A Different Kind of Christmas
I certainly didn’t think I needed a reminder of what Christmas is all about. It is, after all, my favorite time of year. My home comes to life with tinsel and Nativity scenes. Cookies, pies, and of course, home-made Lefsa is all part of my busy schedule centered around the birth of the one who found me worthy to Save. It's also my favorite time of the year to be downtown at work every day. Festive decorations and music fill the skyways and the Crystal Court as the secular world oozes with Christianity.  Nothing can get me discouraged this time of year!
Then it happened, my husband and I both elected to have surgery before the end of the year that we might be in great shape for our vacation tour through Israel in March.
We now find ourselves having a different kind of Christmas. The big day is only two weeks away! Roger, now 12 weeks post-foot-surgery, is still on crutches and I'm still using a cane. Honestly, it's quite comical as we look like a couple escape inmates from the local nursing home!
We are finding new ways of throwing things to each other, only because it’s more efficient than manipulating the new body parts and sticks across the room. I haven’t done any baking, or cooking this year because standing around for hours on the new knee just isn’t working for me yet. We have no decorations put up because, really, which one of us is going to get the tubs out of the storage pit? And who will climb the step latter to hang the garland over the windows? Not to mention that everything is already cluttered and in need of a good cleaning, I just can’t see adding to it at this point. I’m also missing out on the downtown glitter as I work a little from my recliner at home. I always thought that would be a great concept. Up until yesterday, that is. Yesterday I found myself grumbling about the convenience of Amazon wish list shopping and wishing I had not “blown my holiday” on surgery as if this season was all about me and my festivities. You could say – I was getting discouraged.
But today is a new day. I think my husband and I are being challenged this year to look past ourselves and every secular aspect of what Christmas could ever be, to focus on the “real healing” of Christs birth. Christmas is so much more than celebrating the birth of our Messiah. It is also celebrating what Jesus has done for us, as well as what He has left to do. When I keep that in focus, I feel grateful instead of frustrated, and instead of feeling like I’m missing out, I only feel the blessing of family and friends. I haven’t had to cook for three weeks because I serve the Lord with an amazing Church and family, who have filled that need for me. The beauty and decoration of the season is their love as they become the hands and feet of Christ! Yes, the decorating, baking, and parties give reason to gather but they can also distract from the Passion of Jesus. His love is so great for us that He chose to die for us before we even acknowledged Him. That’s passion, and that's my kind of Christmas!
This year, in the quiet slowness of physical therapy, I'm not distracted by the typical lights and glitter. I only see the two greatest gifts this life has to offer; the love and commitment of my Lord and my family and Church. I will never be able to compose the words adequate to express my gratitude, but suffice it to say, I will never take them granted.
I only wish I could learn these things without the real life lessons!

What is Yom Kippur and where does it come from?

Yom Kippur is the Second of the Fall Feasts and the Holiest day of the year for most Jews. Yom Kippur (meaning “atonement”) is a Jewish holiday that begins at sundown, 10 Tishrei on the Jewish calendar or September 22 in the year 2015. We find scripture reference to Yom Kippur in Leviticus 23:26-28: 

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God.”

We also learn that

“Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 30:10)

This observance was to be performed once a year.

“Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel, for all their sins once every year.”  (Leviticus 16:34)

Historically - Before the first Yom Kippur was celebrated, the children of Israel committed a grave sin. They knew it was prohibited to have any other gods before the one true God, yet they grew impatient for Moses to return from Mount Sinai so they pooled their resources (and their gold) and, with Aaron’s help, they made a golden calf to worship. When Moses came down from the mountain, in his anger, he threw the tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. Despite his anger, Moses pleaded with God to forgive the people. After the month of Elul had passed, he ascended Mount Sinai again, and on Yom Kippur, Moses brought down the second set of tablets and atonement was achieved.

For the Jew - Yom Kippur was the one day of the year that the high priest (Kohen Gadol) would enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. This was the inner court of the temple where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God resided. Entrance into the Holy of Holies was forbidden any other day of the year, but this day was set aside to make special sacrifices to purify the temple and the people. To purify the temple, blood would be sprinkled around the sanctuary. To purify the people, blood would be put on a goat called the scapegoat, and it would be led outside the camp to be released into the wilderness.

