Unleavened Bread 2003 – Day 7

Each Feast day has its own particular meaning, and gives us understanding. Here is a very important principle that we are taught in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:1: "For the priestly law, having only a shadow of the good things that are coming, and not the image of those things..."

The Law tells us the good things to come. So, buried within the Law is the foundation that then is expanded throughout the rest of the Word of God. When we come to the New Testament it gives us a spiritual understanding of the meaning of those things, which the Law foreshadows. It's very important for us to understand that, lest people think that what we do in keeping the Feast are Old Testament 'Jewish things.' And as we covered on the first Holy Day, the Apostle Paul commanded Gentiles, saying:

1 Corinthians 5:8: "For this reason, let us keep the Feast…"

Lev. 23 is where we always go when we begin a Holy Day, and let's understand that this is the time that we really look into these things and build on the lessons that we have learned in the past and give us strength and understanding to go forward in the future. We've covered this many, many times. But somehow people just don't seem to get it, and that's why God gives repeats.

Leviticus 23:4: "These are the appointed Feasts of the LORD..." They belong to Him! They're not the Jewish feasts, they're not the Israeli feasts, they are the Feasts of the Lord that He gave to the children of Israel, and He also gave to His Church.

"...Holy convocations… [or appointed assemblies] …which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons" (v 4). That is the key!

Many of you have already noticed that since the Passover was later this year, and Unleavened Bread was later this year. Winter was later this year, so it is in season. God's way, with the Calculated Hebrew Calendar, is always on time; it is never early and it is never late. It's precisely on time and is, with the rules of calculation, self-adjusting to any peculiarities that are noted in the universe or the solar system.

Verse 5: "In the fourteenth day of the first month, between the two evenings… [between sunset and dark] …is the LORD'S Passover, and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread… [that we began with on the first Holy Day] …to the LORD. You must eat unleavened bread seven days.

And I'll have to tell everyone, thank you, that for the last four or five years no one asked me, 'Must we eat unleavened bread for seven days?' The answer is yes.

Verse 7: "On the first day you shall have a Holy convocation.… [which we did] …You shall not do any servilework therein"—work for hire or pay. It says there in Exo. 12 that whatever is necessary for the preparation of food, etc. Those things we can do; it's perfectly legal and lawful to do that.

Verse 8: "But you shall offer a fire offering to the LORD seven days. In the seventh day is a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein."

We find in Num. 28 that also on the last day of the Feast Unleavened Bread there is an offering to be taken up

Verse 37: "These are the Feasts of the LORD..."

Now, it started out the same way in v 4: "These are the appointed Feasts of the LORD…" Verse 37 summarizes it again after we've pretty well gone through all of it except for repetition of the 15th day and the Last Great Day for the Feast of Tabernacles.

Verse 37: "These are the Feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations..."

In other words, even the ministers do not have a choice as to what they should or should not do. It's just like concerning the commandments: You shall not have any other gods before Me!

Here in v 37 we have "…you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything on its day."

In Deuteronomy 16:16 we find the same thing: "Three times in a year..."—meaning three seasons. So, we have the spring season, then Pentecost, which is just before the beginning of summer season, and then we have the fall season, where we have Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day.

Verse 16: "Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose..." We have seen that if we worship God in Spirit and in Truth, wherever those are who are assembled in the name of God, and God's Spirit is there. Then God has chosen to be there because He has put His Spirit there. It used to be Jerusalem, as Jesus said, but not any longer.

"...in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks… [Pentecost] …and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before the LORD empty, every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God, which He has given you" (vs 16-17).

One of the greatest blessings that we have under the New Covenant is that we have received the Holy Spirit of God, which is for eternal life. That is the greatest blessing, not just looking to the physical blessings. But they're:

• the blessings of God's Holy Spirit
• the blessings of God's protection
• the blessings of understanding the Word of God

All of those are tremendous blessings that we need to consider when we come before God to bring an offering. So at this time we will go ahead and pause, and we'll take up the offering.

(pause for offering)

Let's understand something that is very profound and which people seem to miss, misunderstand or don't comprehend. I think one of the reasons why so much of Protestantism has gone away from God is because they don't know or study the Old Testament. They think that the Old Testament is that which has been done away; 'we don't have to follow it.' Well that's not so! As we saw on the first Holy Day, the Apostle Paul commanded the Gentiles in Corinth to keep the Feast.

Now likewise, notice this charge that the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy just before the time that the Apostle Paul was martyred. He wrote this most urgent letter, and he said to him:

2-Timothy 4:1: "I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word!.…" (vs 1-2).

That's what is to be taught, the Word of God. But when the Word of God is taught, which was inspired by Christ to be written, so this is the inspired Word of God. When we assemble together on the Sabbath and the Holy Days, then God's Spirit inspires us and He teaches us; it's really God the Father Who is teaching us, and Jesus Christ Who is teaching us through the power of the Holy Spirit to give us understanding.

"...Be urgent in season and out of season..." (v 2). What does this tell us? That they were keeping the Feasts! We just read in Lev. 23 that these are 'the Feast of the LORD, which you shall proclaim in their seasons.' I did a sermon some years ago: Which Came First, the Ritual? or the Day? The truth is, the day came first!

The Sabbath was created before any ritual or sacrifice. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread occurred before there were any animal sacrifices, save the Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month. This shows in season and out of season. Then the Word of God is to:

"...convict… [to give right ways] …rebuke… [when there is sin] …encourage with all patience and doctrine" (v 2). So, doctrine is profoundly important. There is:

• sound doctrine
• unsound doctrine
• true doctrine
• false doctrine

The true doctrine comes from the Word of God!

This is what Timothy was to do. This charge is given to all of those who subsequently are elders, teachers or those who are leading God's people. Preach the Word! If they are to know about salvation they need to know about the Word of God. They need to know the reasons why we have the Holy Days and why to preach in season and out of season. So, here's another proof in the New Testament that they were preaching during the Feast days.

