Tag: salvation

woman in candlelight

Eight Real Miracles Of Hanukkah

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YHWH is a miracle working God.

Hanukkah Menorah

It’s my dream that Hanukkah should become a regular time of harmony between Jews and Non-Jewish people.

Paul Bass – A Grafted-In Follower of The Jewish Messiah

Hint: It’s About More Than Candles

In the same way that we can forget the true meaning of our favorite holiday, Hanukkah can suffer from losing focus. If you are a follower of Jesus, you will recognize the phrase, “Jesus is the Reason For The Season.”

Would it surprise you if I told you that He is also the reason for the season of Hanukkah? I think you would agree that we were created by a miracle working God. If you have ever read the Gospels you were treated to many miracles throughout the life of the Savior.

There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

John 21:25

I know that most Christians do not celebrate Hanukkah. I also know that, for those who do, there is much to learn. There is so much that many of your Jewish friends do not get through all the miracles that surround the celebration of eight nights that comes along every winter (Kislev 25).

Do a YouTube search for Hanukkah videos and you will no doubt find a few “explainer videos” and puppet videos (including Sesame Street muppets) that tell you about the tradition of the “Miracle of Oil.” This pertains to a supernatural burning of oil for eight days while someone was traveling to get replacement oil for the newly dedicated Temple lamp.

Did This Happen In Real Life?

Well…

The earliest recorded account of the oil miracle appears in the Talmud, about 600 years after the events described in the Books of the Maccabees. The Talmud is a collection of rabbinic discussions, debates, insights, historical accounts and legends. It is not the inspired Word of God. Some Talmudic teachings can be spiritually edifying but others clearly are not. Therefore, while traditional Judaism generally regards the Hanukkah oil story as accepted fact, it should not be given the same weight as Scripture. What Scripture does strongly suggest about Hanukkah (“Feast of Dedication”) is that Yeshua observed it along with the other Jews of His day. The direct reference to Messiah at Hanukkah reflects a degree of New Covenant significance for believers today. (John 10:22-23)

LightofZion.org

So, the story is nice and all… but there is some real meat in the books of I and II Maccabees, and some pretty big miracles. There are good miracles, like Gideon-like victories, and judgement related miracles, like Miriam’s sudden leprosy. They may not take up all the books on the shelf, but there is definitely room for more discussion on the Real Miracles of Hanukkah.

That is why I write this for you.

It’s my dream that Hanukkah should become a regular time of harmony between Jews and Non-Jewish people. I think it’s time. I can point you to the testimonies of Jesus (which would be His miracles) and you can decide from there. You can determine whether the Festival of Dedication, which is important for every Jewish person in existence, can be equally important for you if you love God AND His chosen seed of Abraham.

Make a special note of themes which actually connect the religious observance of the Advent and birth of the Messiah. You will hear of prophecy, angels, signs and more.

Join me next for the first of the Eight Real Miracles of Hanukkah.

jesus christ figurine

Sukkot In December

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Manger Zone

This past Tuesday, the daughters and I had a little movie date. We watched the new film, “Journey To Bethlehem” at the theater.

I am often conflicted about Bible movies. Sometimes they are good. Sometimes they are bad (Noah Movie with Russell Crowe). However, they are never perfect. How can they be, right? For instance, I have never seen “The Chosen.” Don’t judge. I simply haven’t seen the need. I hear good things about it. I don’t campaign against it, but I may be fine without it.

A Musical!?

“Journey to Bethlehem” is a good film. My family enjoyed it. We have been playing the music in the house throughout this past super-long weekend. That is why I must share the music with you. Today, I am sharing an entire playlist. If you intend to see the film, you can thank me for this preview. You can get a jump on the music so you can sing out loud and annoy all the people in the theater. Enjoy.

Mother To A Savior and King

The Playlist can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqWIm_koLmA&list=PLi3TM32-7ZIKanIZ-ndDbryGMWsUimQYC

Have a blessed Hanukkah season.

Torah Is Enjoyable

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The pull of Torah

Simply put, the pull of Torah is a lifeline to keep us from destruction.

Torah gives us a hope. Torah gives us something to cling to. Will we go through the life of a disciple without a rope, without a lifeline?

If it was so wretched, I would not crave it.

If you’ve been told that Torah is burdensome, you’ve been lied to. The scripture says that His commandments are NOT a burden. They are to be loved. As Jesus is to be loved, we are to love His instructions.

It is because of that love, we are sustained during affliction, famine, disease, and destruction. We can be held up from the death of the sinners.

It is a Tree of Life

Cling to that central root of the olive tree. If you were grafted on, do not push off. Do not be as one who is pruned off the tree. Live and learn from the Yeshua (salvation) of your soul.

Prayer:

Thank you Oh Father of fathers. Thank you King of kings. You have sent me a lifeline. You sustain me in persecution and distress. Keep your servants in your Way. Help us cling to your lifeline. Help us wander not away. Give us strength to pursue the truth. Thank you that there is joy, and not pain in Torah. Amen.

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Torah Is Shop

Torah Is Most Valuable

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More than gold

The proverb says that wisdom is more valuable than gold and silver. Where do we start with wisdom? Reverence for Yah.

The psalmist tells me that Torah is worth more than gold or silver. More than thousands of pieces. Have you betrayed the Savior’s teaching? His Torah? If so, how many pieces of silver did it take?

Cha-Ching

Do you think, with all the prophecy in Psalms, David could have known that Paul would abolish the Torah? Sarcasm. Did David know that preaching would depend upon a philosophy of the law being a curse and being done away with in the new testament? Sorry, sarcasm again.

