It is all about seeing if the wind will carry you. I've watched the eagles’ nest in Big Bear Valley with Mom and Dad, Jackie and Shadow, and their two babies almost daily for the last three months. The “cam” has given millions of us a "bird's eye view," so to speak, of the babies, Sunny and Gizmo, growing from grey fuzzy balls into feathered eagles about the same size as their parents. It has been determined that both babies are girls.
 
Practice is what makes any task doable. Such is the case with the eaglets who are now called fledglings as they prepare to fly. Preparation includes jumping up and down, and flapping their wings, and testing the wind currents. I read that birds have an inherent ability to fly that develops during their physical maturation. Daily, Sunny and Gizmo step out onto the large branches around the nest and do wing exercises to help them build up strength and agility. Monday morning, we were all treated to the exciting view of Sunny finally taking her first flight. Her confidence combined with the draw of the wind convinced her to spread her wings and soar. She did not return to the nest until the next day, when she shared a fish with her sister. Gizmo, the younger of the eaglets by a few days, waited until yesterday to take flight from the nest tree.
 
Watching these eagles prepare for their flight showed me that they are made to fly. Like the eagles, Christians are also made to soar in heavenly places. The prophet Isaiah encourages us in our call to fly with the Lord, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) When it is time for us to fly, God stirs up our "nests" just as the eaglets’ parents do. He does this so we learn to soar on heights. Like the eaglets, we must learn to fly on our own and feed ourselves daily.
 
Learning to fly can be a metaphor for life. There is a process involved that we must embrace so we reach our destinations. Taking flight releases us from our limitations. As we begin flying, we should recognize that flight presents us with opportunities and challenges. A comforting thought should be that the Holy Spirit is with us to help us make the right decisions about how to negotiate the terrain that is before us. In addition, we have an example that was set by Jesus so we can soar like Him. Recall how He regularly spent time waiting on His Father and resting before "taking flight." As we wait on the Lord, we rest and bind together with Him so that our weakness becomes strength and power.
 
The secret to the flight of eagles is their ability to use air currents to soar. They only flap their wings in preparation to reach the good air currents. God has given them an innate ability to sense the motion of the wind currents. Eagles will intentionally head into the winds of a storm, because the strong winds will take them higher and they will have the ability to see things from an expanded perspective. This is our call. God takes us over the clouds of our difficulties so that we can see life from His perspective.
 
Here is our challenge: We must spread our wings of faith to catch the winds of the Spirit and soar to greater heights to live like Jesus did and realize the destiny God has for us. 

​ 
The significance of God's timing and His coordination of events speaks loudly about His brilliance. On this very night, the 6th of Sivan, the third month on the Hebrew calendar, we should be aware of the "trifecta" of events that converge. They are all about the physical provision, revelation, and power that God gives His people. In Scripture, He commanded them to appear before Him three times a year to celebrate His goodness and align their lives with His timing. The first of these three feasts is to remember God's deliverance from Egypt and is called Passover or Pesach. Next comes Pentecost or Shavuot. On this day, the children of Israel brought to the temple the firstfruits of their wheat harvest and gave thanks for God's physical provision.
 
It is no coincidence that the Lord chose the day of firstfruits to give Moses and the Israelites the law of the Old Covenant. God gave Moses a reminder and a promise in Exodus 19:4-5. "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." In Exodus 19:16-18 it is reported: "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled...Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace; the whole mountain trembled violently." Then the ten commandments were engraved in stone.
 
About 1,400 years later Jesus was born. He came as the fulfillment of the law. (Matthew 5:17, 18) His life was one free from all sin, as He perfectly kept both the letter and the spirit of the law. Christ's life and death met the requirements of the Old Testament law. His death and resurrection removed the law as a way of coming to God. It was replaced with salvation by faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross. Jesus broke down the divisions between God and us to bring us peace with Him. Here is how Ephesians 2:14 and 15 puts it: "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace."
 
