Common Thread Binding Passover And Easter

Last November we noted that the dates for Hanukkah and Christmas coincided and that the first half of the Messianic prophecies had been fulfilled. In April of 2017 Easter and Passover will intersect, we will look at the connection between those two events and examine the significance of the remaining prophecies concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus  of Nazareth.

Let us consider the common thread that binds Passover to Easter. The Hebrews had sojourned to Egypt, having been experiencing a great famine and hearing that there was plenty for all in Egypt. After several hundred years the Egyptians became tired and wary of the Hebrews who had flourished in Egypt and they put them to great servitude under harsh conditions. Moses petitioned the Egyptian Pharaoh for their release using various signs and wonders in an attempt to change the stubborn Pharaoh’s mind until God told Moses to have each Hebrew household select a lamb without blemish and mark the lintel and doorposts with the blood of the lamb and eat the lamb that night and remain prepared to leave. The angel of death would then visit the homes bringing death to the firstborn of those whose doorposts weren’t marked by the blood of the lamb. This was the event that caused the Pharaoh to release the Hebrews from their bondage and allow them to leave Egypt and the oppressing servitude behind. ( Exodus 12)

The first Passover was a foreshadowing of what was to come. Jesus was and is the final sacrifice for the sins of mankind, He releases all who call Him Lord and Savior from the bondage of sin, eternal death and separation from God as we mark the lintel and doorposts of our hearts with the blood of God’s Lamb without blemish. In a clear reference to Passover the risen Christ calls us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”  (Revelation 3: 20)

This is a lengthy examination of fulfilled prophecies dealing with God’s answer for the sins of all mankind and proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the promised Messiah and leads up to a commentary that will follow regarding the promise of His victorious return as the avenging Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of kings, Lord of lords, Savior of the world and Creator of the Universe.

Messiah would be rejected by his own people.

OT - I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children;

(Psalm 69: 8)

OT - He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

NT - He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 

(John 1:11)

Messiah would be declared the Son of God.

OT - I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. (Psalm 2:7)

NT - And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 16-17)

Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

OT - The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz′edek.” (Psalm 110-4)

NT -  So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee”; as he says also in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchiz′edek.” 

(Hebrews 5:5-6)

 Messiah would be called King.

OT - “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psalm 2:6)

OT - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)

NT - And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:7-11)

Messiah would be betrayed.

OT -  Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9)

OT -   Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Cast it into the treasury” the lordly price at which I was paid off by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

NT - While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”

(Luke 22: 47-48)

NT -  Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. (Matthew 26: 14-16)

Messiah would be falsely accused.

OT - Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not. 

(Psalm 35:11)

NT - And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” (Mark 14:57-58)

Messiah would be silent before his accusers.

OT - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 57:3)

NT - And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered. (Mark 15:4-5)

Messiah would be spat upon and struck.

OT - I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

NT - Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, 

(Matthew 26:67)

Messiah would be hated without cause.

OT - Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. (Psalm 35:19)\

OT - More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? (Psalm 69:4)

NT - If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It is to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15:24-25)

Messiah would be crucified with criminals.

OT - Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)

NT - Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 

(Matthew 27:38)

Messiah would be given vinegar to drink. 

OT - They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalm 69:21)

NT - they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. (Matthew 27:34)

NT - After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

(John 19:28-30)

Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced.

OT - Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; 

they have pierced my hands and feet (Psalm 22:16)

OT - “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)

NT - So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:25-27)

Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed.

OT- All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; “He committed his cause to the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Psalm 22:7-8)

NT -  And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 
(Luke 23:35) 

NT - And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. 

(Matthew 27: 39-45)

Soldiers would gamble for Messiah's garments.

OT - they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots. 

(Psalm 22:18)

NT -  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34)

NT - And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 

(Matthew 27:35 -36) 

Messiah would be forsaken by God.

OT - My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1)

NT - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la′ma sabach-tha′ni?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Messiah would pray for his enemies.

OT - In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for them. 
(Psalm 109:4)

NT - And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34)

Messiah's bones would not be broken, soldiers would pierce his side.

OT - In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth any of the flesh outside the house; and you shall not break a bone of it. (Exodus 12:46)

OT - He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:20)

OT - “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)

NT - but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth that you also may believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” (John 19:33-36)

Messiah would be buried with the rich.

OT - And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

(Isaiah 53:9)

NT - When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe′a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. (Matthew 27: 57-60)

Messiah would resurrect from the dead.

OT - For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit. 

(Psalm 16:10)

OT - But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. 

(Psalm 49:15)

NT -  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you.” 