Verse 3—here's the reason why this was done: "For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine..."

We have seen that so many times over and over again through the years of experience that we've had. Part of the reason that the sound doctrines are rejected is because of lust.

"...but according to their own lusts they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers..." (v 3)—because they have itching ears, and they will want to hear what they want to hear! There are also teachers that have lust that want to teach the things that sound important to make themselves important, rather than to realize it's God the Father and Jesus Christ that are the key and the importance in the Word of God to be preached. Not the self, and not to placate people's human natures. But to show them the Truth of God that they may change, repent, grow and overcome.

But he says here, verse 5: "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Everyone who is a teacher or an elder has to make full proof of his ministry! In other words, it is to be proved and tested by the Word of God whether these things are so or not.

Now let's look at something that's really important for us to realize here. Let's see what happened, beginning the first Holy Day. Then we will see what happened on the last Holy Day.

I just want to mention something that a lot of people have come across. I came across this years ago by a man named Ron Wyatt. He did locate the place where Noah's Ark finally settled on the mountains of Ararat, and he did locate the place where Sodom and Gomorrah was. Actually, we were able to see some of the sulfur balls that you can just pick up on the ground down around where Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. But Wyatt has two false doctrines:

• a lying deception that we covered on the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread; that the blood of Christ was dripped upon the Ark of the Covenant that was buried in the subterranean caves below the temple

The truth is, that never happened, because Jesus Christ was not crucified anywhere near the place that it is alleged today that He was crucified. The thing that is very important, is that instead of the blood being sprinkled in the Holy of Holies, what happened was, Judas Iscariot—undoubtedly a priest, otherwise he would not be able to come into the temple area as he did—came in with the thirty pieces of silver, which was blood money, he cast them down into the temple, right toward the temple.

What was sprinkled at the temple was not the blood of Christ, because God was rejecting that system. As a matter of fact, the very reason the veil was rent in two was to show that God was opening the way to the true Holy of Holies in heaven above, and that He was rejecting the whole temple system. So the truth of the matter is that when Judas Iscariot cast that blood money down, that was the sprinkling of money, which was blood money, instead of the blood of Christ.

We've already covered concerning the Night Much to be Remembered, but let's just review it; Exodus 12:40. "Now, the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years, and it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, it was even on that very same day, all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed to the LORD..." (vs 40-42).

That's the beginning of the 15th. We are going to see that, likewise, as the children of Israel left Egypt by night, they also crossed the Red Sea at night.

Let's learn some of the lessons that God wants us to have in this season of the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. There are many tremendous lessons for us to learn, which we will learn from here and from the New Testament. We will understand the Word of God even more.

I need to finish the second heresy that this Ron Wyatt had:

• where the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea was not where it is understood; where we understand that it was

Wyatt says that they traveled all the way down to the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula, and there was a little narrow bridge going across the Gulf of Aqaba over into Saudi Arabia. That's where Mount Sinai was, in Saudi Arabia.

Well, the truth is, the distance is so far that in seven days for them to go that distance, they would have to travel with all of the animals and everything somewhere around 7.5 miles an hour, 24 hours a day to get there. Once you do the math on that and figure out the distance, then we're talking about another impossibility.

Now let's look at what the Scripture says concerning the children of Israel. They were camped alongside the Red Sea, and sure enough, God brought them into a position that looked absolutely intractable. They had the mountains behind them, the mountains below in front of them, and then they had the Egyptians pursuing behind. Apparently they were all camped out along the side of the Red Sea.

As we're going to learn, they crossed the Red Sea in a very short order. It was not along the very narrow single tract thing as Ron Wyatt wanted to think from the tip of the Sinai Peninsula across the Gulf of Aqaba. Nor as it is pictured in the movie The Ten Commandments where it's just a little narrow ravine in the water. In order for them to get across with the million and a half people, to get across in that short of time, it had to be like a whole long column camped alongside the sea. And then they had to do what would be called a flanking movement to all walk across en masse in a long narrow column. But they went across the length of the column rather than the width of the column. So therefore, in opening the Red Sea, it was a tremendous opening. Not some just little cleavage of the water.

So, here are the children of Israel. They are encamped right alongside the Red Sea. Pharaoh has decided, 'We let all these slaves go. What are we going to do?' They weren't accustomed to working. It would be like us today, with totally without any of our appliances or electricity. You wouldn't know what to do. Pharaoh and all the Egyptians didn't know what to do. All of their servants and slaves were gone. They said, 'We still have chariots, we still have an army. Let's go get them.' They started out. Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursued after them.

Exodus 14:10: "And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes. And, behold, the Egyptians marched after them. And they were very afraid...."

Many times God will put us into positions to see what we're going to do. Or He will bring a trial upon us to see what we are going to do, to see how we're going to handle it. We're going to see that the whole meaning of the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is wrapped up in how God delivers us from Satan, because Pharaoh would be likened unto Satan. The armies of Pharaoh would be likened unto the demons that followed Satan. The children of Israel be likened unto the Church, because the Church is spiritual Israel. But what happened with the children of Israel? Now look at the things that they said.

Verse 11: "And they said to Moses, 'Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt?....'" In other words, there were plenty enough places in Egypt for graves to be built in case they died.

"...Why have you dealt this way with us to carry us forth out of Egypt?" (v 11). Now, you know that some people have even said, 'I wonder why God called me? I've just had all this trouble since God called me.' It started out nice, just like on the first day of Unleavened Bread with the Night Much to be Remembered, they left with a high hand. People are called:

• they find the Truth
• they understand it
• they enjoy it
• they taste it
• it is good
• it is wonderful
• it is fine
• it is marvelous

Then somewhere down the road, just like with the children of Israel, they were down the road on the way to the 'promised land,' and behold, a trial comes. It's a severe trial, a difficult trial. So, God has an answer and this is the answer for us:

The first thing they did was blame God and blame Moses. You would think that after seeing all the plagues and all the signs and wonders and the killing of the firstborn, both man and beast in Egypt, and how God brought them out of Egypt with a high hand, that they would have had a little more faith and say, 'O God, You've brought us this far; now if you took care of Pharaoh back there, and he's coming now, we know You can take care of him here.'

