"And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people were weeping, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."Nehemiah 8:9-10

Roughly 2500 years ago, there was a special Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem. The people of Israel were exiled and dispersed all across the Babylonian empire. Later, they were given the right to return and start construction on the 2nd temple of Israel. Nehemiah 8 speaks of the special celebration that happened at that time. We read how Ezra taught the people out of the book of the law and how they responded in weeping and repentance before the God of Israel. Interestingly, Feast of Tabernacles is a holiday in which the people were commanded to rejoice, yet they were weeping in repentance. And then, in verse 9, they did! Isn’t it true that joy always comes after the mourning? Brothers & Sisters, the word for strength in Hebrew is "mah-oz". Not only does it mean strength, but it also means fortress and rock. When we commit our lives to walking in repentance and practicing holiness, then we will live in a constant state of joy. As the Apostle Paul said, Rejoice always! In our joy we find our fortress, our rock – the stability of our lives! THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!

CHOKWADI CHINOBVA MUBHAIBHERI NEZVE KUROORANA

• Ipapo Jehovha Mwari akaita mukadzi kubva parumbabvu rwaakanga abvisa pamunhu, uye akamuuyisa kumurume. Genesisi 2: 22. • Uyo anowana mudzimai anowana chinhu chakanaka, uye anogamuchira nyasha kubva kuna Jehovha. Zvirevo 18: 22. • Wananai mugova nevanakomana navanasikana; tsvakirai vakomana venyu vakadzi uye muwanise vasikana venyu, kuti naivowo vave navanakomana navanasikana. Muwande ikoko; musadzikira pakuwanda. Jeremia 29: 6. • Ndichatsidza kukuwana uve wangu nokusingaperi; Ndichatsidza kukuwana mukururama uye nomukururamisira, murudo netsitsi. Ndichatsidza kukuwana mukutendeka, uye uchabvuma kuti ndini Jehovha. Hosea 2: 19 – 20. • Asi nokuda kwoupombwe, murume mumwe nomumwe ngaave nomukadzi wake, nomukadzi numwe nomumwe ngaave nomurume wake. Murume ngaape mukadzi wake zvakafanira, uye nomukadzi adarowo kumurume wake. Muviri womukadzi hausi wake oga asi kuti ndowomurume wakewo. Zvimwe chetezvo, muviri womurume hauzi wake oga asi kuti ndowomukadzi wakewo. Musanyimana, kunze kokunge matanderana uye kwenguva duku, kuti mumbova nenguva yokunyengetera. Mushure mezvo mosanganazve kuitira kuti Satani arege kukuedzai pakusazvidzora kwenyu. 1 Vakorinde 7: 2 – 5. • Naizvozvo ndinoti kuchirikadzi duku ngadziwanikwe, kuti dzibereke vana, dzichengete dzimba dzadzo uye kuti dzisapa muvengi mukana wokupomera nawo. 1 Timoti 5: 14. • Saizvozvo nemiwo vakadzi, muzviise pasi pavarume venyu kuiitira kuti, kana mumwe wavo asingatendi shoko, angadzorwa namafambiro avakadzi vavo pasina shoko rarehwa, pavanoona kuchena nokuremekedzwa kwoupenyu hwenyu. 1 Petro 3: 1 – 2. • Saka Mwari akasika munhu nomufananidzo wake, akamusika mumufananidzo waMwari; akasika murume nomukadzi. Mwari akavaropafadza akati kwavari, “Berekanai muwande; zadzai nyika uye mubate ushe pamusoro payo. Muve nesimba pamusoro pehove dzegungwa napamusoro peshiri dzedenga napamusoro pezvisikwa zvipenyu zvinokambaira panyika. Genesisi 1: 27 – 28. • Kuwanana ngakukudzwe navose, uye nhoo yewanano ngairege kusvibiswa, nokuti Mwari achatonga mhombwe navose vanofeva. Vahebheru 13: 4. • Muzviise pasi pomumwe nomumwe muchitya Kristu. Vakadzi, muzviise pasi pavarume venyu sezvamunoita kuna She. Nokuti murume musoro womukadzi saKristu ari musoro wekereke, iwo muviri wake, iyo yaari muponesi wayo. Varume, idai vakadzi venyu, saKristu akada kereke uye akazvipa nokuda kwayo kuti aiite tsvene, akaishambidza nokushambidza kwemvura neshoko, uye ayiuyise kwaari sekereke inobwinya, isina gwapa kana kuunyana kana chipi zvacho chinopomerwa. Nenzira imweyo, varume vanofanira kuda vakadzi vavo semiviri yavo chaiyo. Uyo anoda mukadzi wake anozvida iye pachake. Pana izvozvo zvose, hakuna munhu akatongovenga muviri wake, asi anoupa zvokudya uye anouchengeta, sezvinoita Kristu kukereke, nokuti tiri nhengo dzomuviri wake. “Nokuda kwaizvozvi, murume achasiya baba namai vake uye asanganiswe nomukadzi, uye vaviri vachava nyama imwe chete”. Ichi ndicho chakavanzika chakadzika, asi ndiri kutaura pamusoro paKristu nekereke. Kunyange zvakadaro, mumwe nomumwe wenyuwo anofanira kuda mukadzi wake sezvaanozvida iye, uye mukadzi anofanira kuremekedza murume wake. Vaefeso 5: 21 – 23; 25 – 33. • Naizvozvo, varume, garai zvakanaka navakadzi venyu, uye muvabate norukudzo somudziyo usina simba uye savadyi venhaka pamwe chete nemi, yechipi chinokosha choupeenyu, kuti parege kuva nechinodzivisa minyengetero yenyu. 1 Petro 3: 7. • Musasungwa zvisina kufanira pajoko rimwe chete navasingatendi. Nokuti kururama kungava noukama hweiko nokusarurama? Kana kuti chiedza chingawadzana Seiko nerima? Ko, Kristu angawadzana Seiko naBheriari? Ko, mutendi angava nemugove weiko neasingatendi? Ko, temberi yaMwari ingetenderana Seiko nezvifananidzo? Nokuti tiri temberi yaMwari mupenyu. Sezvakarehwa naMwari, achiti, “Ndichagara pakati pavo ndigofamba navo, uye ndichava Mwari wavo, ivo vagova vanhu vangu.” 2 Vakorinde 6: 14 – 16. • Kana muchindida, muchateerara zvandinokurayirai. Johani 14: 15. • Jesu akapindura akti, “Ida Ishe Mwari wako nomwoyo wako wose, nomweya wako wose, nokufunga kwako kose.’ Uyu ndiwo murayiro mukuru uye wokutanga. Wechipiri wakafanana nawo unoti, ‘Ida muvakidzani wako sokuda kwaunozviita iwe.’ Mteo 22: 37 – 39. • Uye ngatirangarirei kuti tingakurudzirana sei kuti tive nerudo namabasa akanaka. Vahebheru 10: 24.

