PREACHING OF 05 JANUARY 2025:

Apostle Lirio Porrello

RHEMA 2025

As every year, we join online with the Church of Palermo, led by Apostle Lirio Porrello, to receive the Rhema word that God has prepared for us a word that will guide us throughout 2025. Let us prepare our hearts to receive this word, ready to be transformed by His presence, and listen attentively, for this is a special word that will bring direction and revelation for our lives. Therefore, let us fully open ourselves to what God wants to communicate. The word defining this year is “LINE UP,” which means “Aligning” with the divine will, allowing His purpose to be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. According to the Hebrew calendar, we are in the year 5785. This number begins and ends with the digit 5, a symbol of “grace,” which also corresponds to the Hebrew letter “He,” formed by the union of the “Dalet” and the “Yod.” In the Hebrew alphabet, each letter is associated with a numerical value and possesses a prophetic and symbolic meaning. Adding the digits 5+7+8+5 equals 25, indicating a year marked by double grace, the divine breath, the wind of the Spirit, and a great harvest. If we analyze the letters composing the sacred Tetragrammaton YHVH (“Yod, He, Vav, He”), we find that their numerical values are 10+5+6+5=26; the letter “He” appears twice. Adding them together gives 2+6=8, which represents infinity. God’s infinity is thus hidden in His very name. Furthermore, adding the values of the two letters that form the “He,” namely “Yod” and “Dalet,” we get 4+10=14, a number representing the perfection of divine order.

Matthew 1:17; 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Times are under God’s control, and the number 14, which precisely marked the generations of these key events, symbolizes three main aspects:

1. The hand, representing action; God desires to extend His hand to work in our lives, being the driving force behind every change while remaining immutable. 2. Gold, a symbol of the divine nature and heavenly realities. 3. David, as the sum of the letters in his name, “DVD,” equals 14, and wherever he went, he brought divine perfection and order.

The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “Nun,” has a numerical value of 50, which represents the Jubilee and Pentecost. This year, we will witness an increase in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. David, the eighth son, embodies in his name both God’s infinity (8) and the perfection of His divine order (14).

2°Samuel 5:20; 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

David understood that victory was not due to his own abilities but to the power of God, and for this reason, he renamed that place. This year, places that once represented defeat will become symbols of victory, transforming the negative into positive, and what required divine intervention will be touched by His hand. David acknowledged that the Lord had opened a breakthrough for him, marking the beginning of something new.

1°Samuel 16:23; 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Where God’s order reigns, disorder cannot exist. As previously mentioned, the letter “He” represents the “breath”, which is referenced in two pivotal moments in the Bible: when God formed man and breathed the breath of life into him, and when Jesus breathed on the disciples to regenerate them into a new creation.

Genesis 2:7; 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The breath represents the impartation of life, as the breath of God brings life and order where there is none.

John 20:22; 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

When God breathes, a sound is perceived, not noise; at Pentecost, it was not the noise of wind that was heard but the sound of a mighty rushing wind because God is harmony. For those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, there is a necessary process to draw closer to Him, known as Repentance.

Acts 2:37; 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Repentance involves our emotions, bringing remorse and sorrow for the wrong actions we have committed. It arises from God’s grace, which manifests through hearing the testimony, but it is preceded by surrender, which leads to repentance. Repentance, however, refers to our actions. While repentance is an emotional response, repentance represents a deliberate choice to change. Repentance makes you look back on the past with regret, while repentance directs you toward a renewed future. Without hearing the Word, without repentance and repentance, it is impossible to enter into an authentic relationship with God and perceive His presence in our lives.

“Line Up” means: repentance and repentance in alignment with God’s will, ready to collaborate fully with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 6:10; 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

When we align with heaven, we become carriers of heavenly harmony on earth. The letter “He” also symbolizes the “wind,” one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Looking at the history of the people of Israel in Egypt, we see how they faced seemingly impossible situations; it was the Holy Spirit who intervened, transforming what seemed unattainable into reality.

