Day of Atonement

"This shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year." Leviticus 16:34.

Today is Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement.It is the most important of all the Jewish holidays, and it is important for us as Christians as well.The Day of Atonement was the one day, once a year, that the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to offer a blood sacrifice on behalf of the people, sprinkling the blood from a lamb onto the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.The sacrifices on this day, and all other sacrifices in the Old Testament, were previews of the great Sacrifice that was to come.

The Book of Hebrews tells us this in such a beautiful way ...

"When everything had been arranged, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and ceremonial washings, external regulations applied until the time of the new order.

When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

A Blessed Day of Atonement to you all!

the Jesus Bowl

A team of scientists recently announced that they have found a bowl dating from the 1st century AD that is engraved with what could be the world's first known reference to Christ. The full engraving on the bowl reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which has been interpreted to mean, "by Christ the magician".
"It could very well be a reference to Jesus Christ," said Frank Goddio, co-founder of the Oxford Center of Maritime Archaeology. He and his colleagues found the object during an excavation of the underwater ruins of Alexandria's great ancient harbor. The Egyptian site also includes the now submerged island where Cleopatra's palace may have been located.

"It is very probable that in Alexandria they were aware of the existence of Jesus and of his legendary miracles, such as transforming water into wine, multiplying loaves of bread, healing the sick, and the story of the resurrection itself."

No, its not the Holy Grail, but it is a fascinating and thought-provoking archaeological find.

Good News From The World of Medicine

Its great when I hear that foods I like are actually good for me,

like coffee, chocolate, beer, the list goes on ....

Well, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from Penn State University, a serving of pistachios each day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Results showed that consuming pistachios significantly lowers total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels.

So I'm going to Wal Mart later today to buy one of those big bags of pistachios, and I won't feel at all guilty about eating them.

Ah, the simple pleasures of life.

Prospering In A Declining Economy

"Let yourself be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you,' so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

The financial pressures on America’s families continue to mount. The current economic challenges, the Wall Street crisis, declining home values, and higher gas prices have placed a great strain on many of us. People are losing their homes, food and energy costs continue to rise, the list goes on.

While these things are all true, what we are experiencing is nothing new. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that "there is nothing new under the sun."
For example, in the Old Testament the nation of Israel was taken captive and was forced to endure 70 years of hard labor in Babylon before they were finally freed and allowed to return to their homeland. We pray that our current economic downturn won’t last that long!

In the meantime, here is a list of things that can help you to survive and even thrive in our current economy.

+ Pray for our nation and its leaders.
+ Learn to be content with what you have.
+ Read what the Bible has to say about money.
+ Pay your bills faithfully as a positive testimony to your creditors and a good example to your family and neighbors.
+ Downsize if it puts you in a better position.
+ Have a garage sale or yard sale to to pay down debt or increase savings.
+ Capitalize on your most valuable asset - your family.
+ Start a garden, use fresh vegetables and fruits in season.
+ Cancel your cable or satellite. Read books, play games, take walks, invite friends over, spend time with family.
+Remember God's Promises.

“God is our Refuge and Strength, a present help in times of trouble."(Psalm 46)

God at Ground Zero

We are all part of of a thousand stories. As we hear them being told, as we feel them touch us directly and personally, the stories become part of us. That's the way it is with the greatest story ever told - the Gospel. It is a story of life and death to life again. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus comes and fills us up from the outside in, until as Luther said, “Christ is poured out in us.” We receive the Story of the Gospel by grace through faith in Baptism, through Water and the Word, when the pastor marks us with the sign of the cross, and we die and rise again in Christ to walk in newness of life. It is a story of life and death to life.

Today is a day in which we remember another life and death story.

On 9/11, terror literally filled the air in New York City. Terror arrived on wings. Planes loaded with jet fuel exploded into the Twin Towers. Crews, passengers,and innocent citizens were incinerated.The buildings tumbled. Dust and smoke thick with the smell of death and destruction covered the area immediately and for weeks thereafter.

As the cloud of darkness began to grow, thousands of horrified people ran for their lives. One said “I'll never forget the sight and sound of the dust and smoke coming at us; it looked like the world was coming to an end.” Thick darkness covered the earth. Yet Christ was still the Light of the World.

A Lutheran missionary tells of standing with other Christian chaplains and praying with firefighters. As they prepared to enter the burning cauldron that was the Trade Center Plaza, he recounts, "We made the sign of the cross on their foreheads. We wanted them to remember their baptism. That’s the only promise they could know for sure at that moment — their baptismal promise.” Many never came back. But marked with the cross, they were reminded of God’s sure promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

The dust has settled. The nightmares are receding. But the stories continue to be told. And one strong Story stands above them all.

It is the story of the cross of Christ. His death is our death. His resurrection is our resurrection. His life is our life.

+++

(excerpts from Lutheran Witness, March 2002)

War Games

Stephen Green of vodkapundit has brought back the way of looking at the presidential race he used during the 2004 campaign, "Wargaming the Electoral College".

He takes a look at the current polls in each state and creates a red-blue map. The maps change as voter opinion shifts week by week. At this point in time his map looks like this.

Dead even.

Picture Perfect Palin

It wasn't just a home run, said CNN's Wolf Blitzer; it may have been a grand slam. "A very auspicious debut," said NBC's Tom Brokaw. A "perfect populist pitch," said CBS' Jeff Greenfield. "Terrific," said Mort Kondracke on Fox News Channel.
"A star is born," said Chris Wallace on Fox.
"A star is born," said Anderson Cooper on CNN.

"A star is born," said Blitzer.

Could we be getting our first look at our first female president?

Only time will tell ....