Christ Our Passover Lamb

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:1-13)

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorts them to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” (I Corinthians 5:7) So, the Passover lamb of Exodus chapter twelve is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”(John 1:29)

In fact, the Lamb of God, is one of the central themes of the Bible. Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” From Genesis through Revelation, the Lamb of God shines forth as God’s provision for covering the sins of man. In Genesis 3:21 the Lamb is first typified when God provides a covering for Adam and Eve in their sins. The Lamb is prophesied in Genesis 22:8 when Abraham tells his son Isaac that “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” In Exodus chapter twelve we see the Lamb applied when the Israelites strike the blood of the Passover lamb on the side posts and the upper door posts of their houses. Isaiah 53:7 gives us the Lamb personified, showing us that the Lamb of God would be a man. He is identified in John 1:29 when John the Baptist looks to Christ and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The Lamb is then crucified in all four gospel accounts. Finally, the Lamb of God is glorified in Revelation 5:12-14. So Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is the redemption theme of the Bible. With this in mind, let us take a closer look at our text from Exodus chapter twelve.

I. A NEW BEGINNING . . . Notice in verse two that God says, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” From this time on, Israel’s entire future was changed. God considered the Passover to be so important that he chose to begin the year with it. Abib was established as the first month on the Jewish calendar for all future generations. “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.” (Deuteronomy 16:1) So, the Passover brought a new beginning.

This is also true of Christ our Passover. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The day you were saved God passed over your sins and they became a thing of the past. You became a new creature in Christ. You were born again by God’s Spirit. Now, looking back, the day you were saved clearly stands out as the greatest day of your life. It is more special to you than any birthday, any wedding day, or any graduation day. This is the day you received a new life in Christ, a new beginning. This is your Passover.

This should also remind us that Jesus is to be first in all things, not salvation alone (Matthew 6:33; 22:37-38).

II. THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS . . . “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel . . . they shall take to them every man a lamb . . .” (Exodus 12:3)

Notice that God’s message of redemption was preached. God told Moses to speak to all the congregation. Perhaps there were other methods of passing the message along, but God chose preaching. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21) Like Christians today, the Israelites heard the good news, they believed it, and they acted on it. They were saved as a result of truly believing a preached message. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

III. THE LAMB WAS SET APART . . . “. . . In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb . . . And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month” (Exodus 12:3, 6)
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The lamb was to be set apart for the Passover four days ahead of time. II Peter 3:8 informs us that “. . . one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” With this in mind, it seems no mere accident that God’s plan of redemption through Christ was set in motion 4,000 years before Calvary! We know this is true for Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The foundation of the world was 4,000 years (or four “days”) before Jesus died on Calvary.
Furthermore, Jesus himself was set apart from the general public a few days before Calvary. He was anointed for his burial, he made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he spent some very special time with his disciples, and he administered the Last Supper all in the few days preceding his crucifixion.

IV. THE LAMB WAS SHARED WITH OTHERS . . . “And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” (Exodus 12:4)

How’s that for a nugget? A small family was supposed to share their lamb with their neighbors!

In comparison to the manifold grace of God, are we not all small? Are we not all unworthy and “too little for the lamb”? Let us be witnesses for our Lord and give the good news of redemption to our fellow man. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

V. THE PERSONAL LAMB . . . Notice in Exodus 12:3 we read about “a” lamb. We then read in verse four about “the” lamb. Then, in verse five, the Lord makes it very personal by saying, “Your” lamb. So, Exodus 12:3-5 are progressive, making redemption more personal with each verse.

Is this not the way we perceive Christ in life? At first, as a small child, we only know Jesus as “a” man. Then we come to understand that he is more than just another man. We realize that Jesus Christ is a special man, unlike all other men. He is “the” Son of God, “the” Saviour of the world, “the” Lamb of God. However, this still is not enough for salvation. Jesus must become “your” Lamb. His blood must be applied to “your” sins.

I have never asked one person if they know Jesus as “a” Saviour, nor have I asked anyone if they know Jesus as “the” Saviour, yet I have asked many people, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Saviour.” Do you, friend? Perhaps you acknowledge Christ as “the” Saviour, but have you made him “your” Saviour?