"For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another-- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."Hebrews 9:24-28

Jewish Day of Coverings, can be a day of deep reflection on what the Lord has done for us. As Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago, the Gospel describes how the veil in the Temple was torn in two. This profound spiritual event reveals that the Lord gave all whose sins are covered by His blood access to the Holy of Holies, as He had become our High Priest in addition to being, Himself, the perfect sacrifice for sin. Although the Temple was not finally destroyed until 70 AD, Orthodox Judiasm recounts in the Talmud that, beginning in 30 AD, God no longer accepted the animal sacrifices commanded in the Torah for the Day of Atonement. Throughout the ages, while the Temple stood, the High Priest would cast lots for the two goats which were to be offered as sacrifices. One lot was for the goat to be sacrificed on the altar, and the other, the goat cast out into the wilderness for the removal of sins [Leviticus 16:7-10]. Traditionally, as the Priest cast the lot, finding it in his right hand was a good omen, indicating that God had accepted the sacrifice. However, if the High Priest drew it in his left hand, this indicated the Lord's displeasure and even rejection of the sacrifice. Brothers & Sisters, we believe that the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, 40 years after the sacrifice of Jesus, followed a period of testimony and testing for the Jewish people concerning the fact that the sacrificial system had been consummated by Jesus's death on the cross. 40 is a typical number of testing throughout the Bible. While animal sacrifices continued to be offered in the Temple while it stood, and many believing Jews continued to participate in them, it was clear that something new and definitive had opened the way for all people to enter the Holiest place and to know the Lord intimately and personally. Without intending to, the Talmud offers historical support for the significance and reality of the events in 30 AD which consummated the sacrificial system given in the Torah; i.e. the death and resurrection of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, who died for the sins of the whole world. ENTER HIS PRESENCE, YOU ARE COMPLETELY COVERED!

