Becoming Unleavened

Johnny Harrell

April 9, 2020

Brethren, we have just celebrated Passover, and we understand that our sins are forgiven because of what God’s Son did for you and me.

So those that God has called at the end of this age, the remnant Church, where some will live into the return of God’s Son back to this earth, we are so blessed because we have been given so much understanding from the Great God of this universe. We understand that God is building His Family, His spiritual Family, Elohim, but there’s a process that everyone has to go through to be in God’s Family that He is creating.

That is what this season is about, that process. We are to become unleavened, as this Feast of Unleavened Bread shows us. We are to constantly be putting sin out of our lives. That’s what these days of Unleavened Bread teach us, those of us in God’s Church.

God gives us examples in His book about a nation that He chose back in Ancient Israel, and it’s through what God did through that physical nation, that God used it to show you and me the meaning of this season that we are in. It is the spiritual meaning for you and me that we have to take from what God showed us through that physical nation that He worked with a long time ago. That’s what you and I are to focus upon, is the spiritual meaning that we can glean from this.

As we know, God is creating His spiritual family and that family must be without sin because God cannot dwell with sin. So there is a process for you and me and for all those that God will call that will be in His family. We are to become unleavened, without sin eventually.

So we are on the way to becoming unleavened. That is the subject today, Becoming Unleavened.

God uses physical events in this book to teach us the spiritual meaning. So let’s go back and see what was given to Moses back in Ancient Israel. Let’s go back to Exodus 12.

Exodus 12:15—This is where God inspired Moses to write about this season that we are here celebrating and Moses wrote: Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your homes. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person will be cut off from Israel.

So, you and I understand the meaning of this spiritually for those of us in God’s Church. If we do not keep sin out of our lives, to have our lives become unleavened – to becoming unleavened (better said) – we will be cut off from God’s spirit and we will not be allowed to be a part of what God is creating (if sin is unrepented of).

We understand that this season pictures putting sin out of our lives so there are spiritual lessons for you and me to keep sin out of our lives or we will not be allowed to be in the family that God is creating.

Verse 16—On the first day, we can see how important this is to God. God says, this will be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there will be a holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done on those days; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.

God had it written and recorded here about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and just a reminder today that this is a holy day. We will not turn back to Deuteronomy; all of us know what it says. But all of us know that we have to give an offering on God’s holy days, so everyone should mail their offering in as when this sermon is being given everyone was told to stay in their homes because of the virus that is going through the United States, and it’s going through the rest of the world also.

But Unleavened Bread teaches you and me spiritual lessons about sin. Our human nature is what we have to overcome, the lusts that are in man, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” that is in every one of us. God teaches us through these holy days and He teaches us through the sermons that are given about this nature that we all have. We understand that God is preparing a people for the Kingdom of God through the Church of God—PKG. He’s preparing us for the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth and He is revealing the truth about Himself to His Church.

God tells us through the present truth and He’s done that all through time as God’s plan moves toward the fruition of His Family. But that is how He keeps you and me in the truth. God tells us that He is seeking those to worship Him in truth. God says that the true worshippers will worship Him in spirit and truth, and it will take place. But it should strike fear in all of us to have any other thoughts than to trust what God says through this book about how we are to live our lives.

Christ told us that he who is of God hears God’s words. We understand that it’s through the spirit that God has given to each and every one of us that is in His Church. That’s how we understand what the spiritual meaning of this season is about. It’s through that spirit.

John wrote about this and he wrote, “Sanctify them by Your truth (through Your truth).” So it’s because we are set aside. That’s how we understand, through the spirit that God is giving to each and every one of us. It’s through this mind that God does it. He has instilled that spirit in those that He has called so that we can understand the truth.

Let’s turn over to Ephesians 4. God tells us in this book about a treasure and God tells us in this book about a pearl of great price. I’ve used this before, but we all understand what that treasure is that God tells us about that we have in these physical bodies. That’s what God calls it, a treasure. He calls it a pearl of great price because of what it leads to.

When we really understand what it’s worth, it’s so valuable that you cannot put a price upon it, brethren. I hope that all understands by now what they have been offered.

Ephesians 4:1 we find God gives us instructions about how we are to conduct ourselves while we are in this flesh. He teaches us through His word that He inspired and He recorded it for those that He would call. Paul wrote what God expects you and me to live by and he said walk in unity.

When Paul starts off he likens it to being a prisoner of God, a prisoner; that he wanted to be a prisoner of Joshua Christ. Paul tells you and me that we are to walk worthy of the calling – that calling that is so priceless, that calling that is like that pearl of great price. God gave this through Paul so that we could have understanding. God inspired Paul to write about this so that we may know the truth of the matter. God lets us know that there is only one Body and there is one spirit, and just as we were called in one hope of our calling. The is one Lord. There is one faith. There is one baptism. There is no other way under the sun, brethren.

He lets us know in verse 6, so that we would have understanding of what and how He is creating His Family. God is creating His spiritual family and we understand that it is through the spirit that God has given us in our minds. God says that we are to look past the things that are seen. We’re to look at the things that are unseen.