VI. A PERFECT LAMB . . . Verse five from our text says, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year . . .”

It wouldn’t do for an Israelite to run outside and grab the first lamb he saw. God demanded a perfect lamb, one without blemish and one less than a year old. The lamb had to be healthy and strong. That is, God required the very best.

I Peter 1:18-19 tells us that Christ fulfills this type perfectly: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but not Jesus. Man at his best state is altogether vanity, except Jesus. There is none that doeth good, no not one, except Jesus. Jesus Christ is the perfect sinless Lamb which qualifies for taking away the sin of the world.

A lamb of the “first year” would be a strong and healthy lamb, one on which age had taken no toll. The same is true of the Saviour at thirty-three years of age. Thirty-three is an ideal age for a man, not too young and not too old. A man of thirty-three is old enough to have experience in life and be established, yet he is still strong enough to be active and provide for his own. So, it was at this age that our Lord laid down his life as a strong and healthy lamb of the “first year”.

VII. A SHEEP OR A GOAT? . . . Exodus 12:5 contains what first appeared to me as a strange command. Concerning the Passover lamb, the Lord said, “ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.” Why, I wondered, would God permit his people to use a goat for the Passover? Christ is never likened unto a goat in the New Testament. In fact, goats are only mentioned six times in the New Testament, and two of those occurrences picture unsaved people (Matthew 25:32-33). Puzzled I was, for a while, and then it “hit” me. Jesus Christ meets the needs to two kinds of people: saints (sheep) and sinners (goats).

The saint needs Christ, the Good Shepherd, for his daily needs (Philippians 4:19), so Christ identifies with his people by being a “Lamb” as well as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Christ was “like as we are.” He not only paid for our sins, he also humbled himself and identified himself with us, setting the perfect example for us to follow. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (I Peter 2:21)

The sinner, on the other hand, needs salvation. He needs someone to identify with him and bear the burden of his sins. In Leviticus chapter sixteen Aaron was commanded to bring two goats before the Lord. One was to be offered as a sin offering, while the other was to be set free into the wilderness. So, the goat of Exodus 12:5 does picture Christ in regards to the sin offering that Christ became for us! Paul states it best in II Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Like the scapegoat of Leviticus, we have been set free, because Christ humbled himself, took our place, and bore our sins. So, thanks be to God, he included the goat!
VIII. GOD DELIGHTS IN HIS SON . . . Exodus 12:37 tells us that some 600,000 men on foot left Egypt on the night of the Passover. This figure does not include children and women, so it is safe to say that over 2,000,000 Jews left Egypt that night, probably many more. This would give us at least 150,000 Jewish homes, conservatively speaking.

With this is mind, notice how God refers to the Passover lamb in the singular sense. In Exodus 12:4-11 God uses the word “it” thirteen times in reference to over 150,000 lambs! Not one time did God say, “they” or “those lambs.” God was thinking only of the individual need of his people, which was one lamb per household.
Today there is only one Lamb. “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God . . . For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12, 14) The Bible says in I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

IX. ALL HAVE SINNED . . . Rather than have the Passover lamb killed by the priests, God commanded that “the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” (Exodus 12:6) God chose this method because He knew that one dreadful evening the whole nation of Israel would be guilty of killing His Son. In Matthew 27:25 the Jews cried out, “His blood be on us, and on our children.”
Consequently, for this present age, God has withdrawn himself from Israel until she acknowledges her offence and believes on Christ (Hosea 5:15; Romans 11:26).

But the Jews also said, “We have no king but Caesar,” (John 19:15), and it was Caesar’s soldiers who nailed Christ to the cross. So, in reality, everyone had a part in the death of Jesus Christ, because everyone can benefit from it by receiving forgiveness of sin.

X. WHY IN THE EVENING? . . . The Passover lamb was to be killed in the evening for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that the Bible acknowledges the days of Christ on earth as the last days or the last times. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” A similar statement is made by Peter, immediately following his comments about the “lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:20 says, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” So, in the “day of man,” Christ was offered in the “evening.”
Another reason for the lamb dying in the evening is because this was the time of day that Jesus died. In fact, he died at the same time that the evening sacrifice was made, the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). Some even believe his words “It is finished” (John 19:30) coincide with the slaying of the evening sacrifice that day.

