Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It's the day of atonement after the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. On this day, Jews ask God for forgiveness for their sins to secure their fate. It's also known as the Sabbath of Sabbaths.
It begins Wednesday evening and ends Thursday evening. (Yom Kippur usually falls in September or October each year). More than half of Jews will observe the holiday by fasting, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Some will avoid working, wearing leather shoes, applying makeup or lotion, washing or bathing and having marital relations.
During this time, Jews attend worship services where the machzor, a prayer book used during holy days, is read and specific prayers are recited. At the end of the services, a shofar or ram's horn is blown to signal the end of Yom Kippur. Then, Jews are able to feast, breaking the fast.
Jews believe the first Yom Kippur occurred after God gave Moses the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. When Moses came down from the mountain, he found the Israelites worshiping a gold idol calf. After they atoned for their sin, God forgave them and offered Moses a second set of tablets.
God's own Word described the One who would come, die, bear the sins of humanity, and be rejected. Jesus is the answer to many prayers and the bearer of our sins. Isaiah tells us in chapter 53 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:2-7 KJV) In this verse we clearly see that God intended for Jesus to be our “atonement.” But just like it was in His time and the Jewish people did not believe that he was the Messiah, the Christians of today do not believe or want to understand why we should celebrate Yom Kippur. In the book of Acts, chapter 13 we read “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:36-39 KJV)
Lastly in 1 John 4:10 it expressly states that Jesus atoned for our sins. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 NIV)
Next time you wonder if you should celebrate Yom Kippur by fasting, then feasting, ask yourself, am I a Christian? Because if the answer is yes then as followers of Jesus Christ you should do what he would do since he was Jewish and a descendant of David.
Thank you for reading another Bishop’s Buzz. A buzz is not a buzz unless you share it!
God Bless,
Bishop Adam Blackstock
Yom Kippur (The Day of At onement)
September 15, 2021 • Bishop Adam G. Blackstock • Isaiah 53:2–7, Acts 13:36–39, 1 John 4:10
No Other King
April 1, 2022 • Bishop Adam G. Blackstock
In the book of Psalms, we find a powerful passage of scripture that gives us a great illustration of Jesus. He is strong and mighty and the King of Glory. Besides that account in Psalms, we find other accounts that describe Yeshua as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Prince of Peace. No other King is described like that ever before God, and no other king will be described like that ever again. There is a simple reason for this plain hard fact, as Kenneth Copeland would say “Jesus is Lord.” He, being Jesus, means so much to Prophetess and me that we say it after every radio broadcast as well. Repeat after me --- There is no other king because Jesus is Lord. Let’s look at a few passages of scriptures that reinforce my message today. The first is Psalm 24:1-10. It reads “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, That seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24:1-10 KJV) We find David, the writer of this Psalm defines God as the King of Glory. Repeat after me --- There is no other king because Jesus is Lord. Secondly, Paul, in the first letter to Timothy tells us that the Lord is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It reads “that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 1which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 1who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:14-16 KJV) Repeat after me --- There is no other king because Jesus is Lord. Lastly God has also revealed this same powerful revelation to John in the Book of Revelation during the great revelation. In the book, it is mentioned twice verbatim. First, in chapter 17 and again in chapter 19. Let’s look at both of those scriptures. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14 KJV) Notice in this text that we that follow Jesus are called, chosen, and faithful. I declare and decree that you are called, chosen, and faithful. Two chapters later Jesus says the same thing. Here it reads “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:15-16 KJV) Here it is written on His clothes and body. I am believing for us to see Jesus like that again. Repeat after me --- There is no other king because Jesus is Lord. In conclusion, God will reveal Himself to us from this point on as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the King of Glory!!! He is doing it in my life right now. Repeat after me --- There is no other king because Jesus is Lord. Thank you for reading another Bishop’s Buzz. A buzz is not a buzz unless you share it! God Bless, Bishop Adam Blackstock