For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His apostles and gave them a command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4, 5, 8) Their waiting was rewarded on the day called Shavuot (meaning weeks)—seven weeks from the Sabbath of Passover week—plus one day or fifty days. The Spirit of God descended to fulfill Pentecost (meaning fifty). "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4) Here we have God's provision of power, boldness, and revelation. It was the day when the Word and the Spirit came together as one.
 
The third commanded feast, Tabernacles, will not take place until the fall when we begin a new year on the secular Hebrew calendar and a time to repent for our sins and rejoice in the glory of God. In the meantime, we have much to contemplate. Jeremiah 31:33 tells us that God fulfilled His promise by writing His law on our hearts. Let us give thanks for all of God's promises and remember the "trifecta" of provision: Harvest to physically sustain us, Torah to guide and nourish us spiritually, and the Holy Spirit as the Lord's guiding, sustaining, and nourishing presence with us. Let us also cry out to the Lord for a fresh infilling of His Spirit and an illumination of the Scriptures.

​It was in the late 1860s that Americans began to give tribute to fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers and flags. The day on which they did this became known as "Decoration Day." This special day started to morph into something bigger for the nation. On May 30, 1865, Union General John Logan called for an official day of remembrance to honor those who died in the Civil War. It was in 1968 that Congress passed the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act" which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May. But it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. Our celebrations today include parades, picnics, and events honoring those who died in the service of our country. It is a sacred tradition for the president of the United States to place a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. Also, our American flag is supposed to be at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day.
 
All these traditions are meant to bring to mind the brave people who fought valiantly for our freedoms. God recognized how important it was for His people to remember the ways in which He rescued and provided for them. That is why He told the children of Israel to pick up stones from the bottom of the Jordan River after they had crossed over into the Promised Land. God said, "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." (Joshua 4:2, 3) Joshua, their leader, told them the reason God instructed them to collect these stones. He said they are to "serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord...These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." (Joshua 4:6-8)
 
The twelve stones taken from the Jordan River were set up at the camp called Gilgal. I think it is no coincidence that the name Gilgal means, liberty, wheel, or sacred circle. Joshua told his people, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God." (Joshua 4:21-24)
 
There is such power and encouragement in remembering the unfailing love of God! This is especially important when we are going through difficult times. When we look at a reminder of God's presence in and promises for our lives, we are able to move forward with assurance. Whether we have a written journal or a symbol to look at, it is wise to practice a way to remember God’s faithfulness. We also have the responsibility of telling the next generation about God's love and faithfulness. Visuals are always helpful in telling a story. King David wrote Psalm 145 with this in mind: "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness." (Psalm 145:3-7) We must ask ourselves on this Memorial Day weekend, “How are we remembering the faithfulness of God in our lives?”

​Some of the old hymns written about the blood of Jesus declare it to be our victory. Likewise, Scriptures proclaim this, such as Ephesians 1:7. "In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." The Church needs to remember that the purchase price for our redemption was the blood of Jesus. "We were bought with a price,” 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23 tell us. The blood of Jesus is the only recognized currency in heaven. It is through faith that we appropriate the blood of Jesus.
 
If we look at the history of the blood covering, we must start with Adam and Eve in the Garden. When they sinned against God their attempt to cover their nakedness with fig leaves was insufficient. It took the slaughtering of animals and shedding of their blood to cover their sin. The blood sacrifice became the atonement or covering of the sin of Adam and Eve. The sacrificing of animals during the time of the Old Covenant was a foreshadow of what would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ at the Cross as He offered us a New Covenant.
 
The Lord spoke to Moses about the blood as he was leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. "For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourself on the altar..." (Leviticus 17:11) We must understand that it is the blood that carries the gift of life from God. Up until the birth of Jesus, there was no perfect sacrifice for sin. That is why so many animals had to die regularly for the covering of sin. When Jesus went to the Cross, the blood He shed was pure and uncontaminated. 1 Peter 1:19 calls it "precious blood." For this reason, the sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus only needed to be done once. (Hebrews 9:12) t took away our sins from the past, present, and future.
 