But there is more here than this. From Mark chapter fifteen we learn that Jesus was nailed to the cross at the third hour (verse 25) and that he remained on the cross until the ninth hour (verses 33 through 37). So, on that particular day, Jesus Christ was the morning and evening sacrifice. In fact, since he was on the cross from morning till evening, it would be correct to say that he fulfilled Psalm 44:22: “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”

XI. “WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD” . . . In Exodus 12:7 God commands the Israelites to strike the blood of the lamb on the two side posts and on the upper door post of their houses. Later that night the death angel would come through and “pass over” those who were protected by the blood (verse 13).

Now this is a remarkable thing in the Bible. Only God knew this at the time, but every Jewish family in Egypt had a picture of Calvary right on the front of their house! There was blood on either door post, picturing the two thieves, and there was blood above the door, picturing Christ on the cross!

Furthermore, please notice that God required no blood to be placed under the door on the threshold. This just wouldn’t do because Hebrews 10:29 says, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” We belong under his feet, but he doesn’t belong under ours!

Suppose a Jewish family was somewhat liberal and didn’t believe in using literal blood, so they splashed water on the door posts instead. Would they have been saved? No, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” What if they believed in transubstantiation and attempted to drink the blood instead? Would they have been saved? No, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” He didn’t say, “When you drink the blood . . .” What if a child didn’t actually see their father strike the blood on the doorposts? Would the child still be saved? Yes, because God said, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” It wasn’t necessary for everyone to see the blood. It was only necessary for God to see it.

Friend, it isn’t necessary for you to see the blood of Christ. It is necessary for you to have FAITH in the blood of Christ: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Romans 3:24-25) Has the blood of God’s Son been applied to YOU. Have you been cleansed from all your sins in the pure blood of the Lamb?

Christian, please consider this. Those Israelites down in Egypt had blood on the front of their houses, visible for everyone to see. In fact, it was so obvious that one couldn’t miss it! They surely looked foolish, but they were saved. They may have been labeled “fanatics”, but they were saved. They may have been accused of being “too old-fashioned”, but they were saved. It wasn’t possible to be redeemed by the blood and keep it a secret! If you are really saved, really washed in the blood of Christ, it will show. “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” (I Corinthians 8:3)

XII. ROAST WITH FIRE . . . In Exodus 12:8-9 God commanded that the Passover lamb be roasted with fire. It could not be sodden in water. Through the Bible, fire is often God’s means of accepting sacrifices, so fire is required here, picturing God’s wrath toward sin.
Some of the final words of Jesus on the cross were, “I thirst” (John 19:28). He received no water when he thirsted, just as the rich man in hell received none (Luke 16:24-25). Christ took our punishment for us, his soul being made an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10), so there was no water given.

XIII. EATING THE PASSOVER . . . In Exodus 12:8 we read that the Israelites were told to eat the flesh of the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. As everything else we’ve seen, this also is instructive.

Eating the flesh pictures the believer feeding on the spiritual things of Christ, rather than the carnal things of the world. “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” (John 6:56-57) Just as Christ’s spiritual life was maintained through constant communion with the Father above, our spiritual life is to be maintained through constant communion with Christ. We must feed on spiritual things if we are to be spiritual and walk in the spirit. We must pray, read our Bibles, and we must apply the word of God in our daily walk. Job said, “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12) The word of God is essential for our spiritual well being. Jesus once said, after saving a soul, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” (John 4:32) He fed on serving God and saving souls. This brought him spiritual nourishment.

It wasn’t enough to see and roast the Passover. They had to eat it in order to reap the true benefit.

