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The Last Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
April 13, 2012

In 2012, April 13th falls on a Friday, and some have a fear of Friday the 13th. While there is nothing to fear about a date, there is meaning to the Last Day of Unleavened Bread that coincides with Friday the 13th that we can take with us and apply in our life. As mentioned in the study written for the First Day of Unleavened Bread, we are learning what it means to be sincere and true. We know that leavening inflates the size of bread. The chemical process of leavening causes air bubbles to puff up the bread giving it a different appearance. God wants us to learn to be true, true to ourselves and true to him through obedience.

But what happens if we choose to be purposefully disobedient? I'm not writing about the occasional sin, but a lifestyle that is based on a concept of free choice where one chooses that even though they know better, they simply are not going to obey God. There is an early example from the Bible that was highlighted in a study done earlier in the year on crossing the Red Sea. This study showed how the children of Israel were able to cross the Red Sea through a miracle and how the pursuing Egyptians died in their attempt. The difference between the two at that moment in time was the children of Israel were obedient to God and the Egyptians had decided that under no circumstance did they need to obey God. The result of this choice is clear for us to see in the account. I am confident that if the Egyptians had had a change in heart, that there was a national decision to obey God and that if they were following the children of Israel to give them something they left behind in the haste by the children of Israel to depart Egypt, that the story of the Red Sea crossing would have had a different outcome. Like so many throughout history, a decision was made to obey God when it was expedient to do so. Recounting the tale of the plagues of Egypt, we need to remember this decision was made only after the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians, and this change of heart lasted only for a very short time. How many people have you met that make a deal with God when things look bad and then forget about that deal when things start looking good again? How many people have you met that when something bad happens to them, they say that God has somehow provided correction to them? I guess the converse for these people is that when things are looking good for them, God must be wildly enthusiastic about how they are living their lives. This is one of the reasons why the prosperity gospel is so common in today's world. The prosperity gospel suggests that if you obey God, God will bless you in every part of your life, including a financial blessing. A circular part of the logic suggests that if you want the financial blessing, you will financially support the church, and if you are not blessed financially to your expectations it probably is because you are not financially supporting the church to God's expectations. Compare this to a gang member or mobster who goes into a business demanding protection money who tells the business owner if you want to be financially successful, you need to pay us. What a racket! And people who believe the prosperity gospel do so for reasons that only they know and to this author it appears they seek after a sign. Jesus warned about seeking after a sign.

Luke 11:29-35
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

We are to live lives of faith. It is when we have no faith that we seek a sign. If we had faith, we would not need a sign. Those who have no faith seek signs from God; it isbecause they have no faith that they are evil. It is through faith that we are able to believe and obey. The children of Israel had faith when they crossed the Red Sea. It would take lots of faith to do this. The Egyptians had no faith and thought they would be extended the same privileges as the children of Israel. The warning given to all of us by Jesus is to make sure the light that is in us is actually light, and that it is not actually darkness. And we should take this as a warning. Should we look at our financial status as proof, or a sign, that we are blessed by God? Throughout history there have been plenty of people, obedient to God, who have been of average to limited financial abilities. There have also been many people of average to limited financial abilities who have not been obedient to God. And it is the same for the rich. There are those who are rich who are obedient to God, and there are those who are rich who are disobedient to God. We should not use financial status as proof, as a sign, that God is blessing us. There is a time yet to come when those who are obedient to God will not be able to buy or sell, and at this time, how useful will money be, and how dangerous might it be to think you are blessed by God when God shows otherwise?

Revelation 13:11-18
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

There will be many who will take the mark of the beast, and some will do so because they are rich and others will do so in the hope of becoming rich. What are we to do? The Bible shows us.

Revelation 20:1-6
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Did you notice who lived and reigned with Jesus? Those who did NOT take the mark, those who did NOT worship the beast or his image are those who reign with Jesus. Sometimes obedience means we cannot do what everybody else does, and sometimes we might even make bad choices along the way. If we want to live and reign with Jesus we cannot take the mark nor can we worship the beast or his image. We have to obey God. The Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes that we must obey God, that we cannot lie to ourselves and be puffed up with pride. We need to live a life in purity and truth and live a life that is obedient to God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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