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Happy Yom Kippur!

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What is Yom Kippur? The Bible refers to it as the Day of Atonement or becoming “at-one-in a moment” with God. An article on the website of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews reminds us, in more detail, why Yom Kippur was instituted by God. It states: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year and is the culmination of the High Holy Days. In 2024, the observance of Yom Kippur starts at sunset on October 11 and concludes on the evening of October 12. In Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur marks the final opportunity to repent before God before the Book of Life is sealed for another year. This day marks the culmination of the High Holy Days or Ten Days of Repentance, which began ten days earlier with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur offers Jews the final opportunity of the holy season to repent of their sins. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year or, as the Bible describes it, the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.” The Bible states, “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance” (Leviticus 16:29–32).

The Yom Kippur Goats

“Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats — one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat.” — Leviticus 16:7–8 Today, Yom Kippur is marked with a day of fasting and worship in the synagogue. However, when the Temple stood, the people observed an elaborate service, culminating when a red thread representing the sins of Israel would miraculously turn white when they were forgiven. The service that once took place in the Temple was based on the commandments regarding two goats. Today, we only read about that service; however, it is imperative that we understand the meaning behind this ritual. Once we do, we can still benefit from the message. The Bible instructed the High Priest to select two goats and then cast lots to determine each one’s fate. By way of the lots, God would determine which goat would be consecrated to Him and which would become the scapegoat sent into the desert to die. The commandment required that the two goats be identical in appearance, size, and value. These goats would look like twins – the same on the outside – but their destinies would be completely different.

A Reminder of Jacob and Esau

The idea of twins that are opposite in nature is familiar in the Bible. Although twins, Jacob and Esau could not have been more different. Ultimately, as adults, they took very different paths in life, and Jacob became the father of God’s people while Esau became the father of Amalek – the nation designated by the Bible as God’s archenemy. The twin goats on Yom Kippur are meant to remind us of Esau and Jacob. The message of the twin goats is that while their appearance may fool men, there is no fooling God. He only determines their appropriate fate. “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). On Yom Kippur, we have an incredible opportunity for forgiveness. But in order for that to happen, we must admit our errors and resolve to be better. We can only do that if we are willing to uncover our greatest shortcomings and confront our hidden vices. We can fool others and even ourselves, but there is no deceiving God. Yom Kippur is a time to come clean. We need to take an honest look inside the places that only we can see. We have to determine where we have gone wrong and make amends. Only then can God cleanse us of our sins.

Through Jesus we are no longer under obligation to observe most of the Feasts and Festivals (Sukkot or Tabernacles will be celebrated during the Millennial Reign of Jesus). The Old Testament sacrifices were never enough to rid the people of the stain of sin and guilt from their hearts, nor did they have the power to change hearts. Hebrews 10:1-10 echoes this thought: For since the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come—instead of fully expressing those things—it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars].2 For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin.3 But [as it is] these sacrifices annually bring a fresh remembrance of sins [to be atoned for], 4 Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away.5 Hence, when He [Christ] entered into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me [to offer];6 In burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight. 7 Then I said, Behold, here I am, coming to do Your will, O God—[to fulfill] what is written of Me in the volume of the Book.8 When He said just before, You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings—all of which are offered according to the Law—9 He then went on to say, Behold, [here] I am, coming to do Your will. Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order.10 And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One). AMPC

What does this mean for you and I? Romans 3:23-25 Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. 24 [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, 25 Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. AMPC

Jesus made atonement for our sins – making us one with God in a Moment! Jesus’ perfect sacrifice has reconciled all of us, who were enemies of God, to being rightly related to God. Jesus has made peace between God, the Father and all those who are willing to receive and trust God’s Gift of His Son. Paul reminds us that because of Jesus reconciling us to God you and I have been given a ministry and mandate to seek out others who need Jesus’ Atonement and be reconciled to God: 2 Corinthians 5:18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. AMPC

Today we are reminded to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings Jesus’ Atonement has secured for us; to be reconciled to God through repenting of thoughts and actions that are an offense to God; to be reconciled to others, making a fresh commitment to seek to bring others into harmony with God (it’s our ministry). Set aside time today to seek God and draw near to Him, and as a reminder realize this is the day we are to Come Up Here in order to enter His Throne Room to worship, and seek Him for what is to come for the new year.

