"Password: Passover Lamb": When Misfits Become Kings: Book Study Part 4 (weekly podcast episode #31)

Follow along with blog post/transcript below.

"Before Christ, we were misfits, strangers, having no hope and without God in this world" (Casto, page 35). In book study part 4 of Mark Casto's book, When Misfits Become Kings, we discuss chapter 3 titled, Password: Passover Lamb. 

It's about having access to God and not stopping until we get it. It really doesn't take all that much though. God is not some elusive, obscure, remote, distant God we can't access. He's just the opposite. He's waiting and willing to accept us as we are. Yes, He's approachable, close, near, friendly, and loving. Who wouldn't want that? Comon now. Reminds me of the Samaritan Woman in John 4 who everyone looked down upon because of her mistakes and bad decisions, but not God. He didn't look at her like that. He accepted her for all her sins. Her life was changed because of it and guess what? She was able to change more lives due to that transformation. And He doesn't just stop at the Samaritan Woman's life. He accepted me even though I had made mistakes and bad decisions too. Listen, God will do it, ok? He will. He will give us access to Him -- the Passover Lamb. Isn't that wonderful?

In John 1:29, "John was declaring that the Passover Lamb, the ultimate sacrifice for sins, was on the scene to grant mankind a place before the throne of God again. And that was exactly how it was. Jesus came and living among us to show how God truly felt about mankind. We are accepted, forgiven, justified, adopted, and have been given full access to God's presence! Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, whose blood allows us to return to the garden of God's pleasure." (page 33)

As David (1 Samuel 16) and Paul (Acts 8) were misfits who went to the throne of God and were blessed in the process, so are we who humbly go to God, repent, and ask Him to guide our lives. I had to do it for myself, as well and it's not too late to get things right and in order. I'm not saying it's never too late to become perfect, because as I said many times in all of my devotionals and my podcasts, we will never be perfect. God is the only perfect one. Yet, we can do our best to walk the walk of God, which means following his teachings and mandates. Of course we will not get it right all the time. I have much experience to know that for myself, believe me. Nevertheless and as Casto says on page 27, 'the significance of the lamb is the hint to the password that allows us access to Eden, the place of intimate fellowship with God.' That's great news, because God allows anyone to come as they are when they accept and acknowledge Him for who He is.

On page 32 Casto says, 'The whole reason God got in Moses' shoes was to reveal to God's people, who were in Egyptian bondage, what brings salvation to them. The institution of the Passover was not the way, but was a temporary password granting God's misfit people the blessed life while they were living in bondage. What does this mean for you and me in the twenty-first century? Many of us are living in Egypt under cruel bondage, banished from Eden with no sense of purpose and confused about the very reason for our existence. But God is calling our name, asking for shoes as He did with Moses, and He wants to introduce us to the Passover Lamb. If we will heed His call and accept the invitation to walk with Him in obedience, the Lamb will lead us back to the garden, where we will eat from the tree of life.' 

It doesn't matter if we fell and it doesn't matter how many times we fall in life, God's arms are still wide open waiting. It's not too late and as Casto says on page 28, ''To pay the price for sin once and for all, God planned something special. On a very special sacrificial day the valuable essence spilled would stain a wooden cross and become the key that unlocks Eden's gate allowing man unfettered access to God once more.' Remember the gate was the one in Genesis 3:24 when God closed off when Adam and Eve sinned. In other words, God -- the Lamb of God -- is available to us anytime no matter where we find ourselves. And Jesus died on the cross as our sacrifice, which means He paid it all for you and I. Jesus Christ, the real Super Star -- the Passover Lamb who has given us the password to pass go. Aren't we the blessed ones? Yes we are.