Rejoice in his presence

This weekend we observe the Day of Atonement. A day of Fasting to draw near to God. Many will go without eating for the duration and then head to the Feast of Tabernacles shortly after.

This has been a high time for me ever since I was a little kid. I grew up in the church and my first feast was a few months after I was born in Niagara Falls. 53 years later I only missed a 2 due to circumstances beyond my control. It’s hard to believe it has been that long.

In the old days as a kid it seemed to us as a replacement for the world’s Christmas. I was always hard to explain it to the family, schools, and later, the work places as to exactly why we do this sort of thing every year. The best explanation sometimes was just saying it is similar to Christmas but at a different time and there is no Santa Claus. Not to mention that the Feast is biblical and Christmas is not. The truth being Christ is still at the center of what we do. A lot of times like those who celebrate Christmas we get too focused on the physical rather than the spiritual. We get lost in materialism and self-seeking if we are not careful.

These are similarities in the way man observes both. These days for us are kept to honor, reflect, and remember the plan he has for all of mankind. As we get older the meaning of these days becomes deeper. The physical lacking of food becomes more symbolic to us as we draw near to God and remember that his Son Jesus gave all for us so we can come to him and be a part of his family. Then the 7 days of plenty which symbolize being in His presence of overwhelming joy and abundance. Then the Last Great Day, when the rest are resurrected into the same. All these days and the ones that came before point to Jesus Christ and God’s plan to save us out of this sinful world. They remind us also that they are still not here. Some day they will be.

In these days it is good to remember that we are in the presence of God and his Son. We should honor his always all year but these days we should always give thought to the reality of being Gods Children and being in His presence evermore. The very thoughts of that should warm are hearts as the event gets close every minute.

The Jews believe this starts a new year and in many ways for the Christian it will be a similar in our lives. We come back and pick up from where we left off. And if the Holy Days have their impact we start refreshed and renewed for the next year. One of the greatest things to know that with each passing year we get close to the real events and the end of the rule of Satan in this world.

Have a great Holy Day time ahead!

Your Brother in Christ,

Steve Koenig