Exodus 14:21-22; 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

This episode represents a powerful example of the strength of the Holy Spirit: just consider the extraordinary energy and power of the wind needed to divide the sea and keep it parted for the time required for the entire people to pass through. This event shows that with the Holy Spirit, all things are possible, for His power can eliminate all impossibilities.

Exodus 10:13-15; 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

The eastern wind symbolizes judgment, directed against Pharaoh and Egypt; it was this wind that brought the locusts, which destroyed everything.

Exodus 10:16-19; 16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only. 18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

Pharaoh repented and humbly humbled himself before God, Moses, and Aaron; then, in response to the prayers of Moses and Aaron, God changed the direction of the wind: from a wind of judgment (coming from the east) to a wind of grace (coming from the west). The phrase that will mark this year is: “With God’s help, the wind is changing direction.” The number five, symbolizing grace, frequently appears in Scripture. For example, we notice that in the Levitical priesthood of Aaron, described in the Old Testament, there were five types of sacrifices: 1. The burnt offering – Leviticus 1; 2. The grain offering – Leviticus 2; 3. The peace offering – Leviticus 3; 4. The sin offering – Leviticus 4; 5. The trespass offering – Leviticus 5.

Moreover, during the celebration of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, five types of fasting were observed:

1. Renunciation of food and drink; 2. Renunciation of perfumes and cosmetics; 3. Renunciation of washing and bathing; 4. Renunciation of leather footwear; 5. Renunciation of marital relations.

During this celebration, the high priest was required to perform the ritual bath (mikveh) and change his clothes five times, following a purification process necessary to present himself before God and intercede for grace; a mistake in this process could cost him his life. When entering the Holy Place, the high priest had to sprinkle the blood seven times on the east side of the mercy seat, a gesture symbolizing the perfection of the sacrifice and indicating that “Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness.”

Micah 6:8; 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

When you are humble, you make yourself available to receive teachings, for God leads the meek and instructs those with a humble heart.

Titus 2:14; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

God's people must be the mirror of His goodness on earth.

Hebrews 6:1-2; 1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 

One cannot draw near to God without going through the process of repentance, which is necessary to align with His will and live a life of holiness. This path of repentance is essential to develop full trust in God; however, man often seeks shortcuts because the processes of change are neither easy nor desirable. Many of us continue to live according to mental and behavioral patterns rooted in childhood, which are difficult to abandon. Facing a transformation process involves suffering; change is painful, and because of this, we often only accept it when we are forced to. God, in some cases, allows situations that compel us to change, because although we declare the desire to change, we often do not want to face the journey. God does not grant shortcuts in the transformation process, because what matters to Him is not the process itself, but the result that remains in us for eternity. Even Jesus did not receive any shortcuts in His process, but what saved Him was His total surrender to the Father. Without repentance, there can be no transformation, and without transformation, one cannot live a holy life. Although this path is painful, it is indispensable and cannot be shortened. Five benefits of repentance associated with transformation:

1. Alignment with the will of God makes us fruitful.

Living far from God leads to spiritual barrenness and, often, also to practical barrenness. Only by remaining in communion with Him can we bear fruit. A significant example is Abraham and Sarah, who went through a moment of compromise with the birth of Ishmael. However, when God visited them, He made them partakers of His fruitfulness by giving them a part of His tetragram, the letter "He", symbolizing life and grace, transforming them into Abraham and Sarah. This gesture not only changed their names but also their destiny, making them parents of the promise.

Philippians 1:7; 7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

God has made us partakers of His divine nature:

2°Peter 1:4; 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

It is not possible to possess both the things of God and those of the world, because when we partake in the divine nature, we become partakers of His self-sufficiency, His health, and all the resources necessary to fulfill His will. This state is achieved through a journey based on faith.

2. Repentance to align with His will brings guidance.

Living far from God means walking in darkness, without a clear vision of the path ahead. However, God is a God who enlightens and guides, ready to give direction to anyone who chooses to align with His will, abandoning their own way of thinking to embrace His.