(Matthew 28: 2-7)

NT - “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.’

“Brethren, I may say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. (Acts 2: 22-32)

Messiah would ascend to heaven.

OT -  Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! (Psalm 24: 7-10)

NT - So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)

NT - While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. 

(Luke 24:51)

Messiah would be seated at God's right hand.

OT - Thou didst ascend the high mount, leading captives in thy train, and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. (Psalm 68:18)

OT - The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1)

NT - So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)

NT - ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet’. (Matthew 22:44)

NT - But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” 

(Acts 7:55-56)

Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin.

OT- But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:5-12)

NT - While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5: 6-8)

“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1: 18-21)

Ask Jesus into your heart and into your life and today will be the day of your salvation.

Understanding The Beatitudes

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

(Matthew 5: 3)

Jesus simply meant that we must be humble in our spirits. If you put the word “humble” in place of the word “poor,” you will understand what He meant. In other words, when we come to God, we must realize our own faults and our emptiness and poverty of spirit. We must not be self-satisfied or proud in our hearts, thinking we don’t really need God. If we are then God cannot bless us. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” 

(James 4:6).

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” 

(Matthew 5: 4)

This is not a reference to the morning for the loss of a loved one, it refers to the mourning that comes when one mourns over their own failures and disappointments and begins to acknowledge that they have sinned and have been living outside of God’s will. Mourning comes to those who recognize the sin of having lived an ego-centric shallow life, leading to a sense of loss and emptiness followed by a repentant heart and a desire for God’s forgiveness. 

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5: 5)

The meekness the Lord is referring to can be best described by picturing a team of horses drawing a carriage in a circle track race. The inside horses refrain from running as hard and fast as those on the outside, they are referred to as the meek horses. Being meek is continually exercising humility and restraint even under the most trying circumstances. Jesus gives us an example of meekness during the confrontation and his arrest at Gethsemane when he spoke to his apostles saying, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” Knowing that he had infinite power and could save himself from the beating, torment and death on a cross Jesus chose to submit to the will of the father. “Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand;” (Isaiah 53:10)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5: 6)

There comes a time in life when one begins to wonder, “Is this all there is?” In spite of everything that has been done and all the goals attained, it has not been fulfilling and something seems to be missing. The bible provides us with an answer to that gnawing question. So he came to a city of Samar′ia, called Sy′char, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samar′ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar′ia?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” (John 4: 5 - 15)

(Verse 16 - 18) Jesus catches the woman in a lie and exposes her sinfulness when she says that she has no husband and he says, “No you’ve had five husbands and the one you are living with now is not your husband” 

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” 

(John 4: 25 - 26)

(Verse 28 - 30) So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the city and were coming to him.

The woman experienced an epiphany having had a face-to-face meeting with the savior, it was such profound experience that she left her water jar behind and ran off to the city to tell everyone. When confronted by the inadequacy of a hedonistic and self-absorbed lifestyle she had a hunger and thirst for something more which could only be satisfied through a personal knowledge and relationship with God which came to her through Christ, and so it is with us.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5: 7)

Jesus left us with a good example of a man who shows mercy to a debtor.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. (Matthew 18: 23 - 27)

The debtor had showed a repentant and contrite heart and was forgiven his debt by the King. Likewise when we come on our knees to the Lord with a repentant and contrite heart, we can be assured of forgiveness by the only one who can truly forgive all that we have done.

However with every blessing there is conversely a fearsome penalty for those who themselves have been forgiven of much and fail to offer reciprocal forgiveness to others. 

But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:28 - 35)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5: 8)

Who are the pure in heart? These are they that have repented of their sins of a former lifestyle and who have turned away from all that is not right. For them there is no more cheating, lying, no more evil thoughts, unbridled anger, foul mouth or pornography and so on, there’s is a renewed heart and mind.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4: 8)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” 

(Matthew 5: 9)

One might think this refers to those who intervene in disputes between people and settle fights, not so it is much deeper than that! There is a considerable gulf and a dispute between man and God that has been positionally settled by the death and resurrection of Christ, but that peace is only acquired on an individual basis when the gospel is heard, not just by one’s ears but is received by the heart of a man. The peacemakers that Jesus is referring to here are they that proclaim the gospel with the good news of Jesus Christ and are closing the gap between God and His creation, changing a world who doesn’t know or revere God. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 10)

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

(Matthew 5: 11 - 12)

Do not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “He that would love  life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile; let him turn away from evil and do right; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil.” Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? But even if you do suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. 
(1 Peter 3: 9 - 17)

“The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2: 9 - 10)

A Carnal vs. Spiritual Life

Paul writes to the church at Galacia concerning the dichotomy of a life lived in wasted pursuits with a carnal mindset opposed to one living a Christ centered life….

