Today is: YOM KIPPUR — THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 🙏🏾❤️ WHY I STILL HONOR GOD’S APPOINTED DAY Faith Forward family, today I want to share something that is very personal and beautiful to me. I have been honoring Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, since around 2005. And every year, I am reminded of something that still amazes me: God established an appointed time with His people. Leviticus 23 calls these days the “feasts of the LORD”—God’s appointed times. And concerning the Day of Atonement, Scripture says it was to be observed throughout their generations. Think about how beautiful that is. God put an appointment on the calendar. And if God establishes an appointed time to turn our attention toward Him, I want to show up! 🙌🏾 But as a follower of Jesus Christ, Yom Kippur means something even deeper to me today. When I read Leviticus 16, I see the high priest. I see the sacrifice. I see the blood. I see the two goats. One goat was sacrificed as a sin offering. Over the other—the scapegoat—the sins of the people were confessed, and that goat was sent away into the wilderness bearing their iniquities. And when I read it now, I see JESUS. ❤️ The sacrificed goat reminds me that there was a cost for sin. The scapegoat carrying the sins away reminds me that Jesus didn’t just acknowledge our sins—He bore them. Psalm 103:12 says: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Then I look at the high priest. Under the old covenant, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with blood. But Hebrews 9 tells us that Jesus came as our High Priest and entered once, obtaining eternal redemption. The earthly high priest had to return. The sacrifices had to be repeated. But Jesus didn’t have to keep coming back! Hebrews 10 tells us that Christ’s offering was once for all. And that’s where my heart gets full. Because I don’t honor Yom Kippur believing that Jesus needs to be sacrificed again. Absolutely not. I believe the sacrifice has already been made.

YOM KIPPUR — THE DAY OF ATONEMENT 🙏🏾 Praise God! Yom Kippur is approaching, and this is such a special time for me. I have been honoring the Day of Atonement since around 2005. One of the things that touches me most is that God established His appointed times. The Hebrew word mo’ed carries the idea of an appointed time—a set time for meeting. Think about that! An appointment with God already on the calendar. ❤️ Leviticus 23 tells us that the Day of Atonement was established as a sacred observance. Year after year, God’s people knew when that appointed time was coming. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, I don’t observe Yom Kippur because I am trying to obtain atonement through my own works. Jesus has already accomplished that for me. I honor this time as an opportunity to remember God’s holiness, His mercy, His forgiveness, and the incredible gift of atonement we have through Christ. So I’m getting my heart ready for my appointment! A time to pray. A time to examine myself. A time to repent. A time to forgive. A time to thank God for His mercy. And a time to draw closer to Him. Over the coming days, I’m going to share with my Faith Forward family some of the ways I have learned to prepare for and honor this special time. God put the appointment on the calendar. I’m showing up! Praise God! 🙌🏾 ❤️ Ms. Help Faith Forward — Where Faith Meets Smart Strategy