The Israelites also had to eat the Passover with unleavened bread. The Bible explains this picture in I Corinthians 5:7-8: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Eating the Passover with unleavened bread pictured serving Christ in “sincerity and truth.” Malice and wickedness have no place under the banner of Christ. God wants clean and honest people who are sincere in their service to him. Christianity is not “show business” or politics. It is a serious business which requires the dedication of serious sold-out Christians. As we feed on Christ, let us also feed on the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

“Bitter herbs” were also required in the Passover meal. It seems at first glance that such a requirement would ruin the sacred meal, but not so. Bitter herbs were the perfect ingredient for reminding the Israelites of the bitter lives and hard bondage from which they were about to be delivered (Exodus 1:14). In the years to come, they would be reminded over and over of the great deliverance which God had wrought.

When serving and obeying God becomes “bitter” (Revelation 10:9-10), let us be thankful and remember the bitterness and bondage that we once knew before God’s work of grace changed our hearts forever.

XIV. ONE BODY . . . The Jews were told in Exodus 12:9 that they were to eat the lamb with the whole body in tact. A bone could not be broken (12:46) and the body parts could not be divided.

This, of course, pictures the perfect body of Christ which could not be broken (Psalm 34:20). Jesus was to crucified, rather than stoned, so as not to break his bones. He was to be buried and resurrected in the same body, so it was necessary for God to keep it in tact.
Furthermore, since we are “members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30), the body had to remain unified because the bride is unified (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 3:15; I Corinthians 12:20). The Passover lamb could have no broken bones when it was slain nor when it was eaten because Christ is one undivided body.

XV. LET NOTHING REMAIN . . . Verse ten from our text says, “And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.” The Israelites were to consume all of the lamb, allowing nothing to be wasted.

Ah, what a spiritual truth we have here! Let us not pick through the things of Christ and select only that which we like. Jesus is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16). God forbid that we should refuse any portion of him and cling to this hopeless world! It isn’t possible for one to get “too wrapped up” in Jesus Christ as some suggest. He is worthy of every ounce of devotion we can offer, and there is no part of Christ which cannot benefit us if we receive him wholeheartedly.

Notice our text says that they couldn’t allow any part of the lamb to remain “until the morning.” The “morning” in Bible prophecy is the millennial kingdom of Christ, the new day when Jesus rules the earth in righteousness (Psalm 30:5; 49:14; Hosea 6:3; Malachi 4:2). The lesson here is obvious. A person who neglects salvation today will find God’s grace expired when Christ returns. “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.” (Proverbs 1:28) Friend, now is the accepted time; this is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Receive Christ now, and receive him wholly.

XVI. BE READY AND STAY READY . . . As a final consideration, please notice that in Exodus 12:11 the Jews were given specific instruction on how to eat the Passover: “. . . with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste . . .” The whole verse speaks of preparation. We read some similar words in Ephesians 6:14-15 in regards to the Christian soldier: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” God wants a prepared, disciplined and zealous people who are ready and willing to answer the call of Christian duty.

God delighted in Gideon’s three hundred soldiers who kept themselves alert and prepared for battle (Judges 7:6-7), and he delights in those today who stand ready to fight the good fight of faith.

At a moment’s notice the Israelites were to leave Egypt that night and not look back. Friend, do you manifest that same degree of faith and dedication to your Captain? Are you ready to join in the royal march, or is there some carnal desire bidding you to lay down your staff and cast your eyes upon Egypt? “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

James L Melton

The Bible, Welfare, and Immigration

It's become clear that for the last decade aspects of Christian Theology have been twisted and weaponized to advance evil (or keep people from opposing it), and a lot of those examples ​revolve around welfare and immigration; Christian gaslighting is the worst!

First, Jesus commands individual believers to love their neighbor, show mercy, give sacrificially, and care for the poor. He never instructs governments to abandon borders, laws, or enforcement. Conflating individual charity with state policy is dishonest theology.

Second, it weaponizes Jesus to shut down debate- “Agree with my political position or you are un-Christlike.” That is spiritual bullying, not discipleship. It replaces reasoning with shame. (Now when it comes to abortion I do think we can be a bit hard hitting as it directly violates one of God’s 10 Commandments but that is a discussion for another day).

Third, it ignores Jesus’s actual respect for law and authority. Jesus affirmed lawful authority repeatedly. He paid taxes. He told others to obey civil law even when it was inconvenient. He distinguished between God’s authority and Caesar’s authority. Mercy did not mean lawlessness.