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” 

(Galatians 5: 16 - 21) 

“But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.” The law he is referring to is the law of sin and death epitomized by personal failures, self loathing and lack of self-worth which all who fail to acknowledge Christ and abide in Him suffer under. However those who do abide in Him are given the desire and the will to abstain from living a carnal existence and prefer instead to experience the continual joy of living a clean and upright life which in turn brings forth good characteristics that these verses refer to as spiritual fruit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. (Galatians 5: 22 - 26)

Jesus uses the following analogy to make His point clearly understood alluding to how the vines in a grape vineyard respond to the tending of the viticulturist when He says…..

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15: 1 - 11)

Those who understand the word and pay mental assent to who Christ is and then just walk away reverting back to their old ways, they then are essentially spiritually dead, still-born lifeless stiffs who will in the end be cast out.

“Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes”  For those who continue to abide in Christ, He does away with the dead and useless works that have been produced, just as the viticulturist removes the dead pieces from otherwise healthy vines so that they can flourish and produce fruit more abundantly. This is an ongoing spiritual process and a beautiful picture of the relationship between God and His own as He helps them develop and mature until that great day when He receives them into His eternal realm.

Made In The Image Of God

Musing over thoughts about why God decided to create human beings, one begins to realize that it is a subject that deserves extensive pondering along with a considerable amount of prayerful investigation into the scriptures to try and discern what may have been the mindset of the Almighty. After all He had created everything else in the universe and was most likely not at a loss for entertainment. On the other hand, as we delve deeper into it we are confronted with several aspects concerning the Creator and His relationship to that which He created. First of all the scriptures indicate that God is eternal, He always existed before anything else, and will continue to exist long after everything ceases to exist. Moses understood this when he said, “Lord, thou have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had ever formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn man back to the dust, and say, “Turn back, O children of men!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 

(Psalm 90: 1 - 4)

So we know that the Almighty is eternal and exists in a realm unaffected by what we call time, so therefore He is timeless and His domain is omnipresent. There is no past or future, there is only the continual ongoing present, something difficult to grasp as humans who have a beginning, birth and end in death. When we couple this understanding with the two arguments about creationism as opposed to evolution, then it becomes clear that rather than flounder around and wallow in either argument, we begin to realize that creation is an ongoing process. Astrophysicists and astronomers have observed that the universe is continually expanding and developing as they visually explore the universe from their observatories. So with this knowledge in mind then one might wonder if perhaps the Creator Himself was bored with all of the created beings before the advent of man, including even the angels because none of them had been given free will as we understand it other than Lucifer His greatest angelic being who He created with a specific purpose in mind. Perhaps God Himself had decided to create mankind and planned that they would become endowed with free will and the capacity to reason and make choices like He himself. For that to happen, they would have to be given an opportunity to choose either good or evil out of which would come conscience and self awareness. The scriptures indicate that God wanted to have a great company with whose presence He could delight in and enjoy and who He would imbue with eternal life. 

So here we have the testimony in scripture that gives us an even clearer picture of the nature of God. 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1: 26 - 28)

Notice that it says “Let us make man in our image.” Who is He talking to? Here is where we are faced with the concept of the triune persons of God. We can examine this by backtracking from our own human perspective which will help clarify this often misunderstood concept. Man is a tripartite being, in other words man is made up of a physical body and a soul, which is the individual’s personality, mind and will, and a spirit which is the life force, the breath of life which emanates from God. So there it is from a human perspective, God the Father is the personality, mind and will, God the Son is the physical embodiment of God on earth, and God the Holy Spirit is His life force pervading eternity. We are in essence made in His image, this is not to mean how He appears, but how we are made in three distinct parts uniquely different from all other beings throughout creation.

The apostle John is speaking here about the second person of the trinity, the one who the Creator spoke to when He said; “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and physical embodiment of God on earth. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 

(John 1: 1-3, 9-15)

Destroyer Of Western Civilization

Secular Humanism is an attempt to function as a civilized society with the exclusion of God and His moral principles. During the last several decades, Humanists have been very successful in propagating their beliefs. Their primary approach is to target the youth through the public school system. "Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every school is a school of humanism” wrote Charles F. Potter in his 1930 book "Humanism: A New Religion.” Secular humanism posits that human beings are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or a god. It does not, assume that humans are either inherently evil or innately good, nor does it present humans as being superior to nature. Rather, the humanist life stance emphasizes the responsibility facing humanity and the ethical consequences of human decisions.