No, they didn't! They complained to God! So, whenever you come to a point in your life that you're ready to complain to God, that you're ready to gripe to God, that you're ready to accuse God of doing something, remember vs 13 & 14. This is so important, and this is so powerful, and this is the meaning of the feast, the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Verse 13: "And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not!....'" We're going to see that God doesn't want us to fear anything. God does not want us sitting around worrying, brooding, stewing, just being unable to take any action spiritually or physically.

"Stand still..." Don't go walking back to Egypt. Don't be going back into the world. Stand in the grace that God has called you in!

"...and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today..." (v 13).

• God will deliver you from your difficulties
• God will deliver you from your problems
• God will help you in every circumstance

"...for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again! The LORD shall fight for you..." (vs 13-14).

Have you ever asked God to fight your battles for you? There are some battles that we have to do ourselves, but there are other battles that only God can fight. There are other things that in praying about concerning trials and difficulties that we go through, we lay it before God and we claim His promise, because this is a promise! This is a statement that if you belong to God, He will fight for you.
"...and you shall be still" (v 14). In other words, stop your complaining. God will fight for you!

He demonstrated it right away. And what happened? 15: And the LORD said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to Me? Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward. And you—lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea…'" (vs 15-16)—the Red Sea!

God caused the wind to blow all that night and spread back the Red Sea to where it was on dry land. This happened at night; there was the pillar of darkness toward the Egyptians, but the light of God to show the way in darkness and to show the way through difficult times and trials. God's light was there. So, this whole column of Israelites across the Red Sea.

Verse 21: "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground. And the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left" (vs 21-22)—howbeit, spread quite a distance apart!

Verse 23: "And the Egyptians pursued and went in after them..." When you trust in God, sometimes the problems don't go away until the last minute, and sometimes it looks like the problem's going to come and overtake you again. But have no fear. Stand still and see the salvation of God. All the Egyptians went after them:

"...to the middle of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch it came to pass that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud..." (vs 23-24).

What is the morning watch? There are three watches:

• evening watch, which begins at six in the evening, or sunset

At this time of year the days are almost equally divided between light and dark, so the evening watch begins at six when the sun goes down, until about ten o'clock.

• night watch, which is from ten to two
• morning watch, which is from two till six

If any of you have been in the army, you know that's to this day how they run the guards. They run them in shifts almost like that. Sometimes they'll add an extra shift in and it will be three hours instead of four hours. So, the morning watch is from two until six. What happened, probably about one o'clock at night, or early in the morning, it was dry enough for the children of Israel to go across, because they went across at night, and in a very short time so that by time we come to the morning watch God was looking down on the Egyptians.

"...and the army of the Egyptians was thrown into confusion. And He loosened their chariot wheels, and made them go heavily, so that the Egyptians said, 'Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.' And the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen'" (vs 24-26).

Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea. Isn't that some great, powerful weapon? God doesn't need great weapons to put in your hands to rescue you. God needs you to have faith and obedience.

Verse 26: "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the sea…'" So, he stretched forth his hand; he had faith and obedience and did it.

Verse 27: "...And the sea returned to its strength..." That must have been a tremendous noise when all the waters came crashing back together and drowned all of the Egyptians.

Now let's look at the timeframe that we have here, v 28: "And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. There did not remain so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land through the middle of the sea. And the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So, the LORD saved Israel that day… [the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread] …out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore" (vs 28-30). Of course, it was in the morning when that took place!

Verse 31: "And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians. And the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses."

Let's look at some of the parallels that we have in the New Testament. Let's see why God has called us. There is going to be a reaction just like there was with Pharaoh. God called us for a tremendous purpose, to give us eternal life, to promise us a life that when we are resurrected we will sin no more. That's going to be something, to have a nature and a mind as God is. We need to just sit and grasp how absolutely fantastic that is, because at that time there will be no more human nature to overcome. There will be no more sin to fight. There will be no more Satan around to fight. But in this life we have to fight! In this life we have to trust God!. In this life we have to have faith!

Here's what Paul was saying in his defense, the reason why he preached, the reason why he did the things he did.

Acts 26:18: "To open their eyes… [to the Truth of God] …that they may turn from darkness to light..." Just like at the Red Sea! Darkness was with the enemy, light was with the people of God.

"...and from the authority of Satan to God..." (v 18). That's exactly what God did with the children of Israel, and that's exactly what God is doing with us, to deliver us from the power of Satan. Satan cannot touch us, that is, to take us away from God. We are delivered from the power of Satan.

"...that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified through faith in Me" (v 18). That's a tremendous statement!

• God has done that
• God has given that
• God has called us to that

Now let's look at a parallel and how these lessons from the Old Testament we are to apply today. Perhaps maybe the lesson of the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Paul gave. 1-Cor. 10 talks about the very thing that we just read about there in Exo. 14. When you put the Bible together, just like we started, the Law is a shadow of good things to come, or the coming good things. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is.

1-Corinthians 10:1: "Now, I do not wish you to be ignorant of this, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all were baptized unto Moses..." (vs 1-2).

You talk about a baptism ceremony, because they had the sea on each side of them and the cloud over the top of them. That was a symbolic baptism, as it were.

"...in the cloud and in the sea. And they all ate the same spiritual meat. And they all drank of the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them. And that Rock was Christ" (vs 2-4).

