It is the evening of the Day of Atonement. I will be very hungry come this time tomorrow since this is a day of fasting, completely without food and water for twenty four hours. Here we go, into the most solemn and humbling of God’s annual festivals.
In tomorrow’s sermon I will speak of the power of evil in this world and how we need to be on guard to resist being an accomplice to the tactics Satan uses to advance the cause of His kingdom.
Many people do not believe in a literal devil the source of evil. Most will acknowledge the existence of evil but little is understood of its source and exactly how it works. I believe you have to keep this day to lift the veil and understand how this world really works and just how, one day, God will deal with this malignancy and remove it forever from the earth.
Revelation 20 describes how after the second coming of Jesus Christ the devil will be bound and cast into a condition of restraint. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bong him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deveive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he shall be released for a little while.” (Verses 1-3).
This event has not occured. Satan still influences people and events in this world. To fully understand the depths of evil in this world, both past and present, you must understand this fact of the Bible. Ignore this and you are blinded and deceived, just as Satan wishes you to be.
When Christians fast and observe this solemn holy day of God we are making a strong statement toward the time of Satan’s removal. When that happens humanity will have the opportunity achieve true unity with God. It will be a time of awe and wonder.
This is an intensely personal experience on this day for God and His people. Fasting brings you up short and reminds us of how fleeting this life can be. We need regular remnders of this reality.
Awe and wonder. Minds and hearts focused on God. This is a remarkable day.
Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.
