Do you know what I find ironic looking back over the last two years? When state governments told churches to close, they did. In some states like California and Nevada, casinos and strip clubs were open, but churches had to shut down. Some Christian celebrities got together and thought they could solve the problem by doing “let us worship” outdoor events. Many believers thought we were seeing a great move of God during persecution. At the risk of upsetting some people, the let us worship events were an act of cowardice. Instead of pastors and elders leading their congregations in honoring God, many pulled a bait and switch and said we’ll worship outside. 

These Christian celebrity headliner events are nothing more than deception in the body of Christ. From prayer events with speakers giving five-minute speeches interspersed with music and a little prayer. We have worship nights that look and sound like a secular concert; it’s time for the Church to wake up.

I know this sounds negative, but we are about to turn a corner. We must see the state of much of the body to move forward. Each year on God’s calendar, He offers a corporate time of repentance called Yom Kippur.

Some may think that because Jesus is our atonement, we don’t need a day of repentance set aside anymore; that’s half true. Jesus is our atonement, but it is still a good idea to come together to repent and pray.

The days between The Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur are known as the Days of Awe, they are a time of self-examination, prayer, and repentance so that when we gather corporately we are in a place to repent as a whole.

We’re all familiar with the National Day of Prayer, and if you’ve ever served on a city or state team you know how difficult it can be to get people to participate. God already has a national day of prayer set aside, Yom Kippur. When we look at all the hoops people jump through to put events together and then lament because the big-name speakers, worship bands, giveaways, light shows, and more didn’t bring about revival – that’s why we don’t have revival. If we would stop with our own efforts and ways and return to God’s ways we would see things change.

Psalm 51:1-12 CJB* “⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. A psalm of David, ² when Natan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bat-Sheva: ^3 (1) God, in your grace, have mercy on me; in your great compassion, blot out my crimes. ^4 (2) Wash me completely from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin. ^5 (3) For I know my crimes, my sin confronts me all the time. ^6 (4) Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil from your perspective; so that you are right in accusing me and justified in passing sentence. ^7 (5) True, I was born guilty, was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me. ^8 (6) Still, you want truth in the inner person; so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart. ^9 (7) Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
^10 (8) Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, so that the bones you crushed can rejoice. ^11 (9) Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my crimes. ^12 (10) Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit.”

The entire Psalm (Psalm 51:1-19) is David’s prayer of repentance after being confronted with his sin. I believe this prayer is why David is called a man after God’s heart. David confessed, prayed for cleansing, and asked that a clean heart would be created and that a right spirit would be renewed in him. This is an example that we can follow in examining ourselves, repenting, and being sanctified.

Our salvation is secure in Jesus Christ but that does not mean we no longer repent and examine ourselves. God in His grace has an appointment on His calendar every year known as the Fall Feasts. It is a time where He calls us to Himself during the Feast of Tabernacles but before Tabernacles, there is Trumpets and Yom Kippur. There is a process to the celebration. There is protocol before you meet the President, and so too with God. 

You may agree with the importance of repentance but wonder if we have to do this Jewish stuff? I would first submit that this Jewish stuff is the ways of God given in Scripture. Secondly, I would point to the words of the Prophet Zechariah. In chapter fourteen when it is speaking of the coming day of the Lord (which hasn’t happened yet), it says, “Then it will be that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, there will be no rain on them.18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which Yahweh plagues the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

If we will be celebrating the Feasts when the Lord returns, why stop in the middle of time? Isaiah sixty-five and sixty-six speak of that day as well. The phrase that day signifies the second coming and when the Lord reigns from Zion. The Lord was born in Israel, ministered in Israel, died and rose again in Israel, and ascended from the Mount of Olives. He’s coming back to that very same place! 

The Feasts are wonderful celebrations and the Days of Awe are a gift of time set aside to evaluate our walk with God. Take time to pray and set your heart as we continue through the High Holy Days.

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*The Hebrew verse number appears first, followed by the number as it appears in the Christian Old Testament in parenthesis.