Here is the lesson for us today for the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread; v 5: "But with many of them God was not pleased..." Why? Because they:

• complained
• rebelled
• disobeyed
• took things into their own hands contrary to the Word of God

over and over and over again! So much so that God had to punish them instead of blessing them like He wanted to, with forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

You talk about a frustrating, vain, empty, hollow, difficult and horrible time. Wandering forty years in the wilderness, and all of their dead bodies were strewn in the desert. God wants us to learn that if you don't have faith in God, you're going to have a greater and more difficult time, than if you have faith in God. They were overthrown in the wilderness.

Verse 6:  "Now these things became examples for us, so that we might not lust after evil things, as they also lusted."

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to put out sin. The ultimate of putting out sin is, as we saw on the first Holy Day, is to overcome the lust, to bring it down, bring every thought into captivity to God. Here we have the lesson for the last Holy Day. We're not to lust after evil things as they did.

Verse 7: "Neither be idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.' Neither should we commit sexual immorality..." (vs 7-8).

There are two kinds of fornication to commit: physical sexual and spiritual! Paul talks about the spiritual fornication here. He talks about the physical fornication back in 1-Cor. 5. We need not get involved in all of those things.

"...as some of them committed, and twenty-three thousand were destroyed in one day" (v 8). That was after Moses had to come down off Mount Sinai after God had given him the Ten Commandments!

Verse 9: "Neither should we tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted Him, and were killed by serpents." You tempt God how?

• by not believing in Him
• by not obeying Him
• by complaining, murmuring, griping and criticizing God

Verse 10: "Neither should we complain against God, as some of them also complained, and were killed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages are coming" (vs 10-11). There are lessons for us with this:

• Do we believe God?
• Do we trust Him in all circumstances, regardless of how difficult they are?
• Do we look to Him to fight our battles for us that are too big for us?

When you have a trial or difficulty that comes, which is too much for you:

• Do you go to God and say O God, this is more than I can handle?
• help me
• strengthen me
• give me wisdom
• give me understanding
• help me to walk in Your way
• fight the battle for me

I know that the ultimate fight is not just against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in high places!

The day is coming when that is going to be a living reality in our lives, even much more so than the trials that we go through today.

Verse 12: "Therefore, let the one who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall."

When you get so spiritually smug and self-satisfied that you think that you have it made, look out! Trouble is going to come! You need to be careful that you don't fall. Here's the comfort. Regardless of how difficult that it is, the trials that you have gone through…

I've been recently been reading Foxe's Book of Martyrs, sent to me as a gift from a couple in Australia, which was really a tremendous thing. They're three big volumes. You go through, and you just turn the pages and you read about what all of those who were the martyrs for Christ and the martyrs of the saints have gone through. How they looked upon it with great, in some cases, great anticipation because they knew that in giving their lives as a martyr, that Christ would receive them at the resurrection. Story after story, and I think in those three volumes there are thousands and thousands of accounts of perhaps the millions that were killed during those times.

So, if you think you have a problem, if you think you have a difficulty, if you think that your situation is so bad—maybe you even are at death's door, and you know there are going to be a lot that are going to die—that's going to be your trial. But you're not the first one to die. You won't be the last one to die. Whether you die of natural causes or whether you are martyred, you have to trust in God to the end! Those who endure to the end, they shall be saved.

Now here's a promise. Whenever you have an extreme trial and difficulty, which you're going to have…I've had them; others have had them. I have gone through many of them. We can trust this. You open up the Scriptures and claim this promise. You go to God and say, 'God, I don't really understand what I'm really going through, and this is a great difficulty for me, but You have promised.'

Verse 13: "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to mankind. For God, Who is faithful..." The children of Israel, in accusing God, were accusing Him of not being faithful, of not having the ability!

• God has the ability!
• God has the power!
• God is faithful!

"...will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear; but with the temptation, He will make a way of escape, so that you may be able to bear it" (v 13).

That's a tremendous thing to understand; this is the promise of God! See how this parallels with what we learned there in Exo. 14. That wasn't such a big trial that God couldn't deliver them. Even though they were right by the Red Sea. Even though they looked out and saw all the water. They knew it was deep. But God showed them His salvation! God delivered them. God destroyed the enemy because He fought for them.

Let's see the spiritual battle that we are fighting. Satan is after us just as he was after the children of Israel. When we put it all together and we understand a very profound and important thing: A good understanding have they that do His commandments, because they endure forever! In keeping the Sabbath, the Holy Days and the commandments of God, and having a right heart and a true attitude toward God, then God is going to be there to fight for us! God is going to be there to deliver us! God will be pleased to do so. However, Satan is still there to come after us.

Living in this world, Satan's world is everywhere. Not only that he's 'the prince of the power of the air.' So, today we are satiated with so many physical things around us. We have everything that we would desire physically, almost at the tip of our fingers. This whole world is designed to detract and take you away. That's why we have to fight the world. That's why we have to realize that we better not give Satan an advantage.

2 Corinthians 2:11—concerning the one that did this thing that repented, he says, receive him back: "So that we may not be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes." Now unfortunately, too many people are ignorant of his devices!

I just wonder what kind of epistle that Paul would write if he lived in our world today about the devices of Satan? And they all look so good, and they all sound so good. Why?

2-Corinthians 4:4: "In whom the god of this age..." Remember the temptation of Jesus Christ, and how Christ defeated him in the very weakest human condition possible after fasting for forty days and forty nights. Jesus steadfastly said, 'Man shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God' (Matt. 4:4). We're not to be tempted by:

• bread
• power
• position
• flattery
• Satan in things that blind us to the Gospel of Christ

"...has blinded the minds of those who do not believe..."—or those who have no faith. If you don't believe you don't have any faith!