Fourth, it cherry picks scripture while ignoring the rest. The Bible is full of borders, nations, laws, judges, and consequences. Israel had clear rules for outsiders. Hospitality existed alongside enforcement. There is no biblical model of open borders with no accountability. None.

Fifth, it confuses compassion with outcomes. Christians can oppose illegal immigration because it enables human trafficking, cartel control, child exploitation, and lawlessness while still caring about immigrants as people. Wanting order is not hatred. Wanting law enforcement is not cruelty.

Sixth, it replaces repentance with victimhood. Jesus never affirmed people in ongoing lawbreaking and told everyone else to accommodate it. His pattern was truth, then mercy. “Go and sin no more” was right along side His compassion.

So, let's dive into this with a clarification that Jesus was NOT an illegal immigrant. Jesus was a Jewish man who lived in Israel (the Jews nation) which was under Roman occupation during His lifetime. Joseph and Mary were traveling to the town of Joseph's family (Bethlehem of Judah) to pay the taxes imposed by the Romans. He was not traveling out of his national boundaries. The only time that Jesus could be considered an immigrant was the brief period where He, Joseph, and Mary lived in Egypt while hiding from Herod. That lasted only a few years, and then Jesus and His family moved to Nazareth, another city in the nation of Israel.

1) "The Bible commands us to welcome the stranger" was often misappropriated by progressive Christians to max-boost immigration, oppose any immigration restrictions, and DEFINITELY to oppose any consequences for illegal immigrants.

​This verse in the King James is Hebrews 13:2- Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

​There's a big difference between entertaining someone and welcoming someone. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines "entertain" as to receive into the house and treat with hospitality, either at the table only, or with lodging also.  ​This is not a permanent thing, it was a temporary one as in the case of Abraham and the three visitors he received in Genesis 18 (which is why angels are referenced).

It is important to note that this particular verse is dealing with a future dispensation. Angels are all through the Old Testament, the birth of Jesus, and they appear at His resurrection, but they go silent during the church age. When Paul speaks of angels it is always in a negative connotation. Why? Because during the church age the Holy Spirit comes and dwells inside of Christians and works through them. Once the rapture of the church happens, angels come back on the scene- they are mentioned all throughout the book of Revelation.  

 

In the Old Testament, angels are referred to as the sons of God. During the church age, Christians are the sons of God. Angels in the Old Testament were messengers who showed up for a specific purpose (to tell God’s will or destroy the wicked). During the church age, we are God’s messengers who through the foolishness of preaching seek to warn the wicked of the coming judgment (we don’t mete out the judgment, that’s God’s job, we only warn). 

 

Should you meet an “angel” during the church age you better try the spirits because you are more than likely dealing with a fallen angel, also known as a devil. 

 

Another interesting aspect about this verse is that it’s written to Jews. The “strangers” here is a reference to Gentiles. In the Old Testament, whenever God is speaking about a stranger in the land of Israel, He is speaking about a Gentile.

​When the Lord tells the children of Israel to accept the stranger, it is understood that they would follow the rules and regulations of the nation.

​Exodus 12:49- One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

​Leviticus 18:26- Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

Leviticus 24:16- And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Number 15:30- But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

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​These verses clearly show that the "stranger" could be judged and even receive execution for not following the commandments. Exodus lays out the punishment for specific crimes, and capital punishment for murder, rape, and trafficking are among them. Those liberals who want to use the Bible's guidelines have never actually read the Bible!

But, as has been stated before, the Bible distinguishes between the role of the individual Christians (charity for all) and the role of the State (prioritizing justice for that nation's citizens).

This is why the same Bible that commands individuals to "​entertain the stranger"​ also blesses a nation in building a wall to protect its borders.

​Deuteronomy 19:14- Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Deuteronomy 27:17- Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

And in the same way a father has a responsibility to his children that he does not have for all children, and a pastor has a responsibility to his church he does not have for all churches... the leaders of a nation have a responsibility to the citizens of that nation that they do not have to care for other nations' citizens.

​I Timothy 5:8- But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

​So, the nation who leaves their citizens homeless while providing for illegals is NOT obeying God's commands. They are considered worse than an infidel, or an unbeliever.  

