Larry Jackson: "888 is More Than a Date"

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Two years ago on July 7, 2007, countless numbers of couples around the world exchanged marriage vows because they thought 07/07/07 would bring them "luck." Casinos enjoyed an increase in business that day, and convenience stores reported a boost in the sale of lottery tickets as people tried to capitalize on the luck they believed the day would bring. On that same day, church leaders and youth from all over the nation converged on the Tennessee Titans' stadium in Nashville to repent before God, worship, and pray for the nation from morning until night. TheCall Nashville was an uplifting and inspiring gathering centered on completion, which the number seven signifies.

The following year on August 8, 2008, the People's Republic of China made history when she opened her doors to the world for the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiads. For 16 days the world watched as thousands of athletes from several hundred nations competed in various events for the coveted gold medal. Even though the number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in the Chinese culture, compared to the frenzy 07/07/07 aroused, 08/08/08 went virtually unnoticed by the world.

On the other hand, many in the Church had a sense that God wanted to do something unrelated to the Olympics on August 8, 2008. I was one of those people. On January 1, 2008, God instructed me to have a celebration on August 8, 2008. In the months that followed, I received specific directions about what was to take place. I also became keenly aware of what was not to occur; namely, I was not to promote ministry, sell products or conduct any other activity that would detract from the overall purpose of this gathering. I knew Jesus was to be the focal point of this event.

Jesus Only!

Leading up to the conference, I oftentimes found it difficult to explain what the event was or how it would benefit people's lives. I only knew that God told me to have the meeting and to tell those who could hear to come and celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We would do so for twelve hours, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, through our praise and worship, our exaltations and prayer.

The celebration was one of the most exciting events I have experienced. Believe me when I tell you there are not many moves of God that have taken place without me being a part of them. But this was different and it was evident from the very moment we stepped foot in the building. There were many who came to me and reported that they were so grateful we had the celebration and how they had to fight to be there.

The presence and power of God through Jesus was in the room with such peace and grace that it was difficult to move from one agenda item to the next. Jesus was the focal point and everything we did pointed to Him and how we are completed in Him.

The surprise for me was the reaction and response of the young people who have been walking the spiritual fence with God. Many times as pastors we want to reach our young people, but what they want is to experience the real and, we must be honest, our church services haven't cut it for many of them.

I can tell you that a fire was ignited in the hearts of these young people that has not gone out because Jesus touched them with His love and grace. It is my belief that the upcoming celebration will be greater than last year's because there is no Olympics nor even a calendar date competing with the fact that 888 is a person and not just a date! (Click here for previous word posted on The ElijahList by Larry Jackson.)

My life has changed forever since this celebration and many people who know me have seen it. The grace of revelation has continually been a blessing from the Lord in my life, but since this meeting the heavens have opened. Father started preparing me for this change way before the celebration, however, since I was so focused on getting things together, it wasn't apparent to me until after the celebration ended.

The Divine Math Book

Prior to the conference, I discovered Gematria (the substitution of numbers for letters in the Hebrew and Greek alphabets) and how the entire universe speaks to us through a numerical pattern designed by God. I believe a balanced study of the Bible using Gematria can change an unbeliever's perspective about creation and the source of salvation, as well as increase the faith of Believers.

Hebrew and Greek, which are the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, respectively, are both alphanumeric languages. That is, each letter also represents a numerical value. It is possible to conclude that the Bible is not just a literary book, but is also a divine mathematics book. (This is not something one would normally hear from the pulpit on a Sunday morning since most pastors and Christian leaders do not understand how Gematria works.)

During the course of my studies, I learned that the number 888 is the numerical value for the name Jesus in Greek. Iesous, the name Jesus in Greek, is: I (10) + e (8) + s (200) + o (70) + u (400) + s (200) = 888. A detailed account of how Father gently led me to the place where I understood the meaning of 888 is in my new book "Knowing God by the Numbers."