Romans 3:25 and 26 in The Passion Translation explains the sacrifice of God through His Son beautifully: "Jesus' God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins and now He is our mercy seat because of His death on the Cross. We come to Him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God's justice, because until now, He had been so patient—holding back His justice out of tolerance for us. So, He covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus' sacrifice. And when the season of tolerance came to an end, there was only one possible way for God to give away His righteousness and still be true to both His justice and His mercy—to offer up His own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in His eyes!"
 
The enemy of our souls does his best to discourage the Church from teaching about the power of the blood, taking communion, and pleading its power. He is helpless against it. The value of the blood as we plead it includes mercy, forgiveness, pardon, healing, protection, deliverance, and peace. The song, "O The Blood" by Gateway Worship and Kari Jobe, has a chorus that explains the power of the blood. "Oh, the blood of Jesus washes me. Oh, the blood of Jesus shed for me. What a sacrifice that saved my life; Yes, the blood, it is my victory." We would do well to keep this in mind.

​According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, the definition of transition is "the process or a period of change from one state or condition to another." This shifting from one state or place to another is mostly uncomfortable. When we are in transition, we must be willing to work on the process of transformation and look at the developments that are taking place as we progress.
 
The Bible is filled with stories of people making changes in their lives and trusting in God to provide for all their needs. But the one that stands out to me the most is when the children of Israel were moving toward Mount Sinai under the direction of Moses. During the first month of the year, Nisan, God set them free from slavery and brought them out with plunder from the Egyptians. They were making their way to a place where they would meet God, and He would give them directions on how to live their lives in the future. In essence, they were moving from redemption to revelation. The Israelites had fifty days of traveling to reach their destination. Their travels became a trial because they forgot what God had done for them in Egypt. They did not remember the powerful signs, wonders, and miracles they experienced before and during their time of freedom.
 
God's plan was to use this transition time to teach the children of Israel about Himself. With each trial and subsequent provision for them, they received insight into God's marvelous power and personality. Through several examples, God was saying to them, "Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Despite what God had done, they had their first breakdown in the Desert of Shur. They had been without water for three days until they came to Marah. The water here was too bitter to drink, so they reacted by grumbling against Moses. God instructed Moses to place a tree into the water which resulted in the transformation of the water into sweet liquid. A decree was sent from God: "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals." (Exodus 15:26) First and foremost, God wanted His people to know Him as "Jehovah Rapha," The Lord Who Heals.
 
It did not take long for the children of Israel to grumble again. Exodus 16:1 tells us that this occurred on the "Fifteenth day of the second month," which is Iyar, the month we are in now. The community complained because they were concerned about lack of food. God used this opportunity to tell them that He is "Jehovah Jireh," The Lord Who Provides. He rained down manna and quail for His people so they had more than they needed. A third teaching moment came when the Lord helped Israel defeat the Amalekites who had attacked them. Aaron and Hur stood at the top of the hill with Moses and held up his arms while the Israelites fought. After they won the battle, Moses built an altar and called it "Jehovah Nissi," The Lord is My Banner.
 
As we can see, the time of transition became a time of learning and drawing closer to God. What can we learn from this story? First, we must remember what God has done in the past. Psalm 77:11 says, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago." Then, when we are in a time of transition, we must trust God and seek His guidance. Proverbs 3:5 and 6 say it all. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Finally, we must give thanks to Him for all that He has done and will continue to do. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17) I hope that these truths encourage you during your times of transition and as you contemplate what happened to the Israelites during this month of Iyar. God is faithful, and He uses our times of uncertainty to draw closer to us, introduce us to new aspects of His personality, and prepare us for our new seasons.

​ 
There were forty days between the time that Jesus was resurrected until He ascended to heaven. (Acts 1:3) This number, forty, is significant throughout the Bible, and represents the number of spiritual preparation during trials. The number is also linked to purification. A forty-day testing period ends in either victory or defeat. Because the disciples abandoned Jesus at the Cross, they had much to regret. Jesus made it a priority to reengaged with His followers during the forty days after His resurrection to restore and encourage and set the course for their future.
 