This is the most solemn day of the Jewish Year as the Jews practice teshuva (repentance). The Jewish belief is that on Rosh Hashanah (ten days earlier on 1 Tishrei), the Book of Life and Death is opened and God will write the names of those who will be granted another year of life. For many, this decision is uncertain until Yom Kippur, when the final decision is sealed. Many fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. These ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as “the Days of Awe.” This is the reason the prayers of Yom Kippur are designed to inspire one to mend one’s ways.

Yom Kippur is the pinnacle of the Jewish high holy days and has prophetic significance regarding the restoration of Israel, the second coming of Christ, and the final judgment of the world. It is also the day that reveals the high-priestly work of Jesus as our Kohen Gadol (“High Priest”) after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10, 6:20). Yom Kippur prophetically pictures the “Day of the Lord,” also known as “the Day of Judgment.” During the tribulation to follow the day of judgment, the New Testament insists that all of Israel will be saved, Jesus will physically return to Israel to establish His kingdom on earth, and all the promises given to ethnic Israel through the prophets will be fulfilled.

For the Christians - The New Testament teaches that those who trust in Jesus (messianic Jews included) have complete access to the throne of God and have a permanent “sealing” by the grace and love of God, given through the life and shed blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22). Leviticus 17:11 describes the sacrificial blood that was offered by the High Priest on the altar to make atonement for the souls of all God’s children - whosoever believes! 

 

The Freedom of Family

In Moses’ day, God freed the people from Egypt. In David’s day, God freed them from the Philistines. Two thousand years ago, God made a way to free all of humankind—not just the Jew but the Gentile as well. Paul argued, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” 

Persevere my friend...

Did you know, that a newspaper editor fired Walt Disney for a “lack of good ideas” (I guess his boss didn't think he had much creativity)? He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland?

Did you know, that Babe Ruth set the record for the most home runs? He also held the record for the most strikeouts.

Did you know that Elvis Presley was fired from the Grand Old Opry in 1954 after just one performance because the manager said he wasn't going anywhere?

Did you know Beethoven lost his hearing at age 46? He was deaf when he composed his greatest work, including 5 of his symphonies.

Did you know that it took Thomas Edison more than 2000 experiments before he invented the light bulb? When interviewed and asked how he stuck with it after so much failure, his reply was something like, "I never failed… Inventing the light bulb was a 2000 step process…."

What was it about these people that enabled them to endure such discouragement. Failure after failure and the ridicule that must have gone along with that had to be immense. It seems to me that the heartbreak of that failure would kill such  a dream long before it came true. I don't know about you, but my tendency is to believe that if it's God's will for me, it will be easy. Yet, why would God want to send us somewhere that we don't need to wholly rely on His strength and power? If all you wanted was to spend time with a loved one, would you send them away? No, you wouldn't. All God wants from us is a relationship and He won't send us away from Him either.

Persevere my friend, because being determined, does bring honor to God, and when we let pleasing God drive our desires, our dreams will come true!

Step out in faith now.

What I found at the root of my captivity was fear. It was not that I was too tired, too old, or too sick. I was just plain afraid. I was afraid to engage, afraid to commit, and afraid to finish. Then I was gently reminded that I “did not need legs to walk with the Lord” and I realized being “gripped with fear” is not a new concept and has never been a viable excuse for intentional disobedience. Joshua trusted God and stepped out in faith in his battle and we can do the same.

Fear Not

“Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, ‘The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there’” (Deuteronomy 1:28). Ten of the twelve spies lacked the faith needed to trust that God would give them this land. 

Sidney Smith once said, “A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making the first effort.”

Fear can drown even the most powerful of men. Solomon and Elijah were two great men who felt this despair when they feared the thing most central to their identity as human beings was lost. For the Israelites, and most people today, the first effort must be faith in the power of God to do what He said He would do. Comfort ultimately comes through the one and only son of God, who was born and died so that all who believe will be saved, proving again that God is faithful.