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Inside This Issue From Pastor Bill By Pastor Bill Shults
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Jesus is Coming Soon By Pastor Bill Shults
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A Brief History of Passover By Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.
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Passover 101 By Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr.
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What Passover Means to Me Steve Pettis, Sr.
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More Than Courage Deaconess Kasey Perry
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History of Biblical Archeology Elder Joe Perry
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Pursuit Magazine is published for FREE Distribution in the Public Interest. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. Owner: Bill Shults Editor: Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr. Graphics Designer: Deaconess Michelle Loncar Art Work: Coleman Collins Cover Design: arinas74 (Ariel), ŠFebruary 6, 2010. Image used with permission from RGBStock.com. Contributors: Elder Bill Shults, Elder Joe Perry, Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr., Deaconess Kasey Perry, and Steve Pettis, Sr. Printed at Allegra Print Imaging, Jackson, TN. Pursuit Magazine is published by Hungry Hearts Ministries. PO Box 10334 Jackson, TN 38308 (731) 736-1055 3
hungryheartsmin@aol.com www.hungryheartsministry.com
From Pastor Bill The spring is such a beautiful time of the year. It seems like everyone is a gardener in the spring time. The flowers are blooming, the plants are putting on fresh growth and everything looks really good. The weather is nice after the winter, so we all feel good. It just makes you want to get a shovel and plant something.
Cross for granted; we have abused our privileges. We need to tell God where we are failing to live up to His requirements and ask for His forgiveness afresh. Repentance is just like tilling the soil. If you want to grow as a Christian, you must till your heart in repentance. The Founding Fathers told us right up front that our government was only for a “religious and moral people; it is wholly inadequate to the governance of any other” (John Adams). We are not those people any more and things are quickly breaking down. Maybe we could acknowledge this to God by crying out for help? I think that it would help those of us who are religious and moral to call on God right now.
Real Gardeners work all year. Spring time is good, but most of us have prepared for spring time all winter. There is tilling the soil, application of organic matter, pulling and cleaning the garden wire, fertilizing and even some winter crops. When we do more work over the winter, we will have better results in the spring. Christianity is a lot like gardening. It seems like everyone is a follower of Jesus in the spring time. What about the rest of the year? There is a lot to do to maintain a Christian life: reading the Bible, praying, fasting, serving at church and pulling sins out of your life. All of that work over the winter makes for a really good spring time. It is just fine to be a spring -time gardener, but it is not very good to be a springtime Christian. Jesus Christ died a very real death to save us from our very real sins. We owe Him more than a trivial attempt at following Him.
Those of us who are religious and moral are typically in church. Let’s get after it. Let’s all serve like we mean it. Let’s all become people upon whom church leadership can rely on. It takes a lot of work to put on church. The humans involved may not notice you, but Jesus Christ notices you. After all, your service really is for Him. He always sees. He is the final judge. Our final reward is in Heaven. It is just fine to be a spring-time gardener. It is much better to be a year-round Christian. Spring just has a way of pulling that inner plant lover out of all of us. I truly hope and pray that Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross will pull that full-time lover of God out of your soul. All of us need to make that lifetime commitment to pursue a truly great relationship with Him. It is far more rewarding than flowers and vegetables. I am a lifelong, hard-core gardener. I am also a full-time, hard core Christian.
We need to become “professional” Christians. We need to work at it everyday in a purposeful way. We need 30 minutes a day in God’s Word. We need to get right with Jesus Christ by telling Him how far we have strayed. Then, we need to make a plan to stay with it for the year. Every one of us needs to be in church. And we need to become active in our church by serving well. Being a believer really is a full-time God Bless. career.
Bill Shults
I am always surprised by how many Christians have not read the Bible. How do we participate in something about which we don’t know anything? The Bible is actually easy reading. The Bible is actually fun reading. I find it hard to stop once I get started. God gives us amazing insight into His thinking, loving, feeling, and sense of justice in many of the stories. How can any of us truly love God and not read the Bible? It is how we get to know Him. He really is an amazing God. Once we are in the Word of God, we are quickly going to see that many of us in the USA fall short. We have some amends to make with the God of Israel. We have taken Christ’s forgiveness on the
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Jesus is Coming Soon By Pastor Bill Shults
Many Christians have become content with living in this world. We have forgotten that one of our important causes is announcing the return of Jesus Christ to rule over this earth. We are supposed to advertise to everyone that the Messiah is coming. Our pursuit of good Christian living is supposed to be preparation for His return. We need to return to our primary focus of announcing the Return of Jesus Christ.
the government of Bashar Assad. They are also heavily involved in Venezuela and Cuba. The goal seems to be to cause as much trouble for the US as possible. A few years back the Chinese hacked into the computers of our government contractors and stole confidential and highly sensitive information about our next generation fighter jets. They have now built imitations of our F-22 and F-35 advanced jets. They are deploying these in large numbers. They have also developed and deployed “Carrier Killer” hypersonic ballistic cruise missiles. Their range is sufficient to keep our Carriers further from China than the range of our aircraft. They have purchased and deployed an aircraft Carrier from Russia. They are now building their own with more advanced designs. (One can only ask: did they steal them from us?)
