jesus

Forgiven: Completely, Totally, Perfectly

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Misty forest with the word “forgiven” overlaid across the bottom

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Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish year.  Yom translates as “day,” Kippur from the root word “to cover or to atone.” Hence it is also called the Day of Atonement.

It is observed on the 10th of the Jewish month of Tishri.  This year it begins at sundown Sunday, Sept 20 and ends at sundown on Monday, Sept 21st. 

On Yom Kippur and the days leading up to it, known as the Ten Days of Awe, Jewish people around the world spend time in deep retrospection and seek forgiveness for wrongs they have done over the past year. They go to those they have wronged and ask forgiveness. 

Tradition states that the Book of Life is opened on Rosh Hashanah and it is sealed on Yom Kippur. 

Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, self denial, and prayer. Prayers are offered by the people asking for forgiveness in the hope that their names will be sealed in the Book of Life for the coming year. 

As a Christian, we have the assurance that our sins have been covered by the sacrifice of the Lamb of G-d, Yeshua (Jesus) and that he suffered and died for us. 

A time of deep reflection of our lives and actions is a good thing. Confessing our shortcomings and seeking to live holy and pure lives should be our goal. 

During this time, like many other believers, I often hear the voice of the accuser trying to convict me and telling me I am not worthy.   The past few weeks I have been in that battle. Battling doubts about my faith, beating myself up for my failures, hoping that I am indeed sealed in the Book of Life. 

This week, I have received four messages all from different sources that seem to have been messages just for me, to reassure me that I am. 

The first was a drawing that I saw on social media. It had more of a Passover theme but the message was relevant to my struggles. 

It was a drawing of a door with blood across the top and on the doorpost.  It was a sign that those inside were covered by the blood of the unblemished lamb. 

The words below the drawing said,
“The LORD did not check who inside the house was worthy.
HE checked for the BLOOD on the doorposts.
None of us is worthy.
Only the blood of Jesus can cover us.”

Wow, that really sank in. I am not worthy, but I am covered. G-d does not look at my imperfect self, he sees I am covered by the righteousness of Yeshua. 

Then just a few days later, I am watching an early morning show on TV. One of the guests is Gabe Poirot. He was a young man that had severe head injury from skateboarding accident in 2020.

He was in a coma for 18 days and when he woke up he said he met Jesus in heaven. Gabriel kept his face down expecting judgment of his past mistakes, sins, and shortcomings.

He said, that instead of judgement Jesus said to him, “Gabriel, why are you concerned about that which has been paid for?”

Yes, why am I worrying over these things, why am I worried about my salvation. I am forgiven, my sins have been paid for. 

The next sign came on Saturday morning. I always tune into a service from a congregation in Israel on YouTube.  Vlad delivered a message on Yom Kippur.  

These were some of his words that spoke to me. 

  • When sin abounds, G-d‘s grace abounds even more. 
  • There is enough power in [His] sacrifice to forgive us of any sins
  • We need to come to know that Power 
  • If you are carrying guilt for something you have done, if the acts of your past are still under your shoulders as a heavy burden, in Yeshua have atonement
  • In Yeshua, you have forgiveness of your sins 
  • The sacrifice which is a sacrifice unto the Lord, we have forgiveness in erasing of our sins
  • As we are coming… to the Day of Atonement, I want to encourage each one of you…
  • Just let it go
  • Just let it go

The final reminder came this morning when I received a WhatsApp message from my friend Pam in Israel. 

She wrote, “So grateful for the completed work, where I can do nothing, add nothing to the work already complete… On this Yom Kippor relish in the knowledge our name is recorded in the Book of Life, written there, NEVER to be blotted out, at the price of the matchless sacrifice we’ve embraced; His body broken and blood spilled.”

Thank you, Lord for the reminders, for reaching to me through these messages. I hear you Lord.

One other side note, the year I was born the Hebrew date was the 9th of Tishri. I was born just a few hours before the start of Yom Kippur in Israel. My first day of life.  What does it mean? Probably nothing, but according to Jewish tradition it can have a unique personal meaning. 

It means my first day of life aligned with the moment G-d’s judgment for the new year is locked in with grace and forgiveness.

  • My explanation is only a very brief description of Yom Kippur. It has a profound spiritual meaning and many other traditions that have been observed throughout the ages.

