https://www.gbfwv.com/09062020-white-board
During this time of COVID-19, many believers placed a red ribbon around their door to commemorate Passover and the Resurrection of Christ. God bridged the gap between Israel and her holy days [shadow] with Christ's finished work for the Church [reality]. On Passover, the Jews applied animal blood to their doorpost to save them from death (Exo. 12:13); We apply Christ's blood to our sin for eternal life (Eph. 1:7). The Jews were taught to keep the Passover once a year (Lev. 23:5). Sadly, many Christians do the same, only celebrating Christ's resurrection on Easter. The essence of Paul's ministry was not about keeping days (Gal. 4:9-11), but what the power of the resurrection and salvation means every day (Rom. 1:16; 1Cor. 1:18) so we can walk in that power (Phil. 3:10;Col. 2:6). 

https://www.gbfwv.com/08302020-white-board
Tradition teaches that Christ died and was buried by sundown on Fri. [before the weekly Sabbath] and was resurrected Sunday morning, but the math doesn't work (Mt. 12:40). If He was buried by sundown on Wed. [before the annual Sabbath], the math works perfectly: 3-nights [ Wed., Thur., Fri.]; 3-days [Thur., Fri.,Sat.]. What occurred exactly 72 hrs. after His soul descended to hell? The 3rd holy day of that Holy Week, the feast of First Fruits, which fell the day after the weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:10,11), at sundown Sat. [Nisan 18]. Christ's was the first of a series of resurrections (1Cor. 15:20), and what better timing for His resurrection to occur than at the first moments of the feast of First Fruits! Christ didn't raise from the dead at sunrise on Sunday, which tradition also teaches, because Mary Magdalene arrived before sunrise to find the empty tomb (Jn. 20:1)--He had already risen 12hrs. earlier (God has provided His time line: Christ died on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, and was raised on First Fruits. Computer programs tell us these holy days occurred as such in A.D. 31). The events of Christ death, burial and resurrection, with its holy days + Sabbath days occurred under Israel's program (Lev. 23:1,2). Should we, members of the Body of Christ (1Cor. 12:12,13,27), recognize any 1 day [or week] as holier than any other? No, as they were shadows of something better (Col. 2:14-17), being safe and secure IN-CHRIST 24/7, from now through eternity (Eph. 2:6,7). Stay tuned.

https://www.gbfwv.com/08232020-white-board
Up until that time before the cross, everyone feared death (Heb. 2:15) as their body went to the grave while their soul was sent to hell [hades, the pit, nether parts of the earth (Eze. 32:24), etc.], the holding tank for each departed soul. At death, Christ's soul also descended down (Mt. 11:23) to hell (Eph. 4:9b), but with the goal of freeing the righteous souls (Eph. 4:8a; Lk. 16:22a) from their prison (Isa. 42:7b). Jonah's experience (Jon. 1:17) was a foreshadowing [type] of Christ (Mt. 12:40). As Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights with his body in the fish and his soul in hell (Jon. 2:2), he cried out to God to be rescued and was (Jon. 2:4-10). Likewise, David's Messianic psalm portrays Christ's petition (Psa. 143:7) being granted (Act 2:27, as Christ defeated sin, death, and hell (Acts 2:24). At sundown on Fri. [now Nisan 17], at the beginning of the weekly Sabbath, Jesus had lain in the tomb for 48-hrs. In 24 more hours, God will bodily raise His Son from the dead. Stay tuned.

Why we need the Grace message now more than ever!

https://www.gbfwv.com/08092020-white-board
Sundown Wed. [Nisan15] was the 1st day of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6,7), also an annual Sabbath, which was treated like a weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:3[weekly], 7[annual]. (Tradition places Christ's crucifixion on Fri. because of the weekly Sabbath at sundown, but there were 2 Sabbaths that week, which points to the earlier, annual Sabbath (Jn. 19:31) as the one following Christ's crucifixion on Wed.). Jesus' body had to be removed from the cross & buried by sundown on Wed. [6p] to avoid Sabbath work. Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate who requested and obtained the body and laid it in his own new tomb (Mt. 27:57-60; Isa. 53:9), sealing it with a stone (Mt. 27:59,60). No Biblical record of activity, except the Jewish leaders went to Pilate to ensure His body would not be stolen (Mt. 27:62-65). At sundown Thurs. [now Nisan 16], Jesus' dead body has lain in the tomb for 24 hours. (He will raise from the dead in 48 more hrs.), but His soul was very much alive in the netherworld (Eze. 32:24). Stay tuned.