New Years Challenge – 10 days of Awe – Positioning Ourselves for More of God

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The Shofar of Rosh Hashanah has blown. The unmistakable echo of the ram’s horn marks the beginning of God’s New Year and provides a clarion call to God’s people to return to Him for absolution. The 10 Days of Awe, which began with Rosh Hashana, are underway. It’s a time appointed for cleansing and renewal; a window of preparation leading up to the final judgment that will occur on Yom Kippur. 10 days for the people to examine their hearts and assess their standing with God.

These high holy Days of Awe are the opportunity for sincere self-reflection, repentance, and the giving and receiving of forgiveness. For those that have made good use of the days – repented and earnestly sought God’s forgiveness – Yom Kippur will bring Atonement for sins and reconciliation with the Lord. (But only for the upcoming year).

Unlike our Jewish friends, Christian reconciliation has been secured forever through Jesus Christ. “…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:24-25)

So then, as Christians, let’s use these High Holy days to instead focus on the amazing gift of Jesus Christ…and on preparing and positioning our hearts for more God and a deeper stronger faith. Let’s seek increase in every aspect of our relationship with Him so that we might better serve.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps 139:23-24 NIV)

Amen

a brother in Christ

Search For Leaven

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1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore [a]purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed [b]for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (NKJV)

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Tonight (Tuesday, April 7), at sundown begins the Passover requirement of searching the house for leaven, (chametz) or yeast. Traditional Jewish homes will take the time to “prepare the house for Passover,” just as Jesus’ Disciples did the week of His crucifixion:

Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.” (Matthew 26:17-19 NKJV)

Jason Aaronson writes: A typical Jewish family will take this night to begin a centuries long tradition of searching their households for leaven using a candle; a feather (which acts as a miniature broom); and a wooden spoon into which the pieces of bread will be scooped. First, a candle is lit, and the following benediction is recited: Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’’zivanu al be’ur chametz. Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has made us holy commandments and instructed us concerning the burning of the hametz (leavened bread). Since by this time the house has been thoroughly cleaned and the chances of finding any leaven are minimal, it has become customary to put a number of crumbs of bread in places where they can be easily found in order to prevent the recitation of a benediction in vain. The crumbs of bread that are found and the leaven left over from breakfast should be guarded lest a new search become necessary. After the search for leaven, one recites the following formula of annulment: “All leavened food and grain fermentation that are in my possession, that I have not seen or removed, shall be null and considered as the dust of the earth.”

The following morning, usually sometime between 10 and 11 o’clock, the leaven is burned, and again the formula for the removal of hametz is recited, with a slight variation: “Any leaven that may still be in the house, that I have or have not seen, that I have or have not removed, shall be as if it does not exist, and as the dust of the earth.” Excerpted from Every Person’s Guide to Passover (Jason Aronson, Inc).

Now, as Believers in Jesus (Yeshua), as our Messiah the question remains: If this much trouble was taken to prepare for the Passover why don’t believers in Jesus take this much time to prepare for communion? For you see our communion comes from the Jewish Passover. There are four cups used in the Passover celebration. At the third cup, called the Cup of Redemption, the broken bread of hidden matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten. This cup, and the broken bread, make up our communion. Here we find understanding in our preparation to take the Lord’s Communion. Here we discover that in our looking for leaven, we are actually making way for the reception of our Savior – the Lamb of God. Thus the question remains, Are you prepared for Resurrection Day? Have you searched your spiritual house for the leaven of sin, pride, and self-importance. For you see that’s what leaven does: it makes the bread seem better than it really is; it puffs up. Leaven being the slow, controlled “rot” of bacteria reduces the elements combined into simpler objects. It represents that which de-humanizes us. When God, the Father created mankind He observed, “It is very good!” Sin, or leaven takes us away from that which is very good, dehumanizing us, making us less than who God made us to be.

So what can be done to search your spiritual houses for leaven?

a) Recognize, Remember and Remove All Leaven – Dt. 16:3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

We Recognize, Remember and Remove All Leaven  Because….

– We remember His affliction, His sufferings

– We remember we left the slavery of sin 

– We remember we have become His Bread: 1 Cor. 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1 Cor. 5:7 you are unleavened)

Greek word for bread is artos, and its root is airo = which means to raise up, elevate, lift up. By implication it means to take up or away. By Hebraism it means to atone for sin. 