Aren't some people so busy; just like the parable of the sower? Some are so busy that they hear the Word of God, 'Woo! This is wonderful!' But twenty minutes later it's gone. Or Satan comes along and takes what is sown out of their heart. Or they endure for a little while. Or today, we live in a weed patch, because it grows up, and the weeds and the thistles choke it, because that's the cares and riches of this world. All of those are the devices of Satan, which cause you to lack in faith!

"...lest the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (v 4).

Now let's look at another thing that happens. Satan has his own ministers out there. Satan doesn't come to you and say, 'I am Satan the devil. I want to destroy you.' No! He comes and says:

Hey, maybe God really didn't mean what He said. Think about it. Look at it. Maybe you'll come to a little different conclusion. You know that all these people out there who are working on the Sabbath, they can't all be wrong—can they? Look at what nice, decent people most of them are. And you know, they don't have the trouble that you have. So, maybe you're on the wrong side.

That's how Satan's going to appear. That's how he's going to come after you. Not only the Sabbath, but concerning anything else. He likes to throw missiles of lust toward us, being the prince of the power of the air. The only way we can fight these is let Christ fight our battles for us. Recognize what these things are.

2-Corinthians 11:13: "For such are false apostles..." There are many out there. And there are a great number of Sabbath-keeping false teachers as well. That's why we need to take the Word of God and prove everything by the Word of God. We need to be like the Bereans and check these things out. Check out what is said. Is that what the Bible really says? Don't be in a hurry to leap to a conclusion. But trust in the Word of God.

They are "…deceitful workers..."  (v 13). When someone who is a con artist comes up to their victim, they don't say, 'Hey, watch out for me. I'm a con artist, and I want your money.' No! They're nice, they are smooth, they are friendly, they are considerate, they are solicitous. They may be even some cases are meek and humble. But they are deceitful workers because they want to cheat you. Satan wants to cheat you out of eternal life. The ministers of Satan the devil want to take away the Truth of the knowledge of God!

"...who are transforming themselves into apostles of Christ" (v 13). Not that they ever were, because they weren't! If they don't preach the Word, it's because 'there's no light in them.' If they don't keep the commandments of God and say they know Christ, John says they are liars, and being liars means they are deceitful workers.

One of the big problems that a lot of the people of God have today is the leaven of Judaism. Some have even been taken up by this one man back in New York who says that he goes to Israel with the Karaite Jews, and he watches for that ripening barley sheaf, because that's how you start the calendar, is with the barley sheaf. That creates a problem. That's a little leaven of the scribes and the Pharisees. And besides, if any of you have ever been farmers, you know this: when the grain ripens depends upon when you planted it. So, if they didn't plant it at the right time, it's not going to ripen at the right time. Besides, it's not the really ripe, ripe grain in the heads that they are looking to. Like we do today, we let it ripen and dry, and then we come in with the machinery and we harvest it.

Well back then they waited for when it was still green, because the month Abib means 'green ears.' And the ears were not wholly ripened, but green. The very first part of ripening, just as it was changing from the milk into the meat of the grain. And then they would take this and they would parch it and dry it. But that's just one little bit of leaven that people get taken after. But they think, 'Oh, this is so good. Oh, this is so neat. Oh, this is so nice.' Listen! Sit back, think about it, because those who are like that, are putting themselves into a position that they claim to be ministers of God and are not, and the man who has done this I have personally met and I know, and I understand what he is doing, and he is not serving Christ.

Verse 14: "And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness—whose end shall be according to their works" (vs 14-15). That's what we're up against in this world!

Now let's see how Satan can also interfere in the lives of people, cause difficulties, cause problems and so forth. Let's see what the Apostle Paul said concerning Satan, and some of the events that were surrounding some of his activities. Maybe some of these things can apply to us; let's look at some of the parallels that we are facing today.

1-Thessalonians[transcriber's correction] 2:11: "Even as you know how we were exhorting and consoling each one of you, as a father does his own children"—to teach them! Now the Apostle Paul can say that because of being an apostle.

Verse 12: "And earnestly testifying, that you may walk worthily of God..." Notice that he always pointed them to God the Father and Jesus Christ, never to himself!

"...Who is calling you to His own kingdom and glory. Because of this, we give thanks to God without ceasing: that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you did not accept it as the word of men... [this is how we need to receive it, too] ...but even as it is in truth—the Word of God..." (vs 12-13).

That's a profound thing. Today we've got the whole Bible, and we can understand the whole Bible if we yield to God, and grow in grace and knowledge. That's how we need to receive it. That's how we need to look upon it.

Verse 14: "For, brethren, you became imitators of the Churches of God in Judea which are in Christ Jesus; because you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they also suffered from the Jews; who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove you out, and do not please God, and are contrary to all men" (vs 14-15).

That's what happens when anybody goes against God. Sooner or later God just gives them up to their own devices and their own ways. If you want to know the ultimate judgment of God, read the book of Josephus and his account of the wars and the fall of Jerusalem in 70A.D. Even when Titus finally got up on the wall when they recaptured Fort Antonia and looked down toward the temple and all the things there, you know what he said? 'We had God as our assistant.' So even he understood that God used him to do the task that he did. Look at the terrible consequences of that.

Just think of the terrible consequences of those who turn their back on God today; those who listen to false apostles today; those who follow false ministers today. They are being led down the garden path into destruction! And we hope that they can recover themselves before the end of their lives, because judgment is going to come upon them otherwise.

Verse 16: "Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles so that they might be saved in order to fill up their sins always. But the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. Now we, brethren, having been separated from you for a short time, but not in heart, are making every effort to see you again, with much desire. For this reason we sought to come to you, even I, Paul, both once and twice; but Satan hindered us" (vs 16-18).

How does Satan hinder people? By using other people to create problems! In the case of Paul, to stir up the Jews to come after him, to chase him, to drive him out of town. Satan will use other people against us. That's why we have to ask God to fight our battles for us. That's one of the ways that Satan can hinder us. We need to be aware of that and not let the devices of Satan get us down.