https://www.gbfwv.com/08022020-white-board
At sundown [rooster crowed] on Wed. [still Nisan 14] Peter betrayed Jesus (Mt. 26:73-75), tried by Pilate (Mt. 27:1,2; 11-25), beaten, crowned with thorns (Mt. 27:27-32) and crucified at 9am (Mk. 15:25). Darkness from 12pm-3pm (Mt. 27:45) as the father forsook His son (Mt. 27:46) who bore our sin so we wouldn't have to (2Cor. 5:19). After 3pm, He willingly gave His life (Mt. 27:50), those 3 hrs. like an eternity in hell [our punishment for sin]. He was buried [~6p(Mt.27:57-60)] at the beginning of the feast of Unleavened Bread [shadow] at sundown Wed.[now Nisan 15]. Yeast in the Bible represents sin (Mt. 16:6-12), and Christ [reality] fulfilled the purpose as He became sin for us (2Cor. 5:21). Jesus died for our sins [Passover] and took our sins with Him to the grave [Unleavened Bread]. Stay tuned.

https://www.gbfwv.com/07262020-white-board
Jewish days went from sundown to sundown (Gen. 1:5), evening to evening [~6P to 6P the next day] (Lev. 23:32). After Jesus kept the Passover (Mt. 26:19-21a), these events occurred: He served the Lord's Supper (Mt. 26:26-29); foretold Judas' betrayal (Mt. 26:31-35); prayed in Gethsemane (Mt. 26:36-46), and arrested (Mt. 26:47-56). Next, His trial by the high priest Caiaphas and the ruling body of Israel, the Sanhedrin (Mt. 26:57-68). Despite their plans NOT to execute Him on Passover (Mt. 26:5), that was to be the exact day God foreordained that His Son 'shall bruise His heel (Gen. 3:15). Like all those Passover lambs, He was as a lamb 'led to the slaughter,'but without protest (Isa. 53:7). As Wed. dawned [still Nisan 14], Jesus has less than <12 hrs. to live. Stay tuned.

https://www.gbfwv.com/07192020-white-board
At sundown on Tuesday [now Nisan 14, A.D. 31], Jesus and the 12 kept the Passover (Mt. 26:20 c.f. Lev. 23:5). The meal consisted of roast lamb [representing judgment of God upon an innocent lamb rather than Jews]; Unleavened bread symbolized the purity of the memorial as leaven (yeast) often represented sin; Bitter herbs, a reminder of the suffering Israel experienced in Egyptian bondage. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Passover in that He became the innocent Lamb of God on whom fell the judgment of God, One who was without sin (2Cor.5:21). In one 24- hr. day [Nisan 14], Jesus both kept the Passover [shadow] and became the Passover Lamb [reality] (1Cor. 5:7). He has <24 hrs. to live[Here read Jn. 13:1-30]. 

https://www.gbfwv.com/07122020-white-board
Today is traditionally called 'Palm Sunday' [likely it didn't occur on Sunday], the so called triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Jn. 12:12-15), but the real triumphal entry will be His 2nd coming (Zech. 14:4-9). The Bible says that Jesus' entry into the city was 'lowly', fulfilling O. T. prophecy (Zech. 9:9), on a donkey compared to His 2nd coming on a white horse (Rev. 19:11). Many Jews were coming for the Passover (Jn. 11:55) and interested in seeing Him (v. 56) because of the recent miracle of the raising of Lazarus (Jn. 12:17,18). The religious leaders began their plot to kill Him (Jn. 11:57) while everyone including the 12 misunderstood what He was about to do (Jn.12:16; Lk. 18:31-34). 


The year was A.D. 31, Nisan 12 on the Jewish calendar, a Monday, the day before the feast of Passover begins. As Jews, Jesus and the 12 prepared for it as required by law (Lev. 23:4,5) while the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Him. Ironically, they tried to avoid doing it on Passover (Mt. 26:2-5). Peter & John were sent to secure an 'upper room' for the feast (Lk. 22:12). Lambs had to be quarantined for 4 days [Nisan 10-14] to assure purity (Exo. 12:3-5), likewise Christ had been chosen out of a sea of humanity as the sinless Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29) via His 3+yr. ministry. For 1,500-years, God required the yearly Passover as a rehearsal for Christ sacrifice. At sundown on Monday [now Nisan 13], He would have <48 hours to live. 

https://www.gbfwv.com/07052020-white-board
Why do people fear in times like this? Because they feel powerless from a lack of knowledge of this virus and their future (2Tim. 1:7). The opposite of fear is calm or peace (Phil. 4:7), which every believer should have because we have the full knowledge [epi-gnosis] of God via the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25). God has given knowledge of Himself and what He’s doing, but not all at once (Isa. 28:10). God revealed knowledge to Israel of her earthly Messiah (Lk. 1:77 c. f. Mt. 16:16), but revealed the fullest knowledge of the Head of the Body to the Church (Eph. 1:17-23). God revealed the law to Moses for Israel (Deut. 29:29), but kept the dispensation of Grace a secret until Paul (Eph. 3:1,2,9).