Day of Atonement and the Numbering of Days - Purity 1156
Purity 1156 09/26/2023 Purity 1156 Podcast
Purity 1156 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the dwindling light of day, the headlights
of passing late-day commuters, and the shop lights of Monro Muffler on Columbia
Turnpike in Rensselaer comes to us from your truly as I stood outside in Monro’s
parking lot last evening feeling simultaneously victorious, defeated, and
content after a long day that contained struggles, triumphs, and an abiding
sense of peace.
Well, It’s Tuesday – praise the Lord - and to say that yesterday was something of a
roller coaster ride of a day would be an understatement as we experienced a few
surprises and unexpected expenditures to what a stacked deck of day of
responsibilities was already. In
addition to my regular workday, I had the added burden of automobile maintenance
to fit in before, checking in with my wife, touching base with someone I am
discipling (I think), doing an
assignment for my training with Deeper Walk’s SOM, and attending a national FICM
meeting on Zoom. In hindsight, I suppose getting all of those things done in a
single day would have been possible, but the Bible tells us that “we suffer for
a lack of knowledge” and the reason I was at Monroe Muffler last night was
because of something I didn’t know.
My car needs a state inspection and so after a long
day of work that included a 6 hour install pulling a drop wire through the
trees of a backyard run, I was thrilled to get to the Jiffy Lube on Columbia Turnpike
in time to get the inspection and oil change done. But unbeknownst to me, my best-laid
plans weren’t going to work out as the tires of my HRV were down to the steel radials
on the inside meaning I needed new tires (yeah it’s been over a year, and I did
drive to South Carolina in February), and I wouldn’t pass the inspection. I immediately began to brainstorm how I could
get new tires the next day and came to the conclusion that my lack of knowledge
and my busy schedule really put me at a disadvantage as I usually order tires
and have them installed at Walmart – a definite best cost option. But my inspection is up at the end of the week,
and I realized that in order to “get ‘er done”, I was going to have to surrender
my frugal preferences. So I
contemplated the overpriced options and left the Jiffy Lube wondering if I
would have to take a day off from work to get the new tires.
However, one of the options for tires was Monroe -which
was open until 7pm and was just on the street and on the way home. Much to my
delight the shop was not busy, and I was able to buy new tires there. Although I
spent more than I would have liked as in “OOF”, at least I “got ‘er done” and
will have to stop and get the inspection done later today. While at Monroe, I called my wife who
reminded me that her minivan was finally repaired and that was a pretty hefty
bill too. So in a single day, automobile
expenses between Jiffy Lube, Monroe, and My wife’s mechanic were in the two
thousand dollar range- Lord have mercy!
I realize these are necessary expenses and I am glad that everything is
taken care of but oh brother. Thus, I
was feeling the thrill of victory of meeting those responsibilities and the agony
of defeat of having to pay for them.
SO when I took today’s photo in Monroe’s parking lot,
I had the weight of a challenging day at work and those expenses on me but the
reason I was able to see some good in the day that caused me to capture the
moment was because – yes – I met my automobile responsibilities, but I also got
some news earlier in the day that will mark a major transition in my life.
In the midst of my busy workday, I received a call
from Dennis Wheeler, the real estate agent my ex contracted to sell our joint-owned
home in Craryville. I was officially
divorced in 2019 and in the divorce agreement both parties agreed to sell the
marital home “as soon as possible”. Although
I moved out in 2020, my ex remained living there. She refused to sell the house
causing me to file a contempt complaint against her earlier this year – judgment
still pending. But finally, yesterday,
the house in Craryville is on the market – listed to sell – if you would like
to buy it I am providing a link to the listing on the blog today! (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7-Birch-Hill-Rd-Craryville-NY-12521/89484456_zpid/)
So even though I had “bear” of a day because of the
auto expenses, I was able to recall the fact that the last thing that needs to
be done in terms of my first marriage being dissolved has finally begun to come
to pass and I am not embarrassed to tell you that I have repeatedly gone to the
Lord in prayer - begging him,
complaining to Him, at times to MOVE things – and now the writing is on the wall
- the dye has been cast – and sooner or
later that house will sell and it will be finished!
So this morning as I thought about how God rescues
us from bad situations and “moves all things together for good” I decided to look
at the calendar to see if there was anything special about yesterday –
September 25, 2023.
I walk in the Spirit, so I know that in my past
there always seemed to be some significance about the times and the seasons
when major transitions happen. Dates,
numbers, and seasons have Biblical meanings and sometimes when you look into
what “the numbers mean” you see some pretty shocking things.
Author Jonathan Cahn is known for pointing out how
the – Year of Jubilee – and the numbering of the 50th year – has amazing
parallels to what has happened in history and is happening in the world today.
Check out Cahn’s lasts books – Return of the Gods and The Josiah Manifesto if
you want to see how history really is “His Story” – as in something under the
control of a sovereign God.
In my own life, I have seen significant personal events
parallel with “good numbers” – For instance the address of River House (1788 = 888
) and the date I closed on it 6/22/2020 = 8-8-8-8 – highlight the number 8 – or
888 and when I looked that up online I wasn’t surprised to see that it
represents “Christ the Redeemer” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/888_(number)#:~:text=In%20some%20Christian%20numerology%2C%20the,the%20number%20of%20the%20beast.)
So what was yesterday? It was 9/25… no 8’s – but 2+5= 7 and that is
the biblical number of “perfection – or completion” – (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-biblical-significance-of-the-number-7.html#:~:text=In%20the%20Bible%20the%20number,2%3A1%2D2).)
that seems right to me!
What about 9?
