"At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.”  Deuteronomy 15:1

Shabbat shalom dearly beloved:

A few days ago Karen came to me with a word that she had received. The word was very puzzling:

“Bite off the bite of the Cankerworm”

So I decided to find out what is a cankerworm and I discovered that a cankerworm is a type of caterpillar that destroys shade trees and fruit trees. This can be extremely detrimental as it can rake havoc in all crops of fruit trees and it can cause a land to become a desert with no shade trees. As I was meditating on this word Abba spoke to me and said:

Year of release of debts. Turn the soil upside down and prepare for a new sowing. Long list of accounts

I immediately understood that this what about the Shabbat Year that is also called the Year of Release because at the end of Seven Years all debts among brothers in the Covenant are to be released.  It is time to check our accounts and see who “owes” us, who has hurt and disappointed us and who we need to forgive the long list of accounts. During the Seventh (Shabbat Year) we are called to release all debts and forgive all our brothers and sisters that “owe” us. Once that is done the soil (ground) of our heart will be turned over and cleansed from all past experiences and grievances.  It will become porous and prepared for a NEW SOWING. In other words the old will be gone and a New Season will start. With the New Season of Seven also new opportunities, new grace and favor, new mercies, a new walk with Y’shua, new or renewed vision, etc… All failures, grief and disappointments will be gone because the soil of our hearts has been TURNED. The word to Turn in Hebrew is equal to the word to REPENT so repentance is the KEY in order to start afresh after the Year of Shabbat.

Repentance for failing Yah (God) and others
Repentance for being bitter and judging others that have failed us
Forgiving those who have failed us

How do you know that you have a long list of accounts? In other words, are you bitter in your heart against God, people or yourself?  When you are in the REST of the Shabbat Year and ALL busyness STOPS, you will notice some things coming out of your heart that you did not notice before. That is the reason why it is commanded to rest the soil every seven years! It is only in the rest that we can really see the nature of the fruit and we are to eat whatever comes out!

'All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you.”  Leviticus 25:6

If what comes out is damaged fruit because you have cankerworm in your field, it is time to get rid of the cankerworm and its bite! The Cankerworm is likened unto: Bitterness, Disappointment, Grief and Un-forgiveness.  When you are at REST, your feelings cannot be masked or covered by constant busyness,  Now your TRUE feelings and thoughts began to surface. If they are peaceful and joyful, then HaleluYah!! But if they are sad, hopeless, depressed and disappointed, then you KNOW that you have a long list of accounts to release.  You may have many people, (even Elohim and yourself ) to FORGIVE because this is the Year of Release!

“The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD. 'Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 'Your harvest's aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year.”  Leviticus 25:1-5

In order to help you release all debts and allow the turning of the soil of your heart, you MUST take time to rest and then write down what is coming up and begin to repent and to forgive ONE by ONE. If you don’t, then the cankerworm will destroy all your fruit and shade.  You will have no rest, no refreshing, no prophetic fulfillment and no hope for a New Beginning.  Most believers in Messiah DO NOT KNOW HOW TO REST! In fact some of them are in self deception thinking that rest is of the devil, for we “must work while it is still day”. I have studied the history of revivals and have seen that most of the old time revivalists died sick or in sin and the number ONE reason is that they never rested.  They thought that they were indispensable! I decided right there and then that I will not repeat the same mistake, but I will rest and when I pass on from this life to Eternity I will be healthy and righteous. After I made that decision, I had a dream where YHVH spoke to me: “All your promotions will come from your retreats”. Then I began to retreat from 3 days to seven days a month in the midst of extremely hectic traveling and pasturing ministry. All the books that I have written that are blessing thousands of people are the fruit of my retreats! This year it being a Shabbat Year I am in a one year retreat and am excited about what will happen after this year is over for me and for the Ministry!

However as wonderful as a retreat sounds, during the first part of the retreat, when you start to REST, you will find out that very unsettling feelings begin to surface. For the most part these are many pains, hurts and grief that have been buried deep within the soil of your heart, and normal busyness has kept them hidden or covered. The moment you truly start to REST, the emotional struggle starts and it is not comfortable.

“Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”  Hebrews 4:11-13

Once it starts, you must “eat whatever comes”. In other words, accept it and do not suppress it or deny it, but let it come out, write it down, cry, repent and forgive!  Maybe you have a long list of accounts that you did not even know that was hiding there.  You thought that you were the most forgiving person in the world, so where are all these bitter feelings coming from? During the last seven years, (or 20!,) you may have never rested long enough to allow for a total cleansing and turning of your SOUL. This year, the year of release, the Shabbat Year is our opportunity to REST, REPENT, FORGIVE and Turn your Soul back to Shalom and Joy. Then you will be ready to hear Yah’s Voice, Yah’s Torah again, and do what He says in order to cultivate the New Fruit of the Blessing. That is why the entire Book of the Law was read to the people of Israel on Sukkoth at the END Of every Seventh Year. The soil had been turned, all past sins forgiven and forsaken, and they were READY FOR A NEW SOWING OF THE WORD!

“Then Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. "Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 31:10-13

As we obey YHVH to rest from our own works during this year the Year of Release, we will become ready for REVIVAL. Resurrection life will flood our members, our thoughts and our prayers! A new spring of living waters will flow removing all remembrance of the past years when the Cankerworm ate all the fruit of our labors! As we REPENT and FORGIVE, we will bite off the bite of the Cankerworm and will enjoy full restoration and fulfillment!

"Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19

If you have regrets about what happened in the past and feelings of futility and hopelessness are flooding you. If you think to yourself: I have wasted my life and all that I have done is in vain, enjoy with me this awesome promise as you release your long list of accounts!

"Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming  locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.  "You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame.”  Joel 2:25-26

In Y’shua’s love and forgiveness
HAVE A BLESSED SHABBAT YEAR OF RELEASE
Your friends in Israel
Bishop Dominiquae and Rabbi Baruch Bierman