Loveisrael.org Team created terrific tools for anyone to participate in the Passover season. As I write this, we are in the middle of the Unleavened Bread part of Passover feast.
Easter, or what many call Resurrection Day, or to stay within the Passover feast series of events, the end of the feast is the priests waving a handful of barley, thanking God for His harvest, which is called "First Fruits." Spiritually, we are the Lord Jesus' harvest to eternal life, after Jesus paid the price for our sin and redeemed us from sin and death.
He was the first to rise from the dead, and He will raise us too if we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb. Baruch does a masterful job of showing the heart and intent of "trying" to keep the biblical Old Testament festivals. However, as non Jewish church going Christians, we need to know the Jewish context of scripture without trying to "keep" the law. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit. Understanding all the Biblical feasts and how they are linked to our Lord is key to good Bible Study.
Here is the link for the tools. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Ideas_to_Keep_the_Passover_02.pdf
If you would like to have a passover meal as Jewish people do, Loveisrael.org created a booklet. https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Passover-Booklet-2025-PRINT-1.pdf
Passover for kids resource: https://biblestudycompany.com/laravel-filemanager/files/121/Passover-Section-Two_for_kids.pdf
Here are the dates from LoveIsrael.org for Passover 2025
Festival DATES
PASSOVER: Nisan 14 (sunset Fri, April 11 to sunset Sat, April 12)
UNLEAVENED BREAD: Nisan 15-21 (after sunset Sat, April 12 to sunset on Sat, April 19)
FIRST FRUITS: Day after weekly Sabbath* (begins after sunset Sat, April 19 to sunset on Sun, April 20)
*according to Leviticus 23:15-16
We wrote an article on the history of Easter and whether it has pagan origins. It discusses the history of "Easter." That article is here, and you can read it if you like.
God destroyed Egypt (the metaphor for the world) and rescued His people that were in bondage and created a Nation from slaves (as we are in sin and death Eph 2:1-4), and redeemed the Children of Israel and sent them to be focused on Him in a harsh wilderness that He sustained them supernaturally. The purpose of the wilderness is to learn to depend on God, and God used circumstances to grow their faith if they responded correctly to God. Exodus shows that they did not respond well, similar to what happened in Eden with Adam and Eve. Dr. Baruch told me, "Exodus is a picture of our Christian walk as well." Redeemed means to rescue by paying a price.
The primary focus of Passover is the blood from the lamb on the doorposts. The primary focus of the cross is the Lamb of God, Who is God, who went and shed His blood on the cross for our sins, like the lamb in Exodus 12 showed. Loveisrael's material will help put you in the moment with those who lived the moments with your family by reading the scriptures. Here is a picture of how they applied the blood as commanded to avoid the Destroying Angel. They believed in God. They had a good start, leaving Egypt and believing in God's word! We all do when we first get saved, but life's hardships can either be used to grow our faith in the Lord by worshipping Him or choosing to rebel. Let's focus on obeying and worshipping instead, and let Him build our faith in His word. (Deut 8, Hebrews 3)
The main plan of God is this:
The Lord Jesus’s blood on the cross AND resurrection (power over life and death) paid for our trespasses (sins) against God, instead of the continual sacrifices that the Jewish people endured, which were looking forward to the Messiah coming. He made a propitiation for our sins. A clean slate, once and for all, sacrifice as an offering to God, because He is the only Human (100% God and 100% man) left in the universe without sin. That was the point of the discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. We need a new nature as sinful creatures. Thus, we need to be born again by the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 2). As predicted, Christ came as the King rode on the donkey into Jerusalem (Zachariah 9.9). We can make Him king over our lives and hearts. (Romans 12:1-2)
HE CONQUERED SIN AND DEATH AND IS RISEN. HE IS FIRST FRUITS!!! All to rescue us by doing God's will. What Adam did not do. Glory to God!
If you need God's grace and mercy this Easter and Passover season, reach out to the Lord Jesus Christ, put all your sins on Him by faith, and ask Him to save you. Ask Him to forgive you, and He will. All of your past sins, present, and into the future! Our God will then seal you with His Holy Spirit and cause you to be born again to Him. Read the chapter in Ephesians 2 to see the plan of God. If you are unfamiliar with prayer, no worries; we have suggested a prayer. A prayer to God will not save you, but a heart reaching out in faith will, by His grace and mercy. Put your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the prayer.
https://biblestudycompany.com/blog/article/81
Blessings to you and your family for this sacred time of year. Let us know if you came to Christ in the comments or at info@biblestudycompany.com
"Lord, please comfort those dealing with losses, sickness, and loneliness, and please encourage those not born again to respond to your invitation this Resurrection Day.
We thank Loveisrael.org and their teams for these superb materials.
Enjoy! Remember to share the Gospel, the good news according to God's will that Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin and death. We are grateful to the Lord!!!
