The Passover Mandate

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

 Maundy Thursday is often celebrated during Holy Week.  Maundy means mandate.  On this day, Jesus mandated the Passover in communion, the Lord’s Supper.  In Biblical times, when people ate together, they entered into covenant with one another.  As Christians, in various times and places, when we celebrate communion, we seldom realize that in the act we are entering into is not only covenant with our Lord, but with one another. 

After they had finished the Passover meal, Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn and went out to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.  There Jesus prayed.  He not only poured out His anguish before His Father, He prayed for believers through all the ages.  John 17:20-22:  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.”

As He faced the agony of the cross, the desire of Jesus’ heart was for unity in the Church—unity across denomination, culture and ethnicity.  His desire is the same today and forever more.

1 Corinthians 12: “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

Let’s join together spiritually wherever we are today and, in unity, celebrate the Lord’s Supper

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Matthew 26:26-28:  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body.''  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 

Christian Passover Haggadah  

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe  

Leader : We are entering into the Spring feast days, the Spring appointed times of the Lord.  

The Spring feast days are Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits.  

Leviticus 23:5-11 establishes the Spring Feasts.  `These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.  `On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.  `And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. `On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.  `But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.' '' And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: `When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.  `He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”  

This is the first fruits of the barley harvest.

  

The Passover Dinner is in reality the first meal of the 7 Day Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Jesus died during the time when the sacrificial lambs were killed.  That was before sunset.  At sunset, Passover ended and the Feast of Unleavened Bread began.  The Feast of First Fruits came 3 days into the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Jesus died on Passover and rose on the Feast of First Fruits.   

1 Corinthians 15:20:  "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."  Jesus is both the Passover Lamb and the first fruit of resurrection to eternal life.  

Let us begin our Passover by washing our hands.  This act pictures spiritual cleansing and preparation.  Let this act remind us of Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples reminding us that it is the sacrifice of the Cross that brings spiritual cleansing into our lives and prepares us for service for our king. 

Explanation of Passover Display Elements:  

Passover Plate contains several items that illustrate the trials of Israel and their exodus out of slavery.   

  •Karpas:  the bitter vegetable:  represents the bitterness of Israel in Egyptian slavery.  Later we will dip it  into salt water to signify the tears of bitterness. For Christians it is a reminder of the bitterness and agony of a sinful life and an eternity separated from the presence of God.  

 •Haroset:  A mixture of fruits, honey and nuts symbolizing the mortar that the Israelite slaves used in building structures for Pharaoh. The name itself comes from the Hebrew word cheres or clay. As Christians the Haroset reminds us of the sweetness and stability of our covenant with God.  

•Zeroa:  In the Jewish Passover, a shank bone representing the sacrificial Passover lamb is placed on the tray.  As Christians, we place an edible cross on the plate to symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  

  

•Beitzah: the hard-boiled egg represents the cycle of life. In Christ, we are continually moving toward a new beginning, toward the hope we have in Him.  

  

•Four cups represent the four promises the Lord made to Israel in Exodus 6:6-7:."Therefore say to the children of Israel: `I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, (sanctification) I will rescue you from their bondage,(deliverance) and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.(redemption) `I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.(the joy of full salvation).  

The four cups prophesy the ministry of Jesus.  

Jesus sanctifies us – “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:19).  

Jesus delivers us – “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  

Jesus redeems us – “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).  

Jesus is our joy – “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).  

 

  

• The Afikomen: (leader takes a piece of matzah, breaks it into three pieces, places one piece in a napkin and hides it under the tablecloth or some other convenient place to be brought out later.  The other two pieces are broken and placed on the dining table to be eaten during the meal.) The three stacked pieces of matzah represent the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The middle piece, the Afikomen, is placed in a napkin and hidden.  While the Jews follow the ancient ritual of the Afikomen, most do not understand the prophetic significance.  The middle piece of matzah, wrapped and hidden, is a picture of the body of the Son of God, wrapped in grave clothes and hidden in a sealed cave.  