3. Repentance brings God's hand, God's fire, and God's power into our lives.

When we surrender in humility, we make room for God to intervene in our lives, allowing His hand to work, His fire to purify us, and His power to manifest in a tangible way.

4. Repentance leads us to praise.

A person who has repented and surrendered to God praises with spontaneity and joy. God desires to lead us to complete surrender, for those who are surrendered do not act according to their own initiatives, but submit with trust to divine initiatives. Through this total dependence on Him, God desires to renew your life.

5. Repentance leads to revelation.

The letter "He" symbolizes the expression "Here I am, I am here," a statement that indicates God's presence. When you call on Him, God will never fail to answer. When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets of the Law, he found the people worshiping the golden calf and, filled with anger, he destroyed the tablets. However, Moses was not influenced by what had happened; instead, he cried out to God with a burning desire to see His glory. He did not want to be conditioned by the chaos and sin surrounding him, but longed for the perfection and glory of God. The enemy’s goal is to distract us by focusing on the evil and negativity around us. However, if we set our gaze on God’s glory, the circumstances will lose significance; on the other hand, if we focus on the circumstances, we will not be able to see His glory. Moses cried out to God precisely to behold His glory, beyond the difficulties and surrounding situations.

Mark 10:21; 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

This young man admired Jesus and deeply appreciated Him. Jesus looked at him with love, and His instructions, born out of that deep love, were meant to transform his priorities: to choose between his riches or the source of all riches; however, the young man did not understand. He chose to love his riches more than God, showing that, despite declaring his love for God, his heart was more attached to material wealth. The saddest moment was when, to leave, he had to look away from the love of Jesus. Although Jesus loved him and taught him patiently, the young man grew sad, lowered his head, and walked away. He was distracted and prioritized other things over God, so Jesus tried to redirect his heart by offering him a purpose, but the young man chose not to follow it, demonstrating that when the heart is full of other things, it is impossible to live in authentic surrender. In contrast, Peter offers a different example. When he was in the boat, in the middle of the storm, he made a request that deeply touched Jesus' heart: the desire to come to Him, walking on the water. Jesus was pleased with this faith and invited him. Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus and began walking on the water, but as soon as he got distracted and took his eyes off Jesus, he started to sink. It is important to note that the waves and wind were already present while he was walking, but they did not affect him as long as his eyes stayed on Jesus. The key lesson is this: the problem is not the circumstances, but where you are directing your gaze. True faith does not ignore circumstances, but it allows you to focus on the solution instead of the problem. If you are discouraged, it is because you stopped contemplating God and began focusing on the "mountain" in front of you. The solution is not to contemplate the mountain, but to speak to it with faith. God does not deny the reality of your difficulties, but He calls you to set your eyes on Him, who lives inside you and is the answer to all your needs. Peter, at first, walked firmly on the Word, stable in the heavens, but then he got distracted and lost his focus. The true reason for discouragement is not the circumstances but the perspective you choose to adopt. In every situation, you can choose to see a difficulty or an opportunity to manifest God's grace and glory. An example can be found in Saul and David. Saul, facing Goliath, saw an insurmountable threat, while David saw an opportunity to give glory to God. Saul looked at his own abilities, David at the Covenant with God. Every giant, every circumstance, has its weak point. It is up to us to choose how to look and how to face it.

Hebrews 12:2; 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus faced the cross, but He did not focus on the cross itself; He looked beyond it. We often become discouraged because we fix our eyes on the circumstances rather than on God, even though we know that those same circumstances can be transformed by God into opportunities. Jesus, however, looked beyond: He saw beyond the cross, beyond the burial, He saw the resurrection, and finally, His place on the throne, at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus did not despise the cross, He did not avoid the process, but He went through it without any shortcuts, overcoming it with His eyes fixed on the joy that would follow.

Where are you looking? If you have become distracted, return to looking at Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.