Countdown to the Passover: Preparing Our Hearts for God's Blessed Season

[Ava Gabrielle]

Good Morning World! The fullness of time. God works in appointed times. We all have appointed times in our individual lives for certain things to happen. Yet, in the family of God, there are also appointed times during which He declares certain things to be accomplished for His people. If it's important enough to Him to set eternal appointments with us, shouldn't it be important for us to show up for those appointments the right way and on time? We are entering into the final week before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover begins at dusk on Monday, March 29th. Let's begin to prepare our hearts and minds to hear and receive from the Lord during this Blessed Season. Study, pray and seek God for His instructions to you. Have a great day!

And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:17

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. Exodus 12:23-24

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

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen Matthew 28:20

And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. Luke 22:8

Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Matthew 12:1-3

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. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Quote of the Day: Passover affirms the great truth that liberty is the inalienable right of every human being. Morris Joseph

Passover has a message for the conscience and the heart of all mankind. For what does it commemorate? It commemorates the deliverance of a people from degrading slavery, from most foul and cruel tyranny. And so, it is Israel's - nay, God's protest against unrighteousness, whether individual or national. Morris Joseph

[Charles R> Brown]

Festivals, There are festivals that praise God and recognize his great works in Man's life, but man today often does'nt know or want to know of these days committed to thank and praise God. Instead they would rather celebrate Arbor(Tree) Day, Groundhog's day, and all other types foolish events. Many don't know what they should be doing, and many don't want to know. This year, I thought about going to the St. Patrick Day parade in Jackson, MS. It has grown to be one of the top St. Patrick's Day parades in the country for attendants and Participants. Bigger than any of the St. Patrick Day events in Memphis, Birmingham, New Orleans, etc. Naturally It attracts vendors and the like because people are there. But my spirit began to toil at the idea of going. My heart began to ask my body" why do you want go down there where there is nothing but a bunch of people hiding behind a supposed holiday as a shield for drinking beer and smoking whatever else they can get until they are high. While this was not all that was going on at the parade and afterwards, It was enough of it for my soul to know that I did'nt want to even go in that direction.
Which bring me back to the real Festivals and holidays. When Jesus was sacrificed he did away with the animal and other sacrifices for Sin. He did not ask that we not celebrate the other great days of God, Passover, The Pentecost, and so on. Some large organizations subverted these days and conspired with pagans to appease them. They began to insert all of these other celebrations and festivals into Christian life. AS for me and my house, We will serve the Lord. I admit that I also was ignorant for years of the Holy Days and Festivals that Jesus recognized during his time on earth. But knowing better now, I am doing better, even if it is just a prayer of thanks for the things that have been done for man in all of his misadventures over time. I hope that we all begin to seek and apply this knowledge.