Thankful Prayers

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Hands clasped in prayer beside wooden sign reading 'Give Thanks for the Promised Blessings, Be grateful for what is coming'

I have written before about Thankfulness. Thankful for the blessings in my life. I explored the command to be “thankful in all things.” which is a harder task because giving thanks in hard times and trials is a real challenge.

Lately I have been going to physical therapy for my shoulder. Yesterday while talking to my therapist, Yasti, I told her I was a little tired because I had been up late because my son was not feeling well. He had gone to the Emergency Dept and I stayed up texting with him while he was there as moral support.

I have written in the past about his health issues and his 14 year struggle with IBD. It is so much more than a bowel disease, as an autoimmune disease it can affect every part of your body, other organs, skin, joints, eyes, blood and your bones.

She asked what was wrong with him and I went down the long list of complications like many above that the disease has caused. In the end I said, “He needs a miracle.”

I say that often. I pray that often. I pray for healing. I pray for answers.

Then Yasti said something that had not occurred to me before. Instead of praying for what I want, pray prayers of thankfulness that God is already working in his life and healing his body.

She said, pray, “Thank you God that you are healing my son. Thank you that his pain is less. Thank you that you are helping him. Thank you that he is getting better.”

It is a step of faith. Thankfulness before the answer confirms your trust that God has the answers, it changes your perspective and turns your attention from the problems to the promises.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand…”
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Why Me Lord?

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He’s in the hospital again. Swedish hospital in Seattle. I was going to see him last night, but it was so dark and pouring rain that I struggled about whether I should go or not. In the end I decided against it.

This morning I heard on the news that there had been a terrible accident on the interstate westbound to Seattle. After the accident one of the drivers tried to cross the eastbound lanes of I-90 and was hit and killed. It seems I was wise to follow my instinct and better judgment, or could it have been God leading me to make a wise choice.

Tonight, the rain had eased up, so I went to Seattle. On the way home at 8PM the traffic was still heavy, it was dark and had started to rain heavily. I turned on some music to relieve some stress. Two songs came on my Apple Music one after the other, and I repeated them all the way home. The first was this one by Kris Kristofferson ~ “Why me Lord?”

This video tells the moving back story of Kristofferson‘s song.

He wrote the song after a spiritual experience he had in 1972. He attended a church service and during the invitation he was overpowered with the love and forgiveness from Yeshua (Jesus). The song imparts his feelings of unworthiness of such love from God.

On a side note, hearing this song brought back memories of my youngest son when he was about 5 years old. Once when the song was playing, he wondered why KK was saying “Why Me Lord?” He thought maybe he was asking God why his voice was so deep. ❤️

The second was “Fall On Me” by Joel Chernoff. It is duet with Sharon Wilber. It is a love song and a plea to the Lord to touch one’s life and be filled with the spirit of God. It reminded me that God is faithful and I only need ask for more of him.

My spirit has been struggling of late like many others. I look around and see all the anger, all the immorality, all the suffering and mostly all the hate and it is disheartening. Added to that is the anxiety that comes when Josh is in the hospital. I wonder will he ever know a cure, or will he suffer endlessly? I have a deep nagging fear that he is slowly dying because if the disease and it’s comorbidities don’t take his life, the strong medications he takes to suppress his immune system will. Many of these drugs come with warning that than can cause cancer. He is currently on his fifth one after having four others fail.

This morning, while driving into work another song played. It was “My Grace” by my friend in Israel, Pam Singer. In her lyrics she asks, “Is this Grace enough? Will tender mercies see me through?”

The reply she hears is: “My Grace Enough, My tender mercies new everyday. I crown your life with strength and loving kindness. My eyes are on you. My presence near My ear would hear the cry of your heart. I call you Mine, beloved forever. My Grace Enough.”

So what is the point of all my rambling here. 

1. I was worried about not going to see Josh on Wednesday evening, but later discovered that by not going, I was saved from the interstate shutdown and accident. 

2. After I went last night, I left feeling dispirited and out of the 900+ songs in my music library, two songs came on that reminded me that, a) I have done nothing to deserve God’s blessings and love and, b) all I have to do is ask him to fill me again, and again each day with his spirit.

3. This morning Pam’s song played as a reminder that no matter what I am going through, not matter what I am agonizing over, God’s Grace is enough. He hears me. He knows my heart and I am loved by Him.