Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication
Hanukkah is very important in Jewish history for all believers. As several other Messianic rabbis/teachers have said, “if there was no Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas.” In other words, if there had been no Jewish nation to bring forth the Messiah, he would have not been born as the light to the nations. Yeshua himself said to the Samaritan woman that “salvation comes from the Jews” [his Hebrew name Yeshua means salvation] (see the Gospel of John, Chapter 4:19-24). Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over an attempt by Satan to destroy the Jewish people, and ultimately prevent the Messiah from being born.
The Gospel of John [10:20-42] records Yeshua teaching during the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah. It was winter, and as he walked in Solomon’s colonnade of the Temple, his people surrounded him and asked, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us publicly!” He answered, “I have already told you, and you don’t trust me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf.”
Hanukkah is a time of realizing the great miracle Yeshua did for us by atoning for our sins through his death and ressurection, his gift of eternal life, and his promise to dwell within each one of us through his Holy Spirit. It is a reminder that we are called to keep our lives, or our temples, cleansed by continually dedicating ourselves to him and abiding in him. Also in John 10, Yeshua tells us that he is the good shepherd, and that his sheep recognize his voice. During Hanukkah he says that his sheep follow him. Hanukkah is a reminder that we are called to listen for the voice of the good shepherd, to follow him in obedience, and know that in him we have a great high priest who lives to make intercession for us. When we confess our sins, he cleanses us continually through his blood. He truly is our good shepherd.
photo credit: thewisdomdaily.com
Israel at war
We continue to pray for the situation in Israel, which was invaded on October 7th and attacked continuously since then by rocket fire from Gaza and from other jihadist groups in the region. October 7 marked the final day of Sukkot [the Feast of Tabernacles]. Early that morning, Hamas operatives entered Israel and destroyed several neighboring settlements, slaughtering hundreds of innocent civilians, and taking captive back to Gaza many Israeli women, children and elderly people, including foreign nationals. Since that time, rockets and mortars have been fired continuously at Israel. Please join us in praying for the safe return of the hostages and a swift end to this war, ideally via a return of all hostages. We also pray against the alarming rise of antisemitism around the world. For daily updates, you can follow Tikkun Global’s posts for daily briefings and prayer guidelines.
New worship music
Hope you are blessed by these worship videos from Joshua Aaron from a worship event recorded LIVE at the Tower of David, Jerusalem in November 2018:
Hu Yavo (He will come)
and Immanuel
New Worship Psalm
Blessings to you in the new year; enjoy this latest worship psalm from Joshua Aaron. http://
It is He*
In the lamp-lit upper room reserved for them, they celebrated the Passover with Him. The scents of roasted lamb and bitter herbs hung in the air as they reclined at table. It was a night familiar to them all, a commemoration of the very first Passover, a night of sanctuary amidst the darkness and supernatural evil surrounding them. Did they feel the weight of the world’s anger and resentment toward them, as Israel had so long ago? Or did they feel the hushed expectation for what their God had done before and would do again—spread His protection over them and guide them safely to His heavenly kingdom? Recent political threats, the confrontation with legalism and with mental strongholds keeping their people captive were all heading toward an unknown conclusion. Did they feel the same way as Israel had, huddled behind the blood-soaked doors of Egypt as the Angel of Death administered God’s judgment upon their captors? Were they wondering and anticipating what God was going to do next?
Suddenly, their leader captured their attention as He paused during the meal:
And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:15-16
He told them many things that night, explaining what was going to happen to Him, but that they should take comfort in the fact that He would be with them and show them the way. Following Him was the way. He had come to each of them and called them, and after a personal encounter with Him their lives had never been the same.
Were they reminded of the past, of the encounters God had with men chosen to make covenant with Him? Did they remember Abraham, who heard the voice of God telling him to leave his home and begin a journey toward a land God would show him? Abraham knew that the journey and the destination were secondary to following the One who called him.
What about Jacob, who dreamt of a staircase connecting heaven and earth, and who wrestled with a man that appeared out of nowhere, a man he would not let go of until He blessed him. And after that encounter, his life had never been the same.
Surely they remembered how Moses, tending sheep in the wilderness, came upon a bush that burned and lit the darkness, and from which the voice of God called him. As Moses edged closer, he met the God of Israel: “…’I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them.'” Exodus 3:6-8
Joshua, who was charged with leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, was camped just outside the powerful fortress of Jericho when “…he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked Him, ‘What message does my Lord have for His servant?’ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so. Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men…’”Joshua 5:13-6:2
The disciples realized the importance of following, rather than leading; they were Yeshua’s disciples. When we struggle with our sin, when the days we live in are dark and the times are perilous, our focus is to be on Him. The writer of Hebrews confirms this:
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Yeshua, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
Once we have an encounter with God, our lives change. Our focus changes. Though our values and how we conduct ourselves are important, the most important thing is to keep our focus on Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Be waiting for His leading, be listening to His voice, and do what He says to do. That is really all that matters.
* Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3
What did you come out to see?
Luke chapter 7 records how Yeshua healed the centurion’s servant, and the next day raised a man from the dead in the city of Nain. His miracles prompted John’s disciples to come to Him and ask, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
So He answered them, saying ‘Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’ (7:19-24)
When they left, He spoke to the crowds about John, asking them: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?… But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is the one of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You…among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” [Luke 7:24-28, Malachi 3:1]
Three times He asked them what they had come out to see. Then He asked “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation?” He compared them to children calling out to one another, watching and judging everyone they see.
The question is, what do we go out to see? What is our response to what we see? What is our generation like in terms of what we go out to see, and in how we respond?
In Luke chapter 2 we read about Simeon. What did he go to the temple to see? We are told that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. We are also told that the Holy Spirit was upon him, and that it had been revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Anointed One of ADONAI [the LORD]. One day, a couple came into the temple to dedicate their son, Yeshua, to the LORD. Simeon took Him in his arms, praised God, and said, “Now may You let Your servant go in peace, O Sovereign Master, according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation {Yeshua means “salvation”], which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples. A light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.” [Luke 2:29-32; Isa. 42:6, 49:6, cf 60:1-3] Simeon had come to the temple to see God’s salvation.
Anna was a prophetess, a woman who never left the temple, “serving night and day with fasting and prayers. And coming up at that very instant, she began praising God and speaking about the Child to all those waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. [Luke 2:36-38; Isaiah 43:1-3, 49:26] She was in the temple to see the redemption of Jerusalem.
What about us, and our generation? What do we come out to see in a service?
When people go to a service, to a house of worship, it’s to see something. Maybe it’s to see each other, but couldn’t they go somewhere else for that? What is the purpose of a service? Isn’t it to see or worship something or someone greater than ourselves? Ideally, we come to a service to see God, to experience Him. Some come out to a service to show how religious or observant they are. Yeshua was often confronted by the religious, who judged him. He said that they had their own righteousness and didn’t need God’s righteousness. He had a lot to say about man’s doctrines, man’s form of law and man’s righteousness. But His warning to the religious leaders was: “You will not see me again until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” [Luke 13:35]
What do we come out to see, He asks? A reed shaken by the wind? When Pilate’s soldiers mocked Yeshua, they dressed Him in a scarlet robe, put a crown of thorns on His head, put a reed in His right hand, mocked Him, then took the reed and beat Him with it (Matthew 27:28-30). They were showing what they thought of His kingship.
So, we need to ask ourselves, what do we come out to see? How do we see? What is our focus? Is it on Him, or is it on our own righteousness?
Praise the Name of Yeshua
His is the Name above all names! The LORD did great things this weekend through the ministry of Matthew Senn our guest speaker! Many people were healed, saved, and delivered, to show God’s mercy and lovingkindness. Here is a video of a worship song done by Paul Wilbur of Your Great Name, a song that captures the awesomeness of our God!
Time to be Healed
We are looking forward to seeing the Lord work healings in these October meetings!
Passover
Passover is the account of how God delivered His people from an oppressive bondage to slavery, bringing them out under a blood covenant of protection. The sign of this covenant was provided by the slaying of the Passover lamb and applying its blood to the entrance of each household. Because of Pharaoh’s insistence in enslaving God’s people, the LORD passed through the land on assignment to slay every firstborn whose family was not protected by the sign of the covenant, the blood of the Passover lamb. When Israel finally went out of Egypt, they were led by Moses, the servant of the LORD until his death, at which point God spoke to Joshua, saying:
“Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses…No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”
Joshua was a servant of the servant of the LORD. God chose as leader a man whose life was dedicated to serving. That service prepared him to continue in service to God Himself. Moses was dead, but God told Joshua to arise, to cross over, lead Israel armed for battle, pass over the land and take possession of it.
These themes of servanthood, leadership, death, rising up, crossing over and taking possession all speak of a larger plan at work behind the scenes, a plan that laid a foundation for the coming of the Servant of the LORD, whom the prophets foretold. Yeshua the Messiah spoke of His mission as the Son of Man to be one of service, “to seek and to save the lost.” He was called the Lamb of God by John, and just before Passover He entered Jerusalem along with the Passover lambs, also on His way to being sacrificed and to provide His blood as the sign of our eternal covenant of redemption.
K'vod Yisrael 