Eating the Bread of Affliction, Unleavened Bread, the Bread of Life – helps us to remember that He was lifted up to take away our sins. We’ve been raised with Him to become Unleavened Bread, Bread of Affliction, and bread of life to those still enslaved in Egypt.

b) Clean Every Room of the House – Where are the locations in your “house” where you have eaten the “leaven” of sin?

Remember you are two houses in one. If you truly met Jesus’ covenant conditions you have been born again of the Spirit (John 3). But you’ve got yourself a problem: Romans 8:5-11 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the [c]carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [d]through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Thus you are a new, spirit man, creation, but you still have the old, sin man of the soul. These two houses are at war with one another. The soul man hates God and the the things of God. The spirit man desires to please God and respond to the Spirit. If you are participating in ridding your soul house of its leaven then you will be seeking to bring it into submission to the Spirit of God residing in your spirit man, or house.

But how can you identify the leaven of the soul man, or house? Doctor Luke provides us with a clue in Lk. 11:21-22 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

We must ask the question, What armor has the enemy had you trusting in? 

What would be the exact opposite of God’s Spiritual Armor found in Ephesians 6 but the devil’s armor alluded to in Lukes gospel? The belt of truth of Ephesians 6 reminds us to center ourselves in the Truth, which Jesus is, and not ourselves. Since it is the first piece of armor you put on, then the first piece of the devil’s armor that you would begin removing is self-centeredness, self-importance, pride, selfishness, etc. It’s interesting to note that the Roman Armor of the New Testament and the armor of the Hebrews in the Old Testament were held in place by the belt. It was probably the most important weapon in your arsenal considering that every action for combat proceeds from the midsection, and hips. This belt would essentially hold you together by keeping every other piece of armor in place. I am sure you can see now that if you apply this analogy you soon discover that the opposite of Truth, or Jesus, would be lies, deceit, deception, manipulation, or control. Ultimately, that which is competing for Jesus, the Truth, is self and satan. The leaven of self, reduces you to a slave, holding you in place, bound to the lies, deceit, deception, manipulation, and illusion of control.

From here it is easy to identify the armor of darkness in which we rely such as unRighteousness. Since the next piece of spiritual armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness its opposite would be to be improper, corrupt, debased, perverted, mean, evil, immoral, wicked, or twisted. Which begs the question, What  covers your heart, will emotions, and personality? If its His righteousness then your mind, will, emotions and personality will be falling in line with that. But if its Unrighteousness, then all which makes up unrighteousness will be determining what your mind, will, emotions and personality are controlled by.

It doesn’t take long to realize that at closer examination we all have a whole lot of leaven lurking in the analogies found in the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation (or Hope according to 1 These. 5:8), and the Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

Ultimately the question remains, What do we trust in more than the Word of God? More than the Spirit? All of these pieces of armor dwell in the rooms of our soul house. These are the enemies possessions. These are things in which you have trusted instead of God, the leaven of sin.

Another question we must ask ourselves is, If I’m cleaning every room of my soul house – mind, will, emotions, and personality – which aspect of these do I trust more than Jesus? More than I trust His Spirit or Word?

Next if I am really wanting to prepare for communion, in order to have the angel of death “Passover” then I will: c) Search for the Bread Crumbs. How do you do this? Look at the symptoms of repeated sin in your life and follow them to their root source. Ask questions like, When did this happen first begin? What things were going on in my life at that time which caused me to begin “eating” of this sin? Make a search for all the possible places in which the leavened bread of sin was eaten. Where are the hidden places? The Secret places where leaven lurks? Follow the bread crumbs back to its source – to get out of the “woods” of the witch. (Remember Hansel and Gretel?)

The next step to searching is found in: d) Separate Yourself Unto the Lord – Are you All-In for Jesus? 

Are you growing in His Grace, His Spirit? (Promptings and Urgings of the Spirit, Gifts, Manifestations, or Relationship to the Spirit) Are you drawing near to Jesus to know Him? Are you obeying Him in every way – (See the topic regarding the fallow ground for the seed of God’s Word found in Jeremiah 4:12; Hosea 10:12)? Are you restored to your First Love -OR- Have you rejected His Grace to grow? Have you rejected His invitations to Pray & Draw Near; Know His Word; Grow in Worship, Thanksgiving, Praise; Co-Sharing Jesus w/ Other Saints; Make Disciples; Baptize Others; Going to the Nations? Are you growing in holiness – separation unto the Lord? 