CHOKWADI CHINOBVA MUBHAIBHERI NEZVE VASINAKUROORA NEVAKAFIRWA

• Ndichatsidza kukuwana uve wangu nokusingaperi; Ndichatsidza kukuwana mukururama uye nomukururamisira, murudo netsitsi. Hosea 2: 19. • Zvino kune vasina kuwana nechirikadzi ndinoti: Zvakanaka kwavari kuti vasawana, sezvandiri. Asi kana vasingagoni kuzvidzora, vanofanira kuwana, nokuti zviri nani kuwana pane kutsva. Zvisinei hazvo, mumwe nomumwe ngaararame upenyu hwaakagoverwa naIshe uye hwaakadanirwa naMwari. 1 Vakorinde 7: 8 – 9, 17. • Asi kana ukawana, hauna kutadza; asi kana mhandara ikawanikwa haina kutadza. Asi vaya vachawana vachasangana nematambudziko mazjinji muupenyu uye ini handidi kuti musangane nawo. 1 Vakorinde 7: 28. • Ndinoda kuti murege kuva nokufunganya. Murume asina kuwana anofunga zvaShe, kuti angafadza Ishe sei. Asi Murume akawana anofunga pamusoro pezvinhu zvenyika ino, kuti angafadza mukadzi wake sei. Ndiri kutaura izvi kuti zvikubatsirei, kwete kuti ndikudzivisei, asi kuti murarame munzira yakarurama muchizvipira kuna She zvizere. 1 Vakorinde 7: 32 – 33, 35. • Kuwanana ngakukudzwe navose, uye nhoo yewanano ngairege kusvibiswa, nokuti Mwari achatonga mhombwe navose vanofeva. Vahebheru 13: 4. • Nokuda kwaizvozvo, shingairai kuti muwedzere kunaka pakutenda kwenyu; uye pakunaka, muwedzere kuziva; napakuziva muwedzere kuzvidzora, napakuzvidzora, muwedzere kutsungirira; napakutsungirira, muwedzere umwari; napaumwari muwedzere kuda vatendi; napakuda vatendi, muwedzere rudo. Nokuti kana mune zvinhu izvi, zvichiramba zvichikura, zvichakuitai kuti musava nousimbe uye musingashayiwi zvibereko mukuziva kwenyu Ishe wedu Jesu Kristu. 2 Petro 1: 5 – 8. • Kana mumwe achifunga kuti ava kuita zvisina kunaka kumhandara yaakatsidzira, uye kana ava namakore akafanira kana achida kumuwana, ngaite zvaanoda. Haasi kutadza. Vanofanira kuwanana. Asi uyo munhu anenge azvifunga mupfungwa dzake, asina zvinomumanikidza iye kana achizvidzora, uye kana akatema mumwoyo make kuti haadi kuwana mhandara iyi, murume uyu aitawo chinhu chakanaka. 1 Vakorinde 7: 36 – 37. • Vimba naJehovha nomwoyo wako wose urege kuzendamira panjere dzako; munzira dzako dzose umutende, uye acharuramisa nzira dzako. Usazviita munhu akachenjera pameso ako; itya Jehovha uvenge zvakaipa. Zvirevo 3: 5 – 7. • Farikana muna Jehovha, uye iye achakupa zvinodikanwa nomwoyo wako. Mapisarema 37: 4. • Saka, hama dzangu, nemiwo makafa kumurayiro kubudikidza nomuviri waKristu, kuti muve vomumwe, kuna iye akamutswa kubva kuvakafa, kuitira kuti tigobereka chibereko kuna Mwari. Varoma 7: 4. • Mumwe nomumwe anofanira kuedza mabasa ake. Ipapo angazvikudza hake, asingazvienzanise nomumwe munhuwo. Vagaratia 6: 4.

""Come now, and let us reason together", says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." Isaiah 1:18

The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur in Hebrew, was the single most important day during the time of Jesus and still holds utmost significance in Israel and among Jews worldwide today. I mentioned that every year the high priest would sacrifice a goat and sprinkle its blood on the altar for the atonement of the people. But there were actually two goats sacrificed on this day. One’s blood was sprinkled on the altar but the other was led to a cliff in the wilderness, where it would meet its end. This goat was called the "scapegoat" – it represented the "carrying away" of the iniquities of the children of Israel. An interesting tradition arose which is mentioned in the ancient Jewish commentary. A crimson colored sash would be placed on the door of the Temple before that second goat was sent into the wilderness. When the goat died, somehow the sash would mysteriously turn to white. And this was a sign to Israel that God had accepted their sacrifice and their sins were forgiven. However, that something mysteriously happened in 30 AD, approximately forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple. Despite the continued goat sacrifices each year, the sash never turned to white again. Hmm. What other very significant thing happened about this very time? (Jesus) died. Brothers & Sisters, two thousand years ago, the final sacrifice was made for the atonement of our sins and for the sins of all who would believe. Yes! Jesus is the Messiah! He has died and risen again! He rules at the right hand of our Father and He is interceding for us right now! Let's pray for the world's eyes to be opened today! There's so much work to be done! WHO IS YOUR SCAPEGOAT?