My purpose in this series is to define Torah with the very words of Yahweh. What is Torah? What is its purpose and benefit? For me to know this, I want to know what God thinks of it. Was Paul working against the grain? Or have contemporary Christians largely misunderstood him? Have we misrepresented the Torah from the lecterns across this world?

How can the law be such a blessing and be such a curse at the same time? Perhaps we should cling to the many biblical praises for Torah and dissect the sayings of Paul in Galatians.

Who are the lawless ones?

The ones who get literally locked out of the Kingdom of Heaven. The lawless ones. Jesus doesn’t even know them. Why would we preach lawlessness? Why would we practice lawlessness?

Lawlessness? Gulp!

Doing the will of God is an evidence of relationship. We want to heal, to prophesy, we want to cast out demons? All those things are possible without a relationship. What? Matthew 7:21-23 tells us. Messiah tells us this will happen. Who wants to ignore this warning? Not me. I want to be His friend. His servant. I know I’m not perfect, so does He. I want Him to claim me. I want to stand strong in the judgement.

Yes, I want to please Him. Is this legalism? Not according to the Word of God. According to God, that’s being rich. That is to be sought as precious gold and silver. Have you ever, perhaps unknowingly, turned away from Torah, seeing it as legalism? Why? What have you been taught regarding the Torah of Yahweh?

Torah Is A Rich Delight

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Some people delight in their riches, in their Feasts, in their pretend kingships. We are so blessed to have the richness of Messiah and His Torah.

Their heart is covered with fat,
But I delight in Your Torah.

Psalm 119:70

And he replied: Go and say to this people: Listen carefully, but do not understand! Look intently, but do not perceive! Make the heart of this people sluggish (literally: fat), dull (literally: heavy) their ears and close (literally: blind) their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart understand, and they turn and be healed.

Isaiah 6:9-10

In this passage, I believe fatness of heart is contrasted again, with an obedient spirit to God’s Torah.

Cure For A Fat Heart

What is a fat heart? Well, as I understand, it’s not like a heavy heart. It’s one that is satisfied and not in need of any nurishment. Self satisfied or even self-satiated.

We would not want a fat heart because we wouldn’t see that we need the Bread of Life. The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well did not have a fat heart. She was hungry and she found Messiah face to face.

If you have been where she was, with a hungry heart, you likely had that moment where you realized, “I need a Savior. I need Messiah. I need Him to open my eyes as well.”

Then, you invited Him in. How amazing. We are so blessed to not have a fat heart. We are so blessed to hear from the mouth of God through His Torah. What a delight it is to partake.

Communion is a visual representation of our receiving of the Bread of Yeshua and the saving blood. Next time you have kiddish (communion) think about the fruit of the vine (grape juice) first as a representation of his washing of sins. Then the bread which sustains us as we walk in His Way. Halleluyah!

Here is a long (really long) study of this term as well as “hardened heart” and more. By the way, it’s long. Can you tell I have ADD (or AMG attention multiplication gift)?

http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1010-99192017000100009

Here’s a quote which is shorter.

John Oswalt writes: “The faculties of perception and response (eyes, ears, and heart) will be dulled and apathetic,” and “A ‘fat heart’ speaks of a slow, languid, self-oriented set of responses, incapable of decisive, self-sacrificial action.”

Scielo.org

Don’t let your heart get fat. You have Torah. Let it be the lamp that leads your path as you follow Messiah the true King.

Prayer:

Father, King of my heart, creator of the world. I worship you. Thank you for the delight of Torah. You have given it to your chosen seed. Thank you Father for your matchless grace, for saving me through the blood of Yeshua. Bless your Name. Please feed me with the bread of Messiah.

Let the world do what they do. Let it not bring pain to my family. I pray for the famine. Let them see that they need Messiah. Amen.

Check out our new magnets at our new store.
TorahIsShop >

Torah Is A Lifeline

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Bring me to safety!

The cords of the wicked have encircled me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
— Psalm 119:61

I think of Jonah. He was pulled down by the kelp and the weight of his sin.

The waters closed in over me to take my life;

    the deep surrounded me;

weeds were wrapped about my head

Jonah 2:5

Be gracious to me, O Lord!
    See my affliction from those who hate me,
    O you who lift me up from the gates of death,

that I may recount all your praises,
    that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
    I may rejoice in your salvation.

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
    in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

– Psalm 119:13-16

This is great. I love how Jonah tells us of the parallel. Death wraps around us. Evil tries to ensnare us and bring us down into the depths. But YHWH saves. His Torah is a lifeline.

But the evil will be brought down in the end. The wicked will be caught in their own trap. The end will be a literal pit. The pit that the fallen angels experience now will one day be a forever pit of fire.

This same pit will be the judgement of all the evil ones. No longer will they have a hand to touch the chosen (us). No longer will we be a target.

But we have hope. We have it now. We have it eternally. We follow His Torah. We receive comfort. We grab onto the inheritance through the bloodline of the Messiah.

Embrace your adoption. Your heritage and draw near to Him with teaching (Torah) that brings life, that brings light.

Prayer:

Father, you are beautiful. May we flee from evil. Keep us from the wicked that we not be ensnared. Keep us in your love. Keep us in your covenant. Redeem us and feed us through the bread of Messiah.

Father, thank you for the hope in your Torah. Thank you for the promise of your eternity, your kingdom come. May your will, your Torah, be done in our hearts and in our hands. Amen.

My friend. Cling to Torah. It is a life-saver. Have you ever been snared by the cords of death and evil? How did you find the shore and safety?