Day of Atonement – “Yom Kippur”– the day of Coverings.

Be watching for a new sermon on the powerful meaning of this most solemn and sacred of the holydays.  It’s a day of fasting and seeking after God as we “afflict our souls”.

For those of you keeping the rabbinic postponement calendar, this day is Oct 4, 2014.  For those who do not observe the moved dates, we will be keeping it on Monday Oct 6, from Sunday evening at sundown to Monday evening at sundown.  Whichever day you feel led to keep, it is a day of solemn rest, no work, and no food or drink for 24 hours.Details in the sermon.

It’s vital that you just don’t go 24 hours without food and drink. It’s vital that you use that day to spend extra time on your knees. 

I’ve always likened Yom Kippur as the time the world begins to “get it”, to wake up, to repent, to come back to their Maker – after King Yeshua has returned in majesty and power with his saints, angels and his Bride. The Bride of Christ has already received her covering and forgiveness and oneness with our Maker at Passover. The anger against our sin was covered by the blood back then – in a very personal way. 

But now the world will see what it’s like when Satan is bound (Revelation 20:1-3) and his evil and negative broadcasts cease. And God will show his very merciful side to a world that is going to learn that sin causes God’s wrath. And that God’s wrath needs to be satisfied – as that is his perfect justice.  But then the world will be taught what we have learned, that all the wrath against my sin and yours, was satisfied in the sacrifice of Yeshua, who died for ME (as Paul says in Galatians 2:20).  Yeshua (Jesus) took upon himself ALL the anger, the wrath and the punishment for my sin.  When I accepted him as my Savior, my sins were placed on him, God’s wrath was placed on him, and he “became sin” for me (2 Cor. 5:20-21).  HE (Yeshua) who knew no sin became sin that we – who knew no righteousness – could receive and be the righteousness of God himself, in HIM.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin [Yeshua] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

There are so many of you who have a hard time accepting this!  Yeshua (Jesus) became sin for us so that WE might become the very righteousness of GOD – in HIM. We’re going to teach this to the world. It won’t be all that long now, probably less than 2 decades away. But whenever it is, whether in 5-10 years, or 15-20 years, or whenever God wants it to be, let’s be faithful in accepting His grace and the meaning of this Day of Coverings. 

Yeshua, or Jesus Christ, accomplished this covering for us through great pain and suffering on his part – for us. Because of the atoning sacrifice and covering of the blood of Yeshua, the wrath against sin was satisfied and we have been brought close to our Abba and into the very family of God Most High as beloved children.

This Day of Atonement is all about knowing we sinned, so we repent, turn around, and accept Yeshua as our Lord and Master. We ask him to be our covering. I’ve often called him our “covering”.  This is one of the main ways how: his blood covers and – more than that – takes away our sins. 

So we fast, to mourn the sins we have all brought on this world and against God. We fast to mourn and remember what Satan has wrought on all of us when we, through Adam and Eve, chose to follow him instead of our Creator. But this is primarily something the world will be doing. WE will be the Bride of Christ, teaching and leading the world to their Master and Savior, and sharing our experiences in coming to know Messiah. 

Be watching for the Atonement sermon. It’s actually a Yom Kippurim – a day of coverings, plural.  Learn all about it.  It’s a grand day. I’ll also get into the truth of the Bible vs. the Jewish traditions about Days of Awe and all that. There are also sermons from previous years you can find. Just type in the search bar at the upper left – Atonement – or even Yom Kippur – and search out those timeless messages.

King and Master Yeshua, we exalt and honor you on this day as our Covering. We seek you and express our love and obedience to you and your Way. Come, Master.  Come. This dying world needs you to come be the ruler of this world and put Satan away!  Come, Master.