Good Monday to YOU!

Are you chipper?  Are you raring to go?  Were you stimulated by the time that you spent with God on Sunday?  I hope so!  Last week was a douser of a week (very challenging).  I had a lot of hospital visits with two men in the hospital with critical physical problems.  My friend, Scott, had open heart surgery.  He had some pain over the past weeks and shortness of breath.  He needed to go to the hospital in an ambulance and after a day’s stay the medical team decided that he needed open heart surgery.  He had one of his arteries completely closed.  It was a miracle of God that he did not die before this event.  We thank God for the medical team and their wisdom and continued care for his recovery.  My friend, Mike, also entered the hospital on Wednesday to get his colon removed and will now wait for another surgical procedure to attach his intestines to the rectum.  Pray for Scott and Mike as they recover!  Thank you!!!

THE CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE – LEVITICUS 16

Just like that we jumped into Leviticus and tomorrow we shall be in Numbers.  It was the only chapter that was chosen to read for this year from this book so I decided to focus on the annual Day of Atonement.

This was a very, very important day for the Jewish people.  It happened on the seventh month and on the tenth day of that month (v.29).  I equate that to be about October 10^th of every year.  The purpose was to make atonement (a covering) for the sins of the people.  It was intended to cleanse His people on a yearly basis.

Whatever day of the week that this day landed on, it was to be a Sabbath Day of solemn rest for the Israelites.  They were to humble themselves before the Lord and the high priest was to make atonement with his holy garments on him.  He made atonement (a covering) for the holy sanctuary, the tent of meeting, for the altar, for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.  This was to be a permanent statute even to this day.

This was the only time that Aaron or the high priest on that day was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.  No one was able to go beyond the veil and approach the Ark of the Covenant or the mercy seat lest they die.  He was to sacrifice two male goats, one ram and a bull.  One of the goats would be a scapegoat and let go into the wilderness.  This goat was to bear on itself all the iniquities to a solitary land in the wilderness.

Are you not glad that you do not have to observe the Day of Atonement like the Jews needed to do every year?  Jesus Christ became the Once for All sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 10:10).  He paid the price for all of our sins and took away the daily and yearly sacrifices for our sins.  Not only that, but He broke down the veil at the end of His crucifixion in the temple allowing us free access to the Father in heaven.

Not only that, but Jesus Christ atoned (cleansed, not just covered) our sins when He died in our place as the sacrifice for our sins.  We have been given total forgiveness of sins through His death, burial and resurrection.  We have been baptized into that sacrifice by the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-10).  We are indeed a privileged people of God.

May we rejoice in what Jesus Christ did for us.  He is our Atonement and He paid the price for all of our sins by giving Himself on the cross for our sins.  May we thank Him daily for what Jesus Christ did for us!!!

In His love,

Pastor Les