When Jesus engaged with two of His followers who were walking to Emmaus, they did not recognize Him until He broke bread with them. They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32) In their desire to share what had happened, they went to Jerusalem to join the disciples and confirmed that Jesus had risen. While they were there, Jesus came into the room and said, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24:36) He then reminded them of what He had said before His crucifixion. Eight days later, all eleven of the disciples gathered together with the door locked because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus suddenly stood before them and repeated what He had said before: "Peace be with you." (John 20:27) Thomas, who had not been with the disciples at their last meeting, had an opportunity to place his hands into the wounds of Jesus. His unbelief disappeared, and he declared, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)
 
Another encounter with Jesus came for seven disciples who decided to go fishing at the Sea of Galilee. They forsook their call to fish for men, hoping to find some satisfaction in their old occupation. Jesus stood on the shore and watched their frustration as they caught nothing. He called to them and instructed them to throw their net to the right side of the boat. "When they did, they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.'" (John 21:6, 7) When they came to shore, they found Jesus who had prepared a fire of burning coals with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus took this opportunity to restore Peter. Taking into consideration Peter's three-fold denial of Him, Jesus asked him three times if he truly loved Him. Jesus made it clear that Peter was being restored and that he was to care for His sheep.

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to many before HIs ascension. "He appeared to Peter, and then the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also..." (Verses 5-8) Luke describes the ascension of Jesus in the first chapter of the book of Acts. First, Jesus told His disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4, 5, 8) The disciples needed to have the power of the Holy Spirit come upon them to accomplish the mission that was being set before them.

Ten days after the ascension of Jesus—fifty days from His resurrection—the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other tongues, saw tongues of fire resting on everyone, and heard a mighty wind in their gathering place. Peter boldly spoke a message of repentance and watched as about 3,000 people were added to their number on that day. This was the beginning of a new life for the apostles. Acts 2:43 reports, "Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles." Here we have the beginning of the formation of The Church. The call on our lives has not changed since this day of Pentecost. Fifty is the number of liberty, freedom, and jubilee. God calls us to walk with Him through the Holy Spirit in the power that He has given to us. We are commissioned to reach those in our lives with the truth of the Gospel. We cannot allow anything to distract us from our pursuit of the fullness of all that God has for us and those whose lives we touch.

​Did you ever ask yourself, "What was the purpose of the Cross?" Father God sent His son, Jesus, to redeem mankind so that we could be in right relationship with Him. Father covets fellowship with us, but there was a price that had to be paid for redemption. The price to buy us back from the enemy was the blood of Jesus, the sinless, spotless Son of God. His sacrifice demonstrated His love for us as He became our Passover Lamb. Mathew 27:45, Mark 15:33, and Luke 23:45 all describe how the sky darkened at noontime until three o'clock while Jesus was being crucified. At the very same time, the high priest Caiaphas was slaughtering the pure, spotless Passover lambs that were brought to the Temple. It was the blood that covered sin in the Old Covenant, but under the New Covenant with Jesus, our sins are forever taken away.
 
When the darkness ended Jesus cried out from the cross: "It is finished!" (John 19:30) He accomplished His assignment on earth. The power of what Jesus, our Messiah, did was reflected in what happened next. First, it is recorded in Matthew 27:51 that at the moment Jesus took His last breath "the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom." (TPT) Rick Renner, in his book Paid in Full, gives us some staggering information: "The massive, fortified veil that stood before the Holy of Holies was suddenly split in half from top all the way to the bottom!" Rich's research into Jewish writings found that the veil was "60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and an entire handbreadth in thickness." (page 215) In addition, Matthew 27:51 and 52 records: "The earth shook violently, rocks were split apart, and graves were opened. Then many of the holy ones who had died were brought back to life and came out of their graves.” (TPT)
 
Three days later these amazing events were to pale in comparison to what God did. The body of Jesus was placed in a tomb. At the request of the Pharisees and chief priests Pilate agreed to seal the tomb and send soldiers to guard it. The day after the Sabbath, "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the tomb. Suddenly, the earth shook violently beneath their feet as the angel of the Lord Jehovah descended from heaven. Lightening flashed around him and his robe was dazzling white! The guards were stunned and terrified--lying motionless like dead men. Then the angel walked up to the tomb, rolled away the stone, and sat on it!" (Matthew 28:1-4 - TPT) It was impossible for death to hold Jesus in the grave!
 