This is not new, it began eons ago when Lucifer magnified himself and placed his throne above the throne of God. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’
(Isaiah 14: 12-14)

It became an inherent part of human nature at the fall of man in Eden, recorded in Genesis chapter three when man gave his allegiance and his spiritual future over to Satan. Since then down through the ages various men and women have succumbed to the desire of becoming masters of human destiny eradicating the knowledge of God from the face of the earth, a plan contrived by their master.

Adherence to Judaeo-Christian ethos within the member states of the European Union has paled to insignificance as Secular Humanism has been fully embraced by Europeans with anti-semitism once again on the rise. The predominantly secular humanistic leadership of the United Nations continues working feverishly to undermine Israeli political and economic life while encouraging Jew hating Muslim nations to eradicate Israel from the face of the earth.

American freedom of worship and social acknowledgment of the Judaeo-Christian principles which date back to the founding fathers is being chipped away by God hating humanistic Atheists. This gives us cause to understand the reasoning of those who arrogantly assume that there is no God and that they alone hold the answers to the climate, the ice caps and seas and every facet of human life, the earth and even the universe. Herein lies the essence of a great spiritual battle between conservative Judaeo-Christian believers who revere the Creator along with the founding fathers and Constitution, standing in opposition to the powers of darkness behind the duped humanistic atheists who riot, burn, destroy and shout down any voice of sane reason and righteousness.

The bible addresses this and makes clear the source of this divisiveness, “For we contend not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Be rest assured that the outcome of this war was determined at Calvary long ago when the Messiah laid down His life paying the ransom for all who call Him Lord, Savior and Master.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

A New Day Has Dawned Across The Western Civilized World

Yesterday on January 20, 2017 a new President assumed control of the United States of America which was initially founded on Judeo-Christian principles based in trust in the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Speaking plain truth and righteousness in the manner of the great shepherd King David, the new President has declared his will to turn the nation away from God’s impending judgment. This follows eight lean years favoring the children of perdition over the upright.

We are admonished to “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” 

(Mathew 7: 13-14)

Here we have a clear understanding that living an upright decent life and following the will of God is sometimes difficult while living in a world surrounded by a predominantly perverse society. The scripture points out that following after the ways of the crowd results in a dead end. It goes without saying that sometimes nice people finish last. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10: 29-31)

The apostle John wrote; Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2: 18)

It is refreshing to note that the agent of antichrist, a liar and deceiver who for eight years subverted the U.S. Constitution and who along with his God-hating cadre encouraged and legalized all manner of societal perversion, allowing the enemies of God, men of wrath and violence to freely enter the land, thankfully his days are over. A fresh wind is blowing across America and it occurred in the face of overwhelming odds because the newly elected President had publicly acknowledged his faith in God who in turn placed the mantle of Shepherd and Leader on him as a result of that confession and his public recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal capitol of Israel while vowing his undying support for that nation, the apple of God’s eye.

The apostle John also wrote; “I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2: 21-22)

 The followers of Islam, some unwittingly, are the enemies of God and children of Satan because they follow after the Antichrist who calls for the annihilation of every Christian and Jew from the face of the earth. They are members of a death cult suffering from a malevolent spirit borne out of envy of Abraham’s son Isaac who was blessed as the legitimate heir of God’s promise. 

“If any one says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 
(1 John 4:20)

The Sunni muslims hate the Shiite muslims, both sects hate and kill each other, and kill Jews and Christians with the intent of eradicating them from the face of the earth. Ninety thousand Christians throughout the Mid-East and North Africa were murdered by Islam last year alone. This former U.S. President worked hand-in-hand with Islamist organizations and worked feverishly along with his surrogates to destabilize the Mid-East and North African countries allowing this human travesty to take place. The bible says, “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.” (Matthew 7: 16-17)

The Murmansk Run

There are times when men and women become so engaged with the busyness of life and the struggles of survival that they miss the opportunity to make the all important connection with their Creator. So it was with my father who for so many years of his life, felt chased as it were by the Hound of Heaven, whose insistent feet that beat ever so close behind him throughout his days. Then came that moment in his twilight years when he finally relented and asked Jesus the Christ into his life and acknowledged how he had known that He had been there all along patiently waiting, following and upholding him throughout the trials and tribulations of his life. This is an overdue tribute to my father who was born on February 3rd, 1900 and who enjoyed a long and sometimes arduous life as a merchant seaman. 

