-Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement

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YOM KIPPUR– DAY OF ATONEMENT

Today is Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement in God’s Biblical calendar. Starting at sundown Sunday 9/24 and continuing for 25 hours through sundown on Monday 9/25/23.

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered .” —Psalm 32:1 ESV

Even more blessed are those whose sins are totally washed away by the blood of Jesus!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. –1 John 1:9 ESV

For Christians it is a great day to repent and ask for forgiveness. Ask the Holy Spirit if there is anything you need to receive forgiveness for and to show you anyone you need to forgive:

…and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.  –Luke 11:4 NLT

During Bible times, all Israel refrained from work on this day, fasted, and offered themselves before the Lord for forgiveness. (See: Leviticus 23:26-32)

Today, Jews world-wide observe Yom Kippur for a 25-hour period, beginning at sundown. It is considered the Shabbat of all Shabbat therefore work is prohibited. Five additional prohibitions are included in the observance: 1) no eating or drinking; 2) no bathing; 3) no anointing the body with oil; 4) no wearing of leather shoes; and 5) no sexual relations.

Many Jewish folks attend a service on this day—at the end of the observance a shofar is blown and all sins for the previous year are considered covered.

-Kentucky: ‘Move of God’ Results in 100 Salvations and 46 Baptisms

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MOVE of GOD in SCHOOLS and CHURCH 

First Baptist Church in Hodgenville, Kentucky sponsored a four-day event that began in the schools, saw hundreds of students come to church, and ended with 100 salvations and 46 baptisms. Here’s the story from CBN: 

The leaders of the church were able to get an evangelist in the public schools with an anti-bullying presentation for elementary and middle school students. Pastors met with the principals last school year to describe the message and share their plans for this week’s event. …

The school outreach resulted in more than 210 students showing up to the church and 59 students coming to the altar for salvation on Tuesday night.

“I asked some of our members, ‘When was the last time we had 210 students in church?'” Rogers said. “They said never. It’s a great thing and God is moving.”

The following night, which was the last night of the crusade, they baptized 46 people and counted 100 salvations.

Response: A ‘Move of God’ that began with an unique outreach in the schools. Praise the Lord, God is moving in unique ways all across America, particularly among the young people in schools and colleges. 

-Biblical New Year -A Time For Introspection and Change

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Rosh Hashanah—Yom Kippur

A New Year began today- 5784. The Biblical New Year–Rosh Hashanah began at sundown Friday 9/15/23 and the celebration will continue until sundown on Sunday 9/17. It ushers in the high holy days of the Jewish calendar. You ask, what significance does this have for Christians?  The Jewish calendar is Biblical and God instituted it in the first place and still seems to honor it in many ways.

The Biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is ‘Yom Ha-Zakkaron’ meaning: “The Day of Remembrance.” It is the beginning of 10 days of Awe in the Biblical (Jewish) calendar when the people of God are suppose to look at their lives and inspect the way that they lived during the just completed Biblical year. The 10 days end with Yom Kippur.  In 2023, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Sunday September 24th and ends the following evening on Monday September 25th.

On ‘Yom Kippur’-also called “The Day of Atonement” -Jewish folk traditionally repent and ask for God’s forgiveness and look forward to making changes for the better in the new year. 

Many Christians find that the Holy Spirit seems to call them to look at their lives and make changes during this time of year. Especially those in ministry. Most of us have thought that it is because of the change of seasons with the kids going back to school, and the changes that fall brings to church activities and ministries. 

Changes in ministry for me always seem to take place in the Fall. I use to think that it had to do with my birthday coming in October.  Lately, I have come to realize that the Lord always seems to call me to make changes during this time of year, and that it is really connected with the Biblical New Year. A number of major modern prophets have commented that during this time, they believe that ministries ‘pass under the rod’ (Ezekiel 20: 37-38) and are evaluated. If you are involved in ministry, it is a good time to get on your knees and listen to what the Holy Spirit says about you and the coming new Biblical year.

While everyday of the year is a good time for Christians to look at their lives, repent, and make changes.  The Biblical New Year is an especially good season for it.

-Auburn University: ‘A Revival Is Happening’

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AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Revival is happening at Auburn University. Over 5,000 attended a worship service and over 200 gave their lives to Christ and were later baptized in an impromptu baptismal service in a lake that followed. CBN News:

More than 5,000 people showed up to Unite Auburn’s “Night of Worship”. The campus ministry’s outreach was created to bring the Alabama school’s Christian community together for a night of worship. It featured guest speakers New York Times Best Selling Author Jennie Allen and Pastor Jonathan Pokluda and worship was led by Passion Music.

Allen shared on Instagram that toward the end of the night, she felt led to ask students if they wanted to be baptized.

“I finished a message at Auburn and was off stage and a student texted the pastor beside me they wanted to be baptized tonight. So I went back on stage and asked if anyone else wanted to trust Christ and be baptized,” she explained. …

“Dozens raised their hands,” Allen added.

There wasn’t a tub to baptize the students, so thousands of people headed over to a lake at Auburn’s Red Barn.

“They circled the lake and 6-10 of us were in the water baptizing hundreds,” Allen described.

Response: Revival broke out at Asbury University earlier this year and later at Lee University, and Samford University. Since then God has been moving on college campuses all over America. Auburn University is the latest.

