Passover: It’s how we end up that counts.

Praise Yah.  With Passover ALL of our sins are covered and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God.  We are freed from sin – which is what the Israelites being freed from Egypt was really depicting.  We were also bought with a price and now we belong to Christ and Father. We do not “belong” to any man-made organizations but to Yehowah (YHVH) our Maker.

ALL of us have sinned. Some of us have -- at least in the sight of men – greater sin than others, though all sin requires the same ultimate penalty:  death.  Either our death or accepting the life of Messiah to pay for our penalty.   I bring this up because many people like to remember people by their failures. God remembers His children by how much they used His Spirit to overcome even the most despicable of sins.  Do you really think when we meet Rahab of Jericho that we will say, “Oh, you are that whore. You’re Rahab the harlot”??  Really?  Or are we going to count it an honor to have met one of only 5 women mentioned by name or alluded to in the genealogy of the Christ?  Be watching for my message about the women in Messiah’s genealogy – because it has everything to do with Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread.

You may wish to read the rest of this blog if you are one of those who believe certain types of sins and sinners are beyond redemption or change.  If you’re one of those who feel certain types of repentant sinners should never ever be among your righteous fellowship, you really need this blog. If you’re embarrassed to have certain people attending with you at your group, read on, as you really need this.  You need this blog if YOU yourself feel you will never be able to change or overcome! You need this if you’re constantly stewing in your broken past, instead of appreciating the new life we have in Yeshua. You need this blog if you are one of those miserable souls who remember the sins of people instead of rejoicing in their changed or changing life.

So read the rest of this blog and glory in the miracle of Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread. It’s all about Yehowah calling a group of people prepared for their King and ready to lead the world in the Kingdom Way. It’s about repentance and real change – and how we end up that counts.  Enjoy the rest of the blog…..

But the point is this:  no matter our past – good or bad – what Yehowah will be looking at is how we END UP. If our past puts us into the class of “worst sinner”, starting now you and I and others can let the risen Christ live in our lives and show the world what His Spirit can do to change ANYONE, even the worst of the worst.  The world likes to teach that it’s not possible for some kinds of sinners to EVER change.  But that denies the power of the Holy Spirit and slaps our Father who begets us anew, who leads us to a new birth, a new life.  It’s not a rehash of the old, but a brand new life.  NOTHING is impossible with God. It’s VERY possible for Him and His spirit to change an alcoholic into a person who is the paragon of sobriety.  It’s very possible for Him to change adulterers and sex addicts. It’s very possible for Him to convert homosexuals and bi-sexuals into something very different. I mention all of these examples because these are typical examples of the kinds of people the world says will never change – but God’s word says otherwise.  I take Father at His word and I believe in what HE can do, regardless of what carnal people say about the impossibility of some to ever change.

Let’s see what scripture says:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such WERE some of you. But YOU were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

We DO have to change.  We DO need to get a new heart from God. We need to ask Him to cleanse us and renew His spirit in us, as David prayed in Psalm 51. We do have to forsake our old sins, starting with our thoughts! We do need to seek our Creator much, much more in prayer, because it is as we abide in Christ that we have hope of producing much fruit (John 15:4-5).

ISAIAH 55:7
Let the wicked FORSAKE his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to Yehowah (the LORD), And He will have mercy on him;
And to our Elohim (God), For He will abundantly pardon.

EZEKIEL 18:21-24, 26-28
21 "But if a WICKED man TURNS from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 NONE of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says Adonai Yehowah (Lord GOD), "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall NOT be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

26 “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man TURNS AWAY from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

My kin in Christ, it’s not over until it’s over.  Someone out there needed this message. LET God’s spirit change you.  Repent of the sins of your past, no matter how hideous. Our God will abundantly pardon and will remember how you END up, no matter how people see you.

Saul, whom you know as the Apostle Paul, was a violent man who arrested, imprisoned and even killed early Christians (Acts 22:4, 17-20; 1 Timothy 1:13,15).  No wonder he called himself “chief sinner”.  But how do we remember him today? Not as the persecutor but as the great preacher of the good news we all have in Messiah. He – perhaps more than any other apostle – spread the Word throughout the known world.  It’s how he ENDED UP that counted.

One more thought:  I’ve found that those who know they’ve been forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47).  Someone famous once said that.  They exhibit and experience a far deeper gratitude, affection and awe for the great Savior we have in Yeshua.

David – I remember Him as the man after God’s own heart, not as the murderer of Uriah.  Samson, I remember him as the man of great faith at the end of his life, not as “Samson and Delilah”.  Rahab, I know her as the woman who believed in the God of Israel and during the Days of Unleavened Bread, threw down the scarlet cord, a picture of the blood of Messiah on which she was relying.  No, she’s not “Rahab the harlot” to me.  Peter, who denied His Messiah three times (and we all HAVE done that), I remember as the great apostle who wept bitterly after he denied His friend and Master (Matt. 26:74-75).  Tradition says in his death he felt unworthy to be crucified in the same way that His Lord was, so Peter was crucified upside down.  This time he did not deny his Master and was strong to the end. Paul – in spite of his past – knew at the end of his life that a crown of righteousness and eternal life awaited him, for he knew in Christ he had fought the good fight and stayed the course.  Please read 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

My brothers and sisters, we must give hope to one another by encouraging one another often.  By letting our kin in Christ know we see them as NEW, as washed, as forgiven, as a new child of God – not as the old filthy sinner they once were.  When we see our own flesh and blood, our own brothers and sisters believing in the redeeming power of the blood of the Lamb in us – then WE are encouraged to work even harder at letting the resurrected Yeshua live in us.  Oh how we need to see that others are seeing growth and change in us. It is so encouraging. We must “see” each of our brothers and sisters in Christ as new, and encourage one another to stay the course!

So, no matter whether our past was brilliant or filthy – remember it’s how we end up at that counts.  Passover gives us that opportunity to be new, to make all things new in our lives.  Praise be to the Lamb of God, our Redeemer and Savior.