Tag: Yeshua

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.

Torah Is Nearby

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Do you ever feel like evil is closing in like the bad guys in a 70’s Karate movie?

When Trouble Surrounds…

We must remember two things from today’s scripture in Psalm 119:150-151.

  • God is near.
  • The evil ones are far from God and His law.

God Is Near.

“The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”

Deuteronomy 30:14

“The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach)”

Romans 10:8

When the evil people of your community come against you… When your trusted institutions (media, government, medicine) seek your harm… When mythical levels of secret forces mock your way of life and attempt to round you up and push you away…

Your Father is near. He is with you and He is in you. Hear His words, feel His breath (spirit) in your very lungs. Read His Word (living and powerful) out loud to draw near and to provide a barrier, an offence to the lawless ones. Remember His angels are here to. He commissions them to stand for our cause. Halleluyah.

Though they threaten, they are lost

The evil ones are the walking dead, slowly encroaching upon your space. Do not give them your mind, your soul, your strength. Those belong to your King (Deut. 6). They are focused but they are lost.

Jerks will be jerks. Without God’s ways in their hearts, the sinners will do sinner’s stuff. They will be trusted, in a way, to be untrustworthy. Don’t take your eyes off your God. Don’t let your heart cheer for their demise.

Pray for those who persecute you.

Do it now. It is super important to take every available moment to use your weapon. The time is short. You may see that Cruella DeVille turn into a meek child of God. Pray salvation, pray Deliverance. Pray the revival will come. You and I were outside God’s will and Kingdom, outside His rescuing grace. Now we need to serve as a lifeguard.

Using wisdom, of course. Let’s love our neighbors.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, sometimes I feel that I’ve known you forever. Sometimes I forget that I lived in a state of being unsaved from my sin. Let me have compassion on the very people who come after me. Bring them to mind in my prayer closet. Hear me when I pray. I pray for my protection and favor in all interactions. Keep us from their evil and their games. If they can be saved, let them turn to you. Amen.

Torah Is Timely

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His Promise Of Judgement

We don’t like to talk of the Judgement of God. We often dispensation-ize it. We sing songs that tell us that judgement and wrath were for times like the Old Testament Sodom and Gomorrah… “BUT mercy and grace He gave us at the cross,” as if setting the old testament apart from the new is easier to gulp down.

We often forget that the judgement would have been withheld if there were only 10 people who were righteous. The grace of God was alive in 2000 BC as well as 2000 AD. As a matter of fact, ALL of scripture speaks of the judgement at the end of this age. This grace was what kept Yah from destroying the nations who inhabited Canaan while Israel awaited return to their promised land.

Torah Brings Promised Judgement

Judgement is not simply a punishment, it is a vengeance.

The wicked people of the nations do wicked things.

Wicked people do unmentionable things to the “least of these.”

Wicked people fight for the rights of people to do those wicked things. Judgement is, in a real sense, God’s answer to the prayer of the persecuted.

We often ask why so much evil is allowed to exist. “How can a loving God…”

Our loving Savior will come for the very purpose of executing judgement over evil deeds and the people who do them. He will also be setting the captives free and rescuing the little ones who have seen pain and distress at the hands of the wicked.

But Yah Will Save Even The Repentant Evil-doers.

LORD is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not intending any to be lost, but all to come to conversion,

II Peter 3:9 (LSV)

He really does love us. You and I were outside His Way for too long. We can be so grateful that He is so graceful in his judgement.

Not everyone will be saved.

But Yah wants them to.

When will it be time?

When will he deal with the sins of the world? These sins bring death, disease, war, and all types of pestilence. At some point, He will blow the trumpet and take action. There will be weeping, there will be gnashing of teeth. There will be a world of people who say…

Gulp!

At some point, it will be too late. At this point, many of us say,

“Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”

Numbers 10:36

I pray that you are “in that number” when Yeshua returns to reward the faithful with glory and to judge others with the end of their story.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven. You are great and most wise in your actions. Thank you for your patience with mankind. Keep me in your shalom as I wait for the promise. Keep me in your provision as your enemies seek to take away our life.

Your promise will be fulfilled to your perfection, in your perfect time. Help us lead people to the light and away from the dark as we wait for your Hosannah! Amen.

Torah Is Loved

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Can you say you love Torah? Would you say you hate those who are double-minded.

I would say I am frustrated by those who change their mind over and over, but I would not say I hate them. “I mean, pick a lane. Do you want a taco or a beef burrito? Move along here. We got places to go. People to see.” Right?

But I think, as the entire subject of the longest Psalm is Yah’s Torah and righteous living, this double-mindedness is in regards to God’s Ways. In many ways, the double-minded are worse than the ignorant, or the depraved soul.

Maybe that should give us some perspective on this principle.

So—because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth;

Revelation 3:16 ISV

I do prefer the term “spew” but “vomit” works.

Again, Torah is the key

The hate, if you will, is directed toward those who are double-minded or half-hearted toward God’s Law, His Torah.

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Romans 9:13

This can be a confusing concept at first. But, keep in mind two things. 1. Yah is sovereign. 2. Our contemporary definitions are often somewhat off from original context.

However, you will see that this word “hate” is used more in scripture than we often want to admit.

Here’s My Takeaway

Yah spells it out for us clearly in His word that our part of the covenant is to obey His word. I go so far as to say, “obey His Torah.” If we choose to disobey, He can choose to reject (hate) us as he did Esau.

Now… Let me share a good video with you. This ministry does a good job on several subjects. I haven’t seen them all but this one gives, I think, a good perspective on the issue at hand.

As we know, God Is Love. But God can also choose. He can disfavor. He can reject (and He does). Often rejection helps bring us back to His home, under His loving arms of forgiveness. Torah, however, is a huge reason for His choosing (or hating). Even His special seed, Israel, was rejected for a season as they strayed from His Torah.

Let us choose Torah. Let us choose favor. Let us reject evil, even flee from it, to embrace, and run to, His instructions.

Prayer

Father in Heaven. I love you and thank you for bringing me back into your arms with grace, with compassion, with joy as I turned (shuva) from my evil. Help me to love what you love and hate what you hate. Amen

Do you love what God loves?

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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.

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Torah Is 24/7

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His presence is with us at all times

O YHWH, I remember Your name in the night,
And keep (guard, keep watch) Your Torah.

Psalm 119:55

How do we keep Torah at night.

Prayer, study, worship. When we pray, our prayers go forth as offerings of sweet savor before the throne in the Heavenly temple.

It’s beautiful. One thing that Covid did to me is start a new insomnia. Well, I will use this time to spend time on my bed remembering His Name and spending time with Him. Receiving a hug from my Father. Receiving prophetic words for my family.

Like David, I think of Him through the watches of the night.

The enemy is a night prowler.

So it makes sense to do warfare during the night watches. Halleluyah. Awake and do some warfare for your family, for the children around the world. Do some good for the Kingdom as you speak truth to the heavenly wars. It’s not flesh and blood. It’s spiritual battle. Many people worldwide need your prayer. It’s 4 am where you rest, but 4 pm on the other side of the world.

Be blessed as you sleep. But before you do, spend your time with your King. And when you awake, guard your Torah. Honor His word and bring about victory on earth. Amen.

Prayer:

Thank you Father for the time we spend in the night. Let me not waste those hours and hear my prayer. Bless the little children, the widows as they spend hours in coldness and fear. Send forth your ministering angels. Let me not forget your Name and your Torah. Amen.