You and I are to look at things spiritually and we’re to look at what those spiritual lessons are for you and me through this Feast of Unleavened Bread. So we were given physical examples of Ancient Israel. So we understand what the writer was saying. God said the things that are seen are temporary. That’s the wonderful thing to understand. Because after all of those things pass away, those things that we can see, those physical things, there is a better time coming in a spiritual body for those that will be in God’s Family.

God tells us that while we are in this flesh we are like a fading flower, but the things which are unseen, that’s the things that are eternal. We understand that God is in the process of creating His Family for an eternity, to live for an eternity. We understand that that family will have to be without sin. So God gives you and me instructions while we are in this physical body so that we can partake of that spiritual body that He has for each and every one that will become Elohim.

Verse 11 God gives us information of how the Church is to be structured. It’s the order of things. He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. Let’s notice why He did that for those of us while we are in these physical bodies: for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, to explain to us about this Feast of Unleavened Bread and how we are to live our lives while we are in this physical flesh. Let’s notice—till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man. Without sin, brethren. That’s what it takes to be perfect. Perfect is without sin. We know and understand when that will be – when we shed this physical body.

We are to become the new man, is the way God had it written in this book, the new man and the new woman after we are baptized. Paul wrote that we should no longer walk as the rest of the world after we are baptized.

We can see that those of this world walk with the futility of their mind. There is no soundness of mind. We can see that. We can see where this world is heading. We can see that it is a sick, sick world that we are living in.

We are to be renewed. That’s what God says. Let’s notice how He tells us, “in the spirit of our minds.” We are to put on the new man and the new woman, “which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.” We do that by the way that we live our lives. We have to be careful that we do not grieve the spirit that God has given to each and every one of us.

So we are given instructions about how we are to keep sin out of our lives and we are given a way to conduct ourselves so that eventually we can become unleavened, without sin in a spiritual body.

Verse 25 we are told of some things we are to put out of our lives. But we do. But we are told to try to keep these things out of our lives. We are told to be putting away lying, to speak truth with our neighbors, be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. Don’t give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but let him labor working with his hands that he may have something to give those that have need. Let no corrupt words come out of our mouths, except what is good for edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

So these things are easier said than done in this physical body. We find ourselves indulging in these things over and over. So that is why we have a Passover. But in verse 30 God had it written that we are not to grieve the holy spirit of God by whom we were sealed for the day of redemption.

Verse 31—Let all bitterness, anger, clamor, evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God and Christ forgave you.

Brethren, to not be living this way of life? It would be a horrible thing to die in sin. We all have trials in this physical body. There is much pain and suffering that comes in this physical life. But all of us want real life in that spiritual body that God says that we can have without all of the pain and suffering, and without sin. It’s a hard thing to comprehend with this physical mind, but God says that we could be free of sin eventually if we become in His Family, the family that He is creating that will be without sin for an eternity.

It would be a shame not to see all these events that are before you and me, to see God’s Family come to fruition, the first phase. We understand that not all will accept what God will offer them. We know what is written about those at the end that will rebel against God. There were so many God says it will be as the sands of the sea that will refuse what He will offer them.

God gave us these holy days. God gave us His laws. It’s a way of life for you and me so that we can partake of what we are celebrating at this Feast of Unleavened Bread, to become without sin. This season teaches us about sin, to remind us about sin, sin that can keep all, anyone from being in God’s Family.

We understand what man is and what man’s weaknesses is. We understand the nature that is in man and that nature that man has to strive to overcome. We know what is written in this book, God’s book, that we all have this human nature to deal with, the nature that is hostile to the Great God of this universe. This nature has been the downfall of so many and it will be the downfall of so many during the Millennium and even through the 100-year period of time.

Let’s turn over to Romans 8. Why would God have you and me learn about this feast that we are celebrating? What is the purpose? What is this feast about? Why would God teach about this time in His plan?

Romans 8:18; that tells us part of the reason and it says, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation... This is speaking about the creation of mankind. That’s what it’s speaking about. ...awaits the manifestation—let’s notice—of the sons of God, the first phase, the 144,000 that will have no sin. They will be here for 1,100 years to teach mankind about sin and the results of sin.

We understand that man has free choice and that’s the only way that God’s Family can be brought about – is through that choice.

The bondage that is spoken about in God’s book, we know that bondage comes about from sin and it comes about from disobedience to God’s way of life. That leads to destructive lives in human beings. You and I are witnesses of these very things that are being spoken about. We’ve seen this take place in people’s lives in the world and we’ve been associated with people that walked side by side on God’s Sabbath with you and me and we’ve seen what sin does to their lives. We’ve seen how their life’s in such a destructive state.

It says in Corinthians in God’s book that “we are sown in corruption,” sown in destruction. If we don’t keep sin out of our lives that’s actually what would happen.

Let’s notice what’s said back up in verse 7, that The carnal mind is enmity, in other words, it’s hostile, against God. And it’s not subject to the law of God, and God said that neither can it be. It’s not possible at this time. Something has to take place.