We're going to understand that Satan is out there. He wants everyone who has the Spirit of God, he wants to try and see if he can deceive them. He wants to try and see if he can take them away from Christ. He wants to bring into your ear false doctrines. He wants to bring into your senses pleasures of physical things around you, to get you so busy that you begin to turn away from God.

Paul is talking to Timothy, and he's telling Timothy how to be the kind of minister that he ought to be, and apparently at this time he was considerably younger.
2-Timothy 2:22: "But flee youthful lusts... [don't get carried around with the lust of the world] ...and pursue righteousness..." That's what to do: the way of God:

• through His commandments
• through His Truth
• through His Word

And all that righteousness!

"…faith, love and peace with those who are calling on the Lord out of a pure heart" (v 22). It was his job to teach people to do that. So, if you call upon the Lord out of a pure heart, He's going to hear you. He's going to answer your prayers.

Verse 23: "But foolish and ignorant speculations reject..." That's a pitfall today! There are a jillion foolish and unlearned questions out there that continually crop up:

• go to the Bible
• learn what the Bible says
• know the Bible
• know the Word of God

Think with the Word of God. Compare it with the Word of God. Don't be so quick to run after foolish and unlearned questions, because it says that these gender strife's.

Verse 24: "Now, it is obligatory that a servant of the Lord not be argumentative, but gentle toward all, competent to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those who set themselves in opposition..." (vs 24-25).

Have you ever been in such a situation that you oppose yourself? That you do things to yourself that are contrary to God? They oppose themselves!

"...if perhaps God may grant them repentance unto acknowledging of the Truth.." (v 24). There again, whatever comes down the pike, if we could put it that way, compare it with the Truth. If it's not the Truth of God, put it out, because that is leaven from Satan the devil!

Now let's see the end result: "...unto acknowledging of the Truth..." (v 24). They have to repent and acknowledge the Truth. If Satan has been out there leading you down the garden path, you have an opportunity, you have a chance:

• Turn!
• Change!
• Repent!
• Recover yourself with the Truth of God!

Verse 26: "And that they may wake up and escape from the devil's snare... [for those who give in to him]: ...who have been taken captive by him to do his will"—for his desire!

• How do you begin serving the will of Satan instead of God?
• How does that come about?
• How can that be, when you think you're serving God?

Well, I tell you what, the Catholic Church is a great lesson in that. Because they came to the point that they felt that they could enforce the Word of God the way that they declared it, which was not the Word of God, but their own version of it by killing people. How do people get themselves in that situation?

James 4:1: "What is the cause of quarrels and fighting among you?...."—or strifes! Maybe even in your own family. May be even because of husband and wife relations.

How does that happen? Well, because you're not submitting to the order of God, that the husband is the head of the wife. He needs to love his wife, and the wife needs to submit to her husband. Or you can take this out of the family situation into a church situation. We've all been there with wars and fighting among us! Or the world! or the nation!

"...Is it not mainly from your own lusts that are warring within your members?…. [people give in to their own lust and their own carnal desires] …You lust, and have not; you kill, and are jealous, and are not able to obtain..." (vs 1-2).

Isn't that exactly what the terrorists are doing today? They are jealous because of what God has blessed Israel with, so they want to come and take that away! They lust after it, so they kill and war. The desire to have they cannot obtain.

"...you fight and quarrel, but still you do not have, because you do not ask" (v 2). Then someone says, 'Well, since I've been asking, I'm going to go ahead and ask.' So, you finally figure out that they haven't been praying, haven't been asking, so they haven't been receiving.

Verse 3: "Then you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask with evil motives, that you may consume it on your own lusts." God is not going to fulfill your lust. God is not going to answer your prayers that you may consume it on your lust.

Verse 4: "You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever desires to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

That's what happens when Satan comes with his devices to turn you away from God, and turn you back into the world, and you become a friend of the world, then you end up becoming an enemy of God. But you know what's going to happen? I've seen this happen. People that this happens to, do you know what Satan does to them?

• he makes them feel good
• he makes them feel liberated
• he makes them feel as though that this is the greatest thing

You talk about a deception and delusion!

Verse 5: "Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, 'The spirit that dwells in us lusts with envy'?"

• Do you think the Word of God is in vain?
• Do you think that God has given His commandments and His Word for nothing?

Verse 6: "But He gives greater grace. This is the reason it says, 'God sets Himself against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.' Therefore, submit yourselves to God.… [humble yourself and submit to God] …Resist the devil… [that's how to not get entrapped into his devices] …and he will flee from you. Draw near to God..." (vs 6-8).

Notice what you need to do here. Whenever a trial that comes from Satan the devil comes upon you "…submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded!" (vs 7-8).

When you have one foot in the world and one foot in the Church of God, and you would rather be in the world, in any event you are double-minded. God wants us to be single-minded, wholly toward Him. That's what the Feast of Unleavened Bread: you get rid of the lust, you get rid of the self-will. You get rid of all those things.

Now let's see how we are also to implement this in our lives. Lots of times we don't realize how we are lifted up in pride, vanity and lust, because Satan has been working on us step-by-step-by-step. He is encouraging you by making it nice, by making it easy, by leading you away. Here's what you do.

1-Peter 5:6: "Be humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time; casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you." (vs 6-7).
One of the things that the children of Israel did back there in Exo. 14 is that they virtually said, 'God, You don't care for us. Why would You bring us out here?' Well, He brought them out there because He loved them and cared for them.

Verse 8: "Be sober! Be vigilant! For your adversary the devil is prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he may devour." Of course, he can take you at his will if you yield to him! That's what Paul wrote.

Verse 9: "Whom resist, steadfast in the faith..." You're not going to overcome these problems and difficulties of Satan the devil, you are not going to overcome his armies by doing it yourself, by not having faith in God. You resist in the faith, not outside the faith.