Some have questioned my motives for having this service on 08/08/08. Perhaps I was over spiritualizing something that, for the most part, had little relevance. In fact, after the celebration, my spiritual father asked me if this conference was just because the date matched the Gematria number for Jesus' Name. I was able to clearly explain that the date did not have any bearing on my decision to hold this event. The date supported the revelation, but it was not the revelation. This celebration was all about Jesus and the greatness of His Name!

For this reason, there will be another 888 celebration in 2009! In fact, we can have this celebration until the end of time because His Name is eternal. The calendar year may change, but His Name is forever.

I have also been asked if there will be other celebrations in recognition of September 9, 2009 (999) or October 10, 2010 (1010). Both of these numbers are awesome in Gematria and have significant meaning throughout the Bible. But, Father has not given me any instructions about these dates and, until He does, our celebrations will only be in observance of the number of His Name, 888.

After several months of prayer, fasting and preparation, on Friday, August 8, 2008, we celebrated 888: The Number of His Name Conference. Over 500 people came from across the United States to celebrate His Name. They did not come expecting to see a high profile personality. They came for Jesus! For 12 hours, we had the privilege of walking through the tabernacle, which speaks of Jesus, from the door to the Mercy seat. We spent 4 hours in the outer court, 4 hours in the holy place and 4 hours in the holy of holies. The last 4 hours were so powerful!

I know most of us attend church services, but how many of them focus on JESUS only the entire time? Unfortunately not very many! Today, many Christians are comfortable discussing the problems in the world, but are unwilling to do anything about them. Others believe their primary purpose is to police the Church while the vast majority of people today are destined to enter eternity without Christ. In these times, we cannot continue to do what has already been done when our times demand a change. We must seek the Lord until He comes and rains righteousness upon us.

Was This a God Generated Event?

One way to determine if God is involved in an undertaking is by the increased activity from the evil one, who always attempts to change or interfere with what God wants to accomplish. This became perfectly clear to me on the morning of the celebration when I received disturbing reports about the well being of several leaders in my congregation.

One of my elders and his entire family was hospitalized after being hit by a drunk driver. The minister of music, who was following this family to the event, was also run off the road. Another elder and his wife had an accident while in transit. They were returning from a vacation and on their way to the conference site when the accident occurred. We started the celebration in warfare for these leaders. I am pleased to report that they are all fine and fully recovered. But it was very serious for a moment!

The Priesthood

As I prepared for the 888 celebration, an old reality became clearer to me. Through Christ Jesus, we have been made priests together with Him.

1 Peter 2:5, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light."

Once people learned about last year's celebration, many of them contacted my office to inform me of revelation that they had received about the fact that the tabernacle approach to God was still important. Some have held the revelation for years and many haven't been received by the Church because it was thought of as an old revelation. What I received was built upon the Old Testament revelation as the shadow of a greater reality!

The Bible instructs us that the order of the priesthood changed from Aaron to Melchisedec, but we are never told that the order of approaching Father God changed.

Hebrews 6:20, "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

Hebrews 7:14-17, "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

It is for this reason that only priests are allowed to approach Father God on behalf of those who cannot approach Him for themselves. The priest, in turn, brings what they receive from God and gives it to those with whom He is not in relationship.

Christ is the Great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec and we have joined Him in this ministry to carry the lost to His throne. This is missed in most churches today due to the great divide between the pulpit and the pew. But Christ Himself had to be made a priest so that He could approach the Father. Hear this again, ONLY PRIESTS CAN COME BEFORE THE FATHER!

It was that way with Aaron and the Levitical order and it's true of the Melchisedec order which we were birthed into. Our desire should be to see our loved ones, friends, neighbors and even total strangers come to the saving grace provided through the Cross. As Aaron had the 12 tribes on his breastplate, we should have at least 12 people in our hearts for which we pray regularly! The focus of the 888 celebration is completely on the Great High Priest Jesus, and will only be through a people who fully understand that Jesus is Lord and the lost people of the world can come to know our King!

