Truth

To fully understand words of scripture requires knowing God only through obedience. “And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” Hebrews 5:9 Remember “that God cannot lie,” therefore take heed to His every word while always examining your own self. Titus 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:5 Why is it that the majority of the one billion in traditional Christianity that claim being born again with eternal salvation don’t obey Christ, yet claim their love for Him, so feel assurance of eternal salvation? You just read of obedience in Hebrews 5:9, so lets also read the words that we are to hear well in 2 Thessalonians 1:8,11. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.” Why are God’s easy to read truths not seen or understood? Because all have been taught about God through the wisdom of this world that is foolishness with God. He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 “. . . . for it is a people of no understanding: therefore He that made them will have no mercy on them, and He that formed them will show them no favor. Isaiah 27:11 To be obedient means to be set apart from this world in spiritual ways. To strive with all of your heart to live by every word of God in faith as commanded will without question make you so different, that you will begin too clearly and with out question understand God’s words in the Bible in a much deeper way than ever before. “Set your affection on things above, not on the things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2-3 Those words that you just read mean exactly what they say. In other words, God must become your life’s priority over and above all things. And all things mean just that, everything! The words of the first commandment read; Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Yet humanity today has a thousand gods before Our Lord God. It may be football, NASCAR, hunting, deep sea adventures, travel, work, hobbies, tabloids, American Idol, Motocross, music, foods, television, arts, plays, Opera, dancing, clubs and just every part of life there is which all comes before God. Now think about this. There are 3.5 billion who claim to know God, and that is over half of the worlds population. If God and his ways were first in all of those lives, life in this world would be as the kingdom of God filled with happiness rather than what man has made it, which in truth is very sickening and beyond normal words of description. If I were to go into graphic details of what has happened to millions from babies, to children, to elderly and every age in between, the horrors would make you very sick in all ways. And as you are reading these words, something horrible, somewhere, is happening to someone every moment. Think about it. What’s most important is just how deeply you take every word of God. God is not sermons preached, bodily feelings, stories or testimonies, but rather an unseen creator of a universe that has no beginning or end. He is a God of unsearchable mysteries with His creations innumerable. He is the only True God full of truth and righteousness that is beyond the human mind to even begin to fully comprehend. “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2 Contrite in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible pertaining to that particular verse means smitten, maimed, or dejected:--contrite, lame. Trembleth means fearful; also reverential:---afraid, trembling. Reverence is honor with respect felt or shown: especially profound adoring awed respect. “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalms 8:9 In the world of mankind today comes pride with ego, arrogance, self righteousness and foolish wisdom that will not stoop to giving heartfelt honor to a God that is unseen. And He is a God that hears not lips, but only sees what is real within ones heart that cannot be hidden. You say that your heart loves our Father, yet you do not the things that He commands you to do. You say that you do, however, the Word says different. And the word is truth. For the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Now if you are one who truly loves our Lord with all of your heart, and if you are one who believes His every word that we are expected to live by, then you will believe all that He says to you throughout His words in the book of instructions called the Holy Bible. You will also realize that God has expectations from you as His child through obedience. So now please ask yourself this question. What does my Father God require of me to gain the needed wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that I so greatly need and long for? Just believing in Christ? No, much much more!! Let’s now put what God says into full context; My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh forward things: Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Proverbs 2:1-13 There is but only one way that we can discuss God and His words, and that is through obedience to all that He commands us. “And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loves God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:21 Again, there is no brotherly love to be found in the churches of today. There is no genuine care for others by actions, but only lips with prayers lacking their hearts. There are many that say they want to help, but have little. Where is their faith? “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21 Only with love for each other can we be in one accord, [unity] which is full agreement with no confusion or division. As long as with that love we take only what God says, and “Prove all things” by scripture, and not what our minds may think. We must always be righteous in obedience to our Father that searches for faithful hearts and diligent searchers that please Him. Hebrews 11:6 As vitally important as our love is to God, each other, and the whole human race, it is something that just can’t be found, and when it is for your needs, it is because only God knows which hearts to touch and direct your way. . . .and there are very few. Now with godly love for each other and understanding that we are to live by every word of God as written in Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4, let’s now do some examination of Proverbs 2:1 by just allowing scripture to interpret scripture. “My son, if thou wilt receive my words” “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10 For us all to fully understand exactly what God is saying directly to our hearts requires a very strong faith that most are lacking by what God sees concerning our efforts of complete obedience which is not taught in the churches of today. And examples are very, very many. “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” 1 Samuel 2:3 Today the world is full of loud mouthed better than thou foot stomping know it all preachers that have completely deceives millions upon millions of people that only needed God’s truth. And with that, the tithes