So man has to deal with this human nature and this human mind. The nature in mankind is hostile. We understand this because of what we just read that man’s mind is not subject to the laws of God and it cannot be unless something happens to the mind. The mind has to be begotten by God’s holy spirit. But it was God’s purpose to make man this way with that nature that is in man, that human nature.

We’ve read God’s book and we’ve seen all these examples in the Old Testament of what took place and how man has rebelled over and over against their God. Even after they saw how God delivered them in Ancient Israel. They walked through that Red Sea. They saw all those things. We’ve read those stories about what took place.

So we can see that the creation of the Family of God requires something, and it’s done through a free choice that man has. Man has free choice to choose the ways of God or not choose the ways of God. Even after baptism, even after one has God’s holy spirit. God says that everyone will have to become at one with Him, with the Great God of this universe. Everyone will have to become in agreement with their God. The Day of Atonement teaches us much about that process that has to take place.

So those of us in the Church of God—PKG that is preparing for the Kingdom of God, that are preparing for God’s Son to come back to this earth, if anyone in God’s Church at this time is not living the way that God says we are to live our lives God says in this book that He will have no part of sin. Those that will be born into God’s Church are at one with their God. Just like God said to Abraham, “Now I know you.” So God will have to know each and everyone that makes it into His family that He is creating.

Let’s turn over to 1 Peter 2:1. Peter gives us some more instructions about how we are to live our lives and Peter says, We are to lay aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. He likens this to do it as newborn babes and that we should desire the pure milk of the word. That’s the example that Peter used, like a newborn babe. Let’s notice why: so that we may grow.

In verse 5 it tells us that we, that example that he uses, that Peter uses, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house. So Peter is likening it to building a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. So this tells us what God is building, His spiritual house that will be without sin.

Verse 11—Beloved, I beg you—let’s notice—as sojourners and pilgrims. It’s like the pilgrims that went west in America. They didn’t actually know where they were going but they could hear the examples that were given of what was out west. They did not really fit in the society that they were moving away from. That’s one of the reasons America was founded. In other words, we really do not fit in this world either. It’s Satan’s world. We are headed for a new age, a new world (just like those pilgrims were looking for a new world), a world that God is building.

While we are on this path to this new world God says (let’s notice), that we are to abstain from these lusts that war against our lives, those lusts that are in man. They war against our lives. It is a war and those are the battles that you and I have to fight against this nature that we have, the lusts that are in us, “lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” They’re human nature that we all have. Those are the things that we have to fight against.

God tells us much about this nature in His book. All of us have to overcome that nature, to not let these lusts that are in us cause us to sin.

It is as Paul said; it’s with the mind that we serve our God. Paul understood about the pulls of this flesh, this nature that is in man and he wrote much about it in God’s book so that you and I could have understanding about this human nature that we all have.

God tells us that we always have to strive to keep sin out of our life because of this nature and to not to give in to these lusts. That’s what the days of Unleavened Bread is about, to teach us how easily we can find sin in our lives. I know after every Feast of Unleavened Bread I always usually find something that has leavening in it. So the lesson is that it’s about the hidden sins that all of us have. We don’t necessarily see them but we understand they’re there somewhere. So there are valuable lessons that we learn through this season.

In verse 12 we’re told to have our conduct honorable among everyone.

Verse 21. When we have our conduct honorable those that God will call in the future, maybe they can look back and see how you lived your life and see what kind of example you were when you were in this physical flesh.

Verse 21—For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us—let’s notice—leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps. So we are to look at how Christ lived his life while he was in this physical flesh upon this earth.

Verse 22; we know he committed no sin. We know that there was no deceit found in his mouth. We know that when he was reviled he did not revile in return. So this tells you and me how Christ lived his life. This is an example for you and me to follow and observe how Christ lived his life.

...and when he suffered, he did not threaten but committed himself to Him who judges righteously; who himself bore our sins in his own body on that pole, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, the correct way to live our lives, brethren. God shows us how through these days of Unleavened Bread. That’s why we have this season, to teach us.

Let’s turn over to 1 Corinthians 3:9. God knows this human nature that we all have. God knows what all of us are like. God made us with this nature and He made us this way and He understands what we are capable of. We can look at man’s history. We can look at all the wars and the violence that has taken place down through time. We can only imagine how threatening and how violent some of those wars were.

So those are examples for you and me of what this nature in man can really do. It can become so calloused that death is like a game in wartime.

God made us with free choice, and once called we are offered to have eternal life in the God Family. That is a wonderful gift from the Great God of this universe, brethren, to be offered to you at this time.

Verse 9 gives us further understanding of what God is building and how He is building. It’s written that we are God’s fellow workers; we are God’s field. Here he is using gardening principles in God’s book of what God is doing so that you and I can understand. It’s like working in a field to grow a crop. That’s the example.

Then he goes further and he says, we are God’s building. So he uses physical principles again about constructing a building.

Verse 10—According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds upon it. So better said, we are to keep sin out of our lives. That’s how we build upon that foundation.

Verse 11 tells us that there is no other way than the way we are told to build upon that foundation. It’s through the days of Unleavened Bread that we understand how – by keeping sin out of our lives. That’s how we build upon that foundation that is being spoken about. How you build will be tested by fire. That’s what God says.