 

•Two candles:  to be lighted now by one of the women. 

Lighting candles is a way to welcome Shabbat and make it a day of pleasure, as commanded by the Torah.   

The act of lighting candles is also a symbol of the union and harmony between heaven and earth, and a way to express inner feelings.   

Traditionally, women have been seen as the keepers of the household and are responsible for ensuring its spiritual and physical well-being.   It is also a reminder that light (Jesus) came into the world through a woman.

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. 

John 1:4-5  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. 

John 8:12  Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

Leader: (Blessing of the sabbath candles):   

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Sabbath.  

Oh Lord, our God, we praise You for bringing us once again to this season where we remember  our deliverance from worldly sin and into the promises contained in our covenant with You based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, our Messiah.  

We thank you for the lesson we see in the deliverance of your people from the slavery of Egypt.  Amen  

The candles are lighted. 

Let us now bless the first cup, the cup of sanctification:  

In His High Priestly prayer recorded in John 17:18-20, our Lord prayed for us, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.”  

Lord, we praise You that through the sacrifice of Jesus, our Passover lamb, we can be sanctified and set apart for your service. Amen (drink the first cup.)  

The blessing of the Karpas—the bitter herb: Pass the bitter herb around the table each person is to receive a portion; dip yours in the salt water.  “Father, we thank you that the sacrifice of Jesus has delivered us from tears of the bitterness of sin and unforgiveness.  Create in each of us a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us.” (Eat the karpas.)  

Please take a piece of matzah and top it with some of the haroset. This pictures the bitterness of the slavery in Egypt and the sweetness of freedom.  It is a picture of the bitterness and anguish when we are enslaved in sin and the sweetness and joy that come into our lives when we accept salvation in Jesus Christ. 

Exodus 12:1-20: “Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: `On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. `And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. `Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. `Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.  `And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. `Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. `Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire its head with its legs and its entrails. `You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. `And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover.  `For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike 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. `Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”  

 

The price for sin has been paid.  Because of Jesus' shed blood, we are "passed over" from the eternal consequence of sin. On the cross, Jesus declared, “It is finished” meaning that the debt has been paid in full.  Please take the cross at your plate, dip it in the horseradish take a bite of it as a reminder of the agony our Savior suffered at Calvary.   

  

The sun has set. Passover has been completed. It is time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.    In scripture, leavening pictures sin.  Leavening spreads throughout the dough and changes it chemically. In the same way, sin can permeate our body, mind and spirit changing us from the people God created us to be.

  

`So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. `Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. `On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat that only may be prepared by you. `So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.  `In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. `For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. `You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.' ''  

Take the second cup, the cup of deliverance. As we take this cup, we thank God for our deliverance.  “Father, we are thankful that You do not lead us into temptation and that You willingly deliver us from evil.  You are our deliverance.  Just as You delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt, in the atonement of Your Son, You deliver us from slavery to sin.  In You, sin no longer has mastery over us.  Amen. (Drink the second cup.)  

Please take a piece of the matzah.  The matzah is unleavened bread.   Passover is a time to purge the leavening from our lives just as spring cleaning purges the leavening from our homes.  On the day after He entered the city, Jesus went to His house, the temple.  He cleansed Temple of the leavening of sin by chasing out the moneychangers and declaring His Father’s house as a House of Prayer and not a den of thieves.  

  

In like manner, Passover is a time to cleanse our temples (our bodies) of sin through confession and repentance and to offer ourselves once again as a living sacrifice to our Lord.  

Deliverance brings purity into our lives.  It is time to drink the second cup.

Traditionally, Jews thank God for the meal after they have eaten.  We will follow this tradition this evening.  

Please remember that every time we eat together, we are coming into covenant with one another.  This is a family meal.   

  

Psalm 133  

1.  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  

 2.  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.  

 3.  It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing Life forevermore.  

  

Please enjoy your Passover meal as you fellowship with others.  