The angel told the women, "Run and tell His disciples, even Peter, that He is risen. He has gone ahead of you into Galilee, and you will see Him there, just like He told you." (Mark 16:7 - TPT) We can only imagine the excitement of these women as they tried to tell the disciples what had happened. Disciples John and Peter decided to go to the tomb to see for themselves and found things as the women had explained. There are many eyewitness accounts of Jesus appearing to His followers. Mary Magdalene, two disciples walking to Emmaus, and the eleven disciples, to name a few, had the privilege of talking with Him. Before leaving the earth Jesus gathered His disciples together to commission them. He said, "I have given you all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 - NLT)
 
One day Jesus will return as the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords. In the meantime, as the Body of Christ, we have the responsibility to spread the Good News. At the right hand of God the Father, Jesus sits as our Great High Priest and intercedes for us. He is standing by to give us "help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) The resurrection of Jesus is the very hope and foundation of our faith. Let us remember His everlasting sacrifice and love and join our fellow Christians in living a life that reproduces His example.

​Passover is all about remembrance of God's faithfulness and beginning a new life cycle. As slaves, the children of Israel had no relationship with time because one day was the same as the other. With the Passover, God was marking time and redeeming His people so that they could begin their year with encouragement as they recalled how He gave them new life. It is through remembering the victories of the past that we have hope for the future. Deuteronomy 32:7 tells us, "Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and He will tell you, your elders and they will explain to you." 
 
The yearly tradition of sitting at a table to share a meal and tell the story of freedom for God's people was instituted by the Lord. He said, "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance...Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt." (Exodus 12:14, 17) The Hebrew meaning of the Passover meal, called "Seder," is "order." It is written in a book called the "Haggadah," meaning "telling," that includes the story from the book of Exodus, an explanation of the meal courses, and songs and blessings. The gathering at the table is for all generations.
 
Asaph, the writer of Psalm 78, tells of our responsibility to bring up the next generation in the knowledge of the truth. Psalm 78:2-7 says, "...I will utter hidden things, things from of old...What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob (The King James Version says, "He established a testimony.") and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands."
 
This year the Passover began on April 12 (Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar). Many families sat around the Seder table for the retelling of the story of the exodus and the journey to the Promised Land. We can read how Jesus also celebrated a Seder with His disciples. It would be His "last supper" before going to the Cross. Imagine how he felt knowing that He was destined to be the Passover Lamb in the future and for all eternity. He told His disciples, “’I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.' After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.'" (Luke 22:14-17)
 
Many Christian communities do not celebrate the Passover. Long ago Emperor Constantine tried to merge Christianity with paganism by changing the calendar. With the Council of Nicaea, he outlawed Passover and changed the date for celebrating Christ's death and resurrection to correspond with the spring festival of the pagan goddess Ishtar, also known as Easter. Those who refused to stop celebrating Passover were persecuted and murdered. Falling into the hand of Satan, the Church agreed to pronounce a curse on Christians who celebrated the Passover. Satan is still at the forefront of the battle to stop the Passover and taking Communion because he knows that the power is in the blood of Jesus.
 
The blood of Jesus was shed to redeem us from the enemy. Our deliverance comes through the blood of the Lamb on the Cross of Calvary. Every time Christians take communion, we celebrate the Passover Lamb. However, communion celebrates more than freedom from bondage in Egypt; it celebrates our release from the bondage of sin. We can take communion as often as we desire. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." Father God is the one who connected the sacrifice of Jesus to the Passover and why He is called the Passover Lamb. For generations to come we must share the power of His shed blood.

​Preparation is a necessity when we desire to move forward into a new season. Scriptures talk about preparation for a meal, sacrifice, battle, building project, and life-style change. Much preparation took place for the children of Israel to come out of bondage in Egypt and for the disciples to be ready for life without Jesus. Since we are at the beginning of a new year and new beginnings in the month of Nisan, it would be wise for us to prepare for the journey. We can learn about how to do this from the Israelites and the disciples.
 
