March 26, 2010

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away [upon Himself] the sin of the world” (John1:29; Exodus 12:3).

Dear Brethren,

Once again, God’s Passover is almost here! For God’s true and faithful people, it means favor and blessings in the eyes of God and Jesus Christ.

The observance of the first recorded Passover by Israel, while living in the land of Goshen in Egypt, seems so long ago that it is hardly even thought about in connection with the Passover in our time.

Yet it holds a life and death meaning today just as it did at that time for Spiritual Israel – which is the one and only true faithful Church of God. And there are lessons that Christ wants us to learn from it.

The major lesson Israel learned from that fateful night for the Egyptians came from fully obeying the instructions from God through Moses— meant life— and not death:

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. Now the BLOOD will be for ‘A SIGN’ for you on the houses where you are. And WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I will ‘PASSOVER YOU’; and the PLAGUE shall NOT be on you to destroy you WHEN I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:11-13).

One can only imagine the real relief the Israelites felt after coming to realize possibly a million people or more were struck dead that night due to not having the blood of a lamb over the doorposts of their homes.

Israel Today— as was— Egypt Then

It is needful to stress the importance of observing the Passover with emphasis on each of the symbols of the bread and the wine for it continues to be just as meaningful today in regard to life or death as it was at that time in Egypt.

The only difference is the change to the bread and wine instead of eating a supper with roasted lamb and the bitter herbs.

Though the importance of the bread has already been stressed in former writings, as it was needful, in this writing the importance of the symbolic wine that pictures the actual blood of the slaughtered lamb must now be emphasized as being on the door of our hearts if the death angel is to PASSOVER each one of God’s true people (Acts 3:19; I Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 10:19-22; I John 1:7).

The Curse of God on Israel

The state of this country, both political and religious, its rejection of God and His holy righteous laws, has led to the almost total lack of morals, including rampant abominable sins!

This can be easily seen and witnessed today via the media within the whole House of Israel, including Judah, are in reality no different than was Egypt at that time!

This makes it easy to understand why the curses from God that were prophesied by Him to befall Israel for their disobedience in this end-time can now be witnessed all over the nation and in other nations of Israel! This makes very plain to the eyes that can see the end is not all that far away (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

Along with being called Sodom and Gomorrah, Israel, typified by Judah, is also called Egypt by God (Revelation 11:8). The duality of that time and today should not be ignored.

The major difference is that Jesus Christ will not be striking Egypt with death and slavery at this time, but instead the House of Israel, in particular the House of Joseph, for basically the very same reasons as He did Egypt.

America will be the major target of the Revived Holy Roman Empire for it alone is yet the major super power!

It will be realized by the Beast that once the United States is conquered all of the other tribes of Israel will have the domino effect and fall as well to this rising Beast Power once it is fully comes on stage.

The Blood of the Lamb

With the end being virtually in sight the only hope for anyone is to have the BLOOD of Jesus Christ covering each heart blotting out any sins due to godly repentance and receiving forgiveness, similar to the Israelites who were spared in Egypt by having the BLOOD of the slaughtered lamb over the doorposts of each of their homes.

Time is of the Essence

How many Passovers will there yet be between here and the time of the demise of the nations of Israel are unknown, but what is now being seen taking place in this nation and the world, one can know in view of end-time prophecies the time can not be all that far away.

It is essential that each of us take advantage of the time, now, and not later to have a right and ongoing relationship with God and Jesus Christ if we expect to be counted worthy to escape the worst of the prophesied curses and be with those to be hidden from a time of world trouble such as has never been before or ever will again (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1).

Sadly, it has to begin with the House of Israel.

The Passover is designed for each member to focus on and evaluate self while making needful changes to make possible for each one to be accepted by Christ as being worthy of partaking of its precious symbols (II Corinthians 13:5; I Corinthians 11:23-34).

In the early 1950s I remember Mr. Ted Armstrong giving a speech in the Ambassador Club (a speech club) in which he said (paraphrased) those who will continue living without making changes in their lives, and then try snowballing it at the end, will be very disappointed. It will not happen!

He was right. Sadly, it appears there are many living their lives with that kind of thinking in their minds.

Then there are those who think their lives are on the up and up when actually they are not! This can be the Laodicean attitude; one of self-righteousness, and tragically many thousands of members are in that camp.

Scripture reveals this kind of an attitude is falling short of their desired hope for they will not be counted worthy to go to a place of safety from this terrible soon-coming time, unless there are the needed changes to make possible the BLOOD of Christ to cover their sins.

Just as the Passover is now at hand and will take place this coming Sunday night after sunset, so it is that one can see from the signs of the times, even as some conservative leaders and writers make known, time is fast running out!

The sun is sinking very low on the horizon and will soon set on the nations of Israel.

Let us be as prepared as much as we can by continuing to examine ourselves in light of God’s teachings before we partake of those precious symbols in the Passover service so as to be acceptable by Christ to be there for it.

May our good and wonderful Father and Jesus Christ, our true Passover Lamb, bless each of us, as we partake of the bread and wine that represents the BLOOD of Christ that was shed for your sins and for mine (Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).

Your brother and servant in the Lord,

Don Billingsley

http://bodyofchristonline.us/     http://cog-ff.com     http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/

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