This is becoming more urgent because many prophecies concerning His return are coming to pass. The book of Revelation addresses some of the key nations in the end-time wars. The most important of these are the European Union (EU), Russia and China. Each of these primary powers is arming for war. The world is returning to the “Great Powers” system that existed prior to the First World War. Both China and Russia are pushing other nations to gain an advantage. Conflicts are arising over trade, immigration and territory. These would be perilous times on their own, but they are aligning very closely with the pattern described in the book of Revelation.
The Chinese have built a ring of islands on shallows in the Pacific Ocean. These are hundreds of miles from China, but right off the territorial waters of the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Initially, they claimed that these were peaceful navigation stations. Instead, they have heavily armed them with The main nations in the EU are purchasing large offensive weaponry. Apparently these were built to numbers of the next generation fighter jets. The vari- harass the shipping and naval operations of other naous militaries involved in the EU are increasing their tions. military budgets at the request of the United States (US). Because of the Russian threat of force in the The official government press of China reports that Ukraine, the EU countries are integrating their mili- the Chinese government wants to push the US Navy taries more closely. On a territorial basis, the EU out of the Western Pacific altogether. closely resembles the Holy Roman Empire that exist- Then there is North Korea. Both Russia and China ed in the past. Interestingly enough, the combined support North Korea. They trade with the hermit nadefense spending of the EU is second only to that of tion and sell it weapons. Most of the North Korean the US. missile technology comes from Russia and China. President Vladimir Putin of Russia is pushing to Russia currently hires North Korean guest workers, make Russia a super power again. They have already which is a large source of hard currency. China buys modernized and upgraded their nuclear arsenal. Rus- their coal and sells them oil, even in spite of the ecosia is both building and selling Aircraft Carriers. nomic sanctions. The question is this: are they using They are building and deploying the next generation North Korea to cripple the US with a nuclear missile of stealth fighters. They are building Cruise Missiles. strike? They are also building and deploying the next gener- After eight years of President Barack Obama and six ation of Attack Submarines. Russia is also rebuilding years of the budget sequester, the US military is their surface combatant fleet. A few years ago they badly depleted. The Defense Authorization for 2018 sent their flagship Cruiser on a tour of the Caribbean. is being held hostage by the Democrats in Congress The Russians invaded Ukraine a few years ago in a over the Dreamer Act (also known as DACA). Many hybrid attack of confusion, misinformation and in- of our airplanes do not fly. Munitions stocks are low. fantry without uniforms. The Ukrainians never knew Many of our Carriers sit in dry dock. We have cut that they were under attack until it was over. The Russians are currently deployed in Syria to support
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our troop strength to levels not seen in one hundred years. While our enemies are deploying next generation fighters, we declined to produce the F-22. The F-35 joint strike force fighter has been delayed time and time again.
Jesus Christ wants us to be red-hot for Him. We have to believe that He exists and that He will reward us for seeking after Him. This is called faith, in the letter to the Hebrews. Faith is not something we hope to have. Faith is something that we demonstrate. One way to do that is to dig into our Bibles and actually learn what God says. It is a supreme privilege to have the Holy Bible in your possession. For most of human history, having an accessible copy of this book was not possible. It is about to become rare. We all need to get into it right now and get serious about it.
The Great Powers system that existed prior to WWI is back. Like the distant past, we are unarmed. Our highly technical, internet-based economy is ripe for knock out by a nuclear attack. None of that scares me as much as the rampant level of sin in the US. The world’s greatest Christian country has dropped Christianity in favor of humanist secularism. Even among those who claim to be Christians, Another minimum requirement for the Rescue of the both church attendance and Bible literacy are way Saints is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. down. Every believer in Christ is supposed to have this, but I have found many have only made a decision for Jesus Christ is not coming back to die on a cross a Christ. They have not been brought to either repentsecond time. He is coming back initially to rescue ance or conversion. Though some have spontaneousthe Saints. Soon thereafter He will set up a world- ly received it, the Holy Spirit is supposed to come ruling government. Is that hopeful for you or terrify- from the laying on of hands. Way too many churches ing? What I mean is this: for those who are ready, do not even practice this anymore. this is the greatest possible hope. For those who are not ready, this is a ticket into the Great Tribulation. It is the Holy Spirit from God that gives us a love for This is your free will choice. Belief in the Rescue of His Word. It is the Holy Spirit that drives us to want the Saints is at an all-time low. Many openly scoff to please God. Jesus Christ is coming soon to Rescue about the idea of Jesus Christ rescuing anyone. For His Saints. Sainthood is a decision that you make. more information, we have a book available for Attaining to Sainthood consists of many small deciorder entitled: Come Away With Me. sions made by you day after day to keep His commandments. After you made a decision for Christ, The Rescue of those Saints who have prepared them- did you follow through to seek the Holy Spirit? Do selves is certain. The qualifications are not difficult, you have the power of a changed life to demonstrate although they do require some effort. Those who that you have received the Spirit of God? These are qualify for the Rescue of the Saints must keep the fundamental questions that all of us have to answer. Ten Commandments; this means all of them. I am Will the return of Christ be joyous or catastrophic? It shocked by how many Christians do not even know all depends on us. all ten of them. Living by the Ten Commandments is a minimum requirement. Each of those Ten Commandments are supported by other rules and judgments in the Old Testament to fill out their meaning. We need to get serious about learning how to please God. It is the hope in the Rescue of the Saints that drives us to dig into our Bibles and learn what God desires. The hopelessness of tribulation is already causing many to get cold.