The one question I receive from people once they hear this fact is, "Why hasn't anyone spoken of this before now?" It is because we are conducting our church services from the basis that two things exist that God didn't create.

Those two things are: clergy and layman! It is understood that the clergy operate as the priests and the layman should sit back and receive whatever they present to them from the Lord. This doesn't produce a people who want to completely surrender all to Jesus or who understand that He will work through them for the good of this generation.

During the Reformation, Believers began to understand their rights as citizens of the Kingdom; namely, their right to approach God, to handle the sacraments and much more. However, a distinction between the pulpit and the pew continued to exist because of those two words introduced by Saint Clements?clergy and layman. Even though we cannot find either of the words in the Scriptures, they continue to rule the Church today. The Biblical word that best represents the Believer's responsibility is: Priest.

I believe the second reformation will occur when Believers understand and begin to function in their priestly position. As a result, scores of Believers will find their rightful place in Kingdom service!

The starting place must be to honor and glorify the Great High Priest Jesus by adorning Him with our praise and worship! We have quoted for years the words of our Lord, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me" (John 12:32).

We know He was giving insight to the type of death He would face. But I believe it also is the way we present Him to the generation. I was told last year, and it has proven itself true, that when we honor the name of Jesus in this way, Father would protect us from the famine of the land. It was true in the sense that our church is advancing during these uncertain times and many of the people are receiving promotions. Their coworkers are being laid off but many in our Body are being increased. None of the things that are plaguing the society is being found in our Body.

Why? Because the 888 is full of abundance and awesome in protections! Come celebrate the name above every name and watch Him bless you to experience a spiritual Goshen where the plagues hit Egypt but completely miss you!

The Details

This year's celebration will again focus on the tabernacle and how each piece of furniture speaks of Jesus. Also, we will gain a better understanding of how to function as a priest in this generation for Kingdom advancement.

Remember, this is not a conference, but rather a celebration of Jesus and all that He has done for us. Join me on Friday, August 7, 2009 to celebrate the 888 (Jesus) as we worship His greatness and pray for Him to come and change our world. This celebration will take place at:

MorningStar Ministries
Heritage International Ministries
375 Star Light Drive; Fort Mill, SC 29715-8357

You can find more information on my website at www.Betheloic.com or by calling 704-992-1033.

Why should you come to this celebration? Because we must demonstrate to this world system that nothing will cause us to bow our knee to anything but our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the new beginnings (8), the super abundance (8), the salvation of our God (8)! Amen!

Bishop Larry Jackson, Senior Pastor
Bethel Outreach International Church (BOIC)
Email: info@betheloic.org

About Bishop Larry Jackson: Bishop Jackson is a Regional Bishop with the Fellowship of International Churches and is the founding pastor of Bethel Outreach International Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bishop Jackson is a nationally known men's ministry speaker serving such ministries as Promise Keepers, Iron Sharpen Iron, Men at the Cross and Ignite (Christian Communication Network). He serves as the Executive Director of the Charlotte Awake Network and is on the board of Kingdom Business Association, and currently serves the city of Charlotte, North Carolina with the focus of city unity and Kingdom advancement through the structure of prayer, care and share. Bishop Jackson's knowledge and zeal for reaching our cities for Christ makes him a much sort after speaker and workshop convener across the nation.

Bishop Jackson is the author of several books including, Numbered with the Transgressors, which gives insight into how to pray from Jesus' vantage point to see the hard cases come to the saving grace of the Lord; Guilt Free Living, which gives practical instruction on how to be free from the spirit of lust in every area of life; and Beyond Reconciliation, co-authored with Pastor Michael Fletcher, gives an account of the unity that took place in the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and how the leaders in the city worked together for city advancement. His newest book, Knowing God by the Numbers gives instruction on how the Bible is God's divine mathematics book and how there is deeper revelation throughout the Bible and the universe of the greatness and willingness of God to reveal Himself.

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