Tag Archives: day of atonement

Turkey and Frosting

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Happy Thanksgiving! I know I am a week late, but I am still eating turkey leftovers.

Wow. Over a month has gone by since my last post. Time can really move!

If you have been waiting for the conclusion to this series or are brand new to this blog,

I welcome you.

Thanks for taking two minutes out of your day.

If you would like to catch up or get some context, here are the links to the first three posts:

Double Birthday

Double Birthday, Again!?!?

The Day of Atonement explained

“Jesus changed everything. He always does. More on that next week.”

These are the final words of my last post.

And friends, I believe that with all my heart.

I can’t speak on behalf of other people. However, I can speak about my life.

Here is a picture of my life without Jesus.

  • I wonder if I would have my family. Surely, my wife would have left me long ago because of my addiction to porn. That is something that I could not overcome without Jesus.
  • My kids would only be around part-time. It pains me to think about not seeing my kids on a daily basis because of the divorce.
  • Jobs…I think that I would be barely making ends meet. Fast food work is not something I would earn a living on.
  • There were bouts of mild depression in my early twenties. Most likely I would be in a depression right now.
  • Alcohol…not really something I abused. But who knows, without Jesus, the bottle might be more attractive to me.
  • My relationship history was not the best. That pattern would probably continue to this day.
  • I most certainly would not have excellent friends from my church. I would not even belong to a church.
  • And the list continues…

Of course, this is all hypothetical. Jesus changed everything.

I do have a loving wife and wonderful kids. My addictions are broken. I work at a dream job. My church is close to me.

Because I have Jesus, I have everything I need. All this other stuff is really just his blessing. Frosting.

May I conclude with a question or two?

Do you have Jesus?

He cannot be bought, earned, manipulated, or caught. He must be invited.

He will change your life…for the better.

Are you ready to send that invite?

If you have questions or comments, I would love to field them. You can comment below or email me directly – tim@timsorbo.com

Thanks, as always, for reading. It might just be the best two minutes of your day.

See you next week for some thoughts on Advent.

The Day of Atonement explained.

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The Day of Atonement. I think that most people would not begin to understand what this day is all about.

If you are Jewish or have studied the Old Testament, you would be the exception. At least that is my perception of this topic.

Here is what I do know. On this day, an Israelite could be free from sin. Forgiven.

It all revolved around sacrifice.

The penalty of sin must be paid.

Just like a speeding ticket must be paid.

Just like fighting on the playground results in detention.

Just like being late one too many times could get you fired from a job.

There are consequences to our actions.

Sin needed to be addressed.

In God’s economy in the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed daily. There were several types (sin being only one type) of sacrifices and the occasions varied throughout the year.

But on the day of Atonement, the high priest took the sacrifices one step further. Literally.

This is a diagram of the Old Testament tabernacle.

On the left, there is the Holy of Holies. This little room had only one object in it. The ark of the covenant. Yes, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark comes to my mind as well.

This ark, which was essentially a box covered in gold, was where the physical presence of God rested. It was the center of the entire Israelite community both socially and spiritually.

And was here that the high priest would offer the blood of the sacrifice for the sins of the people.

But he only did it once a year. On a specific day. On the day of Atonement.

And so while this day was a celebration it was also a mournful one.

Coming to grips with one’s sin was not a joyful occasion. It was painful.

But the outcome was worth it all.

When God saw the blood being sprinkled on the ark of the covenant, he smiled.

The price had been paid for sin. And that is why I (or anyone) can have a double birthday.

Click here if you want to read about the double birthday.

But that was the Old Testament.

Jesus changed everything. He always does.

More on that next week.

Double Birthday, Again!?!?

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Yes! It is my birthday again! Not really but I did celebrate my 50th like I have never done before. Click here to read last week’s post. It will all make more sense.

On Sunday this past weekend, I crossed off a bucket list item. I jumped out of an airplane!

This picture is not me but that is precisely what I did a few days ago!

So…how do I transition to the Day of Atonement after talking about skydiving?

I will just jump right in.

As I stated last week, the second of my birthdays involve the Day of Atonement.

In the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus details the sacrificial system set up for the Israelites.

I will try and summarize this for you.

When God created Adam and Eve, there was a perfect relationship between God and man.

Adam and Eve broke that relationship when they ate the forbidden fruit.

Since that time, yes, all the way up to now, that relationship has not yet been mended.

God desperately wants the relationship to be restored.

He also wants us to desire that perfect relationship as well.

He provided a sacrificial system in the Old Testament that foreshadowed a relationship that has been restored to perfection.

When we get to the New Testament, Jesus was sent to earth as a baby. We could now identify with God.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, he departed this world and returned to heaven.

The Holy Spirit then replaced Jesus as the presence of God on this earth.

And this is where we find ourselves now.

We are still in a fractured relationship with our God even though He has been attempting to bring us back together. For the last few millennia.

Sin is a separator. It puts space between us and God. All through human history, He keeps trying different ways to get back to us. But we keep separating ourselves from Him.

And the Day of Atonement was how that relationship was restored, if only for a brief period of time.

Next week, I am going to share some details about this special day. My hope is that it will educate and encourage you.

So let me wrap this post up with this thought.

You and I cannot restore our relationship with God. We are unable to do anything that would fix it. It is literally impossible for us.

But there is hope. That relationship can be fully restored. But it takes 100% trust in God. Just like I had to trust 100% in my parachute this past weekend.

Stay tuned next week as I unpack and expound on an Old Testament ritual, with present-day ramifications.

Good night and God bless you.

Double Birthday

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Greetings Readers!

It has been quite a while (almost a one year) since I have posted so thank you for sticking with me.

If you are a visitor, welcome! I hope you enjoy twominuteswithtim!!!

Yesterday, Oct. 5th, was my birthday. Born in North Dakota on a Thursday. My mom told me that it was a Thursday because her doctor goes duck hunting on Wednesdays. So I was scheduled for Thursday.

That was alright with me (like I had a choice) because growing up, I did not have to share a birthday. My mom’s birthday was the 4th. She turned 30 the day before giving birth to me.

We shared many birthdays and even some dual-frosted cakes but I always had my own day.

But yesterday was special in that I hit a new decade. Yep, I am 50.

Half Century Man.

Five Decades of Awesome.

L.

L is the roman numeral for 50.

But that is only the first birthday. My title for today is Double Birthday. Here is what I mean.

October 5th, this year, was also Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In the Jewish faith, this day stands alone as the most important day of the year.

There is so much history and background information that is relevant and necessary if one is to really comprehend the full impact of this day.

So for the next couple of posts, I will do my best to explain it.

Disclaimer: I am not Jewish nor am I a bible scholar. I have studied this topic before so I am somewhere between beginner and expert.

Back to the double birthday. In a spiritual way, the Day of Atonement is a type of birthday. I am able to be free of sin. I have a new life in Christ! And that kind of birthday is totally better than a physical one!

So if you are feeling confused or just can’t make the connection between a Jewish holiday and a birthday, hang in there.

Come back in a few days to read more. Or, just follow me with an email and the posts will come directly to you.

Until then, have some birthday cake on me!