(Continued on page 12)
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A Brief History of Passover from 325 to the Present By Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr. In the spring 2017 edition of Pursuit, we examined the history of Passover from Jesus through the council of Nicea in 325 AD. In this article, we will give a brief review and then progress from 325 AD to the present.
council, the bishops of Rome labeled the feast of unleavened bread as “profanity” (Canon 38). Celebrating the Sabbath and other Biblical festivals of Leviticus 23 were condemned (see Canons 7, 29, 37). Despite this opposition, history teaches us that there was still a large body of Christians celebrating PassJesus and the earliest disciples celebrated Passover over and the other Feasts of Leviticus 23. John on the 14th of Nissan. This is the Bible-prescribed Chrysostom testifies to this. way of honoring Jesus’ death. The first move away from Passover began around 160 AD. Anicetus, the 370-380 AD - John Chrysostom Bishop of Rome, refused to celebrate Passover. Polycarp, the disciple of the Apostle John, tried to con- In the late 300s, John Chrysostom wrote, “What is vince Anicetus to return to God’s ways. He was un- this disease? The festivals of the miserable and pitisuccessful. Despite this disagreement, nearly all ful Jews are upon us… There are many in our Christians in the East, and even some in the West, ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of continued to celebrate Passover on the 14th of Nis- these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing san. their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from About 30 years later, this same issue arose. The the church right now…” (Eight Homilies against the disciple of Polycarp, Polycrates, attempted to Jews, 1:5). convince the Bishop of Rome, Victor, to turn back to the Biblical reckoning of Passover. Victor refused In the 380s AD, the Roman Emperor was Theodosius, who was strongly pro-Catholic. He and the Eastand even excommunicated the Eastern Churches. ern Roman Emperors after him imposed the Roman In the East, Passover on the 14th of Nissan was still Catholic reckoning of Passover by law. Theodosius the majority practice. In the West, alternative ways II and Valentinian III in 428 AD condemned those of celebrating Passover were implemented. In 325 that practiced Passover after the Biblical reckoning AD, Constantine made a top-down decision at the (see Codex Justinianus. CJ.1.5.5). There were still Council of Nicea to change the reckoning of the believers that celebrated Passover on the 14th of NisPassover celebration. Anti-Semitism was the root san. However, they slowly faded into the minority into the Eastern Roman Empire. cause for this behavior (as we reviewed last year). In the Western Empire, things were favorable for two centuries. From 340-380 AD, an Arian evangelist named Ufilas evangelized among the Gothic and Germanic Tribes and converted many of them to Arian Christianity. These Arian tribes conquered most of the Western Empire from the late 300s AD until 476. They were the dominant force in the Western Mediterranean world in the 400s and 500s AD. Writing in the late 500s AD, Gregory of Tours testifies that many still believed the seventh day was the date of Jesus’ resurrection, not the first.
During this time, the main two groups that held the standard of keeping Passover were called Quartodecimans and Arians. In this article, we will briefly examine the history of Passover from Constantine to the present.
Towards the end of his life, Constantine’s heart changed. He began to favor to Quartodecimans and Arians. After Constantine’s death, his three sons divided up the empire. His son Constantius allowed these groups the freedom to worship and convene synods, which allowed their beliefs to flourish. He 575 AD – Gregory of Tours died in 361 AD.
“The day of the Lord's resurrection is the first, not the seventh as many think” (History of the Franks, From 361 to 364 AD, there were two Roman 1:22 [others list it as 1:23]). As time went on, the Emperors, Julius and Jovian. The Council of Laodi- Arians in the Western Empire were either killed or cea was convened about this time period. At this converted to Catholicism. The practice of Passover 364 AD – Council of Laodicea
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in the West also declined. A writer of the eighth cen- the rest of the lawbreakers… they wagged their tury, the Venerable Bede, informs us that the name tongues against the revered divine icons and against for Passover was changed in the west around 700 AD. monastic garb…” (ibid, section 495) Venerable Bede – Approx 700 AD
In this quote, you will see the name Tetraditoi. It is just the Greek version of Quartodeciman. A group of “Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated Paulicians were relocated into the Balkans and be‘‘Paschal month,’’and which was once called after a came known as the Bogomils. goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they desig- For centuries, many of those who kept Passover were nate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys hunted down and persecuted. They hid in caves and of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old fled from place to place. Their only goal was to honor observance.” (The Reckoning of Time, Chapter 15) the Lord with their lives by obeying Him. This present world was not worthy of them. Even today, Earlier in this article, we reviewed that the Bishops in there are Christians in China who are forced to keep Rome began to part with the Biblical Passover cele- Passover in caves in fear of their lives. bration. This happened in the 100s AD. Even though they had changed the date of Passover, they still In 1894, a man named Samuel Kohn translated hymns called it Passover. Bede informs us that the name of of Sabbath keepers who had dwelt in Transylvannia the celebration was changed to Easter. Easter is a for hundreds of years. The hymns date to at least the name linked to the mother-goddesses Ishtar and As- 1600s AD (and possibly before). In their hymns, they