As a young man he found employment at a shipyard as an electrician, eventually making it aboard an American freighter as an electrician’s mate. And thus he began a lifetime career in the U.S.Merchant Marine. He was a quiet and unassuming person, an ardent reader and self taught man who learned the skills of seamanship and he officially became a Boatswain’s Mate. The United States declared war on Germany December 11, 1941, and along with Great Britain and Russia was allied against Germany, America had begun shipping war materials under the lend-lease act to Great Britain and Russia. My father was a member of the crew on the American freighter Effingham which had joined a large convoy under escort by British warships in the Atlantic. Bound for Murmansk, Russia, the Effingham was torpedoed on March 30, 1942, by German U-Boats and sunk in the icy waters of the Barents Sea. The British had abandoned the convoy by order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill to pursue a German battleship thus leaving the convoy prey for German submarine wolf packs. The freighter Effingham lost twelve crew members. There were eighty-five other ships lost to German attacks and countless crew members lost en route to Murmansk. 

Careful and well-planned convoy protection was often disrupted by storms. From the 24th to 27th of March 1942, convoy PQ13 was scattered over 150 miles of ocean by a storm. Pack ice made matters even worse. In those four days of trouble off North Cape, five merchant ships were sunk by submarines and aircraft, the British cruiser Trinidad was damaged in a battle with German destroyers. On the 20th of March through the 3rd of April convoy PQ13 covered by the British Home Fleet and its escort, including cruiser "Trinidad" and destroyers "Eclipse" and "Fury,” were scattered by severe gales and heavily attacked. On the 29th three German destroyers encountered the escort north of Murmansk. Five of the 19 merchant ships including the freighter Effingham were lost, two to submarines, two to aircraft, and one by destroyers. Forty convoys, with a total of more than 800 ships, including 350 under the U.S. flag, started out on the run to Murmansk from 1941 through 1945. Ninety-seven of those ships were sunk by bombs, torpedoes, mines, and the fury of the elements. The Murmansk convoys were instrumental in keeping Russia in the war. They carried more than 22,000 aircraft, 375,000 trucks, 8,700 tractors, 51,500 jeeps, 1,900 locomotives, 343,700 tons of explosives, a million miles of field-telephone cable, plus millions of shoes, rifles, machine guns, auto tires, radio sets, and other equipment. The PQ 13 convoy to Russia consisted of 18 freighters, a Fleet Oiler, and 3 whalers.

My father was 42 years old when he abandoned ship, the Effingham was loaded with war material and “sank quickly.” He swam through the icy water and climbed aboard a lifeboat, wringing out his clothes he dressed and began to row. There was ice in the water, rowing produced body warmth that was essential to survival. He said many years later, “Once the ship had disappeared below the waves that a German U-Boat surfaced, the Commander apologized over a megaphone declaring that he had no room aboard for survivors.” He went on to say that the men from the engine room, unable to withstand the freezing cold fell asleep and soon froze to death, their bodies were jettisoned as the boat was dangerously overloaded. A few days afterward the survivors were picked up by the “Petrova,” a Russian patrol boat. The crew wrapped them in warm blankets and gave each of them a few ounces of vodka. Later the crew members gave up their own bunks to the survivors and slept on the deck. Upon arriving in Murmansk, they were rushed to a hospital and were treated for frost bite and exhaustion. Several men lost their feet to frostbite. My father said that the young men on the Petrova were fine fellows and that the Russians are generally fine people in spite of the political differences of governments. Following several weeks in the hospital he was found fit to be repatriated and boarded the British cruiser “Edinburgh” headed for Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. The ship was part of convoy QP11 that departed Russia on the 28th of April, on the 30th the cruiser "Edinburgh" was torpedoed twice by a U-boat. My father said, “I saw the two torpedoes coming, they struck mid ship, I was able to climb off onto another vessel and continued on to Scapa Flow.” As she limped back to Russia yet again, three German destroyers attacked QP11, but only managed to sink a straggler. They found the cruiser on May 2nd. In a series of confused fights amidst snow showers and smokescreens, the "Edinburgh" disabled the "Hermann Schoemann" by gunfire, but was then torpedoed for a third time, both ships were scuttled by their crews and sank. Several decades later the wreck of the Edinburgh was located by a salvage company which was able to recover several billion dollars worth of Russian gold bars sent in exchange for war materials. Half of the treasure was returned to Russia. 

My father later became licensed to captain ships of all tonnage on all seas, after a long maritime career he passed away and went to be with God in whom he placed his trust on October 3rd, 1993.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)