Verse 14 tells us, If anyone’s work which he has built upon it endures, he will receive a reward. That pearl of great price, that treasure that God speaks about in His book that one could have – to live without sin for eternity, eternal life in the God Family, brethren.

Verse 16 tells us that we are the temple of God. That’s what we are. We are God’s building and we have His holy spirit. We understand that the spirit of God dwells in each and every one of us. But let’s notice what it says, if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. If sin is found in anyone at the end they will be in that lake of fire. God will have no part of sin when His Family comes to fruition. God says that we should not deceive our self and He tells us that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with Him.

Verse 23 tells us that we are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. So, speaking of the order of things. We understand that order, that it is God the Father and then it is Christ, and then all the rest that will be in the family.

Let’s turn over to Ephesians 2:19. It tells us more about how God is building His Family. It says, we are fellow citizens with the saints and we are the members of the household of God and we are being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Upon that foundation, that’s how we’re doing it.

Joshua Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Verse 22 tells us, in whom you also are being built together—let’s notice what for—for a dwelling place of God through the spirit. God can have no part of sin, brethren. All that will be in that family has to be without sin.

Drop down a little bit to Ephesians 3:9. It tells us about a mystery and it tells us the purpose of that mystery. Verse 9—and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery—and let’s notice how long this mystery has been hidden...which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who is creating all things through Joshua Christ. God’s Family is being built through God’s Son.

Verse 10 tells us that The manifold wisdom of God might be made known—let’s notice by who—by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He will accomplish (better said) through Joshua Christ. I hope everyone has appreciation of the mystery, the mystery of God that has been revealed to His Church.

Verse 18 tells us why: that we may be able to comprehend with the saints what is the width and length, the depth and height. So this example that is being given, it gives us understanding for God’s plan. We do understand the width, the length, and the depth of God’s plan. We understand that the Church is under judgment at this time.

We are told of the ways to live our life through this Feast of Unleavened Bread and God gives us physical examples in His book. That gives us understanding, spiritual understanding. That’s how we do it through God’s spirit, to understand these examples.

We can see the analogies of what took place in Ancient Israel so it’s important for you and me to understand that battle begins in the mind. That’s where the war is, in our mind. That’s where it begins. It’s an ongoing battle as long as we’re in this flesh. But we’re always to strive to keep sin out of our lives even though we have a Passover that forgives us when we do sin. But we are not to use that as a licence to sin.

We understand about these lusts that God tells us about that are fulfilled through this mind. If we don’t stay on guard and if we don’t stay alert we can become part of sin very quickly, brethren. We can become blindsided even when we have God’s spirit, and if we partake of sin we’re actually going against what God says that we are to live our lives by, by what He says in His book.

“The pride of life” really sums it all up when we understand that it’s about raising self above God when we take it on our self. That’s what it really is when we decide for our self what is right and what is wrong. We raise our self up against God. That’s what leads to sin. It can lead to unrepented sin. It leads to things that fight against what God says, about how we are to live our life. These things are what we have to fight against while we’re in this physical flesh. That is our battle. That is our war while we are in this flesh. We are in the fight of our life for our life, for our spiritual lives.

When looking at the lusts of man we can see why it would not be a hard thing for Satan to use those lusts against you and me. We understand that the demon world broadcasts attitudes. They broadcast things that bring about anger, bitterness, jealousies, just to name a few. Broadcast about being offended. In this nature that we all have it’s not hard to become offended. But as everyone knows in God’s Church, we don’t have that right. We don’t have the right to be offended by what anyone says to you and me.

Let’s turn over to Luke 6. Luke actually wrote about a tree in God’s book. Verse 43. This is where Luke wrote about a tree. He uses the fruit of that tree as an example for you and me. Luke wrote that a tree is known by its fruit. So you can tell what the tree is by the kind of fruit it produces. This is a good example that Luke uses. It’s a good analogy to use this physical example and look at it spiritually.

Verse 43, Luke wrote: For a good tree does not bear bad fruit... So he’s using a physical example for our minds so that we can focus on the spiritual meaning of what is being said. He says, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. So we understand what this example is saying.

He wrote, For every tree is known by its own fruit. The example that Luke uses is that you do not gather figs from thorns. He’s using physical examples, and he says further, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. He turns around and uses this next example and he says, A good man or woman (better said) out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good. If you have that treasure in your mind that God has given you, that holy spirit, we can further look at the spiritual example that is given.

It says, an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart—so we know who is influencing their mind—brings forth evil. So we understand the spiritual analogy because of the demon world that is there and because of God’s spirit that is there. For out of the abundance of the mind—let’s notice—if you have God’s spirit it should speak good things. If you do not have we know what will come out of those mouths. So we understand what is being said by the example that Luke is using.

Luke wrote in verse 46—Why would you not do the things which God says? He asked a question. Whoever comes to me and hears my saying and does them I will show you whom he is like. Let’s notice, physical example: He is like a man building a house and he dug deep and he laid the foundation upon the rock, upon the foundation that was given to him to build upon. And when the flood rose the stream beat against that house and it could not shake it, for it was being built without sin, brethren. That’s why. ...for it was founded upon the rock.