Now you may say, ” Robert, this could take a lifetime.” To which I would reply, “Exactly!” You and I haven’t been saved, we’re in the very process of salvation. You and I aren’t going to be safe until we reach Heaven’s shores. Our Life-Savior, has to get us through the darkest of life’s oceans, and then we will be safe. In the meantime all we have to do is hang onto His Grip – enduring to the end. That’s biblical Trust, and salvation. So let’s get to the business of spring cleaning.

Confession and Declaration 8

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Romans 3:25 Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.

We overcome the accuser of the brothers through the Blood of Jesus. Yet many of us do not understand the full implications and ramifications of the great gift Jesus has given unto us. Often this simply is the result of ignorance on our part, and poor teaching on the part of us pastor’s. The word “propitiation” is a case in point. What is propitiation?

The word was used concretely to refer to the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Why is this significant? Once a year the High Priest would come before God to make atonement for the sins of Israel through sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat 7 times. Also the Mercy Seat was to be the place where God promised that He would meet with whomever was the High Priest: Exodus 30:6 You shall put the altar [of incense] in front and outside of the veil that screens the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony (the Law, the tables of stone), where I will meet with you. Thus we can draw the conclusion that through Jesus’ Blood we are brought near to the Throne of God’s mercy in order to meet with God. But there’s more. Propitiation in English simply means to ease the anger or disturbance of; changing resentment, anger or bitterness to good will; ending an estrangement and settling the differences. Thus Jesus’ Blood accomplishes all of these things and more.

Another word used to describe propitiation is expiate. Expiate implies extinguishing the guilt incurred. Scripture records: “Disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to expiate. That ominous biblical prophecy (Isaiah 47:11, RSV) shows that expiate was once involved in confronting the forces of evil as well as in assuaging guilt. The word derives from expiare, Latin for to atone for, a root that in turn traces to the Latin term for “pious.” Expiate originally referred to warding off evil by using sacred rites or to using sacred rites to cleanse or purify something. So we can also conclude that the Blood confronts the forces of evil, and renders us pious.

The Greek derivative for “propitiation” means to make reconciliation for. Another Greek word, hilasmos, is used for Christ as our propitiation in 1 John 2:2; 4:10; and in the Septuagint (Leviticus 25:9; Numbers 5:8; Amos 8:14). The thought in the OT sacrifices and in the NT fulfillment, is that Christ completely satisfied the just demands of the Holy Father for judgment on sin, by his death at Calvary. Did you catch that last part? Christ completely satisfied the just demands of the Holy Father for judgment on sin, by his death at Calvary. Christ completely satisfied! Let that sink in when you doubt God’s willingness to forgive. When you believe that you hadn’t said, “I’m sorry enough. When the enemy helps you to recall the seemingly unforgivable things you have done. Jesus completely satisfied the Father’s demands.

Jesus’ Blood is the Mercy Seat for overcoming the accuser of the brothers. Do you get that? Ready to begin declaring and making confession?

Declaration 8: Merciful Father I come before Your Throne of Mercy by the Precious Blood of Your Son. What a great and precious gift You have bestowed upon me. How can I thank you enough? Your Love and Mercy has no bounds. You are worthy of all my praises. You are worthy to receive every breath I breathe as a token of thanks and praise to You. Thank You my Jesus that You have become for me the Mercy Seat of God. I now can enter boldly the Father’s Throne Room not because of my performance but because of Your Great Gift and Sacrifice. I Praise You that through Your Precious Blood you have eased the Holy and Righteous Anger of the Father. You have reconciled us back together. I no longer have to see the Father as punishing me or angry with me – because now I come standing on You – my Mercy Seat. You have extinguished my guilt – past, present and future. You have warded off the evil one, and replaced my guilt with your piety – making me pious. Hallelujah! You have purified me doing it perfectly and completely! I love You Jesus for loving me even when I was still Your enemy. Thank you again and again. And for a thousand life times I will thank You again and again!