I am including a link to a site to give you all the ins and outs of 9 –
(https://thinkaboutsuchthings.com/biblical-meaning-of-the-number-9/)
but it has a root of 3 which is the trinity, and – represents completeness and
get this 9 represents “good versus evil” – sort of appropriate for this
contentious situation. And also in that article
the number 9 is associated with the Day of Atonement.
If you look at the Calendar Yesterday – you will see
that “Yom Kippur Ends” – Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. So on the day that my old house was listed –
the day that will forever mark the beginning of the end of the contentions
between my ex and I – it just happened to be the Day of the Atonement - the day that is associated with Christians to
be fulfilled in Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross – declaring that “It
is finished”. So on the day that this personal
burden will finally begin to be lifted from me – in effect it is finished – it just
happened to be the Day of Atonement.
When I encourage people to walk in the Spirit, I advise
them that they will be positively amazed at the things that will come to pass
in their lives. While we could easily blow these things off, I believe in a sovereign
God that moves all things together for good in the lives of the people who love
Him and are called according to His purposes.
So keep walking and talking with God and keep an eye
on the times and seasons of your life and see what the Bible’s interpretations
of the numbering of your days reveals.
While I have found it is impossible to predict – what will come to pass –
I have discovered that when we look back at our path, we can see that God was
walking with us and had our days numbered in advance.
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For
those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide,
I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
Today’s
Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By
John G. Kruis.
(
While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google
search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s
work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This
morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Anger, Hot Temper.
Proverbs 22:24-25 (NIV2011)
24 Do not make friends with a
hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get
yourself ensnared.
Today’s
verse falls under the eighth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Anger,
Hot Temper
8. Do not associate with a hot-tempered man.
Today’s verse is good biblical advice. We are highly impressionable and often take on the habits and characteristics of the people we associate with. So God’s word tells us NOT to be friends with hot-tempered people because not only can their angry outbursts lead to negative consequences and collateral damage- but their angry habits could also rub off on you too!
So try to teach others the
pathway of peace that Jesus leaves for us to follow and if they refuse to
abandon their angry ways and learn to love and forgive others, forgive them and
give them the space that their anger affords them.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I
always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to
assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own
private study and to support his work. This resource is available online
for $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)
A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit
26 -The Spirit Interceding
Groanings
It is indeed striking to observe this
alternation between the minor and major keys running all through our passage,
for next we are told, “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
This, as we have seen, refers to the inward anguish which the Spirit produces
in the believer. Here, then, is further ground for self-abasement: even when a
sense of need has been communicated to us, so sottish are we that our poor
hearts are overwhelmed, and all we can do is to sigh and groan. Even when the
Spirit has convicted us of our corruptions and imparted a deep yearning for
Divine grace, we are incapable of articulating our wants or expressing our
longings: rather is our case then like the Psalmist’s, “I was dumb with silence” (39:2). If left to
ourselves, the distress occasioned by our felt sinfulness would quite disable us to pray.
It may be objected,
To what purpose is it that the Spirit should stir up such “groanings,” which
the Christian can neither understand nor express? Ah, this brings us to the
brighter side again: “He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:27). God knows what those groanings mean, for
He discerns the very thoughts and intents of our hearts. How comforting is
this: to realize in prayer we are coming to One who thoroughly understands us!
How blessed to be assured that God will rightly interpret every motion the
Spirit prompts within us. God “knows” the “mind of the Spirit”—His intention in
producing our anguish. God is able to distinguish between the moanings of mere
nature and the “groanings” of which the Spirit is the Author.
There is a fourfold
“spirit” which works in prayer. First, the natural spirit of man, which seeks
his own welfare and preservation. This is not sinful, as may be seen from the
case of Christ in Gethsemane: the innocent desire of human nature to be
delivered from the awful pressure upon Him; and then subjecting His will to the
Father’s. Second, a carnal and sinful spirit: “your brethren that hated you,
that cast you out for My name’s sake, said, Let
the LORD be glorified” (Isa. 66:5), but God did not answer them in the way
they meant. Third, the new nature in the believer, which has holy aspirations,
but is powerless of itself to express them. Fourth, “praying in the Holy
Spirit” (Jude 20)—by His prompting and power. Now God discerns between the
motions of nature, the lustings of the flesh, the longings of grace, and the
desires wrought by the Spirit. This it is which explains “The LORD weigheth the
spirits” (Prov. 16:2)—the fourfold “spirit” mentioned above.
None but God is able to thus distinguish and
interpret the “groanings” of the Spirit in the saint. A striking proof of this
is found in, “Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her
voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken” (1 Sam
1:13)—even the high priest of Israel was incapable of discerning the anguish of
her heart and what the Spirit had prompted within her. “He that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of
the Spirit,” (Rom. 8:27), signifies far more than that He understands: God approves and delights in—for this use
of the word “know” see Psalm 1:6; Amos 3:2; John 10:14; 1 Corinthians 8:3. And why is it that God thus finds perfect
complacency in the mind of our Helper? Because as the Father and the Son are
One, so the Father and the Spirit are One—one in nature, in purpose, in glory.
“Because He maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27). Here is
additional ground for our encouragement. The words “the will of” are in italics, which means they are
not in the Greek, but have been supplied by our translators. They interpose a
needless limitation. That which the Spirit produces in the saint is, first, in
accord with God’s nature—spiritual and holy. Second, it is according to God’s
Word, for the Spirit ever prompts us to ask for what has been revealed or promised.
Third, it is according to God’s purpose,
for the Spirit is fully cognizant of all the Divine counsels. Fourth, it is
according to God’s glory, for the
Spirit teaches us to make that our
end in asking. O what encouragement is here: the Spirit creates within us holy
desires, the Son presents them, the Father understands and approves them! Then
let us “come boldly to the Throne of
Grace.”[1]
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