So we understand what Luke is saying. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat against and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great, because (let’s notice), it was destroyed, a spiritual lesson for those that don’t heed God’s words.

God says in the book of Proverbs, and He said, “My son, attend to My wisdom.” In other words, listen to God’s instructions, to listen to God. So we can see this is actually God speaking and God speaking to mankind. God says to pay attention to His wisdom, “to listen and bow our ears to His understanding.”

What is being said once we are called, once we are in God’s Church, and once we have God’s spirit, we are to listen to what God gives from that point on about how to build our spiritual house. He says we are to “bow our ears to His understanding.”

So we in the Church of God, we have to look to God for understanding because we know that’s where understanding comes from. It comes from no other place, brethren. We know that knowledge, true knowledge, comes from God and it’s the only way to understand the right and correct way to live our lives.

God teaches us through this Feast of Unleavened Bread. The knowledge that we glean from this feast makes our lives better, and when we are in obedience to God then we can be blessed, and if we keep putting sin out of our lives we are blessed with so much understanding in the mind about our God and about His plan.

We know what God’s purpose is at this time. We know that purpose is not to save Satan’s world at this time. This is Satan’s world at this time, but there is coming a time in a little while when Joshua Christ will come back to this earth and it will no longer be Satan’s world anymore. That’s what you and I look forward to, a new world. But like I say, it’s still Satan’s world at this time for you and me. Satan is the god of this world, as we know, and that’s why God said don’t let this world be a part of you and me.

We know that there is 1,100 years coming when there will be one government upon this earth. There will be one Church and a time where everyone will have access to God’s spirit. That’s a wonderful time for man. But we’re not there yet. Satan’s way of things will be done away with eventually and a different way of life will be taught for 1,100 years. But we know that human nature will be there. We know that not all will accept what God will offer them because what is written in this book.

Let’s turn over to Luke 14:27. Luke tells us that whoever does not bear his pole and come after Christ cannot be his disciple. He tells us to count the cost whether he has enough to finish it.

Down in verse 33 Luke tells us, who of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. So we have to conduct our lives in the way that God says. God teaches us about conduct through this Feast of Unleavened Bread and we are told that we have to become unleavened. We know that we can eventually become unleavened, without sin, once we’re in what God has offered you and me, His Family, when we become Elohim.

God uses a harlot in this book. So here is physical example given again. It’s a good example when we break it down and look at it spiritually. God uses a prostitute in His book, and it’s in Satan’s world where He’s talking about this prostitute. Satan uses the pulls of this world, Satan’s world, and he uses the enticements of his world to seduce people. We understand it’s because of those lusts that are in mankind. It’s happened even with God’s spirit, those that walk side-by-side with you and me.

So we’ve seen Satan at work with these lusts that are in mankind. We’ve seen him use these lusts, these enticements, to pull people away from what is true and what is right. Satan uses the morals of mankind mightily. We can see it through the advertisements that are here in Satan’s world. But he uses all kinds of enticing things that will lead to sin. Satan is always trying to seduce mankind to choose for himself, to take it upon himself to choose what he thinks is right and what he thinks is wrong, to lift self above God (for those of us in God’s Church).

The example about this prostitute, this harlot that God wrote about in His book, is so that we can understand how Satan works. Because he uses these tactics upon mankind mightily and God had it written in His book so that we could understand that it’s what seduces men and women, and it’s first through this mind. That’s where it starts.

He uses that that would cause a man or a woman to turn their eyes. The example that is used in this book is about a man, but this applies to women as well. That’s where it starts, when someone turns their eyes to look upon another sex. It’s about those lusts that are in both, “the lust of the eyes,” and it starts in the mind. That’s where it takes place.

When we look at it spiritually it’s the same. Spiritual adultery is actually what it is when it takes place in the mind spiritually. It begins with “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” Satan makes all these things look good so God had this example put in His book for a reason – so that we could focus and know how he works.

God tells you and me that we are to bring every thought into subjection. That’s why God told us these things, because of where it starts in the mind. So we see where it should be stopped. These thoughts should be stopped in the mind.

Satan even used sex on king David and God wrote about it in His book. We know what happened to David and Bathsheba, those lusts, and it’s written in God’s book for all to read about. Sexual sins have a devastating effect on family and friends. God set before you and me a way to conduct our self while we are in this flesh and it has a lot to do with morals. That is part of our human nature. The cause of these lusts that are in men and women, that’s where Satan attacks us. We know that there will always be these pulls in this flesh as long as we are in this human flesh. Satan will use that to take us off the path that God has set you and me upon.

God teaches us about this human nature that we have and the sin that can so easily beset us. This is what will affect so many during the Millennium, this human nature, these pulls, these pulls that will be in man for 1,100 years. God wrote about the results in His book. It’s so many, as the sands of the sea, will not be able to overcome that human nature and accept what God will offer them.

