have to wash our dishes in the bathroom sink, but we had to purchase water to drink and cook with. Moreover, we’ve gotten takeout during the renovation with all our kitchen items being spread throughout the house, making it difficult to navigate meals.
It has already been over three weeks since work began, and they hope to be finished with everything by Monday July 24th. Although things are chaotic with workers in and out of our home, and the house a mess, we’ve felt God’s peace. Throughout this time, I’ve been flooded with unspeakable joy, and because my heart’s been so full, there’s not been room for any complaints.
I did a morning video one week into the renovation, reminded of Israel in Numbers 21, who complained in the wilderness. Because they wouldn’t stop grumbling and complaining, God sent fiery serpents to bite them. In order to be healed from the serpent’s bite, people had to look upon the pole that Moses raised with the bronze serpent, and they would live.
God brought this story to mind of Numbers 21 as He told me that He had given us joy, through the transition of our kitchen, and would bless us for having no complaints in our hearts. We felt like we were camping, having a makeshift routine, while waiting for the renovation to be finished.
About three weeks into the renovation, I contacted management to see about the possibility of getting a concession on our rent. We’re charged for water each month, and not only did we not use water in our kitchen, but we had to purchase water to drink, as well as get takeout. The manager mentioned he had put in for us to get a concession with the boss, the Friday before.
As I finished my walk one morning, he saw me and made mention that we were going to get a concession. Moreover, although we are the top apartment and the last one on which they started, for whatever reason, we’re the first one they’re finishing. All I could see in this entire process was Isaiah 61:7, about getting a double portion of honor. The personalized tag I saw three days prior to writing the podcast, was MRSHONR, for Mrs. Honor!
In my new book, in which I’m writing, “The Forbidden Fruit, the Spiritual Disease,” God has me teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of the world. In Isaiah 61:3, The Kingdom of Heaven is the garment of expressive praise, and the kingdom of the world is the cloak of heaviness. Jesus came to remove the heaviness of the world from us and bring heaven’s joy! As I keep saying, and my husband is now saying, while editing my new book, once you truly understand scripture about Jesus’ message of The Kingdom of Heaven, you cannot “unsee it.”
In Isaiah 61:7 scripture says, instead of dishonor, you will have a double portion and JOY! I’m going to bring in the Old Hebrew symbols, which form a word picture, to depict these Hebrew words in a deeper measure from this scripture. The Hebrew word for dishonor is kelimmâh pronounced kel-im-maw' meaning, “disgrace, confusion, dishonor, and shame.” [i] The Hebrew letters for dishonor are Kaph, Lamed, Mem, and Hey. Kaph is the ancient symbol of a hand that can open or close meaning, “cover and allow.” Lamed is the ancient symbol of a cattle goad, which looks like a shepherd’s staff with a prick in the curvature, and means “tongue, control, and authority.” Mem is the ancient symbol of water, and looks like a three humped “M,” meaning “chaos” in the negative and “massive and flooding.” Finally, Hey is the ancient symbol of a stickman holding its arms up, as if worshiping, and means “to reveal.” Thus, the word picture for dishonor is THE TONGUE COVERING YOU AND BRINGING CHAOS IS REVEALED. This is the voice of the stranger, which Jesus warns of in John 10:5. The stranger’s voice, is the voice of satan that is of the kingdom of the world. When the enemy attacks the heart and mind, he does so through the chaos of the world, making you feel “bad.”
As you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God adds all things unto you. (Matthew 6:33) The evidence of seeking the Kingdom of God, knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven is near, is that you have JOY! Joy in Isaiah 61:7 is the Hebrew word simchâh pronounced sim-khaw' meaning, “blithesomeness or glee, exceeding, exceedingly, gladness, joy, joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoice, and rejoicing.” [ii] The Hebrew letters that compose the word joy are Sheen, Mem, Chet, and Hey. The Hebrew symbol for Sheen is like a jagged “W” and the picture for teeth, meaning “to consume” in the positive and “devour” in the negative. The Hebrew letter Mem mentioned earlier is the symbol of water and in the positive indicates massive, as well as depict flooding. Chet is the ancient symbol of a fence or chamber and means separated and secret place. Finally, we saw Hey earlier meaning, “to reveal.” Therefore, the word picture for joy is BEING CONSUMED IN THE SECRET PLACE AS YOU ARE MASSIVELY FLOODED WITH WORSHIP THAT IS REVEALED.
God began to speak to me about the word “concession,” since the apartment management is giving us a concession on our rent. Concession means in our circumstance, “a preferential allowance or rate given by an organization.” [iii] It can also mean a commercial operation that brings refreshments. satan was cast down from heaven, as his heart was lifted in pride, bringing merchandise into heaven. (Ezekiel 28:16) The Hebrew word for merchandise comes from the root word meaning “merchant.” Merchandise is composed of the Hebrew letters Resh, Kaph, Lamed, and Hey. Resh is the ancient symbol of a man’s face and means, head, highest, and person. We saw the symbols for Kaph meaning, “cover or allow,” Lamed meaning “tongue, control, and authority,” and finally Hey meaning “reveal.” Therefore, the word picture for merchandise is THE TONGUE THAT IS ALLOWED TO CONTROL THE PERSON, IS REVEALED. This is the stranger’s voice that Jesus refers to in John 10:5. His sheep will not listen to the stranger’s voice, but only the voice of their Good Shepherd.
A concession stand at a ballgame is normally filled with fast foods, and generally has a selection of candy. I couldn’t help but see the concession stand of the enemy during people’s trials, as they allow his lie to continue to speak to their heart and mind, and they look at all things, through the lens of the kingdom of the world, which is “good or bad,” from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Moreover, I couldn’t help but think of candy at a concession stand, and how sugar makes you feel good initially with a sugar rush, and in time, causes you to crash. Furthermore, it’s the sugar in alcohol, which is ethanol, that gets a person drunk.
The concession stand of the enemy is in the kingdom of the world, for those whose eyes are not fixed on God, which causes people to be drunk with pride during the trial. Pride is revealed as complaining creeps in, making a person feel good, getting the sugar-coated message of the world. I saw clearly that those who stay focused on the world, gripe and complain in their trials, and are forever at the concession stand of the world.
Understand, this doesn’t mean you won’t experience hard times in life. Rather, in the hard times of life, you keep your eyes on God, and He brings heaven down! He lifts you into Joy, giving you a double portion of honor as your reward!
God began to show me, how the joy of the Lord on my husband and me, amid this renovation, caused us to have favor with God and man, as in Proverbs 3:3-4, as we were honored by management with a deduction from our next month’s rent. Moreover, the crazy thing is, we’re the first apartment they’re finishing, although we were the last one, they started on. What came to mind was the last shall be first.
When this all started, the tenant, who lived three flights beneath us, had been bothered and complained so much that she ended up leaving. I couldn’t help but see the power of not complaining and keeping your eyes on the things that are above. (Colossians 3:1-3)
When we’re in trials, we should be exceedingly glad, as in 1 Peter 1:6-7. It is the testing of our faith, which is being brought forth more precious than gold, to reveal Christ Jesus in us the Hope of Glory. Our faith results from keeping our eyes on God, where we’re in the overflow of God’s joy, which is our strength, seeing Heaven’s reward in our life.
Where is it in your life that you’re complaining? Keep your eyes on God and watch Him reward you with joy and give you honor!