God would begin preparing the children of Israel for their journey out of slavery by bringing upon the Egyptians the last of ten plagues—the death of the firstborn. The Israelites were given several instructions. We can read their first one in Exodus 11:2. "Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold." God made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward them so that they would not leave Egypt without plunder. The next instruction was for each family to take a pure and spotless male lamb into their home on the tenth day of the month of Nisan. (Exodus 12:3, 5) The lambs were to be slaughtered on the fourteenth of the month and its blood placed on the top and sides of their doorframes. (Exodus 12:7) That night they were to roast the lamb and eat it along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.
 
The angel of death passed over the families of the Israelites when he saw the blood and killed the first-born in Egypt, convincing Pharaoh to release God's chosen people. Early in the morning the Israelites left their homes in Rameses (meaning dissolving evil) and headed toward Succoth (meaning booths). Before leaving, the people "...bowed down and worshiped" (Exodus 12:27) when they saw how the Lord passed over their homes. All Israel left Egypt at the end of 430 years. "Because the Lord kept vigil that night, to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:42)
 
When it was time for Jesus to leave the earth, He had much to tell His disciples to prepare them for their life without Him. At their Passover Feast, Jesus began by washing their feet. This act of humility was to show the disciples that they would be expected to serve others, not to be served. "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (John 13:15) Next Jesus gave them the rule of love. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 36) 
 
Jesus wanted His disciples to know that He was going to leave them to prepare for their futures. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me...I am going to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1, 2) Jesus also needed to explain to them about the Holy Spirit who would take HIs place. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, The Spirit of Truth...You know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16, 17) Finally, Jesus had to warn His disciples that they would experience great grief, but their sorrow would be transformed to joy. "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy...Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:20, 22)
 
Life is a journey that includes known and unknown. Our job is to trust in the Lord and to consult with the Holy Spirit on how to prepare for our Promised Lands. "The Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5) As we stand at the beginning of the first month of the new year, let's prepare for the season that is ahead.

​Today we begin a new month, the first month on the Biblical calendar as ordained by God. It seems so appropriate as we look outside and see the budding trees, the blooming daffodils and forsythia, and the robins pecking the ground for worms. Deuteronomy 2:6-8 describes what the children of Israel experienced during this time. "So, the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders." The name of the first month is Nisan which means beginning. God desired that His children begin their new year with the remembrance of HIs mighty signs and wonders that brought to their memory how He set them free from the bondage of Egypt and then began leading them to their Promised Land. Thus, He said to Moses and Aaron, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." (Exodus 12:2)
 
The month of Nisan has become known as a month of miracles. During this time God was preparing the way for the freedom of the Israelites through a campaign of miraculous signs. These signs came in the form of ten plagues: The Plague of blood in the Nile River, frogs, gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness that could be felt, and death of the firstborn (man and animals). While the Egyptians were contending with these plagues, the Lord made a distinction between them and the people of Israel. There was no plague in the land where the Israelites lived and they watched as God fought for them and prepared the way for them to begin a new life. It was time for them to “spring” forward.
 
Just as the Lord stretched out His arms to show miraculous signs and wonders, He did so on the Cross for our redemption. Jesus said in John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." His desire was to redeem us through our acceptance of His blood sacrifice and repentance for our sins. All creation shows us the process of death and life throughout the year. Now is the season of new life as the blossoms of spring are reappearing.
 
God is calling us to new life during this set-aside time. He has paid a price for us to be free from all bondage and to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit that He placed within us. Those who start well usually finish well. We must start by acknowledging and thanking the Lord for His deliverance and redemption. Then we should step forward on to the path where we are being directed. Each of us is positioned for victory as we align our lives with God's plans and purposes.
 
Nisan 1 is one of God's appointed times that is meant to draw us into a life-giving encounter with Him. I believe that on God's appointed dates there is a thinner space between heaven and earth and that our pursuit at these times brings His presence. Our goal must be to host His presence and to dedicate our lives to blessing Him and the lost world.