Let’s turn over to the book of Jude. Jude begins with a greeting to the called of God. That’s how Jude begins his writings. Jude says that he is a bondservant of Joshua Christ and that he is the brother of James. Jude wrote, To those who are called and set aside, sanctified, in other words, by God the Father, and preserved in Joshua Christ. He says, Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Jude tells us (let’s notice), to contend for the faith. He says, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning your common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you—let’s notice—exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Dropping down to verse 5—But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord... Let’s notice the examples that Jude is using. He’s going back to those physical examples. ...having saved the people out of the land of Egypt... Jude is using this example to tell you and me about what happened after God saved them in the land of Egypt. Which we already know, but Jude is reminding us again. ...afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

So when Jude uses examples of Ancient Israel to warn you and me of what happened to them, to remind us of what happens to us spiritually if we do not deal with sin. Jude is telling us of those things in the past and what happened to them and what is going to happen at the end of the age. He’s speaking about the lake of fire for so many, so many that it will be as the sands of the sea because of this nature that God put in man.

Verse 6. Jude goes back and tells us about the angels and what took place for them. He is reminding us of what happened to those angels and he spoke about it and he said, And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, the one that God placed them in, and they left that domain, they left their abode that God had placed them in. They rebelled. They did not want what God was offering them.

Let’s notice what is said: He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Jude reminds us of what happened (physical example again) to Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh. For you and I, that would be spiritual adultery. Let’s notice that event that is used as an example. Jude wrote that they are set forth as an example, suffering—let’s notice—the vengeance of eternal fire.

In verse 20 of Jude, But you, beloved—let’s notice—building yourself  up on your most holy faith, praying in the holy spirit—let’s notice—keep yourself in the love of God. By keeping sins out of our lives, brethren, that’s how it’s done. ...looking for the mercy of our Lord Joshua Christ unto eternal life. That pearl of great price. That treasure that God tells about in His book.

Just as Jude gave us a warning of not staying close to God, and exhorts us to stay close to God, we understand we have to keep sin out of our lives to do so. God warns His people. When we understand what is being said He’s telling us not to fall into these traps that Satan sets for you and me through the enticements of this world, his world. He uses the pulls of the flesh to draw human beings in, to get them to indulge in things that will cause them to eventually fall deep into sin. That’s what he’s after. He’s a master at bringing people into sin, and if we do fall back into sin, that bring us back into captivity. Satan wants to move you and me far away from anything that is true and right.

We understand that this world is in bondage. We can see it. I know that they think they’re free. When we were in Satan’s world we thought we were free. We thought we had freedom. It’s only when we come into God’s Church that we understand, begin to understand, what true freedom is. True freedom is to live the way that God says to live our lives.

We understand that all of mankind does not know that they’re in bondage at this time. But we know that they are, those of us in God’s Church.

Let’s turn to the book of Proverbs. I quoted a little bit earlier from the book of Proverbs. Let’s go back to Proverbs 5. God has opened our minds so that we can see His plan. But this world has taken Satan’s message and swallowed it hook, line, and sinker, so to speak. We understand because of this that the whole head is sick. We can see that this is a sick, sick world that Satan has created. We can see that the whole head needs healing, especially the mind of man. That’s where the healing needs to take place.

We understand about Egypt and how it refers to you and me and that we are to come out of sin. God said that examples in His book are for us, those of us that live at the end of the age.

Proverbs 5:9. If we partake of these and come into the captivity of Satan verse 9 gives us a warning, and it says, Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one; lest foreigners be filled with your  wealth, and your labors go to the house of a stranger, of a foreigner.

But let’s focus on verse 11. Let’s notice, And you mourn at last... Here are the results of unrepented sin. We can see what God is telling us about and He’s bringing it down to the end, when your flesh and your body is consumed. Now, we know when that is. Mankind does not have a clue. But God has opened your mind to let you know when that time is. We know that it is at the end.

Verse 12—And say—let’s notice what took place—How I have hated instruction. So this is what took place, and my heart (better said “the mind”) despises correction! That’s actually what happens when you come back into Satan’s captivity. So this is written for you and me, the Church of God, so that we can understand Satan’s tactics. And have not obeyed the voice of my teacher. Our teacher is the Great God of this universe and His Son, brethren.

They became disobedient and they raised themselves above God and they decided for themselves what is right and what is wrong for their lives. We’ve seen it over and over. We’ve sat side-by-side in God’s house by many that have taken it upon themselves to decide what is right and what is wrong for themselves. They have actually gone back into captivity of Satan’s world.

We have seen what happens to the mind. This is what God is telling us. We’ve seen firsthand when this takes place and what happens to the mind. Most are deep in sin when it takes place. We know when this flesh will be consumed so there is pain for those that go down those paths. God tells us the end results, that the flesh would be consumed through that lake of fire. We know that’s what will happen if sin is unrepented of. We’ve seen so many that have fell into that trap. Once the mind turned it’s so hard to find their way back.

We understand what God is saying using the examples in this book, all these physical examples that were written about. They began to not obey the voice of their teacher and they did not listen to those that had instructed them in God’s way of life. So we know what takes place in the mind.

We know there is a time coming when Joshua Christ will come and establish the government of God upon this earth and mankind will begin to be taught about the correct way to live their lives. Man will be taught about the lusts that are in man. Man will be shown the true way to live. That’s what we’re talking about today, a way of life for you and me to keep sin out of our lives.