2) "When he returns, Christ will gather the glory of the nations" was often used to reinforce the progressive idea that all cultures are equally glorious and to be celebrated.​ They take this out of context. He's not gathering the nations for one glorious community, but rather to do battle!

 ​Zephaniah 3:8- Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

"What could be wrong with importing hundreds of thousands of ​immigrants?​"

All PEOPLE are equally valuable because they're created in the image of God, but not all CULTURES are equally glorious because what a culture becomes arises from what that culture worships. If a culture is built on top of godless or demonic ideologies (like Islam), it will not be morally equal to a culture built on top of Protestant Christianity.

​God did not allow the Israelites to bring in other religions. In fact, He warned of dire consequences should they allow or follow these other religions.

​Exodus 23:24- Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

​Deuteronomy 7:5,25- But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

​II Kings 23:24- Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

​Not every culture is equal in value to (or often compatible with) Protestant Christian culture.​ And America was formed on Protestant Christian principles.

3) "The Bible commands us to love the poor" is (very) often used to support max-boosting welfare programs, Christians throwing tantrums against any scrutiny toward entitlement programs, and used to support socialism-lite policies​. But again, the Bible distinguishes between the role of the individual, church, family, and State.

​God gives individuals blessings for helping out those less fortunate. Especially those who cannot help themselves- orphans and elderly.

​Dueteronomy 10:17-18- For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.  

And the Bible places the primary responsibility for charity on families (1 Tim 5:8), individual Christians (Matt 25), and the church (Gal 2:10, 1 Tim 5). ​But, it does NOT want us to support the lazy.

I​I Thessalonians 3:10- For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Those with farms were to leave the gleanings in the field for the fatherless and widow to come collect. They weren't sitting around looking for handouts; they were out there gathering their own food.

Deuteronomy 24:19- When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

​No where in Scripture does God command human governments to forcibly redistribute wealth​. And remember, with governments, "You always get more of what you incentivize and less of what you penalize."

This is why when governments max-boost welfare programs, at-scale and over time it tends to CREATE more poverty rather than SOLVING it. For example, progressive cities / states that max-boost "care for the homeless" end up with cities overwhelmed by *more* homelessness; they do not end up solving homelessness.

4) Biblical commands against partiality and prejudice are often used to make Christians more scared of being called racist or Islamophobic than they are of allowing the destruction of their society.

​​Isaiah 59:7- Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

​​I Timothy 1:15- Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 

But honesty about cultural realities and generalizations are not "prejudice" or "phobia." In the same way that it was not wrong for the Apostle Paul to say, "​One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.​ This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;" (Titus 1:12​-13), it would also not be wrong for someone to say, "Hey, ​the Somalian culture tends to be heavily Islamic, low-trust, and high-fraud."

Proverbs 10:29- The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Isaiah 1:28- And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

We are to be looking to God to supply our need, not a government program. And when government programs support wicked people you better watch out!

​Psalm 55:23- But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

​Governments​ are suppose to make wise decisions based on th​e realities​ of the dangers that are out there.​ They are suppose to take care of their citizens first, and then if they are able accept those who are willing to come and work for a better life while following the rules and regulations of our nation.

​Philippians 3:18-19- (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

So, to summarize- The government's job is to enforce the law, and it is the individual's responsibility to help those who need it in a wise manner. It is best performed when a local church helps out one of its members, or a community lends aid to one living in it, or an individual helps out a friend or relative; this is because they can intimately know the need and provide out of their overabundance. When you start "assisting" those that you don't know, you run the risk of subsidizing the lazy, deceitful, or wicked- which is exactly what happens when the government takes it upon themselves to offer government programs to the "needy".

Our ultimate job as Christians is to spread the gospel to those other nations. We are to tell them that Jesus Christ died for their sins and that they don't have to go to hell. Our job is NOT to enable them in their sins or make them feel accepted in their indolent lifestyle.

Under the Juniper Tree (video sermon)

Healthy Minute- Juice Fast For Health

 Going on a two day juice fast can really help your body focus energy on repair. However, you need to make certain that you are getting the proper nutrients required to keep you from getting sick with toxic overload.