tarte. note that many churches made changes from God’s festivals to those that are not in the Bible. Here is a Let’s shift our focus back to the Eastern Roman sample from a hymn: “So for all the existing churches Empire. As aforementioned, the celebration of of old; deviated true faith, yes, they have forged him: Passover slowly became a minority practice starting Instead of Sabbath, they keep Sunday; The Passover the 400s AD. Those that still practiced it were very they remodel for Easter; At Pentecost boldly make the strong in the faith. In the early 600s AD, this group feast of Fiftieth day; The new year and its festival do dwelt mainly in Armenia. They were called the Pau- bold daring; From autumn to winter they lay; They licians. hold none of all the other parties; Just as the Gentiles” (Bosnia Cathars 1588-1623. Die sabbatharier in Early 600s AD – Ananias Siebenbürgen, Kohn, Samuel, pages 90-91, 1894). “But the Pauliani also keep the feast of the Pascha on the same day (as the Jews), and whatever be the day In the 1600s, a revival of truth broke out in England. of the full moon, they call it Kuriake, as the Jews call This revival involved keeping the seventh-day Sabit Sabbath…” (Fred C. Conneybeare, The Key of bath. Itth also included the celebration of Passover on the 14 of Nissan and the seven days of Unleavened Truth, page CLII) Bread. Among the pioneers of this movement was a We can see that they honored Passover in the manner man named John Trask (his last name was also of the Jewish people on the 14th of Nissan. They also spelled Thrask or Traske). Below I have quoted a honored the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread, which is an work written against him in 1618. Annual Sabbath. It can occur on any day of the week. Being on the 15th day of the Hebrew month, this spe- “John Traske in his humor of Judaism & Heretical innovation… seemeth also to deny the yearly feast of cial day would occur on the full moon. our Savours Resurrection to be lawfully celebrated on The Paulicians had none of the celebrations of the any other day in the year then the 14 of March-moon, Catholic Church, including mass and Easter. They wherein the Jews were commanded by God to celehad no images whatsoever or idols. Interestingly brate their Passover… God himself, saith he, having enough, they did not consider the cross as a symbol expressly commanded, & Christ himself with his that should be created with human hands. The Pau- Apostles celebrated on that day his Paschal festivilicians were also called the Thronkai, Kaschetzi, and ty… he by his eating of unleavened bread seven days Athangani. These various identifications are men- together after the 14 of March-Moone, and by sundry tioned by Theophanes who wrote during the early speeches uttered to some of his fellow 800s AD. prisoners, hath given great suspicions that lately he hath observed the feast of Azimes (unleavened bread), “People stopped censuring the wicked doctrines of the together with his disciples.” (Deuine, Catholike BD. presumptuous heresies which opposed God; the many A Brief Refutation of John Traskes Judaical and NovPaulicians, Athinganoi, Iconoclasts, Tetraditoi, and el Fancyes. 1618. Pages 57-58.)
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Trask was eventually arrested, beaten, and had a J stamped on his forehead. He recanted his beliefs and was released from prison. His wife, however, held to her convictions; she died in prison some years later. Some of these believers later became known as seventh-day Baptists. In the late 1600s, some of them began to immigrate to America. They brought their beliefs with them. Some of the seventh-day Baptists in America practiced celebrating Passover on the fourteenth of Nissan, after the Biblical reckoning. Here is an example from churches in West Virginia. “March 20, 1853, it was voted that communion service be held once in twelve months on the ‘fourteenth day of the first Jewish month’; i.e., on the evening of the Passover” (Randolph's History of the Seventh Day Baptists. p. 201-202). In 1844, a seventh-day Baptist believer, Rachel Oakes Preston, went to hear a Methodist Adventist preacher named Frederick Wheeler. After hearing his sermon, she convinced him to start practicing the Sabbath. He convinced her to become an Adventist. Adventists believed that the Lord would return in October of that year. The Lord did not return, but something else began. From this one contact, two major Sabbath keeping movements were born: The Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) and the Church of God Seventh-Day (CG7). Of these two churches, the Church of God SeventhDay accepted the celebration of Passover on the fourteenth of Nissan. On March 10, 1885, the CG7 Publication called “The Bible Advocate” released an article stating that, the Lord’s Supper was announced for 14th Day of Nissan on the Hebrew Calendar (Coulter, History, 183).
In the 1900s, several groups spread the truth about celebrating Passover in the Biblical manner. Among them was the Radio Church of God (which later became the World Wide Church of God). From this organization, many other groups bearing the name “Church of God” were formed. In the late 1900s, the Messianic and Hebrew Roots groups really began to grow. Some of these also honor Passover on the 14th of Nissan in the Biblical manner. Presently, the celebrations of Passover and Unleavened Bread are receiving much attention. On television channels such as the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and Daystar, some of the preachers talk about Passover. This used to be out of the ordinary and even taboo. Christ is revealing many truths as we prepare for His return. Discussing Passover is becoming the norm. From this history, we can trace the practice of Passover from Jesus to the present. We are now seeing its practice spread. This is a further sign that the Kingdom of God is at hand! Let us honor those in history who fought for this vital truth to be preserved to the present. Their sacrifice is not forgotten; their memory will always be for blessing. Let us prepare to Passover to the Kingdom of God!
