Yom Kippur: The Most Holy Day

Today is Yom Kippur in the Jewish religion, the holy day of all holy days. Yom (day) Kippur (atonement) is the famous Day of Atonement mentioned in Leviticus 16, the one day in which the designated high priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat to sprinkle it on the mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant to atone for his sins, the sins of his household, and the sins of the nation. Here's the passage:

“[This] shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” (16:29-34)

Until Good Friday, today was the most important day to God, as well. For where there is sin, God demands the shedding of blood. Because the wages of sin is death. Thankfully, Good Friday was the ultimate Yom Kippur, the final Day of Atonement to God. It was the blood of Jesus that was offered up to God for the sin of the people -- ALL people, everywhere, every time. Here's how the author of Hebrews (I call him Heb) describes Yom Kippur in light of the cross:

For the Law (esp. the sacrifices), since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those [sacrifices] there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (10:1-4)

Yom Kippur was not an end-all for the Jewish people. It had to be repeated year after year for there to be atonement between God and man. Not only did one sacrifice not endure past one year, it wasn't really atonement at all! For animals are not humans and could never be a true substitute. Yet God chose to let this inadequate substitution slide for 1400 years until the ultimate substitute, Jesus, entered this world. A human dying for humans. An act only God Himself could do without sin. Heb continues:

"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (10:11-14)

Today is not only the best day to pray for Jews to accept the permanent sacrifice, Jesus, but also for Christians to praise the Lord for His eternal gift. And this is that gift: That God so loved sinful, rebellious mankind that He gave His one and only Son to die for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him will not die a spiritual death but have everlasting life.

A Marvelous Evening

Wasn't it just wonderful yesterday evening?

The temperature here in North Texas was in the upper 60's, at most, and the air had a crispness to it that only comes with the arrival of fall. Which happened overnight Monday night. Fall is my favorite season.

I love it when autumn trees turn color,
in the disappearing heat of summer;
the smell of fresh pies; when cold fronts surprise
and pumpkins and scarecrows come over

Okay, maybe that last part doesn't make much sense, but I truly do love autumn. Pumpkins, scarecrows and all. Tonight I took a few minutes to go sit outside by my waterfall and pond and enjoy the evening. Sipping a hot mug of tea, I listened to the sound of the water, looked up at the moonlit skies, listened to the wind in the treetops and took a deep breath. It was awesome.

Welcome, fall! Been a long time.

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God and Hollywood

Every day I scan the local and national news in hopes of not only becoming more informed about what's happening in this world but also to keep tabs on the flow of popular culture. Today on CNN.com (yes, I watch CNN), contributor Roland Martin has a good column on whether God and Hollywood can co-exist. He points to filmmaker Tyler Perry as evidence that Christians can not only make good, uplifting movies, but they can get the faithful to the box office, too.

Here's an excerpt:

For years Hollywood has treated people of faith more like lepers, refusing to acknowledge that Christians and others who identify themselves as religious actually go to movies. We’ve always seen the blockbusters filled with elaborate highway car crashes, flicks with a young starlet walking around for nearly two hours in tight fitting clothes, and movie after movie with enough cussin’ to make Redd Foxx and Moms Mabley scream, “Enough!”

Their mantra is always, “Show me the money!” Every movie with Christ at the center won’t be as big as Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” ($370 million U.S.; $611 million worldwide), but Perry’s movies continue to bring in the people and the bucks, and Hollywood had better pay attention.

What the critics hate about Tyler Perry’s films is what I appreciate: A willingness to tell stories about love, redemption, family and God and do so in an entertaining way. He is an unapologetic Christian.

Perry is an outspoken believer from Georgia who mostly makes lighthearted comedies. Five times his films have topped a box office weekend in earnings, despite generally poor media reviews. Even though mainstream Hollywood still is uncomfortable with his public faith, Perry perseveres in getting projects made, both on TV and in theaters. Here's Martin again:

Perry’s insistence on being willing to publicly profess his faith is truly the root of his success. Before hitting the big screen, he was a hit with his traveling plays, often reaching thousands of people in cities across the country and a ton of them were churchgoing folks, especially women.

At one time he had a development deal with ABC but when executives objected to the constant references to God, he walked away, saying he wouldn’t compromise his principles for a TV show. (He now has two hit TV shows on TBS, “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns.” Both mention God, Jesus and the Bible all the time).

“These stars can make all the references in the world to Kabbalah or Scientology, and that’s just fine,” he told USA Today last year, “But mention Jesus Christ, and they (studios) don’t want to deal with you.”

He has transferred that loyalty to the big screen and Hollywood has taken notice.

I recommend reading all of Roland Martin's article. God bless Tyler Perry. I'm not personally a fan of his film style but I wish him all the best as he fights to get and keep his faith in his art.

Be God's.

Living in the In Between

Ever have one of those days when you feel like you're living in the "in between"? When you feel out of place, aimless, or just not quite right?

The "in between" is anytime in life when you feel like you're not at home yet not at whatever final destination you're heading. You're on a journey and the only grounding you feel is the very fact that you're traveling. It's a time that can go by really fast or really slow. Rarely does it pass normally.

I had one of those days today. I just felt out of place today, whether I was at work, in the car, or at home. Like something was out of sync. Strange.