"...knowing that the same afflictions are being fulfilled among your brethren who are in the world" (v 9). Now then, he says, 'Okay, there's hope. When you do that, then the blessing will come in due time."

Verse 10: "Now, may the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, Himself perfect you, establish, strengthen, and settle you." There is an end of these things, but you have to end them God's way!

Let's see something that's very profound, and how these things go together. Here's another part of being able to put the leaven out of our lives.

Ephesians 4:23: "And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind..." That's 'by the washing of the water by the Word':

• to cleanse you
• to heal you
• to give you the mind of Christ

Be renewed with the Spirit of God!

Verse 24: "And that you put on the new man, which according to God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the Truth." That's a continuous process:

• continuously yielding to God
• continuously growing in repentance and belief
• continuously growing in faith and understanding
• continuously growing in knowledge
• continuously growing in trust and love

Verse 25: "Therefore, let each one put away lies..." [Who is the author of lies? Satan the devil!] ...and speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another. When you become angry, do not sin..." (vs. 25-26).

Don't be going around angry. If you are, don't sin! Another thing, don't go to bed with the anger.

"...Do not let the sun go down on your anger; neither give place to the devil" (vs 26-27).

If you are lying, if you're angry, and if you let these things stay with you, Satan is going to be right there. You give place to Satan. That means you make room for him in your life, in your mind, in your heart, in your activities, and you end up doing his bidding. That's astonishing! That doesn't mean that Satan is possessing you by any means. It just means that, as the prince of the power of the air, he's throwing thoughts out there, and he's beginning to capture you.

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord..."

We live in a Laodicean age! A  Laodicean who is rich and increased with goods, and is not spiritually rich, he's poor, he's blind, he's naked, he is wretched, he is miserable. Christ said, 'Repent, and be zealous,' and that He would come and sup with you again. So, a Laodicean, in order to be strong, has got to repent and come to Christ. Let Christ be in him, live in him, give him strength! You have to be strong in the Lord, not weak in the Lord.

Not like Aaron. Remember when the people came and said, 'We don't know where this Moses is. He went up on the mountain, and who knows what happened to him. Aaron, why don't you make us gods?' Aaron said, 'Bring your gold,' and he made the golden calf. Then Moses came down and said, 'What did you do?' The people brought the gold, and I threw it in the fire, and out leapt this calf! He was weak! God wants you to be strong!

"...and in the might of His strength" (v 10). Just like God fought for the children of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea, so God will fight your battles for you. He may let you go into extreme circumstances to see whether you're going to trust Him or not, to see whether you want Him to fight your battle or not. He will! But we have something we need to do.

Verse 11: "Put on the whole armor of God..."—and he defines it here! These are the clothes that the Laodicean needs to put on.

"...so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (v 11). We are not ignorant of his devices, nor of his appeal to lust! Nor of his way of being able to use other people to cause us problems, or inject thoughts into our minds, lusts into our minds, and use the world around us to bring us down.

Verse 12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood..." It's not just the people in the world that you're fighting against. It's not just your own flesh and blood that you're fighting against, as bad as your own flesh and blood and human nature is.

For we are fighting "...but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickednessin high places" (v 12).

We are going to live to see in our day when that comes crashing down upon this society. If you do not have the armor, and if you are not clothed, and if you do not use the Word of God, you are going to be weak in the Lord and you are going to have great trouble and difficulty.

Verse 13: "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God... [these are spiritual things] ...so that you may be able to resist in the evil day..."

Just like Jesus said there in Matt. 7, if you're founded so that you may be able to resist in the evil day ended on the rock, the wind is going to come, the rain is going to come, the floods are going to come, but you'll stand, because you're founded on the Rock! But if you build on the sand, the flood is going to come, the rain is going to come, the wind is going to come, and you're going to come crashing down, because you weren't built on the Rock, which is Christ! Likewise here, the evil day is going to come. Sometimes you may have a series of evil days come upon you.

"...and having worked out all things, to stand" (v 13). One of the worst things that can happen is that when you have trials and difficulties and problems and you're really fighting against Satan the devil and you don't know it, what many, many people do is they don't pray, they don't study, they don't look to God, they get all frustrated and miserable and look to their own devices, and guess what? God doesn't fight for them!

• go to God in prayer
• go to God in thought
• go to God and study His Word

Ask God to fight for you because that is the full armor and defense of God!

What we are to do is, v 14: "Stand, therefore, having your loins girded about with Truth..."—the Word of God! Just like it's part of a great armor around you, because the truth will make you free. The Truth will keep you from sin. The Truth will keep you from Satan the devil and his deceptions. You need to understand that.

"...and wearing the breastplate of righteousness..." (v 14)—which is the grace of God, the commandments of God. Just like it's protecting your vital organs here. If you have that, Satan the devil can't slip a knife under your fifth rib and do you in.

Verse 15: "And having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace." Always doing things that God wants you to do according to the Gospel! In the case of those who are teaching, to be preaching the Gospel. Wherever you are working, to be that example of the Gospel, that someone will say, 'Hey, I notice you're different. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Why is it that you are different?'

Verse 16: "Besides all these, take up the shield of the faith..." This faith you have to constantly have. Faith comes by the hearing of the Word. You hear the Word when it's preached. You hear the Word when you read it, because you read it, and your mind registers it, and you're hearing the Word of God, and therefore you're taught of God. You need that shield, because you need something mobile to raise up to fight off the darts of the wicked one.

"...with which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (v 16)—because he is there, just like throwing darts at a dartboard, and you are the dartboard. Satan wants to throw these in:

• send a little lust—ZING!
• send a little covetousness—ZING!
• stir up the anger—ZING!
• let him have bitterness—ZING!

Oh yes, by all means! Bitterness and complaint! Yes indeed! Oh, ho, ho! Those are all the fiery missiles of Satan!