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Passover 101
By Evangelist Kelly McDonald, Jr. When most people think about Passover, they typically consider it a celebration only for Jewish people. As we look at the example of Jesus, we see that He also celebrated Passover. Jesus said: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Jesus acknowledged His desire to share the Passover meal with His disciples. Even after Jesus was crucified, died, and resurrected from the dead, the early believers in Christ continued to honor Passover. In I Cor. 5:7b-8, Paul wrote, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said “let us keep the Feast.” He directed them to honor this celebration, which is in the example of Christ. In Acts 20:6, he celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Philippians. Even in the Gentile cities of Philippi and Corinth, they celebrated Passover and Unleavened Bread. What is the meaning of Passover? Why do Christians today celebrate it? At the end of the book of Genesis, the patriarch Jacob, his twelve sons and their families all moved to Egypt. After some years in this land, the children of Israel became enslaved by the ruler of Egypt, called Pharaoh. This persisted for some time, and they cried out in their suffering for a deliverer.
They were also to remove the yeast from their dwellings and eat Unleavened Bread for the next seven days. The children of Israel obeyed; the death angel came through the land of Egypt that night. The first born of Egypt passed away, but the Israelites were spared because they followed God’s instructions. Pharaoh’s heart was loosened and he released the Israelites. They left Egypt on the 15th of Nissan. Not long after this, Pharaoh regretted his decision and decided to pursue the Israelites. The children of Israel fled from them until they reached the shore of the Red Sea (what we presently call the Gulf of Aqaba). It seemed that they were in an impossible situation. Pharaoh's army was pursing them from behind and the Red Sea was in front of them. When it seemed that they were trapped, God provided a way of escape. He supernaturally parted the Red Sea and the children of Israel walked across on dry ground. Pharaoh tried to pursue them, but God caused the sea to return to its normal place. In the process, they were swept away. God’s people were saved as He promised them.
While we look at the Passover story, the connection to Jesus Christ is undeniable. Christ is the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He was condemned to death for our sakes. Like a lamb is silent in its death, so was He (read Isaiah 53:4-9). Paul wrote, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans God raised up a man named Moses to lead His peo- 5:9). The Israelites were spared from the death angel ple out of captivity. However, Pharaoh refused to through the lamb. In the same way, we are spared liberate them. As a result, God brought ten plagues from the wrath of God through this perfect Lamb. on Egypt. Though the first nine plagues did not convince Pharaoh to free them, the tenth plague would When we gather to commemorate the Passover Seahave a different outcome. In this last plague, God son, we reflect on the suffering of Christ for our was going to send the death angel through the land of sakes. How humbling it is to consider this! We also Egypt. This angel would take the life of every first reflect on the new life we have in Him, for we beborn. The only way a household could escape this come a new creature through Him (2 Cor. 5:17). We plague was to sacrifice a lamb and place its blood on prepare for this special celebration by removing the the top and sides of the home. By doing so, the death yeast from our homes and our hearts. Yeast repreangel would “pass over” that household (hence the sents sin during this time of the year (I Cor. 5:6-8). name Passover). For seven days we eat unleavened bread, which represents Christ. I cordially invite you to learn more God had a specific day and a specific way they were about the Passover season. to handle this lamb. They were to slay the lamb and apply its blood on the 14th day of Nissan, which is the first Hebrew month. After they completed this step, they were to cook the lamb and eat it inside their home with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
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What Passover Means to Me Steve Pettis, Sr.
I grew up attending the Baptist church. While I knew something of Passover, I was never taught the deeper meanings of this holy time or its Christian significance. We learned that God sent ten plagues on Egypt so that the chosen people of Israel would be freed from slavery. When God sent the last plague on Egypt, He passed over the firstborn of Israel who had applied the blood of a lamb to their lintels and doorposts.
never known. Today, the elements of the Passover have a much richer and deeper meaning to me.
As we look at the Passover story, the lamb represents Jesus. He died so that we could leave a life of sin just as the Israelites left the land of bondage through the lamb. There is also a Passover meal eaten every year that has elements filled with meaning for believers. The first is the cup of wine or grape juice that we take for communion. This symbolizes the blood of I knew that this was a prophetic event. It signaled Jesus, which was shed for our sins. Matzah, or unthat salvation would come through Christ, who is leavened bread, is also eaten at the meal. This reprecalled the Lamb of God (John 1:29). However, I nev- sents the body of Christ, which was broken for us. er considered the actual celebration of Passover. God told the Israelites that they were to keep it through- The maror or bitter herbs symbolize the bitterness out their generations, meaning forever (Exodus and harshness of the slavery the Hebrews endured in 12:17). I thought this special time only applied to the Egypt. It reminds us of the bitterness of sin before Jews. In my mind, Passover was one of those things we came to know Christ. On the Passover table there relegated to the past and not something pertinent to is also parsley dipped in salted water. This represents the tears the Hebrews cried when they lived in bondus today. age. For Christians, this symbol corresponds to the Before I could understand the real meaning of tears we cry