I'm convinced that every person comes to at least one "in between" time in their life. Some people live their whole lives in the "in between." They're usually called "restless hearts."

For me, my entire adult life has been lived in the in between. I'm now 32, but for the first ten years of my post-college life I lived as a ranger, moving every 17 months and holding many jobs. I did some really cool things during that time but I got used to packing boxes and moving furniture, of setting up new places and meeting new faces.

I did not have a house or job to ground me in my life. No family of my own to hold me one place. My only grounding was my faith in God, my family and my church. Work didn't ground me, nor did society. Money certainly didn't ground me, for I had little wealth.

Now, at 32, I find myself at the proverbial crossroads of life. I'm not a youth anymore, living recklessly and freely because I didn't know any better. Sure, I guess I'm still young to most of you but my bones don't feel the same as they did at 22. And my mind... no comparison. Yet I'm not old and wise yet, either. I'm living in the "in between." And I'm wondering what I need to do to prepare myself for the years ahead. For where I want to be. For what I want to do.

I'm also learning to embrace the "in between" in my spiritual life, as well. As I've grown older I have increasingly realized that this world is not my home and that I don't feel comfortable here. Do you feel comfortable here? It's not a kind place. And by its nature the system of this world stands opposed to my faith in God. This makes me an outsider. A stranger. And I don't want t ever be so comfortable here that I forget that I'm not home yet.

I'm living in the "in between" of everything right now. It's a strange place to be. A strange stage of life. And I'm doing my best to keep my eyes on Jesus with this fallen body and mind to keep me grounded. It's not easy. But, then again, He never said it would be.

Be God's.

When You Can't Go Home Again

One of the joys of my communications job at my church is the occasional interview I videotape and edit for Sunday mornings. Usually, I film the testimonies of individuals or reports from missionaries. Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to film the testimony of a lady in our church. For the sake of privacy, I'll call her "Sharon."

Sharon was born in Iran, at a time when the Shah was still in charge and the United States had an embassy in Tehran. Her parents were middle class citizens, well educated, and going through the motions as public Muslims. But in private they rejected religion, choosing to worship science and intellect. Sharon was subject to strong anti-religious views at home, and when the Islamic Revolution hit in 1979, she was sent overseas by her parents to live with her aunt and uncle in California. The hope was that Sharon, then 14 years old, would find a solid education in science and become something important — maybe a doctor or lawyer.

What Sharon found instead was the Lord Jesus Christ. Through a series of events that she believes God orchestrated, Sharon believed in the existence of God and the Lord Jesus. She says, "God gave me faith. It's a simple as that. God gave me faith, and I believed." I've found that He tends to do that from time to time when our faith is found lacking.

Sharon decided to sneak away from her aunt and uncle and start attending a local church. She had no choice as a teenager living under a secular roof. She told her aunt and uncle she was going to the library but instead used her bus pass to go to church. She hungered and thirsted to know God and be around His other children. She hid her church attendance for months until she could conceal it no longer. It's hard to get away with "library attendance" every Sunday morning! When Sharon decided to enroll in a Christian college, the cat was out of the bag.

Sharon's aunt and uncle were stunned and upset. They grounded her from going to church and a long period of hardship ensued. Sharon's mother in Iran expressed her disappointment over the phone. Sharon's parents had not sent their daughter to America to find religion! Her father said he wouldn't speak to her again if she continued to follow Christ. Her aunt and uncle eventually told her she could no longer live in their house. In most people, this would have torn a heart in two and I don't doubt that Sharon was hurting inside. But she said she was at peace.

Her reason? Her Savior! She had, as Saint Peter put it, "passed from darkness into light." (1 Peter 2:9). Sharon clung to the words of Jesus during this time, especially a passage from the Sermon on the Mount. Her life verse became: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matt 6:33)" She knew that if she continued to pursue God, no matter what the consequence, He would take care of her.

The next month or two of her life demonstrated that a life of faith, dependent on God's provision, is not foolishness. She went to live with another aunt in town for three weeks, then moved into a college dorm early. She received money from various sources, a job in the school library, cast-off clothing from fellow students, and all of her needs met. How awesome!

God does not drop the ball, folks. He will provide for you. It gives Him pleasure as a Father.

Sharon went on to meet her future husband at the college and marry him just weeks before her visa ran out and she would've had to return to Iran. Returning was not an option for Sharon.

She couldn't go home again. Islamic law forbids the conversion of a Muslim to any other religion. Though not Muslim by belief, her family was outwardly Muslim. The penalty for forsaking Islam could have cost Sharon her life. And since she wasn't going to renounce Christ....

They have a daughter now and are happy living in North Texas. As for her Iranian family, they are now on speaking terms, though her parents still think religion is foolishness best fit for the uneducated. They have to meet in a third country to visit, though, since Sharon can't step foot in Iran and Iranians have a hard time stepping foot in the U.S.

Sharon's story reminded me that the cost of following Jesus sometimes means leaving family, friends, and country. But followers are not left isolated and alone. No, those who follow Christ inherit a new family, new friends, and a new country — a kingdom that is everlasting and a king who never falters.

Sharon's right. Seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness. No matter the cost.

Be God's!