{"id":225,"date":"2018-07-14T18:19:41","date_gmt":"2018-07-14T15:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/endtimecog.org\/html\/?p=225"},"modified":"2018-07-14T18:19:41","modified_gmt":"2018-07-14T15:19:41","slug":"purging-out-leaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/endtimecog.org\/html\/purging-out-leaven\/","title":{"rendered":"PURGING OUT LEAVEN"},"content":{"rendered":"

The observation of God\u2019s commanded holy days is mostly done by many as just, a that-day-event which passes with the day. Immediately the day passes, whatever we learn in it is also rendered past. We feel fully justified that we never missed out on the occasion.In our today\u2019s message, I request that we ask ourselves this question. Why did God ordain the holidays, and what part do they play in real life (our message, \u201cthe spirit of God\u2019s Sabbaths<\/a>\u201d, has details)?We here are talking about God\u2019s redemption plan as portrayed by these holidays. We are talking of practical life, not observance of days. It is something God is doing in our lives right now, not in the past. Is this the way we see it? Does our observing the days print something in our minds? It should, unless we are missing the mark.Let no body get confused by my way of presenting the message, that is, talking presently. My desire is that, this year, we follow through the holidays, as though (and it really is) it is the first time we have entered into the plan and are following live. This way, it will give us a more self-examining setup, and make the all thing what it should be. What? Real life practice and not just a thought in the mind. By thus following, everyone will be able to see how far one has gone spiritually.The world right now is wreathing in agony. So many are wondering why God allows so much suffering; watching millions of human beings, among them, helpless children who knows nothing, die in wars, floods, storms, starvation, and sicknesses. Yes, being a loving creator, and a very powerful one, why watch as these evils overtake the very man He wants to make a ruler over His kingdom?But we are asking, should God be blamed for it( our message, \u201cwhy the physical bodies?<\/a>\u201d, will inform more)? Human beings are free moral agents, and so, whatever one chooses as a way of life, God respects. If we remember well, when He created Adam, God allowed him to choose between two lives saying, \u201c\u2026..of all the fruits of the trees in the garden, you may eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you should not eat. For in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die-Gen.2:16-17\u201d. <\/strong>We know death to be the fruit of sin-Rom.6:23; we know sin to be the breaking of God\u2019s law-1John.3:4; we know God\u2019s law to be the life man was created to live-Prov.4:20-22. So, choosing against the law is choosing a destructive way that kills life( see our message, \u201cthe two trees<\/a>\u201d, please). Therefore, the life that is raining havoc in the today\u2019s world is not God\u2019s making. It is everybody\u2019s choice which God has respected, but not without warning them. It is from this destructive life that, God is saving whoever freely chooses to forsake it, and is what Christ came to make men discover, and so, see the need for deliverance. Let\u2019s not just be talking about sin, sin; no, let\u2019s talk about its real meaning- a life-destroying-behaviour. This is what has enslaved the whole world, by whose practice, we see the fruits of sufferings of all types, \u201c\u2026\u2026their works are deeds of iniquity, and violence is in their hands. Their feet run to do evil, they shed innocent blood\u2026\u2026.the way of peace, they know not-isa.59:6-8\u201d. <\/strong>Is it truly God who causes suffering, so that, whether accident, sickness, divorces, starvation\u2026..men say, \u201cIts God\u2019s will\u201d? Not at all. God says, because of the evil of your doing, \u201c\u2026\u2026all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you-Deut.28:15\u201d, <\/strong>fulfilling what He had warned since the beginning, saying, \u201c\u2026. You will surely die-Gen.2:17\u201d. <\/strong>This brings us to why we observe the holy days.<\/p>\n