as we endure trials. Passover and what it means to Christians, I had to come to a better understanding of the Father and His Jesus told the disciples that he had desired to eat the Son, Jesus. I had an Americanized view of the Lord, Passover meal before he suffered (Luke 22:15). He who He is and what He requires; I was in error. It washed the disciples’ feet to demonstrate that they had been misrepresented through traditions instead were to serve one another. We also keep the observance of foot washing in the manner of Christ of God’s commandments. and the disciples (John 13:1-17). It is symbolic of I knew of God and I knew of Jesus, but I did not our service to Christ through service to our fellow really know them. My understanding of God’s Word man. was lacking. Through my wife I came into contact with Hungry Hearts Ministries. Since then, I have The original event of the Israelites being delivered come to learn so much more about the Bible and out of slavery and through the Red Sea foreshadGod. I have learned that the Father and the Son are owed Christ’s deliverance of His children through echad, meaning one in Hebrew. I came to learn that His sacrifice on the cross. The Lamb of God, Jesus, Jesus was also as a Jewish rabbi who kept God’s is the Passover. It has been a life-changing revelation to learn that Passover is for all believers, including Word. This included the observance of Passover. me. Among the first building blocks of my new understanding of God’s Word were the feasts of Leviticus 23. Passover is the first of the annual feasts, occurring on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month called Nissan or Aviv. Depending on the year, this special day will occur in March or April. It is the first month on the Hebrew calendar. In Exodus 12:14-20, God commanded the feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread be kept forever. As Christians, we are grafted in to Israel (Romans chapters 9-11). This understanding gave the entire event a relevance and pertinence that I had
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More Than Courage Deaconess Kasey Perry
Through the history of the world, it is likely that every young girl has tried to imagine her wedding day and married life. I imagine Esther was no different. While contemplating such possibilities, recall that she was also known as Hadassah; this was her Jewish name. How could she know that she would one day grow into such beauty that she would be taken as a candidate for queen of the Persian Empire? Let us recall the story of Esther; it is a story of tremendous courage. Hadassah had been orphaned as a child. Her cousin, Mordecai, had assumed responsibility for her care. As we read her story, we can see the evidence of his role as “parent.” He provides her with instruction, and she respectfully listens to and obeys him—even after she becomes queen (Esther 2:20). As we read the story, we learn that her obedience served her well. The book of Esther begins recounting the magnificence of King Ahasuerus’ kingdom and palace. A spectacular banquet was given for nobles, princes, officers, and servants. Actually, banquet may not be adequate to describe this event, as it lasted 180 days! Evidently, this was not enough of a party for the King, as he followed it up with another sevenday banquet in the garden of the King’s palace. During this banquet, there was a conflict between the king and Queen Vashti. The queen was giving her own banquet for the women in the palace as well. On the last day, the king decided he wanted to put the queen on display, and he sent for her. He expected her to come wearing her royal crown, and he wanted everyone to see her beauty. Queen Vashti did not fall in line and refused to obey the king’s command. Filled with anger, he asked advice from men in his company and confidence. King Ahasuerus followed their suggestion and had Vashti removed from her position as queen. The royal vacancy had an impact on King Ahaseurus. When his anger subsided, this gave him time to reflect. It was decided that beautiful virgins would be gathered from the kingdom and prepared for an “audience” with the king. In this way, he would be able to select a suitable replacement for Queen Vashti. He could find someone who pleased him. During this mission, Hadassah’s loveliness was
not overlooked; she was taken for the pleasure of the king. This was the plan of men. As the story progresses, we find that her God-given beauty would open the door for a much greater purpose. While her appearance got her in the door, she had other qualities that allowed her to make history. This provides one more example that heroism is genderless. Esther 2:8-10 states: “8 So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house. 10 Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.” Hadassah’s willingness to listen and obey, her humility and her beauty won her favor with Hegai. He was the king’s eunuch who had custody of the young women. This favor was not just limited to him. Esther 2:15 informs us that she found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. Esther stood out as exceptional. There was a year-long process to prepare each woman to visit the king (Esther 2:12). When they were summoned for their evening with the king, each young woman could take anything from the harem to the palace. Esther had an advantage because she had an ally in Hegai. She deferred to him when it was her turn to visit the king. She accepted the advice of Hegai when selecting what to choose from the harem for adornment. She wanted to please the king.
Of all the young women, King Ahasuerus loved Esther the most; he made her queen. But the story only starts here. During Esther’s absence, Mordecai continued to check on her by walking in front of the court of the harem and staying near the king’s gate. While he was at the king’s gate, Mordecai overheard angry officials plotting to do harm to the king. Mordecai reported this to Queen Esther, and she
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informed the king. She also attributed this discovery to Mordecai, and justice was served with the death of the traitors. The situation that Esther and Mordecai found themselves in could have made them bitter toward the king. But they were loyal to the ruler in this land. They lived their lives knowing that God was in control.
