B7D Facilitator's Guide

Shalom Aleichem!

Since embarking on our journey to understand the Bible through the 7 Days of Creation (B7D) five years ago, we have endeavoured to share this message in a manner that is as simple and transparent as possible. We have published our full research materials and presented this message in as many ways as possible here - from presentation slides and YouTube videos to blogs and an e-Book - so as to reach out to as many people as possible. Our purpose is for everyone - from Bible scholars to lay believers - to follow the example of the Bereans (Acts 17:11) and examine the Scriptures for themselves with the help of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27) to see if what we have said here is true.

Now, we are pleased to share an additional resource - the B7D Facilitator's Guide. This guide is meant for use in a group study setting by the leader/facilitator as the group goes through the e-Book or Fifty-Session Overview (both in YouTube and blog formats). It is structured into twelve sessions so that an experienced facilitator can go through the B7D materials in as short as three months on a weekly basis.

We pray that you will be blessed by all that is shared here and do let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement.

Annual Introduction - AM 5981 (6 September 2021 - 25 September 2022)

Shalom Aleichem and welcome to the Issachar B7D Fellowship!

Jews celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah - “Day of Trumpets”) at sunset today (Monday, 6 September 2021) by blowing the Shofar (Ram’s horn) to mark the beginning of a Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah - “head of the year”). We pray for the day when Israel will celebrate this Feast recognizing Jesus as their promised Messiah who will return at the Last Trumpet.

We are another year closer to the end of the Sixth Millennium (according to the rough estimate used in my study, we are entering the year AM 5981) before Jesus returns to usher in His Millennial Sabbath Rule as symbolized by the Seventh Day of the original Creation account. We say this not to speculate on the exact date of His return, but to awaken us all to the fact that Jesus will certainly return very soon if we understand what the Bible is telling us about the times today. More importantly, the Bible also tells us what to do in times like these.

Last year, we spoke about how, as life slowly returned back to a new normal post COVID-19, mankind would soon forget this ominous sign of the end that awaited them rather than repent before the One True God. But for Christians, may the Lord open our eyes to see this pandemic as a fire drill sent by Him to bring about an awakening in us so that we start preparing ourselves and supporting one another through the coming trials and tribulations that will pave the way for Jesus’ soon return.

Although COVID-19 did not go off earlier than we thought, a new normal will emerge where we will largely go on with our day-to-day lives albeit with a few new measures such as regular vaccinations, wearing masks, social distancing, the periodic lockdowns and disruptions to travel etc. But for us believers, are we to do the same? Are our lives going to settle back to be like those around us, becoming more normal than new in this new normal? Has anything fundamentally new or different impacted us, to change the direction of our remaining days in this world? What’s the point of a fire drill if we do not believe that there will be a real fire in our lifetime?

When Wei Ling and I heeded God’s call to start this blog three years ago, we knew we would be stepping out of the mainstream, even away from among our close believing friends, to embark on a long and often lonely journey to serve as His watchmen. By His divine orchestration, in the midst of COVID-19, we were brought literally to the ends of the earth to perch on the hills of Wellington, looking eastward to await the rising Son. We do not know what lies ahead once our temporary stay here in New Zealand ends. We do not know who will hear, let alone heed, the urgent message that God has put in our hearts. But this we know from the prophet Habakkuk:

I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what he will say to me,

and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come

and will not delay.

- Habakkuk 2:1-3

Believing this, we will continue to stand, for God, for ourselves, and for you.

God bless you,

Stephen & Wei Ling Lim

Read the e-Book.

Annual Introduction - AM 5980 (18 September 2020 - 6 September 2021)

Shalom Aleichem and welcome to the Issachar B7D Fellowship!

Jews celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah - "Day of Trumpets") at sunset today (Friday, 18 September 2020) with the blowing of the Shofar (Ram's horn) to mark the beginning of a Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah - "head of the year"). We pray for that day when Israel will realise that this Feast is prophetic of Christ the Messiah’s glorious return at the Last Trumpet.

This is my second Annual Introduction since I started this annual countdown a year ago. According to the rough estimate used in my study, we are entering the year AM 5980 [NOTE: the year is AM 5781 according to the official Jewish calendar, or AM 5946 if we take into account the possibility of 165 missing years in this calendar]. But whatever the actual date, we are a year closer to the end of the Sixth Millennium before Christ returns to usher in His Millennial Sabbath Rule as symbolized by the Seventh Day of the original Creation account.

This past year was not just eventful; it was - I would dare use the word - prophetic. We are still recovering from COVID-19 which has ravaged the entire world. We experienced for ourselves the fear and anxiety, and are still feeling its impact on our day-to-day lives, from our workplaces to our churches and homes. It is unimaginable that such a minuscule virus could bring the entire world to its knees and yet, once this pandemic is over and life slowly returns back to a new normal, mankind will soon forget this ominous sign of the end that awaits them rather than kneel in repentance before the One True God.

For Christians, I pray that our Lord in His love, patience and mercy, will use this pandemic as a fire drill to bring about an awakening in us so that we start preparing ourselves for His return. Let us not take this warning call lightly as Christ's coming is nearer than we think. I had mentioned before my personal belief and deep conviction that God's final countdown started from the time of Israel’s 70th year of Independence in 2018, meaning that some of us will live to witness His return.

What the world has experienced this year is but a shadow and a foreshadowing of the immense trials and tribulations that will herald Christ’s coming. In Revelations 6:8, we are told how in the end times a fourth of the world will die by the sword, famine, plague and wild beasts of the earth. This translates to 2 billion of the world’s population today. In contrast, COVID-19 has taken a few hundred thousand lives. It will be THOUSANDS OF TIMES worse as we near the end! If we are already shaken by this pandemic, how much more will we be rocked by future events. It is therefore important that we start preparing ourselves now so that we will look forward in faith and not fear, in anticipation and not anxiety, to the Day of our Lord’s return.

Lord, as we step into a new year, shut our eyes to the deceptive return of calm and normalcy we see around us, and open our ears to Your warning call. Help us use this season to put our lives back in order, digging deep into Your Word to hear Your Rhema for us in this Kairos, what You want to tell us through this pandemic.

Harden our hearts against the lure of this world and soften it towards You so that we repent and turn to follow You in these last days whatever the sacrifice and cost. Give us Your wisdom to see the futility in striving for the things of this world. Change the taste buds of our hearts to desire Your heavenly will and kingdom alone.

Weaken the hold of sin and willfulness within us and strengthen our resolve to reach out to encourage and support our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, so that together we keep the Faith, persevere in Hope and Love the Body of Christ as a witness and light to this dark and dying world. Increase our boldness, keep us steady in Your Shalom, build us on the Rock of Christ to withstand the coming storms, and fill our lamps with the oil of Your Spirit so that we are ready and waiting when You finally return.

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from’ - Luke 13:24-25

God bless you,

Stephen & Wei Ling Lim