-3. Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be Thy Name”

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Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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-“Hallowed be thy name”

The “Hallowed” part is something I glossed over quickly for years without understanding that it was really a declaration of worship. I knew it meant that God was ‘holy’ but never gave it much thought. I was always in a hurry to get to the “give us” part.

Greek Text:

Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· (Hagiasthētō to onoma sou)

Hallowed be the name of You or

“Let it be hallowed- the- name- of thee”

It really is a statement of praise and worship of God. What it literally means is- ‘God let your name be known and consecrated and set apart as holy or sacred.’

The Point is—we really do need to take the time daily to worship God—he is God and we are not.

Continue reading →

-2. Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father”

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Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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-“Our Father…which art in Heaven”

Greek: Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· (Pater hēmōn ho en tois ouranois)

Literally: “Father of us who in the heavens”

Notice, Jesus didn’t say “my” father or “the” father, though most of the time we look upon God as being ‘The’ Almighty God and Father of creation. But Jesus specifically said “Father of us”–“our” Father and included his disciples as part of his family—the family of God.

Continue reading →

-1. Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer: Introduction

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Matt 6:9-13:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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It was a cold rainy winter’s evening in January 2010 (Cold for Southern California).

I was running later than I planned to be, rushing to be on time for a Prophetic/Marketplace Conference at church (Vineyard Community Church, Laguna Niguel CA). I was part of the Ministry team that was supposed to be available for praying for folks during and at the end of each session. We were expecting a full house and had seats reserved for us at the front. But if I got there late, after the start of the service, I would probably have to sit way out in the back rows.

Still half a mile away I impatiently waited for the light to change and then took off for the next. Before I got half a block ahead to the next light, The Lord had downloaded to me a better understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. After that I was no longer in a hurry. My priorities had changed and all I wanted to do is get into a seat and write down what I had been given.

In essence the Lord told me:

“You have been praying the Lord’s Prayer all of your life…now it’s time to live it!”

The Lord told me that within the prayer itself is a summary for victorious ‘Kingdom living.’—that it contained keys for revival and for walking in the Kingdom daily.

Since then I have not only used the Prayer as an outline to direct my daily prayers but also as a reminder of how I need to live daily.

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This is the Introduction and first article in a series on the Lord’s Prayer: ”Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer”

In this series, I hope to share some of the insights given to me about how to incorporate the prayer in our daily lives.

Also we will look at the use of the Lord’s Prayer in early Christian history and explore the meaning of the words themselves and the implications for us in daily living and maintaining a closer relationship with the Lord. Continue reading →

-1,000 Receive Christ at Franklin Graham’s London Outreach

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Londonstory1-Feature

                 (From BGEA Org.)

More than 10,000 in London heard Franklin Graham preach the Good News on Saturday (8/26/23). Christian artists—Ce Ce Winans, Newsboys, and Michael W. Smith provided the worship music during the service.

BGEA partnered with close to 1,000 area churches providing buses to the event. Also, over 85,000 watched it on-line and via livestream.

In the end more than a 1,000 came to Christ including those at the service and even more on-line that cannot be counted. A remarkable number and percentage that is an obvious Move of God.

This comes after LGBTQ activist groups were able to get several events and venues cancelled last year in the UK; including a scheduled event in Scotland due to Graham’s Biblical beliefs and positions on marriage and homosexuality. Franklin Graham’s organization was subsequently successful in their legal action against last years cancellations leading to this years successful events. Read more about it in the Christian Post article and on the BGEA website.

-A Vision of the Coming Revival

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A vision of the Revival I am looking for- January 20, 2001:

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my easy chair watching the events of the day on TV ( The inauguration of Pres. Bush) when all of a sudden I was in an open vision  above the earth looking down.

North America was covered in a thick grey fog. There were 4 black words in the midst of the dark covering:

Deception, Depression, Destruction, and Depravity. 

Then I saw Jesus on a white horse above the earth coming with an army. He blew away the dark fog and the Lord and His army descended upon North America.

Then I saw a light come on in the midst of America, next a few scattered lights; then soon lots of lights started coming on, like popcorn popping, all across the North America until there were 1,000’s of lights on in the USA and Canada.

Then I saw a huge tidal wave forming up on the east coast of Canada and New England and sweep across the Atlantic engulfing all of Great Britain and wash up on the northern shores of Europe.

Then I was back in my easy chair watching TV once more and I heard the Lord speak to me:

“This is my coming revival”

-Some Revivals Were Cut Short…

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THANKFULNESS

A word that the Lord recently gave me:

“Some revivals were cut short for the lack of thankfulness.”

One would think that in the midst of revival those involved would be continually thankful for the special presence of God in their midst? But in some cases, apparently not.

Thankfulness by definition points back to the provider—who in the case of revival is the Lord.

To be lacking in thankfulness could indicate that those involved eventually came to believe that their excellent ‘spiritual’ environment and leadership was somewhat responsible for God bringing the revival to them (thinking they deserved it more than others). Then actually taking in the accolades of notoriety along with some of the glory for themselves.

Thankfulness, by contrast, demonstrates ones attitude of dependence upon the Lord. Maintaining humility is a necessity in the midst of revival.

I Thessalonians 5:18: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –ESV