As you fast, your body will break down fat cells. These fat cells, however, can have toxins bound up in them which will be released into the body as the fat is utilized. Environmental toxins always go through the liver. The liver will wrap them up in fat if it can't eliminate it. We can help the body to eliminate these toxins by giving it what it needs to eliminate them while we fast.

The fast that I'm using is a juice/ bone broth fast. These items will provide all the necessary nutrients without taking forever for the stomach to breakdown and digest the ingredients.

Fasting generally takes your body through 3 phases, if you fast long enough.

During phase 1, your body will take the fat and convert it to a metabolite. This metabolite will contain the fat soluble toxin in a rather toxic form. This is why we only want to fast for 2 days at a time, to give our body the chance to remove all the released toxins without getting sick from toxic overload.

So, this metabolite is full of free radicals, which can be damaging to the tissues. However, you can help your body by getting plenty of antioxidants during this period. Antioxidants are like scavengers that round up free radicals; the most potent of which is beta carotene.

Another antioxidant to include is Vitamin C (if you take a supplement you want the Vitamin C with bioflavonoids). And, Vitamin E is another one you'll want to include during this phase, along with a good Vitamin B supplement.

A good juice to use during this phase is 80% carrot, 10% celery, and 10% apple. You could add in some ginger if you like. However, you need to make certain all your vegetables are organic so you aren't introducing more toxins to the body.

You're trying to nutritionally support the liver the entire time you fast, so you'll drink your juices at 8AM, 10AM, 12PM, 2PM, and 4PM and then you'll let the body rest and drink filtered water with a grain of Celtic salt the rest of the time.

In phase 2, which kicks in at about 36 hours into your fast, the liver takes the volatile, toxic metabolite and joins it together with amino acids.  This converts the substance into a water soluble state so that it can be released out of the body through sweat and urination. 

Minerals are needed by the body during this phase. A great place to get a variety of natural minerals is Celtic Salt or Baja Gold Salt. 

You also need amino acids, which you get from protein, for the metabolite to bind with, which is why I suggest some bone broth with Celtic salt in it. You can make your own mineral rich broth by placing bones and different vegetables and spices in a crock pot and cooking on low for at least 24 hours and then strain everything out so that what you're left with is just liquid.

You could use a pea protein shake that's been pre-digested mixed with water to drink during this time, but whichever you use you want to keep taking your Vitamin C and E supplements, and keep drinking the carrot/apple juice just add a little coconut cream to it to give yourself some good fat it. You definitely want something that will only take your body about 10 minutes to digest.

Ideally, you would drink your bone broth along with your juice (not mixed together) at 8AM, 10Am, 12PM, 2PM, and 4PM.

Finally, in phase 3, which happens almost simultaneously with phase 2, the body kicks the water soluble toxin out through sweat, urine, or feces. 

Should you need help with elimination during this, you can brew some Colon Tea. The Barbara O'Neill  colon tea recipe is a blend of three parts buckthorn bark, two parts licorice root, and one part cascara. To prepare it, mix one teaspoon of the herb mixture per cup of water and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. It is recommended to start with one cup at night and adjust the amount based on your body's response.

This fast is a good way to give the stomach and digestive system a rest while also freeing the system from built up fat-soluble toxins. It's better to do about 2 days of this type of fasting once every week, or every two weeks, than to fast for multiple days in a row on nothing but water, which will create a lot of metabolites, which will make you very sick since your body won't be able to remove them.

If you find that you are feeling sick when you do this fast, then take some extra bone broth with Celtic salt in it. It means your body is pretty toxic and is releasing a lot of metabolites. Drinking extra protein will help the body to convert and expel them faster.

Comfort and Hope (poem)

When sorrow lingers and hearts feel torn,
Remember God’s promise: new mercies each morn.
Though loved ones are gone from the sight of your eyes,
Their souls find their rest where no shadow lies.

“Blessed are those who mourn,” Jesus said,
For His comfort will cradle each tear that you shed.
He holds every prayer, He knows every pain,
And in His great love, your hope will remain.