and many offerings have made uncountable men of darkness very wealthy with their foolish words of deception. Then there is the world of false teachers. They are not greedy, and they are not liars on purpose, in fact, they mean well, and actually think that they are correct in all that they believe and teach. However, Paul’s inspired words from God say His truth that is not what people want to hear or accept. Speaking of today’s ministers and pastors, God says; “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 All throughout the word, God is trying to communicate with only those who are diligently searching for Him with all of their hearts, minds, body and soul, because without those genuine efforts with humility that God can clearly see within your hearts comes these words from Paul; “Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 2:5 3:2 Those words from Paul to the Corinthians apply directly to all churches of today. What is so sad to say is that not only are all churches filled with babes, but many with very dirty diapers that want no change because their own minds have been so polluted with false teachings that produces powerful religious deception just as God warns us all of. “Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be searched out. God thundereth marvelously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend.” Job 36:26, 37:5 Because God is greater than any words that man can even begin praise Him with, and because God cannot lie, the words of Paul above state how God expects His one and only true church to be in perfect unity with no divisions and the same mind. He also states that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, because without the power of God within your life, you shall always remain as a babe in Christ, which will change to growth through repentance during the tribulation. Did you take notice how I said God’s one and only true church? [not many] In the Kingdom of God soon to come after the tribulation and His wrath when Christ returns in the clouds at the 7th trump, a 144,000 will be resurrected to meet Him in the air. It will be those within the 144,000 that become part of the kingdom of God to rule with Christ throughout the millennium. Being this is a whole separate study, lets get back to God’s truth in words. In the millennium there will be only one God, one religion, and one church that’s as the words of Paul. However, until that time, within the world of religions today, there is no unity, no same beliefs, none of the same mind, and from uncountable experiences, no love for fellow man and God is love, yet all believe themselves to be right with God. Do you truly with full understanding know why God, who cannot lie, says narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it? Do you consider the 1 billion traditional Christians to be few? How about the 1.2 billion Catholics? Do they represent God? Or do the 1.3 billion believers of Islam have the true knowledge of the one God they call Allah? What about the faith of 900 million in Hinduism? Or the 400 million in China’s traditional religion? Or the 14 million that comprise Judaism? Are these but few that find it? Let’s now allow God to show us why these words of truth read; “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 When you read words from God, how deep within your heart do you take them? God just told you that wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. . . . out of the billions that claim to know God. . . . . there is a narrow way which leads to life, and few there be that find it. Just how are you to know which gate you will go through? How can you be absolutely certain of which gate you will enter? To be taught by the power of God through humble obedience is the only way of finding that narrow way which leads to life. “But strong meat belongeth to them that are full of age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14 Strong meat comes only to those who God draws to Christ. John 6:44 And from that point it is up to you for gain, or your own loss of eternal life. There are billions, who say they know God, yet they are with the spirit of error, they are carnal, they are natural without God’s true spirit to lead them. How many men who praise God, do the things that He says to do? For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 Because all of what children of God are to do, but don’t, because they are foolish and not in agreement with what the wisdom of man has taught them, they are natural without the Spirit of God to direct them in truth. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. When you are obedient to God’s words above without fail, He becomes your life’s priority. And when He is placed first where He belongs, He will begin to teach you many things, and the more that you depend on Him, the more He will teach you. But with that beginning of knowledge, we must remain very contrite, while realizing that we are as grasshoppers within His footstool that need His love, guidance, and friendship. Because God cannot lie, and His words are those who love Him and need Him for their spiritual growth, because only a “man with understanding has wisdom.” Proverbs 10:23 Do you have understanding from God? When one believes and is saved, does he have eternal life? Again, I will repeat Colossians 1:10. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Do you see within your heart what God is telling you? Without fruits we become unworthy. Because scripture interprets scripture, here a little, and there a little, let’s look at Jeremiah 17:10. “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:5-6 To abide in Christ means to obey Him. Again I shall repeat a verse that must be driven deep into your hearts. “And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” Hebrews 5:9 Can you now see clearly what God wants you to understand? Without obedience, there is no eternal salvation. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 God “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” therefore regardless of what we may say, the pure truth is not hidden because; Hebrews 4:12 “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him” v13 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 Below are some words from God that are meant for our hearts intake; “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” Verse 6 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” 4:14 Satan is so powerful, so cunning, and a perfect master of lies, that he has deceived the whole world just as written in Revelation 12:9. But those who wear all of God’s armor with obedience to what is taught by The Word rather than what man teaches will cause the devil to flee, therefore making you an overcomer as Christ. For without God’s calling because of your heart of self . . . . your understanding will remain in darkness until your resurrection of the great white throne after the millennium. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.” Ephesians 1:17-18 Where you aware that hell and eternal suffering are false? God is merciful, in fact so merciful that if you choose not His way, you are cast into the lake of fire. This is the 2nd death, as in dead, gone forever as eternal punishment. Were you also aware that there is no rapture as taught? Did you know that when one dies, that person does not go to heaven or hell, but just remains dead until their resurrection? To understand the Bible, means to understand who you are within it. The USA is of the house of Jacob, or the house of Israel with the birthright blessings passed down from Abram. All Jews are Israelites, but all Israelites are not Jews. And those words are very easily proven to any mind that God opens for truth. It’s your heart that will make God’s decision. I am not writing words to get the world saved before it is to late, because that is just another lie being taught. How can one even be saved when he has not yet even been judged? What I am doing is simply supplying some truths in order to turn all humble hearts towards God. Where you not also aware that nearly all of mankind does not honor God’s Holy Feast days in Leviticus 23, or His 7th day Sabbath as the 4th Commandment? Did you know that according to God they are a commanded assembly forever? Where you aware that Christmas, Easter, New Years, and all of mans holidays are pagan? Good Friday, Lent, Sunrise service and a host more are not in the Bible, and we are to live by His every word. Christ was born in the fall, and His resurrection was on Saturday, not Sunday. The fact is this, I can go on and on with examples of false teachings, and I can prove all things true and false. So why is man in such darkness when the Holy Bible “thy word is truth” is within reach of all who claim the belief and love of Christ? Few are as the Berean’s in Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” When we as human beings with belief in God leave things up to our own minds for direction, we either just do what seems right, which is what everyone else in religion does, or our own ego’s place us above others while being puffed and not seeing ourselves as such, while all are being deceived from the deception of the “prince and power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2 “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the Lord I will visit upon you the evil of your doings saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:1-2 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; Isaiah 54:7-8 “O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” Isaiah 3:12 “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.” Isaiah 5:21 Remember, God is only truth, therefore when He says; “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” Isaiah 24:1, 6 It will happen, and much sooner than most know. The question is . . . where will you be? “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in His mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Psalms 33:18-19 “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” Isaiah 26:20 “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh.” Proverbs 3:25 “Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into His sanctuary, which He hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.” 2 Chronicles 30:8 “He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine He shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh: Job 5:19-22 There are many more verses of God’s protection to His obedient humble children. Let’s now look at what the cause is for the many that enter the wide gate to destruction. “They have spoken falsely of the Lord, and have said, He will do nothing; no evil will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done unto them.” Jeremiah 5:13-14 “Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. 6:19 God is love, and His laws are based on the Ten Commandments. In this age in which we live, the only way that one can find love within a church for help needed, is if God draws the two people together. When one puts trust with faith in God, He does answer needs. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” “Love thy neighbor as thyself” What is written in those two verses above are near impossible to find in the brothers of today’s churches . . . unless God is involved. “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” Jeremiah 10:21 “Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 12:10 “This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.” 13:10 There is a purpose for every word of God, and in this writing God is directing these words deeply into your heart. The reason that you can easily deny every word in the verse above is because of many reasons that God tells you of throughout His words in the Bible; “Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:” Jeremiah 5:21 “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:2 “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the Lord said untp me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. Jeremiah 14:13-15 Being that a true prophet is an inspired man of God, most all pastors feel in their own hearts that they are doing God’s work also, and they mean well, yet they have been totally deceived. “Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?” Luke 6:39 “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” Jeremiah 22:29 “Thy word is truth” John 17:17 “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:1 “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6-8 Millions of lips may honor God through words and hymns, but their heart that God sees always is in complete darkness because they live without true faith, and the ways of man. So what’s the difference between the love that all claim to have, and the love that God sees and is well pleased with? “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” To repent is to have an intimate relationship with our Almighty GOD. To repent is to become a union with GOD, a “union as one” To repent is by association and companionship with God. To repent is to strive to live by every word of GOD. To repent is to love your neighbor as yourself. To repent is to try with all of your heart to follow the examples of Jesus Christ. To repent is to have understanding of who you are, and why you exist. To repent is to have faith in God, regardless of your life’s circumstances. To repent is never to judge others. To repent is to have a very deep true hunger with thirst for understanding of God. To repent is to fast for a closer relationship with our Father. To repent is study to show you’re self approved by God. To repent is to pray without ceasing; To repent is to meditate on God, His ways, His laws, His government, and His love. To repent is to feel the needs of others worldwide in you’re prayers to God. To repent is to come to realize that without Him, you are nothing. To repent is to understand why the world is as it is. To repent is to