  

(After the meal.)  

  

Let us bless the third cup, the cup of redemption.  

  

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your provision of food and fellowship as we have gathered together around the table and as we look forward to the heavenly Marriage Supper of the Lamb. As we prepare to drink the third cup, the cup of redemption, we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives as the seal of our redemption in Jesus Christ. We declare that our deliverance has come through the Jesus, our sacrificial lamb. We drink this cup in anticipation of our soon and coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  Hallelujah! Amen. Please drink the third cup.  

  

What was accomplished during that Holy Week over 2,000 years ago?  

1.    The death and resurrection of Jesus paid the price for our sin and allowed God to declare us pure, innocent, righteous, acceptable and forgiven.  

2.    The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us access to God.  Remember that the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died.

3.    The death and resurrection of Jesus set us free from the rule of evil powers.  

4.    The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us victory.  

  

He is our salvation—Passover.  

He is our Righteousness—Unleavened Bread.  

He is our Resurrection—First Fruits.  

  

The appointed times of the Lord are all about Jesus.  

He is not here; He is risen.  Hallelujah!  

  

The Hallel—Psalms 113-118 are recited during Passover.  After the leader reads a selection, the people shout “Hallelujah!!!   

  

Our Hallel is based on portions from the Hallel psalms.  Please stand for the reading and response of the Hallel.  

  

  

The Hallel:  

 Leader:  Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord!  Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore!  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

 Leader:  From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised.  The Lord is high above all nations, And His glory above the heavens.  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

Leader:  He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great.  May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children.  May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

Leader:  O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.  I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

Leader:  Oh, praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!  

For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

Leader:  You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.   Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  

Congregation:  Hallelujah!  

  

Please be seated as we receive the Lord’s Supper and drink the fourth cup, the cup of the new covenant, the cup of joy.

It is time for the afikomen to be revealed. (Leader takes the afikomen and unwraps it.) The afikomen was eaten at the end of the meal.  It was this bread that Jesus served.   

  

Matthew 26:26 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body.''  

  

Look carefully at the matzah.  You can see the stripes, the blotches that look like bruises, and the piercing.  The matzah pictures His suffering for our sin.  

  

Isaiah 53:5-6:  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  

  
Father, we thank You for the broken body of Jesus Christ.  We will partake often in remembrance of Calvary. Please eat the matzah  

  
Matthew 26:27-28:  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  
Thank You, Lord for the blood of Jesus that washes white as snow.  

  
And now drink the fourth cup, the cup of joy in the Lord.  
  

Matthew 26: 29-30 Jesus said, "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.'' And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  

  

Please join hands as we sing “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.”  

  

Blest be the tie that binds  
Our hearts in Christian love;  
The fellowship of kindred minds  
Is like to that above.  

  

Benediction:  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.  (Jude 24-25).  

 The Triumphal Entries

By Rev. Lonnie C.  Crowe

Matthew 21: 5-9:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, `Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' '' So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their garments on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!''

“Hosanna” means “God save us” or “God is our salvation.”  Later that week, the crowds became a mob demanding His crucifixion.  Little did they know that it is the crucifixion that brings the salvation.

On that first Palm Sunday, our Lord entered from the Mount of Olives, which is east of Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey.  He came as the obedient servant. Matthew 20:28: “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.''

A few days later, Jesus knelt, as a servant, and washed the feet of His disciples, even the feet of Judas Iscariot.  Later that evening, He was arrested, tried by three courts, and then died on the cross at the time when the Passover lambs were slain.  He served.  He gave His life as the ransom for sin.  He gave His life for all the children of Adam.

Ø  The triumphal entry fulfilled an ancient prophecy.

Ø  Zechariah 9:9 reads: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

However, it isn’t over.  He is coming again.  He is coming again along the same route.  He will again enter through the Eastern Gate.  Zechariah 14:4a: “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.” 

He will enter again, but not as a servant riding a donkey.