As tempting as that offer sounded, Esther’s sights were on something more eternal than the Persian kingdom. She looked to secure the survival of her people. For this reason, she was patient. She had to create the right scenario for her request. She invited the king and even Haman to a banquet that she prepared for them. Her attention towards Haman encouraged him to be even fuller of himself than he It was this knowledge that sustained them during the had been—if that is possible— almost to the point of trial of a lifetime. Haman (the Agagite), a servant of distraction. the king, was promoted to a high place of authority. Haman was not respected by Mordecai. While we do After this, Haman once again observed Mordecai not know exactly why Mordecai defied Haman, it is refusing to bow down to him. He immediately made plans to have him hanged. While the banquet was safe to say Mordecai saw the evil within this man. being prepared and the gallows were being erected, The defiance enraged Haman and led to a plan for the king realized that he never rewarded Mordecai genocidal revenge. Haman convinced the king that for reporting the plot to take his life. Ironically, the “a people” lived in opposition to the king and his king involved a reluctant Haman in the honor he belaws. He planned to have the Jewish people de- stowed on Mordecai. stroyed. When Mordecai heard of this plot, he stood at the king’s gate in sackcloth and ashes. He im- At the banquet for the king and Haman, Esther plored Esther to intercede with the king for the presented her petition to the king. It was done with people. humility. She acknowledged the value of his time and how she (even as queen) would not bother him if In this conversation, Esther reminds him that the law the outcome of her people had been slavery, but her does not allow for someone to simply visit the king heart could not endure the anguish of knowing that at will. To approach the king without his invitation they would be annihilated, so she requested his intercould mean death—even for the queen. His response vention. is one of the most famous quotes in the book (Esther 4:13, 14). “Then Mordecai asked them to return this This humble approach only endeared her to him even answer to Esther: ‘Don’t think to yourself that you more. At that point, the king had to protect his bride. will escape in the king’s house any more than all the This brought the strongest possible response. He was Jews. For if you remain silent now, then relief and outraged that someone would dare plot to kill the deliverance will come to the Jews from another queen and her people. The stage was set, and Haman place, but you and your father’s house will perish. was exposed. He received his just due swiftly; he Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for and his sons were hanged. such a time as this?’” Esther was resolved to meet her obligation regardless of the outcome and is right Esther was safe, and the king gave Esther Haman’s in doing so; this is consistent with the expectation estate, but that was not enough. She acted to secure the safety of the people. As she spoke with the King, outlined in Torah (Leviticus 19:16). Esther revealed her relationship to Mordecai. She Webster’s dictionary defines courage as, “mental or asked for the king’s intervention regarding the edict moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand that called for the destruction of the Jews and the danger, fear, or difficulty.” As notable as a demon- plunder of their possessions. King Ahaseurus alstration of courage is, Esther’s actions went beyond lowed Esther and Mordecai to write the counter courageous. She was wise, courageous, and thorough commands as they saw fit; he even gave them his in her approach to managing the situation that threat- signet ring for his endorsement. In this way, the Jews ened disaster. were allowed to defend themselves. Scripture records that there were thousands in the provinces who The Jewish people in Susa were alerted of this dire tried to kill the Jews and plunder them. The Jews situation. Esther and the people in Susa all fasted for killed those who hated them, but they took no plunthree days and three nights. This was completed pri- der. Who would guess that an orphaned Jewish girl or to Esther approaching the king. When she would become queen and be so important in her peoapproached the king, not only was she was received ple’s rescue from such an evil plot? by him, but he offered her up to half of the kingdom (talk about favor!).
(Continued on page 17)
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History of Bible Archeology Elder Joe Perry
Archaeology as a science can help us to reconstruct the history and social structure of past civilizations. One of the many facets of this discipline is Biblical Archaeology. This can be defined as “a branch of archaeology dealing with the archaeology of Biblical lands that informs our understanding of the Bible and/or the historicity of Biblical events.” Today, the modern countries of Israel and Jordan are home to numerous archaeological excavations each year. Many more sites await study. The ancient lands of the tribe of Manasseh alone are known to contain 1,000 separate areas fertile for investigation. We have learned much in the last two hundred years. It has not always been this way. Two hundred years ago, Biblical archaeology was in its infancy. The Western countries were just beginning to take an interest in the ancient ruins and artifacts of Biblical lands. At that time and even centuries prior, the Ottoman Turks controlled Palestine. Large numbers of Europeans had been absent from the area since the Crusades. Napoleon and the French campaigned in the region in the last years of the 18th century before being driven out by the Turks and British. During that time, the Rosetta Stone was found in Egypt. This enabled scholars to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics and piqued the interest of the West to further study the whole Near East area including Palestine. The first ‘Biblical Archaeologist’ was Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope. She was an adventuress and traveler; this was unusual for her time because females did not do that sort of thing. Nonetheless, she came to Palestine to seek treasure with the blessings of the Turkish government. There were tales of a vast fortune hidden in the ruins of the ancient Philistine city of Ascelon (Judges 1:18). Lady Stanhope and her party was determined to find it. They spent some time in the summer of 1815 digging in the ruins of Ascelon. To their dismay, no treasure was found. They did, however, uncover a seven-foot tall marble statue to a Philistine god or king.
send them back to Europe and sell them to museums or even private collectors. This practice was distasteful to her and others of her time and she did not want to be associated with them. Lady Stanhope had even promised to give any treasure she found to the Turkish government.
Some good did come from her dig. A report was written on her findings and mention was made of a structure which was found to have had several distinct phases in the history of its construction. This is considered to be the first use of stratigraphical analysis of an archaeological site. After this inauspicious beginning, Biblical Archaeology was dormant for a number of years. There was one significant problem: Little was known in the West of the geography of the land beyond any cities like Jerusalem which had existed in Biblical times and were still thriving in the 19th century. The next important figure in Biblical Archaeology was not an archaeologist, but a geographer! Edward Robinson was born in 1794 in Connecticut. He immersed himself in Biblical studies. After learning Hebrew, he felt the next step was to journey to the Holy Land and try to locate the ancient Biblical cities. In a whirlwind five-month period in 1838, he traveled through the Sinai Peninsula to Akaba, then north to Beersheba (Gen. 28:10), Hebron (Gen 13:18) and finally arrived at Jerusalem. He traveled throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee and explored the Jordan Valley ending at Beirut. He made a second trip in 1852. His detailed notes would be an invaluable aid to archaeologists in the decades that followed and laid the foundations for modern Biblical Archaeology. Among his accomplishments was finding the tunnel Hezekiah dug to bring water from the Gihon Spring inside the walls of Jerusalem (2 Chron. 32:30). He also determined that construction of the tunnel had commenced from both ends and met in the middle. This discovery was confirmed in 1880 when a plaque was found in the tunnel.