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that he has done, whether good or bad."2 Corinthians 5:10

But we ought to realize...there are nine verses in the Bible, Old and New Testament, which clearly state that we will be judged and rewarded for our works. (The final one is Revelation 22:12). Salvation is by grace through faith; and all who believe have their names written in the Book of Life.[Eph 2:5], but our rewards will be determined solely by what we have done. One day, when this life is over, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah (Christ). Once we breathe our last breath we will never again be able to prepare for eternity! These are our days of awe; not just once a year, but every single day of our life. Our everyday deeds on earth will determine our destinies in eternity. Brothers & Sisters, each of our days -- these Awesome days --should be held in awe and used to the fullest. Use them wisely! Get right with God, every morning; tie up the loose ends, forgive others their offenses, be filled with His Spirit, and walk in love. You won't need to fear the Days of Awe, but instead look forward to a rich reward in God's Eternity-- yes, in fact we are... truly we're living in the Days of Awe! WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AWESOME DAYS!

CHOKWADI CHINOBVA MUBHAIBHERI NEZVEKUPINDURWA KWEMINAMATO

• Vasati vadana ndichavapindura; vachiri kutaura ndichavanzwa. Isaya 65: 24. • Kumbirai mugopiwa, tsvakai mugowana, gogodzai muugozarurirwa. Nokuti munhu anokumbira anopiwa, anotsvaka anowana; uye anogogodza anozarurirwa musuwo. Mateo 7: 7 – 8. • Kana muchitenda, muchagamuchira zvose zvamunokumbira mukuntengetera. Mateo 21:22 • “Ndinokuudzai zvakare kuti kana vaviri venyu mukabvumirana pane chamunokumbira kuna Baba vangu vari kudenga, muchachiitirwa. Nokuti panoungana vaviri kana vatatu muzita rangu, neni ndiripo pakati pavo. Mateo 18: 19 – 20. • Naizvozvo ndinoti kwamuri, zvose zvamunokumbira mukunyengetera, tendai kuti mazvigamuchira, uye zvichava zvenyu. Uye paunomira uchinyengetera, kana mumwe munhu akakutadzira, muregerere, kuitira kuti Baba vako vari kudenga vagokuregerera zvivi zvako. Mako 11: 24 – 25. • Uye ndichaita zvose zvamunokumbira muzita rangu, kuitira kuti Mwanakomana avigire Baba kukudzwa. Kana mukakumbira chinhu chipi zvacho muzita rangu, ndichachiita. Johani 14: 13 – 14. • Kana muchigara mandiri uye mashoko angu achigara mamuri, kumbirai zvose zvamunoda, uye muchazvipiwa. Johani 15: 7. • Asi paunonyengetera, pinda mumba mako, ugopfiga musuwo uye ugonyengetera kuna Baba vako avo vasingaonekwi. Ipapo Baba vako avo vanoona zvinoitwa pakavanda, vachakupa mubayiro. Mateo 6: 6. • Pazuva iro hamuzondibvunzizve kana chinhu. Ndinokuudzai chokwadi, Baba vangu vachakupai zvose zvamuchakumbira muzita rangu. Johani 16: 23. • Ngatiswederei tisingatyi pachigaro choushe chenyasha, kuitira kuti tigogamuchira ngoni uye tigowana nyasha, tibatsirwe panguva yokushaiwa. Vahebheru 4: 16. • Farikana muna Jehovha, uye iye achakupa zvinodikanwa nomwoyo wako. Isa nzira yako kuna Jehovha; uvimbe naye uye iye achaita izvi. Mapisarema 37: 4 – 5. • Achadana kwandiri, uye ndichamupindura; ndichava naye pakutambudzika, ndichamurwira uye ndichamukudza. Ndichamugutsa noupenyu hurefu, uye ndichamuratidza ruponeso rwangu. Mapisarema 91: 15 – 16. • Jehovha ari pedyo navose vanodana kwaari, kuna vose vanodana kwaari muchokwadi. Anozadzisa zvido zvaavo vanomutya; anonzwa kuchema kwavo uye anovaponesa. Jehovha anochengeta vose vanomuda, asi achaparadza vakaipa vose. Mapisarema 145: 18 – 20. • Jehovha ari kure nowakaipa, asi anonzwa munyengetero woakarurama. Zvirevo 15: 29. • “Zvanzi naJehovha, iye akaita nyika, naiye akaiumba nokuisimbisa, Jehovha ndiro zita rake, ‘Danai kwandiri uye ndichakupindurai uye ndichakuudzai zvinhu zvikuru zvakavanzika zvamusingazivi.’ Jeremia 33: 2 – 3. • Uye uyu ndiwo murayiro wake: kutenda muzita roMwanakomana wake, Jesu Kristu, uye nokuda mumwe nomumwe wedu sezvaakatirayira. Avo vanoteerera mirayiro yake vanogara maari, uye iye mavari. Uye izvi ndizvo zvinoita kuti tizive kuti iye anogara matiri: Tinozviziva noMweya waakatipa. 1 Johani 3: 23 – 24.