Verse 17: "And put on the helmet of salvation..." You've got to have your head covered with the salvation of God.

"...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (v 17)—which is sharper than any two-edged sword! You can slice asunder and cut asunder with the Word of God all of those things in your battle against Satan and your battle against the world, and you will overcome. God will be with you. He promises it! Now notice what is the thing that ties all of this together:

Verse 18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." Not the selfish prayer, as the Pharisee did. Not the comparison prayer as the Pharisee had, 'O God, I thank you, as he was praying to himself, that I am not like other men.' No! Confess your sins, repent of your sins like the publican who was justified: 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.' Then the Spirit of God will flow, and the power of God will come. You will be able to grow and overcome and change. That's what's so powerful and important about this.

Now then, let's understand how we need to look at our circumstances. Because we're going to have circumstances out there and against us and all these things will come upon us. We need to see about our circumstances and how we need to have the strength always with the Spirit of God.

Let's see what's so profound and important and how the Apostle Paul looked at everything in life, with the love of God, with the hope of God, with the faith of God, to overcome all obstacles of this world and Satan the devil. You have got to ask God to help you set your mind.

God told Jeremiah, He said, 'I know you're young…' He was probably like about maybe 20 at the oldest when God called him. But He actually called him from the womb. He said, 'Don't you worry about anything that the children of Israel are going to say against you, because I'm going to make your forehead like flint.' You know, that's the kind of resolve we need to have. That's the kind of faith that we need to have. For right, and for good, and for truth, and for overcoming.

Romans 8:24: "For by hope we were saved..." Always have that hope of eternal life and the resurrection out there before you at all times. Understand this, there is nothing in this world that can ever equate to the gift and promise and hope of eternal life. You keep that in the forefront of your mind. Never let that go.

"...but hope that is seen is not hope..." (v 24). No, we don't see it, yet, because we haven't attained to the Kingdom of God through the power of the resurrection, yet. That's ahead of us!

"...for why would anyone still be hoping for what he sees?" (v 24).

Now when we are resurrected we won't be hoping for that any longer. We'll already have it!

Verse 25: "But if we hope for what we do not see… [because it's the promise of God, and yet, it's to come] …we ourselves wait for it with patience."

Patience can mean endurance. You've got to endure. As Jesus said, 'He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved' (Matt. 24:13). And conversely, the one who doesn't endure to the end will not be saved.

Verse 26: "Now, in the same way also, the Spirit is conjointly helping our weaknesses..."—not infirmities; it doesn't mean sickness. I have weaknesses; you have weaknesses. We don't need to focus on the weaknesses. We need to focus on Christ and God the Father and let the Spirit of God come in to help us with those weaknesses, to help us overcome, to help us have the faith and trust, and battle the elements of Satan the devil and the world around us.

"...because we do not fully understand what we should pray for..." (v 26). Here is a promise! Many times we have to go to God and say, 'O God, I just don't know what to pray for, or how to pray for. Help me to understand, lead me in Your Truth, guide me in the way that You want.' He will!

There's a special promise that is given: "...according as it is necessary, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us..." (v 26). The Spirit conveys your prayer, your heart, your thoughts directly up into the Holy of Holies of God the Father where Jesus Christ is at His right hand to hear and answer your prayers.

"...with groaning that cannot be expressed by us" (v 26). Something that you can't say. In other words, whatever your prayer is, the Holy Spirit automatically translates that into the language that God speaks. How about that? God knows!

Verse 27: "And the One… [the Spirit] …Who searches the hearts comprehends what the strivings of the Spirit are because it makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." We have all of that going for us.

Verse 28: "And we know... [this is what we need to realize concerning this last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread] …that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Everything is going to work together for good, even what may appear to be the most disastrous situation in your life.

Verse 29: "Because those whom He did foreknow He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His own Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren."

• This is your destiny!
• This is your goal!
• This is what God has called you to!

Verse 30: "Now, whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified... [you are already justified] ...and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

You have been glorified to the extent that you have received the Holy Spirit, and will be glorified completely at the resurrection, you see. Now that's a tremendous thing.

Listen to the words. Understand what they say. Apply them to yourself, and have this resolve.

Verse 31: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?…. [there is nothing against us] …He Who did not spare even His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also grant us all things together with Him? Who shall bring an accusation against the elect of God?…." (vs 31-33). Though Satan accuses us day and night!

"…God is the One Who justifies. Who is the one that condemns? It is Christ Who died, but rather, Who is raised again, Who is even now at the right hand of God, and Who is also making intercession for us. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" (vs 34-35). No! What if we're facing death?

Verse 36: "Accordingly, it is written, 'For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.' But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us" (vs 36-37).

You can overcome anything, brethren. And you will overcome even the worst fate, that is, death, through the power of the resurrection and the promise of God.

Verse 38: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers… [which we fight against] …nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs. 38-39).

Brethren, that's how we fight and overcome Satan and the world with Christ in us, and the faith and the resolve comes from Him!

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Hebrews 10:1
• 1 Corinthians 5:8
• Leviticus 23:4-8, 37, 4, 37
• Deuteronomy 16:16-17

• 2 Timothy 4:1-3
• Exodus 12:40-42
• Exodus 14:10-11, 13-16, 21-31
• Acts 26:18
• 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
• 2 Corinthians 2:11
• 2 Corinthians 4:4
• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
• 1 Thessalonians 2:11-18
• 2 Timothy 2:22-26
• James 4:1-8
• 1 Peter 5:6-10
• Ephesians 4:23-27
• Ephesians 6:10-18
• Romans 8:24-39

Scripture referenced, not quoted:

• Numbers 28

• Mark 4:4
• Matthew 24:13

Also referenced:

Sermon: Which Came First, the Ritual? or the Day?

Books:

• Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
• Josephus

FRC:
Reformatted/Corrected: bo—3/2019