A CONTINUAL REMINDER .<\/strong>We have heard Christ revealing to us, the secret of destruction, and have had our eyes opened. We have chosen our creator\u2019s good life, a good reason why we partook of the Passover. But if we remember, it was a real life action, not just a day observed as commanded. After Christ has opened our eyes, we are now fleeing from the destruction, i.e, forsaking this evil life. And the only way we can do it is to place ourselves in God\u2019s hands by way of non-conditional obedience to His instructions, in the same way the Israelites locked themselves in their rooms marked by the blood of the lamb. This also indicates, isolating oneself from that destructive life which costs a shedding of blood, proving that, sin kills and anytime one does it, he\/she deserves death. Now get it please. In the same way it never took a single day to develop this destructive life, it will also not take an instant turn to develop the life-giving one, for, \u201clike new born babes, long for spiritual milk, that by it, you may grow up to salvation-1Pet.2:2\u201d. <\/strong>God knew it well, and so, He ordained these holidays, as our awakeners. We have just observed the Passover, and are now in the feast of unleavened bread. Has the Passover passed, and is now forgotten? Not at all. It has stirred us up to a fresh zealous commitment to, dying to the destructive life (sin). If we have observed it truthfully, then we are now very alert against any suggestion from the, \u201c\u2026\u2026.another law at war with the law of my mind-Rom.7:23\u201d.<\/strong>Any time the memory of our former life, comes, whether by way of thought, feeling or desire, the Passover observance should always be in mind, saying, \u201cbut you died\u201d! Even then, as we saw, removing these former habits as we build the new ones takes a gradual doing, it\u2019s not instant.This brings us to our feast meaning. Don\u2019t forget please. We are talking about our every-day life, not observance of days. Let\u2019s get details of how. In the Passover, we remembered how, we were deceived into a killer-kind of so called life( not life but a lie). Christ has opened our eyes-Isa.42:6-7, snatching us, \u201c\u2026from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son-Col.1:13\u201d. <\/strong>Which is this dominion of darkness? Those behaviours which originate from the, \u201c\u2026another law at work in our members-rom.7:23\u201d. Which ones? \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026immorality,impurity,licentiousness, idolatry,sorcery, enemity, strive, jealousy,anger, selfishness, dissension, party-spirit, envy, drunkardness,,\u2026 and the like-Gal.5:19-21\u201d. <\/strong>Before we move on, its advisable that those of us who are not original English-speakers, take their dictionaries, and get the clear meaning of this words enlisted in that verse, for it is good for one to, with understanding, see whether this qualities are still at work in one\u2019s heart. Every time we notice them, then, we are advised to turn immediately( repent)-Yes, remove them.\u00a0 It is these attitudes that form the \u201c\u2026\u2026old nature which belongs to your former manner of life-Eph.4:25\u201d. <\/strong>\u00a0Is it now becoming clear, why God commands the observance of these holidays? As we removed the physical leaven, we are being reminded how we should remove these former habits formed through practicing the lie of Eden. Are we now seeing how it is not just a matter of days, but rather, is everything to do with our everyday life? Let\u2019s get it please.<\/p>\n

WHY REMOVE LEAVEN?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We took quite some time to clear our houses of any leavening agent before the today\u2019s feast. Why did we have to do it? Does its removal make us any more righteous? When any leaven is applied into a dough, it absolves and spreads, feeling the whole dough. What does this leaven stand for spiritually? Christ warns us about leaven, saying, \u201c takeheed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees-Mat.16:5\u201c. <\/strong>Going on with his talk, He clearly shows that this leaven is not just the physical staff, but rather, a lifestyle, for he clarifies it saying, \u201c\u2026 it is the teachings of the pharisees-v.12\u201d. <\/strong>Making it clearer, He says plainly, \u201cBeware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy-Luke.12:1\u201d. <\/strong>Are we there? We are coming out of a life of lies, which shows itself to be one thing while in reality, it\u2019s the opposite. This is determined by what fills our hearts. Satan told us that, we are like God and so, we know everything, and don\u2019t need to learn, while in truth, we knew nothing-Rom.1:22. He went ahead and misinformed us, packing our minds with the practices which we have seen in Gal.5:19-21, whose applications have brought the today\u2019s sufferings, which he goes ahead and deceives us that, it is God\u2019s making. Now that our eyes have been opened to it, and we have resolved never to live in it anymore, demonstrating a death for it in the Passover, God did give us this feast of unleavened bread, to be a perpetual reminder of, \u201c Putting of that acquired misinformation-Eph.4:22\u2019. <\/strong>Confirming what we are saying here, Christ says, \u201cfor out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander,etc. These are what defiles a man-Mat.15:19-20\u201d. <\/strong>These are the spiritual heart-leavening agents which anyone who has dies as demonstrated in the Passover, has to remove.Did we remove the leavening agents in our homes, with this in mind? Are you saying yes? What is that self-defense you are entertaining? How can we claim to have believed Christ\u2019s message, which shows us to be nothing-Gal.6:3, and that we need to empty ourselves of any former so called knowledge, so that we can allow God to create in us what He had in mind from the beginning, which is what He reveals in his word, and then, instead of defending that word, we defend self? Physical cleaning is very easy, because it doesn\u2019t touch the heart. But now, the aim was not that physical. Isn\u2019t it plain clear that, we now need to remove every practice of our past lifestyle, if we are truly observing the feast? Our Lord says, \u201c As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, be yee holy in all your conduct-1Pet.1:14-15\u201d.<\/strong>Is the feast of unleavened bread making this reminder fresh, thus igniting our zeal to be holy, which can only be possible by obedience to the word? Many are the times when we act the bible, and miss what God is teaching us. Let\u2019s prayerfully make this year\u2019s feast different by living in the spirit, and so doing in the spirit. This is the very key purpose for this feast.<\/p>\n