understand why all of the great sufferings are about to strike every human being on this planet called Earth. To repent is to understand “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done. To repent is to believe God, and not trust in the false teachings of man. To repent is to know that you will suffer some very hard times just as Job, Paul, and countless men of God did. To repent is to present yourself completely to God for His will and purpose. To repent is not to put you’re self above others, but to be always humble before God To repent is to acknowledge Him in all of your ways, so that He will direct your paths. To repent is to know that you have repented for God who is always on your mind, and in your heart, while feeling that you’re just not doing enough to be pleasing in His sight, because you know that He is God, compared to yourself that is nothing but a grasshopper alone in a world of darkness. God's Holy Day Plan Holy Day Calendar 2009 Holy Days Passover April 8 - (observed evening before) Days of Unleavened Bread April 9-15 Pentecost May 31 Feast of Trumpets September 19 Day of Atonement September 28 Feast of Tabernacles October 3 - October 9 Last Great Day October 10 The seven annual Holy Days are annual Sabbaths. They are holy convocations, or commanded assemblies, of God's people. These days are holy because they are sanctified (set apart) by God. He commands His people to assemble for worship and to learn about Him and His plan. His command goes further than worship only; it includes fellowshipping and rejoicing together (Leviticus 23:1-4; Deuteronomy 14:23-26; Nehemiah 8:1-12). The New Testament record shows the continuity of observance of these days by Jesus Christ and the Church. Jesus observed these festivals, and we as His followers are told to walk as He walked (John 7:8-14; 1 John 2:6). The New Testament Church began on an annual festival—the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The apostles and disciples of the early Church continued to observe these festivals long after Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 18:21; 20:16; 27:9; 1 Corinthians 5:8). Paul upholds their observance and presents them as continuing "shadows" or outlines of the great events in God's plan of salvation that are yet to be fulfilled (Colossians 2:16-17). He also instructed the congregation in Corinth, "Let us keep the feast" (1 Corinthians 5:8). Through the observance of these feasts, God's people focus on and are reminded throughout the year of the work of Jesus the Messiah. It is through preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and the divine calling to a new way of life (John 6:44) that we see the building up of the Church as the family of God. Through Christ as our focal point, we begin to understand the special meaning behind the annual feasts. During the course of the seven annual festivals are seven Holy Days, which are annual Sabbaths. These Holy Days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. Although the Passover is a festival, it is not an annual Sabbath. The plan of salvation as revealed in the Holy Scriptures is pictured in the meaning of these seven annual festivals. Passover The Passover teaches us that Jesus Christ was sinless and, as the true Lamb of God, gave His life so that the sins of humanity could be forgiven and the death penalty removed (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Romans 3:25). Passover, although not observed as a Holy Day, is the first festival of the year. Feast of Unleavend Bread The Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us that we have been called to reject lawlessness and repent of sin. We are to live by every word of God and according to the teachings of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:8; Matthew 4:4). During this festival, leaven symbolizes sin and, as such, is removed from our homes for the seven days of the festival (1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Exodus 12:19). By eating unleavened bread we picture living a life of sincerity and truth, free from sin. Pentecost The Feast of Pentecost, or firstfruits, teaches us that Jesus Christ came to build His Church. This festival pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the Church. The firstfruits are those who will be given salvation at the return of Christ. They have been empowered with the Holy Spirit, which creates in each one a new heart and nature to live by the commandments of God (Exodus 23:16; Acts 2:1-4, 37-39; 5:32; James 1:18). Feast of Trumpets The Feast of Trumpets teaches us that Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth at the end of this age. At that time He will resurrect the saints who are no longer living and instantly change those saints who are still alive to immortal spirit beings (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). This festival commemorates the blowing of the trumpets that will precede His return. Seven angels with seven trumpets are described in Revelation 8-10. Christ will return with the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). Day of Atonement The Day of Atonement teaches us that Jesus Christ gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. It also points to the time when Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Leviticus 16:29-30, 20-22; Revelation 20:1-3). This Holy Day pictures our High Priest, Jesus Christ, making atonement for our sins, which allows us to be reconciled to God and enter into the "holiest of all" (Hebrews 9:8-14; 10:19-20). By fasting on this day, we draw closer to God and picture the reconciliation of mankind to God. Christ is essential in this process as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 5:4-5, 10) and as our eternal sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:26-28). Feast of Tabernacles The Feast of Tabernacles teaches us that when Jesus Christ returns, a new society will be established with Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ, assisted by the resurrected saints, will set up His government on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4; Leviticus 23:39-43; Matthew 17:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-9). Rule under His laws will spread from Jerusalem throughout the world to usher in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:35, 44; 7:13-14). Last Great Day The Last Great Day, or eighth day, teaches us that Jesus Christ will complete His harvest of humans by raising from the dead and extending salvation to all human beings who have died in the past and have never been given a full opportunity for salvation (Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 11:31-32; Revelation 20:11-13). The annual cycle of the celebration of the festivals and Holy Days reminds Christ's disciples that He is working out His plan of extending salvation from sin and death and offering the gift of eternal life in the family of God to all humanity—past, present and future