Do THIS!

6 04 2023

Messiah is our Passover

Do you know why Jesus was in Jerusalem this particular week? He came to Jerusalem virtually every year of His life to celebrate Passover. He was not there for Palm Sunday. He was there for the eternal purpose of fulfilling the original Passover in the deliverance from Egypt and the slavery of the wicked Pharaoh. The first Passover was symbolic. The Lamb’s blood on the doorpost did nothing about their sinfulness. It was a mark to spare the Israelites from the death of the firstborn, which was God’s judgement on Egypt.

When Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples, He was to become the ACTUAL LAMB OF GOD to take away the sins of the world for all who would believe in Him.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”  John 1:29-33

Of course Christians call it the Last Supper, but it was actually a regular Passover under extraordinary circumstances. The first Passover in Egypt was to be remembered for all generations. But, when Jesus led this Passover He made a profound point which would change the future observance of Passover. He boldly charged the disciple to specifically remember Him from now on, every time they held a Passover meal.

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  Luke 22:19

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  1 Corinthians 11:24

Oddly, most churches use Paul’s quotation rather than Luke’s. This has the subtle (unintentional) effect of slightly separating communion from the Passover. When Jesus said: “Do this…” He was referring to Passover. He is the Passover Lamb of God! We most certainly should have communion, but remember the Lamb. Remember the rest of the story. It is not about instituting a new religious sacrament. It is identifying Yeshua, our Messiah, as the Lamb slain for us! His blood is not symbolic; it is effectual in paying the price for our sin through His death. The eternal justice of Yehovah God is satisfied, that Jesus die in our place. God has closed the books on our sin for all who simply believe in Him who died. Hallelujah!

Christians should continue sharing communion, but we are also blessed to participate in the 3,500 year history of Passover. This is even more true once we reconnect to our Jewish roots through the Jewish Messiah.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for rain in the time of latter rain.

Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists                (Read more)


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Fascist or Anti-Fascist? The Question

29 06 2018

Winston Churchill

The uncanny accuracy of Churchill’s “prophecy” is now unfolding in our American society. There is a violent anarchist movement today called Antifa. Do you know what that stands for? Anti-fascists. They enter peaceful protests and violence erupts by design. Anarchy is their philosophy and violence is their method.

Fascism has a wide variety of definitions, but let’s focus on one common trait… violence to impose the will of the state against the freedom of individuals. When conformity is not obtained by reason, it is imposed through violence. The only official definition of fascism is from WWII Italian dictator Benito Mussolini:

1.”Everything in the state”. The Government is supreme and the country is all-encompassing, and all within it must conform to the ruling body, often a dictator. 
2.”Nothing outside the state”. The country must grow and the implied goal of any fascist nation is to rule the world, and have every human submit to the government. 
3.”Nothing against the state“. Any type of questioning the government is not to be tolerated. If you do not see things our way, you are wrong. If you do not agree with the government, you cannot be allowed to live and taint the minds of the rest of the good citizens. 

The United States Constitution stands as a beacon for individual rights and a standard for the world to emulate. Yet, today these liberties are under attack both on university campuses where conservatives are shouted down, and in the streets where peaceful protests more and more end in violence.

Suppression of dissenting viewpoints is spreading in our culture from town councils to social media censorship and blacklisting. This is the opposite of our founding documents which are based on our Judeo/Christian roots, ultimately derived from the Bible. This is the philosophy of leftists that dominate our pop culture. A clear example of their error is  their insistence on open borders, which is anti-Biblical:

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. Acts 17:26

Globally, this is also evident in the Sharia system of total control of the individual by the state/religion. I have often stated that communism would have conquered the world but for one flaw: godless atheism. There was never that religious fervor unto death that characterizes radical Islam. Even many Muslims reject the radicalism, but it is in the DNA of Islam’s total control. Islam means submission, but not the way the Bible teaches. Biblical submission is voluntary; but Islamic submission is imposed, even by the sword: Submit or die! Bible believers choose life and then live in freedom.

We rejoice that millions of former Muslims have found that Jesus is the Son of God. There is a cosmic spiritual battle for the souls of men. One side brings liberation and freedom, the other slavery and bondage. In the end, it is not about the philosophy, but in a relationship with the loving God Yehovah who is a Father, through the intentional sacrifice of His own Son as the payment for our sin. His voluntary sinless death as the Lamb of God purchased our salvation for this life and for eternity.

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45 NLT

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and pray for rain.

Les Lawrence, Voice of Christian Zionists                       (Read more)


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Why Observe Passover?

24 03 2018

Dry Bones No Bread

Why should Christians observe Passover, starting next Friday night, March 30? The cartoon above inserts a little humor “explaining” why the first Passover is still remembered. Of course, the real reason centers on the lamb sacrifice that pointed to the reality of the death of the Messiah as the Lamb of God.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

As a Christian Zionist, I consider Passover as the hinge of history. I don’t do eggs or bunnies. Is the story of the  exodus from Egypt 3,500 years ago the main point, or was it a preview of the event to occur thousands of years later? The answer is: Yes! It was the main starting point of Yehovah’s plan of redemption of the blood of a lamb atoning for sin. But, it is also the ending point with the actual sacrifice of the Son of God in our place.

who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.Hebrews 7:27

By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.Hebrews 10:10

The cross is often called the hinge of history, and rightly so, but it was not the method of His death, but the fact of Yeshua’s death that is the hinge. There are three parts to a hinge. One part attaches to the door and another to the doorframe, but the pin holds it together. There are also three parts to Passover: the lamb, unleavened bread, and first-fruits. The three parts are clearly seen in Yeshua.

First, He was sinless (unleavened by sin) and chose to deny His own will and submit to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane temptation. He reversed the curse of  “self-will.” Three times! Then He willingly laid down His life at His execution, as the Lamb of God, which was the pin of the hinge.

But it would have all been meaningless if He had remained dead. The third and most critical part of the hinge is that He was raised from the dead, defeating death itself! As the personal fulfillment of first-fruits, He paved the way for all who follow Him to also be raised from the dead to life eternal. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.Acts 4:33

Les Lawrence, Voice of Christian Zionists                (Read more)


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Passover Merger

10 04 2017

Passover LambAs Jewish families observe Passover this week, a growing phenomena is happening. More Christians than ever are also sharing a Passover supper. Tonight, Doreen and I will be with 110 of our closest friends to celebrate the deliverance of the human race from the slavery of sin and condemnation.

The passing over of the death angel in Egypt was the first indication of Yehovah’s plan of salvation through the blood of a lamb. Who knew back then that the Messiah would ultimately become that Lamb Himself? (Read Isaiah 53)Jews and Christians who really value Passover are closer than ever to that wonderful merger of Ephesians as I wrote about in my book, Blessing Israel.

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:11-18

“One new man from the two” refers to Jews and former Gentiles, merging with one another by the Holy Spirit in their shared access to God. Hallelujah! This is the miracle of sacrifice of the eternal Lamb of God, our Messiah Yeshua.

Let it be done O Lord, according to your word. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Les Lawrence, Voice of Christian Zionists          (Read more)

 


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