Satan has so deceived this world and he makes the ways of this world look good. He’s put a good paint job on this world and he makes it enticing and it makes it look good. Then it’s, “Woe is me.”

As we just read in Proverbs, we would find our self entrapped again. So we’re talking about a way of life to live during this Feast of Unleavened Bread, to keep sin out of our lives, to become unleavened. God is giving you and me warnings and He tells us that it starts in this mind, this human mind. We have to go before God on a continual basis to forgive us of our sins. We understand that. We face these battles constantly because of these lusts that are instilled in each and every one of us.

When I use the word “man” it includes men and women and even though we are in God’s Church and we have God’s spirit we still have to deal with this world and its entrapments. But we are blessed because of what God has given us and the penalty of sin that has been paid for you and me. But we are not to use that as a license to sin. We are to keep sin out of our lives.

We understand we are in the process of coming out of Egypt, coming out of sin; that’s what these days, those physical examples teach you and me. We’re to learn about a way of life to live. God is delivering us and we understand this. He teaches us, but it’s a long process. It’s a lifeline process as Ron has said so many times. It takes a lifetime to learn what God is teaching His Church, His people, those that will be in His Family, Elohim.

Once we are baptized, we come to understand about a way of life. We are to never turn back from that way of life. We should never turn back from coming out of Egypt. God’s Kingdom will be upon this earth and we will change one day. But as long as we’re in Satan’s world, as long as Satan’s age is here man will be enslaved to it, if we yield to his ways of life, those lusts that are in man, those lusts that are a part of this nature that God instilled in us for a purpose.

We understand that God created us this way, but we come to loathe that human nature that is in us, that was instilled in all of us. We strive to overcome that nature that God instilled in us. But God had it written in His book about a way to overcome those things and the correct way to live our lives.

We have to be careful when we deal with one another because of these lusts. It affects our relationships sometimes, the lusts for a lot of wrong things in this life. It can be about so many things, brethren, that will affect us in our relationships, but most of it is due to these lusts, this nature that is in man. We all commit sin because of this.

We all want to live a way of life without sin, but we know how it is in this flesh. We all have these weaknesses that entrap us. Sometimes we find our self in sin again. Sometimes it happens over and over for the same sin. It’s not that we want to do this, but we are carnal, as Paul so well explained to you and me. “Sold unto sin,” is the way he wrote. We find our self fighting this human nature over and over. But we want to be right toward our God and we want to be right toward everyone in God’s Church, so therefore, the battle that ensues.

But we face these constantly and it’s just a way of life in this human flesh with this human nature that we have. But if Paul had not written about these things it would be hard to understand about this nature that we all have. But God had it written in His book for you and me so that we can begin to understand these things and how they could be in each and every one of us.

Paul said that he wanted to do that that he didn’t always do. Sometimes he did what he hated. We find our self in those same situations. We do the very thing that we hate, the very thing that will get us into trouble, the pulls of the flesh, the lusts that are in man. It can really reflect on our relationships with one another. Paul gives us understanding about God’s way of life.

We know that Paul wanted to live God’s way of life by what he wrote. I’m sure everyone here that is listening wants to live the way that God says to live their lives, so God gives us instructions.

When we were baptized there was a way of life we had to choose. Once we’re baptized we really begin to understand what it’s all about, that we are in a spiritual war and that we are in the fight for our life, for our spiritual life, when we really understand. We have to fight this human nature and the pulls of this flesh constantly.

That’s what Paul wrote about. Paul wrote about a correct way to live our lives. It’s in the mind that we have to change. That’s where it first has to take place. We have to think differently once we’re baptized. It’s not normally how we think in this flesh but after our minds have been opened we begin to think differently. That’s actually what takes place. Then we have to learn how God wants us to think, and that’s what God teaches us through the examples that are given through His book.

God says to be in oneness with Him and His Son, Joshua Christ, to strive to be of the same mind with Him. So the battle for this mind takes place and then we begin to fight for this way of life after baptism, and because of this human nature that we all have, because of those lusts that are there, we understand that it’s just the way that it is in this human flesh. We understand why we need a Passover. We understand we had to have that Passover to help us in this physical life, to overcome.

We have to continually overcome in this flesh. We have to think differently. When we’re living God’s way of life we will always be growing if we rely on God and do what we learn through these holy days and through this Feast of Unleavened Bread – to overcome self, to not partake of sin.

Even when we have the best intentions in this flesh, even when we’re striving to do our best, it’s like finding bread crumbs after the days of Unleavened Bread, and it blindsides us sometimes. That’s why when all these thoughts about sin hits the mind we have to bring it in subjection to the mind. Because there are hidden sins out there, brethren, that we could partake of. It’s always a fight, it’s always a spiritual battle; we always have to be on guard because of the pulls of this human mind.

That will be there during the Millennium and in the 100-years. The human nature of man will be the downfall of so many. We know what God had written after 1,100 years. There will be so many that rebel and will not accept what God offers them.