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This prayer is a guide and biblically based. All a person needs to do is cry out to God in their own words. If you are not sure how to pray, please use this as a guide.
To have a relationship with God versus religion, pray this prayer sincerely and in your own words.
Dear Heavenly Father, (Matt. 6:9) I want a relationship with You...not a religion. I come to You and open my heart. (John 3:16) I will be honest and sincere with You. (John 4) I am running my life and need Your help. (Matt. 6:10) I am made in Your image (Gen 1:26, 27), and I won't be happy until I am in a relationship with you. (Gen. 3) Most of my behavior does not please You. (Romans 3:23) I know I am a sinner, so please forgive my sins because of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who came to die for my sins. (John 3:16) His death on the cross is the punishment I should receive, but You were gracious to die in my place through Christ. By faith, I place all of my past, present, and future sins on Christ. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior, and salvation is a gift! I know I cannot earn my way to heaven by being good through good works. (Eph. 2:8) You did this so I can be in a relationship with You on earth and for all eternity. (Romans 10:9-13) And I will forgive those who have sinned or hurt me because you have forgiven me. Take away any bitterness or resentment I carry toward You or other people. (Matt. 6:13-14) Please show and teach me how to live a praiseworthy life on earth to You starting today. (Matt. 6:33, Acts 9 and 10) I ask you to be in my heart, as Paul said in Ephesians 3:17. I know that You love me, Father, and I want to love You and that you have a purpose and plan for my life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Lord, because You gave me breath in my lungs and Jesus is my Savior, because you paid my sin debt. Please teach me to pray. (Matt. 6:9) Thank You, Jesus, for saving me to Yourself (Ex. 19:1-8) and making me a new person! (2 Cor. 5:17) In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!
Learn to grow at www.biblestudycompany.com, Grace Bible Church, and Christ Community Church.
If you make a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ, will you please let us know by contacting info@biblestudycompany.com so we can get you some resources.
See full post & comments#ervpuckett #funeralservice #jesus #jesussaves #jesuschrist #jesuslovesyou
Hi Everyone,
May the peace of the Lord rest with you all. Erv Puckett's funeral notice is posted here. You may watch it online. If you have not heard Erv's wonderful testimony, it is here. https://youtu.be/LkqL4FZLP8E
The Lord stepped into Erv's life, and Erv stepped into our lives as well, and we want to celebrate his going home to be with the Lord. We want him with us, and that is our sadness. We celebrate what he has meant to us all at the funeral. Come join us! Please share.
Click the picture to watch the funeral on Saturday the 10th 11:00 am, of December. Or here is the link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Cz4kjxtia_suKjtUdtxh8_SuhVej6IA
See full post & comments#Jesus #jesuschrist #bible #bibleverse #bibliophile #calvaryuni
Folks,
Some of you may know or not that I am going to seminary for my Masters's in Biblical Theology at Calvary University (calvary.edu) with Mary's blessing. I think I am 3/4 of the way through. It is hard work. That is why Bible Study Company posts and podcasts are lower. "Why, Ric, are you going to seminary?". "And shouldn't we just study the Bible any way we want?" Calvary University asked me to do a YouTube interview about why I am going to Calvary. It was an honor, and I hope you enjoyed the video. This video should answer, Who, What, When, How? Let me know your thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_qJpgLQYxA
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#biblestudycompany #JesusChrist #biblestudy #wherearetheyjoyners #becomingadisciple #ricjoyner #loveisrael #baruchkorman #Ocalafl #ocala #Ocalaflorida
We are experiencing growth in our youtube channel and podcasting. We hope you will consider sharing and subscribing and recommending to your friends.
We are working on creating short videos on many topics of interest to our walk with Christ. If you have ideas of what topics you would like to have us research pls let us know.
We also want to produce a course for people on "the proper methods to study the Bible for yourself without all the fluff". If your church or fellowship would like us to come and share on how we study to be pleasing to God and what we learned from Loveisrael.org let us know.
Join us for our podcasts and videos!
Yet, our website and apps are only one part of the ministry we call Praiseworthy Life, Inc which is also doing business as (DBA) Biblestudycompany.com.
We do ask that when considering BSC for donations, please do NOT take from your local congregation. Nor take from Loveisrael.org. Consider us standalone.
You can donate here. Please consider selecting the monthly donations sequence. This helps us with our budget.
Ric and Mary Joyner
See full post & commentshttps://www.oneflesh4jesus.com/ Did our testimony. Here is the video.
We hope you enjoy our testimony.