Revelation 19: 11-16:  “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

It will not just be crowds on earth that will welcome Him. A great multitude in heaven will sound forth.

Revelation 19:1, 5-: 7a “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!''

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory.”

Look up! Your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28).

Psalm 24:

⁷    Lift up your heads, O you gates!

    And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

    And the King of glory shall come in.

⁸    Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord strong and mighty,

    The Lord mighty in battle.

⁹    Lift up your heads, O you gates!

    Lift up, you everlasting doors!

    And the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰    Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord of hosts,

    He is the King of glory.

The First Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem has passed.

The Second Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is to come.

The question is “Will you live in triumph with Him today?

 The Beginning of Wisdom

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV): "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In this verse, the word translated “beginning” means a perquisite. In other words, we cannot have wisdom without a moral reverence (fear) of the Lord. Therefore, wisdom must first emanate from the heart of believers, radiate out into the world, and bring glory to the Kingdom of God.

Before we pray for wisdom for our leaders, we must first seek wisdom in our own lives and speak that wisdom into the world. We must keep in mind that God does not dwell in the problems; He dwells in the solutions. Wisdom has a positive outlook. Wisdom has a heart of gratitude. Wisdom trusts in the provision and protection of God.

Jesus spoke to believers when He said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV).
Wisdom allows our light to shine and bring glory to our Father in heaven.

 

Declaring the Word in Faith
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The following is from: https://biblestudyforyou.com/bible-verses-about-decree-and-declare.

“The power of declaring and decreeing in our faith is an essential part of our walk with God. When we decree and declare, we are using the authority given to us by God to speak life, truth, and blessings into our situation. It’s about affirming God’s promises and aligning our words with His will. The power of declaring and decreeing in our faith is an essential part of our walk with God. When we decree and declare, we are using the authority given to us by God to speak life, truth, and blessings into our situation. It’s about affirming God’s promises and aligning our words with His will.
“In as much as we decree and declare, the importance of prayer behind our declarations cannot be overstated. When we pray and declare God’s promises, we activate His power in our lives. It’s not just about saying the right words; it is about having a heart aligned with His. Prayerful declarations invite the Holy Spirit into our circumstances, producing results that align with God’s character. It’s a transformative practice that leads to personal growth and strengthens our faith in God’s divine plan.”
When our prayers are influenced by the Word of God, our petitions are more likely to align with the Father’s heart. May we learn to declare and decree based on the Word.

Psalm 34:1 . I will bless Jehovah at all times; His praise always shall be in my mouth.

Act 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Father God, we desire that we will not only praise you with our mouth, but with every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we, Your church, declare that we are arising, we are denying ourselves, we are taking up our cross, we are following You. We are mindful, O Lord, that the words of our mouth and the thoughts of our heart must be pleasing to You, our rock and our redeemer.

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Romans 14:17: For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, But righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We declare that through our words and our actions, through our integrity, Your kingdom will be evident in our lives.

Psalm 112:1-2 Praise Jehovah! Blessed is the man who fears Jehovah, who delights greatly in His Commandments. His seed shall be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are the inheritance of Jehovah; the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Lord, I desire that through my faithful walk with you, my children will be blessed and will be a godly influence in the land. My children will know God’s will and purpose for their lives. I will enjoy the reward You have given to me in my children.

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Lord, I desire to be like Johnny Mercer and Harlan Arlen. I will endeavor to Accentuate the Positive.

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium is
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate this last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark
Man, they said we better, accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between

 How Did We Get Here?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

In the past months, I have been taking a new approach to the book of Revelation. I am seeking the Lord for fresh revelation. Because prophecy contains a message for the time in which it was written, a message for today (whenever that day may be) and a message for the future, I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to give me messages for this moment in which we are living regardless of whether or not we are in the last moments of history.