THE GUIDING STAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

To fully fit and remain in God\u2019s purpose for this calling, we must have what am calling here, the guiding star; and which is it? The knowledge, and continual awareness of what God is doing in our lives, in this godly training. This will help us not to busy ourselves with, \u201c\u2026myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the divine training that is in faith( our messages, \u201c man\u2019s creation process<\/a>\u201d, and,\u201cWhat faith?\u201d have details please)-1Tim.1:4\u201d. <\/strong>So now, what is this star? Brethren, if there is any command, whether it be to observe a day, or to refrain from doing anything, the aim is for the spiritual. God did create the physical and its accompaniment to completion. Man was deceived at this point, and his creation process haltered. For those of us who have heeded to Christ\u2019s message, God has come into their lives to continue creating what He had begun. In their case, He is; get it please. He is creating his knowledge in their minds,so that, those who apply it in all that they do, He may create his behaviour in them. This is the guiding star please. So, know and understand that this physical life has no other purpose, other than, acquiring God\u2019s knowledge, which is the life we should live, and by living that knowledge through our daily activities, we develop God\u2019s behaviours. Therefore, if we find ourselves busy with anything that doesn\u2019t promote this purpose (godly mind and behaviour), know and understand that we are missing the mark, and our worship is in vain. Do we want to rightly and spiritually walk with Christ? This is the guiding star- acquisition of knowledge, and building character upon that knowledge.<\/p>\n

KEEP THE FEAST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that we know the feast to be only a reminder of the real life, how should we go about its reality? Godliness is a way of life for those who have understood it; not a talk, and contentions about knowledge. As we observe this year\u2019s feast, let\u2019s use the mirror-James.1:24-25, and see how we fit in the course please. This is what we should understand, to rightly, and successfully pursue the training. \u201cWe are God\u2019s workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them-Eph.2:10\u201d. <\/strong>What does this mean? Our creation was planned long before we were created, meaning, it is purely God\u2019s work not ours. For this reason, we don\u2019t know what God is making us, or how He is doing it, except that He tells us. We also have realized that, this physical life is created in Christ for good works( for practicing the law, which is the good-Rom.7:12). This means that, anything done outside Christ is not life but, life-destroying. Where is Christ right now so that we may live in him? Christ is the word of God-John.1:1; Rev.19:14. So we are created in God\u2019s word, for,\u201c by the word of God were the heavens created\u2026\u201d; <\/strong>therefore, \u201cin him, we live and move and have our being; \u2026.for He himself gives to all men life and everything\u201d; \u201c for in Him, all things were created- Psalm.33:6; Acts.17:28,25; col.1:16\u201d. <\/strong>Whoever accepts this truth is ready to keep the feast in spirit. For this reason, we must stop thinking of ourselves, our lives, the men around us and all things in the way we have been doing before accepting Christ\u2019s message. We, the people around us, and the possessions we have, are what God says about them, not what we are used to thinking. This is the first step to unleavening. Yes, accepting that, what we have used as knowledge all through, has been a lie, and we need to remove it, thus beginning afresh. It also removes all obstacles to our spiritual training. It is the lie of Eden that makes us angry, fearful, sorrowful, ashamed, look to people, seek men\u2019s approval, depend on men or, trust and depend on material things, fight for self instead of looking to God, yes, it is this lie which introduced a life that, \u201c\u2026alienated men from their maker, thus stopping the creation process-Eph.4:17-19\u201d. <\/strong>\u00a0Now that we know, let the feast awaken this zeal to never, in anything, \u201c do according to what we think, but rather refer to our maker-Prov.3:5\u201d. <\/strong>In the same way God created the physical in his word, He is also now furthering His creation in those who obey Him in his word. We can only listen to, and obey what He says, without questioning, because, we are his building and know nothing about ourselves apart from what He tells us. Every time we disobey His word, in obedience to our fleshly, or people\u2019s passions, it\u2019s like telling God, that,\u201c\u2026.He did not make me, or, He has no understanding-Isa.29:16\u201d.<\/strong>In such a case, brethren, we are not deleavening, and our physical observance is hypocritical. It is impossible to surrender to God, if we harbour even a single practice of our former life, be it a thought, a feeling, a talk, or a doing, for that will puff up to draw us back to the flesh. This is why our Lord is asking, \u201c\u2026..do you not know that, a little leaven, leavens the whole dough-1 Cor.5:6?\u201d.<\/strong> Let us therefore sincerely be, always mindful of the guiding star( the purpose of godly training), and carefully follow God\u2019s word in which we were, and are being build, and it will, \u201c\u2026..profit us in teaching, reproving, correcting, and training in righteousness, until we be complete, equipped for every good work( for which we were created-Eph.2:10)-2Tim.3:16-16\u201d. <\/strong>Being thus informed brethren, \u201cLet us therefore celebrate the feast, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth- 1 Cor.5:8\u201d.\u00a0 <\/strong>May the God of our confession, who works every good thing in us, and for his own purpose, empower us with His spirit, that we may continually submit to his will until the end, when He bears us in his kingdom. May his gracious love and mercy be our clothing, now and forever more. This comes to you from our Lord, through His servant, THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The observation of God\u2019s commanded holy days is mostly done by many as just, a that-day-event which passes with the day. Immediately the day passes, whatever we learn in it is also rendered past. We feel fully justified that we never missed out on the occasion.In our today\u2019s message, I request that we ask ourselves…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-messages"],"yoast_head":"\nPURGING OUT LEAVEN - End-time Church of God<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/endtimecog.org\/html\/purging-out-leaven\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PURGING OUT LEAVEN - End-time Church of God\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The observation of God\u2019s commanded holy days is mostly done by many as just, a that-day-event which passes with the day. 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