See full post & commentsHi Everyone,
Bible Study Company has a new nonprofit. The name is Praiseworthy Life. We hope you will consider supporting the ministry to keep BSC free to users. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/2RL9zTm
We have grown over the last two years to 1300 plus Facebook followers and literally thousands of views on podcasts and videos. Several hundred visit the website, and we have 413 users to date. A user is someone who logs in and takes notes. Through BSC the gospel is going forward, especially in these dark times. The purposes of asking for support are:
1. Monthly expenses to run a website and,
2. Create new features and,
3. Create content for the BSC, and that can be distributed to spread discipleship and the gospel message
Bible Study Company is a community of believers studying scripture to live a praiseworthy life to Jesus Christ. To be a disciple we need to take the posture of obedience to His Word and Christ is the Word.
We are: An online study Bible with a social media community
Our mission: Studying Scripture to live a praiseworthy life
Our vision: That a “Company” of believers are studying Scripture to live a praiseworthy life
Our Hope: That Pew-sitters move to disciple and then to disciple teachers bearing fruit for Christ
BSC is not just an e-reader but an online STUDY BIBLE. Here is a short video that discusses the features and is for presenting at a fellowship or group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxmZGDipIjA&t=35s
Thank you for supporting us!
Ric and Mary Joyner
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Mary and I wrote an article for a magazine in Cleveland TN called Good News. Here is the article. Let us know what you think.
https://issuu.com/goodnewscm/docs/october_2018_cleveland/32
See full post & commentsI woke up this morning to a family member asking if we are OK because we are on a tour of Israel. I was puzzled. I feel the safest I have ever felt on any trip.
We are right here in Jerusalem and there have not been any incidents. When you are here you see what is really happening. You find out quickly that what you learned about the Jewish/Palestinian struggle is from western media sources that Israel occupied Palestinian land. If you believe that please get educated other than left-wing media such as CNN or New York Times. People yell about Fox News is right wing but at least most shows on Fox let both sides speak. But the Main Stream Media (MSM) is slanted and biased. CNN numbers are falling very fast. The headlines of NY Times on Gaza today are a total perspective lie and they are being called out on it by people and other news organizations. Israel dropped leaflets telling Hamas not to approach the fence. Hamas says the protests are peaceful, yet they are burning tires to create a smoke screen while known terrorists are trying to cut the fence and hurling large stones that could kill Israelis and flying kites with bottles of flammable liquid to burn Israeli crops. They are putting their women and children up to the fence which is a threat to use as human shields for the media attention and paying them to put themselves in harm's way. This is not a peaceful organization. But the MSM news does not show that. The news does not show the Palestinian flags with Nazi swastikas! Why not? Perhaps the knowledge of the truth may hurt their agenda! Hamas is running Gaza and is a known terrorist organization with the stated goal (Iran as well) to annihilate the Jews. Yes, you heard correctly. They want to kill Jewish people because they are Jewish. And do so. How can a peace deal be reached when that is the stated goal? Their goal is not to have a homeland but to kill Jews. Did you know Gaza was given in 2005 to the Palestinians for the hope of exchange for peace? It was a thriving Jewish community of 25 years that created an oasis of productive businesses, farms, and homes. Many of the homes and businesses were destroyed by Hamas simply because it was Jewish! Those Jewish families evicted out Gaza which was legally purchased, and some have not recovered! Get educated, please. Israel has learned that giving into a terrorist organization is futile if the stated goal is to kill Jews. Of Israel’s population, a great percentage are peaceful Arabs who live in harmony with the Jewish people. We have personally interacted with them and their kindness and generosity are amazing. They are not terrorists they are part of a country that loves them and welcomes them with open arms.
Our guide is a 10-generation immigrant to Israel and is a Jew. As we walked the streets of Jerusalem which were controlled by Jordan he said where the Jewish families in 1967 were sniped at and killed from the walls of Jerusalem!!! We drove down roads near the Golan Heights by Jewish farms and trees had to be planted to cover people from snipers! He lived all of this.
This land was a desert prior to 1948. Who would want it? But it has come alive today which is a prophecy fulfilled! Ezekiel 36.37
I have personally stopped watching news media for several months and am glad I have. The media is being called out on their bias. But they continue to lie. When you are from the outside looking in, as we were, the information is skewed. Being here is much different. Israeli children asked someone in our group today if they loved Israel. The children also were chanting a line that basically said “at least we are alive” meaning what they suffered as a people. The nation of Israel is a wakeup call to all of us who love God and want His purposes fulfilled. When we first arrived in Israel last week we met a young Colorado Jewish woman who lives now in Israel. She is a citizen. When visiting here she said that most Israelis assume people hate them! This is the feeling in Israeli citizens. How would you like to live like that?
Get educated. We are. Those who bless Israel will be blessed. Read Gen 12 because those who curse Israel will be cursed. Take a stroll near the Palestinian areas and you will see it there are marked differences. Jewish communities have large fences and the Arab population does not. Why is that? Death threats. So, do we want to pass on information that curses Israel without getting the other side? Please share so people will get the correct information or start asking questions.
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