Paul said that he “delighted in the law of God according to the inward man.” Paul was actually talking about the mind when he said this, when he wrote it.

So we begin to understand about a way of life, a way that God instructs you and me to live, God’s way of life. We love the way that God reveals this to us in the Church of God and we come to understand more and more about the way to live our lives as we move forward through God’s plan.

We have to live life in this flesh by what God says through His instructions in His book. We have to learn the correct way to live. We have to learn to exercise these things that we are learning from God’s Church from Sabbath to Sabbath, holy day to holy day.

Paul said that he found this law, “that when he did good evil was still with him.” But he said, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” But he also saw that other law that was in his mind, and therefore, the battle that ensued.

God began to give that understanding to you and me when He started awakening each and every one of us, these things that Paul is telling you and me about. It’s after we were baptized and received God’s holy spirit that we really began on that journey. We know that there is a battle that ensued after we were called and baptized and a spiritual war began to take place.

We know some have lost that battle that walked side-by-side with you and me. I thought some would be there until the end, but they succumbed to these lusts that are in man that we’re talking about and they no longer have God’s spirit. That’s just the way it is.

It’s a hard thing to see sometimes when people’s minds turn and they go back into Satan’s world. We know that Satan’s world does not agree with God’s way of life. Satan does not have much of a battle to entice man. We see that through the advertisements that are there on the TV, through the music, through the movies. It’s just rampant in Satan’s world.

I don’t know of many movies that you can watch in mixed company anymore. I feel for the teenagers that have to deal with all these pulls of the flesh that are there. It becomes just normal in their lives, brethren. I know when I talk to my great granddaughter I’m amazed at how she looks and views some things. It’s a normal thing to her.

Paul wrote “after twenty-five years, O, wretched man... who would deliver him from this body of death?” That’s what he called it. Paul knew that unrepented sin would lead to death in the lake of fire.

We know that we have a Passover that forgives us of our sins. He paid the penalty for you and me upon that pole. We understand that God is bringing you and me out of captivity of Satan’s world and we are coming out of Egypt, so to speak. We’re putting sin out of our lives as we do.

But when we look around on the horizon and look at Satan’s world we can see that this whole world is in captivity and they don’t have a clue at what’s taking place. So it’s the lusts that are bringing this world to a crescendo that our minds cannot comprehend. If Christ didn’t intervene there would be nothing left. There would be nothing left alive upon this earth because of the lust of man and the sins of mankind. Only God can deliver man from this human nature that we all have. So we understand that it is through Joshua Christ that it will be done.

Let’s go over to Romans 12. God tells us how to live our lives further in the book of Romans. He said, Romans 12:1—I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. So we’re to put to death the body. That’s what we pictured at baptism. We need to keep it under the water. That was the agreement that we all made at baptism with Joshua Christ. That’s what we agreed to put to death, this body. Paul called it “this body of death.”

When we came up out of that water it paints you and me a picture, and just as Joshua Christ was raised up it paints you and me a picture. Another way to say it is to walk in newness of life after we come out of that water. That’s the way that God says it in this book. That means for you and me to think differently from that time forward to become the new man or the new woman. So it’s about the mind. It’s about the mind that we have to overcome. That’s what we use to overcome this human nature, to do away with those thoughts when they hit this mind, brethren, to live the way that God says we are to live our lives.

When we begin to do this we begin our journey out of Egypt, so to speak, to come out of sin. Then we should do as this writer said, “present our bodies a living sacrifice” from that time forward, to live a different way of life, to think differently from that point on after baptism. We want to put to death the old self. We don’t want to go back into Satan’s world. We want to walk in God’s world from this time forward after baptism.

Let’s notice what the rest was written: That you present your bodies a living sacrifice—let’s notice—holy, acceptable to God, a way of life, to keep sin out of our lives so that we can be acceptable to God. That’s our reasonable service. That’s what God says. That’s what He expects from you and me, to strive to keep, always keep sin out. It’s the way that we should live our life from the time that we are baptized, a way of life that is acceptable to the Great God of this universe.

Let’s notice verse 2—And do not be conformed to this world, Satan’s world, not to take part in it, but be transformed—notice what’s being said— by the renewing of your mind. In other words, think differently through the spirit that God gave you at baptism, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We prove it, brethren, by living it. That’s how you do it, by living the way God says we are to live.

God does not force this way of life upon anyone. Even after you’re called you have choices. But when we choose this way of life something begins to happen. The mind begins to be transformed, and therefore, character is being formed and a correct way of life is being formed in your mind because of where you’re headed in the Church of God—PKG.

You are to become unleavened. That is our focus, to become unleavened, to keep sin out of our lives and to become in the God Family, to become Elohim. I hope you understand what you’ve been offered.

This world is coming to an end, brethren, quickly now. We can see what’s taking place in the whole world at this time. Your job is just ahead of you. You’ve been taught about a way of life and it’s being instilled in your mind. When the sky lights up so many people will want to know the correct way to live life. They’ll want to know what’s going on. They’ll want to know what caused all this destruction.

You have a front row seat now. You’ll also have a front row seat then to tell mankind about a way of life that you have learned about while you’re in God’s Church.