The grave has no victory, death has no sting,
For Christ is our life, our eternal King.
Your dear ones now walk in His radiant light,
Where joy has no end and day knows no night.

So lean on His promise, steadfast and true,
“I will never forsake or abandon you.”
Until heaven’s reunion makes all things complete,
Rest in His peace, and His love ever sweet.

-Candace T Hoover

Trading a Cross for a Crown (song)

The Lying Prophet

 The Old Testament has many stories of prophets. There are some well known ones, like Elijah who called down fire from heaven, and some little known ones like Obadiah who has just one chapter with 21 verses detailing his prophesies.

There is one story that always makes me wonder. You can find it in I Kings 13:1-32:

In this story, we aren't even told the name of the prophet. We are just told that the Lord commanded him to take a message to King Jeroboam (the king to whom God gave most of the nation of Israel when he took the 10 Tribes from King Solomon's son).

I Kings 13:1-3- And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. 

The story starts out pretty good. The prophet obeys the Lord, goes and delivers his message, and even receives divine protection from the Lord when Jeroboam gets angry and vindictive.

I Kings 13:4-9- And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 

The nameless prophet wouldn't go with Jeroboam because God had told him to go in one way and go out on a different path. He wasn't to eat or drink while he was there, he was only there to fulfill the directive.

I Kings 13:10- So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 

If only the story had stopped there! The prophet obeyed the command. He was told exactly what was expected of him by the Lord and he followed it to the letter.

Until....

I Kings 13:11-18- Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 

I always wondered why this older prophet would do that. He lied and destroyed the promising potential that we see in this nameless young man.

It's sad that this isn't the only time this happened. Many young Christians today get destroyed spiritually, and sometimes emotionally and psychologically, by older Christians. Instead of teaching the younger to read the Bible, pray, and listen and obey the Lord, they tell them what THEY expect of them. It is not their job to direct you in all matters of your spiritual life. They can counsel you, or advise you, but not control you. You are to learn to be obedient to God!

The older prophet lied, and the younger prophet should have realized this. The nameless prophet received instruction from the Lord, which should have been followed. The older prophet claims to have received his directions from an angel- that should ring warning bells!

Galatians 1:8- But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Paul is warning his converts that they can be deceived, even by an angel. The devil is a fallen cherub. He was actually on a higher level than normal messenger angels. And, he can appear to be as godly as you need to get you to disobey God.

II Corinthians 11:13-15- For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

This young man was deceived because he didn't recognize a false prophet.

I Kings 13:19- So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. 

The Lord allows us to make our own decisions. We have the capacity of choice, but that doesn't negate the consequences of those choices. The young prophet chose to listen to the older prophet instead of obeying his commission.

And now, he gets the notice of the consequences.

I Kings 13:20-25- And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 

Why the Lord didn't stop the old prophet, or punish the old prophet, has always bothered me. This man's decision and deceit were the reason the nameless prophet was killed. His entire life gone because he listened to someone who he decided was to be revered.

I also find it interesting that the Lord uses the old prophet to deliver the sentence for his actions. The prophet said, "You done messed up, and now you gonna die."

God took no time to mete out the judgment. He was killed by a lion not far from where he disobeyed. And, we know this is God's work because a lion doesn't hunt for sport, it hunts for food, but it doesn't eat the prophet's body nor his donkey; and the donkey doesn't run away from the lion!

I Kings 13:26-32- And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

You can tell that the old man was sorry for his actions. But "sorry" can't erase consequences. He mourns for the young man that lost his life because of his deception, and gives him a right proper burial, but the nameless prophet is only mentioned one other time in Scriptures.

II Kings 23:16-18- And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. 

The Lord's commissioned prophesy still came to pass. What God says will happen regardless of how his ministers act. But isn't it tragic that someone's entire ministry was cut short because of an old dishonest man of God?

We are not an island, and our actions and words have an impact on those around us.

Romans 14:7- For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

This story should give us two warnings-

1. Don't just follow what an older Christian tells you to do; search out for yourself what God says on the matter.
2. Be careful with how you interact with those around you; you never know who might be watching and listening. You might just destroy the walk of another if you aren't careful.