Robinson’s importance cannot be underestimated. We will never know who the statue depicted. When He realized that much of what was thought to be she gave up the idea of finding treasure, she ordered known of Holy Land locations, particularly as perthe statue smashed to pieces! She did not wish to taining to Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) life, was a mixture of align herself with other seekers of Near Eastern antiquities. These plunderers would loot the artifacts,
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tradition and legend. He also recognized the benefit of preserving ancient place names in working out the location of Biblical sites. For example, the modern Acre is Biblical Acco (Jud. 1:31) and Lydda is the Biblical Lod. (1 Chron. 8:12). This idea of native nomenclature had been generally overlooked because most travelers did not know the Arabic language.
Both of these were hard to come by given the climate of the Holy Land.
The secret lies in the pottery. If you can match the type of pottery from one excavation to the type found in another location that has already been dated, then you can date your site. Thanks to cities that were known to be active from antiquity to the present, Robinson was followed by other explorers. These there was a record of pottery available for archaeoloincluded Titus Tobler, H. V. Guerin and Lieutenant gists to study. Claude Reignier Conner whose 1880 map covered 6,000 square miles and fixed the position of hun- By the end of the 19th century, the pioneers of Biblidreds of sites. Together these men paved the way for cal Archaeology had established the criteria by which modern archaeologists would conduct their the archaeologists that would follow. work. The dawn of the 20th century would see BibliThere was one vital clue that all of these geographers cal Archaeology start to flourish and the era of treasmissed. This was the meaning of the topographical ure hunters begin to wane. We will explore the first feature known in Hebrew as a ‘tel.’ The word tel decades of the 20th century next time. means an artificial mound formed from the accumulated debris of people living on the same site for hun- Sources dreds or thousands of years. As civilizations fell and Biblical archaeology.org cities were rebuilt one on top of the other, the height Pearlman, Moshe. Digging Up The Bible. New of the tel would increase. York,1980. The first to recognize this phenomenon were archae- Silberman, Neal Asher. “Restoring The Reputation ologists Heinrich Schliemann and William Dorpfeld, Of Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope”, Biblical who excavated in Greece and Troy. When they Archaeology Review. Vol. 10, No. 4. July/ Au announced their discovery, Biblical scholars were gust, 1984. skeptical. Most of them found it hard to imagine a scenario in which cities would be piled one on top of Ussishkin, David. Biblical Lachish. Jerusalem, 2014. another resulting in the creation of a tel. But one English archaeologist, William Mathew Flinders Pe(Continued from page 15) trie, took the new discovery as gospel. He was familiar with tels and the fact that they were found princiWe know the end of the story, but Esther and Mordepally in the Near East. cai did not know what was going to happen. They Palestinian tels were formed because the main build- only knew that they needed to follow God’s ways ing material in ancient times was the mud brick. and live honorably, even at the risk of their own When mud brick structures were destroyed in battle, lives. Consequently, the Jewish people were protectand Mordecai was elevated to a position second burned or abandoned to decay, the material crum- ed, only to the king (Esther 10:3). bled. This formed a foundation platform on which the next builders could put up their structures. A tel What an example to us! While God is directly not that was occupied and rebuilt many times could mentioned in this book, His hand is seen all through reach a formidable height. The tel of Lachish saw 14 it. It is up to us to live by His rules and trust in His levels of building. In fact, the resulting tel towers ways—as Esther and Mordecai did. We then allow over the countryside. God to manage the rest. Our success is in how we walk our path; He manages the outcome! Petrie excavated his first tel in 1890. He chose a large mound called Tel el-Hesi located on the plain Works Cited midway between the Mediterranean coast and the Judean hills. In the six weeks he dug, Petrie found “Courage.” Merriam-Webster.com.MerriamWebster, n.d. Web. 01 Jan 2018. the clue that would lead to solving another archaeological problem: how to date a site. With multiple Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible. Revised Ed. levels at these tels, how can you accurately date your Spiros Zodhiates. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publ findings? This especially becomes a problem if you ishers, 2008. Print. are lacking any writings or inscriptions.
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March 2018
Passover March 29th at sunset Night to Be Much Observed March 30th at sunset 1st Day of Unleavened Bread (Annual Sabbath)* March 30th at sunset through March 31st at sunset 7th Day of Unleavened Bread (Annual Sabbath)* Thursday, April 5th at sunset through Friday April 6th at sunset
*Be sure to talk to your employer so you can be off work on these days. Remember to remove leavening agents before Passover. Leavening agents include the following ingredients: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Bicarbonate. The following are not leavening agents: Cream of Tartar by itself does not leaven anything any more than does sour milk or buttermilk. It is often used as a flavoring in foods and beverages. Brewers Yeast is a by-product of the fermentation of beer and is a rich source of vitamins, especially the B complex. It has no leavening properties. Yeast Extract is an ingredient used in canned or dehydrated soups. It is only an extract and cannot leaven anything. 18
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