The Holy Spirit drew me to Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV): “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

This conqueror on the white horse represents both the antichrist of the tribulation period and the spirit of antichrist which has been in the world since the beginning . 1 John 4:1-3 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

The phrase that captured my attention is “a crown was given to him.” This, I sense, is a key verse in understanding much of what is happening in our lives. We have given a crown, that is, placed in authority over ourselves, those whose decisions and actions are bringing about the circumstances represented by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: violence, inflation, famine and death. We have participated in crowning the antichrist spirit in our personal lives, in our nation and in the global arena.

We have become a people so consumed by fear, that we have fed and empowered the red horse personifying violence. Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV): “When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.”

In scripture, the word of God is symbolized as a sword (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12.) The word of the Lord brings victory to those who stand on it. However, the sword of the antichrist brings spiritual defeat to those who wallow in fear.

One of our fears is based on the economy. Ironically, in that fear, we spend ourselves into near bankruptcy.

That brings us to the third horse, the black one. Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV): “When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."

Two things cannot be harmed by poor economic conditions—the oil and the wine. In scripture, oil represents the anointing, the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The wine represents the covenant we have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In darkest economy times, the power and authority of God stand firm. We have no need to fear.

In 1706 Matthew Henry wrote, “During the progress of this black horse, the necessaries of life should be at excessive prices, and the more costly things should not be hurt. According to prophetic language, these articles signified that food of religious knowledge, by which the souls of men are sustained unto everlasting life; such we are invited to buy, Isa 55:1.

“But when the dark clouds of ignorance and superstition, denoted by the black horse, spread over the Christian world, the knowledge and practice of true religion became scarce…The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word is more so.”

The famine of the Word does not result from a lack of availability. It most often results from Christians who are spiritually anorexic and/or bulimic. We either refuse to eat of the Word or we purge ourselves of it as soon as we step out of the church door.

What is the answer? We must take back the authority we have been given in Jesus Christ. That authority is, amazingly, protected by the Constitution of the United States of America. Our hope is in the Lord who is our provision, our strength and our light. It is time for us to step out of the darkness of the spirit of antichrist and into the light of Jesus

 

The Parables of My Life:  The Prodigals

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Most of us are familiar with the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.”  However, take a few moments and refresh your memory by reading Luke 15:11-32.

This is, in truth, the story of two prodigal sons.  We miss the deeper story when we define “prodigal” as wayward. “Prodigal” refers to a specific kind of waywardness.  Merriam-Webster defines “prodigal” as “carelessly and foolishly spending money, time, etc.”

 

One son was prodigal in spending his inheritance foolishly.  The second son was prodigal in foolishly ignoring the resources and relationships that were available to him.  The question we must each ask ourselves is, “Am I prodigal with my inheritance in the Lord?”

Our inheritance in the Lord has little to do with money.  Our riches are heavenly.  They are spiritual.  Psalm 16:5-6 has long been one of my “life verses.”   “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6 NKJV).

While those verses do not always describe the situations in my life, they aptly describe my position in the Lord. No matter what is happening around me, God is my inheritance and my cup of joy.  Because I can trust Him for my provision, the lines have truly fallen to me in pleasant places.

What is my inheritance in the Lord?  The Bible has much to say about our inheritance.  One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV):  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

Because our God is a God of abundance, our inheritance is more than spending eternity with Him.  Our inheritance includes living victoriously in this often difficult life.  A glorious part of the inheritance is the fruit of the Spirit that becomes ours when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit indwells us.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV).

Another question to ask is, “Am I allowing my fleshly passions and desires to tarnish the fruit of the Spirit in my life?”  When we do not walk in the Spirit, we are being prodigal with our inheritance.

Many times we cry out for God to imbue us with the fruit of the Spirit not realizing that He has already done so and we need only to allow the fruit to be manifest in our lives.  In those times, we are prodigal like the second son who had all the resources of his father at hand and did not avail himself of them. 

My greatest inheritance is my relationship with my heavenly Father made possible by the sacrifice of His Son.  “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”   Oh, Lord, may I not be prodigal with what You have given me.