We had a sizable snowfall this past weekend and the season switched from fall to winter in a matter of hours. Many, I know, are happy. The skiers, snowboarders, and sledders all are having visions of glorious fun in the snow. Even I am glad for the moisture that has been so lacking over the last year.
But it's the driving that gives me grief! As I took my son to school on Monday my car at first neatly plowed through the piled up snow. However, when I turned my car around to return home, a woman, who must park as poorly as I do, had to readjust her park job and backed out right in front of me. My car managed to stop, but when I sat there waiting for her to drive back in, my foot was off the gas pedal and the car was not going forward. Oh, no, I knew that was not a good sign. Sure enough, my car didn't want to go forward, even with my application of pressure on the gas pedal. My tires just could not get any traction. I had to back up and then try going forward again. This time my car cooperated and I was on my way. That is until I got to a stop light. At first my car didn't want to stop. Thankfully, I was going slow and with the anti-lock brakes I stopped just before the intersection. Wouldn't you know, though, the car again did not want to go forward right away. Well, I made it home, but I struggled with that car later in the afternoon when I picked my son up and then again when I took him to work.
What did this intelligent woman do about her car troubles? She lamented to her husband just as soon as she saw him. But the intelligent husband knew just what to do. He checked the tires to see if they were properly inflated. I heard him using our air pump, so I knew that my tires must have been low. Later, when I picked up my son from work there were still some slippery patches, but the drive was much better. Thank you, intelligent husband!!!
Many things in life are like this. We have to get enough food in our bodies for energy, enough sleep in order to function, and enough exercise to stay healthy. Are our spiritual lives similar, too? We need to have enough prayer in our life to stay connected to God and enough Bible reading and studying to grow in our faith.. But each of these things can become pointless and dry, which can then lead us to fall away from God if we don't also have the proper filling of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 26:56 (KJV)
56
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Notice that when Yeshua was arrested His disciples became afraid and fled away from Him.
Acts 2:4 (KJV)
4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:14 (KJV)
14
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Yet after the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit the disciples stood up and Peter began preaching. What a change!
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It is the filling with the Holy Spirit that gives our spiritual life its power. It is what enables us to live our lives in obedience to God. But this filling isn't a once and for all deal. Let us seek to continually be refilled with the Holy Spirit so that our prayer, Bible study, and faith are vibrant and alive. May our spiritual lives be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we are not getting stuck at every intersection and can't seem to move forward!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Reasons to Keep Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. At least that's what the majority of Christians have been taught. Consequently, few understand it and even fewer observe it. But this is such a shame, because it commemorates the miraculous working of God in the lives of His people, no less than David slaying Goliath, Joshua and the "battle" at Jericho, or the return of the people to the Land after the Babylonian captivity.
So today I'd like to share five reasons why keeping Hanukkah is important for the Christian. The following list comes from Light in the Darkness: Hanukkah and the Disciples of Yeshua. First Fruits of Zion. Littleton, CO. 2003. pp. 18-19.
1. Did you know that Hanukkah is in the Gospels?
2. Did you know that Hanukkah is a story of religious persecution?
3. Did you know that Hanukkah is the Festival of the Light of the World?
4. Did you know that Yeshua talked about Hanukkah?
5. Did you know that Hanukkah commemorates the dedication of God's Temple?
Hanukkah is not one of the Biblical feasts of Leviticus 23. However, it is mentioned in John 10:22.
John 10:22-23 (KJV)
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
It was winter in Jerusalem during the feast of dedication (Hanukkah). Yeshua was there in the temple. If Yeshua observed this feast why wouldn't we observe it since we are His disciples?
During the days of the Seleucid reign over Israel, a very wicked man, by the name of Antiochus Ephiphanes, came to power. He was very interested in spreading Hellenism throughout his kingdom. Eventually, he made Torah observance, circumcision, Shabbat (Sabbath) observance, and the sacrificial system illegal. In fact he put up an altar to Zeus in the Temple of God and slaughtered pigs there (the abomination of desolation from Daniel 12:11). Women who had their infant boys circumcised were killed and had their sons hung from their necks. Many Jews accepted Hellenism to save their lives, but a family, the Maccabees, refused to submit to the persecution and started a revolution. Although seriously outnumbered, the Maccabees were victorious. This story is worth knowing and repeating to our future generations.
When the Maccabees retook Jerusalem they needed to cleanse and rededicate the Temple. One of the items that they needed to set up was the menorah. Tradition says that they only had enough oil for one day and it would take eight days to prepare more. Yet, when they lit the menorah it miraculously lasted for the full eight days. No one knows if this was true or not, but this became the basis of the holiday. A special eight branched menorah is lit each night of Hanukkah as a reminder. It has become known as the festival of lights. The menorah has been called "the light of the world". Yeshua called Himself the Light of the World (John 8:12) and drew a connection between the menorah and himself. Why shouldn't this be important to us?
In Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15 Yeshua spoke about a coming time of trial for Israel that would look very similar to what had occurred during the days of the Maccabees. Although the time may also depict another yet future time, Yeshua was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.
Mark 13:14 (KJV)
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Matthew 24:15 (KJV)
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Again Yeshua was drawing connections between the past, the immediate future, and potentially the far future. Shouldn't we understand these things?
The rededication of the Temple was important to the Jewish people. It was important to God. Believers are also called the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Shouldn't we learn something from this?
Hanukkah is indeed a Jewish holiday, but it is so much more than that. It mattered to Yeshua and it should matter to us. Hanukkah is also a holiday for the Christian.
See also:
So today I'd like to share five reasons why keeping Hanukkah is important for the Christian. The following list comes from Light in the Darkness: Hanukkah and the Disciples of Yeshua. First Fruits of Zion. Littleton, CO. 2003. pp. 18-19.
1. Did you know that Hanukkah is in the Gospels?
2. Did you know that Hanukkah is a story of religious persecution?
3. Did you know that Hanukkah is the Festival of the Light of the World?
4. Did you know that Yeshua talked about Hanukkah?
5. Did you know that Hanukkah commemorates the dedication of God's Temple?
Hanukkah is not one of the Biblical feasts of Leviticus 23. However, it is mentioned in John 10:22.
John 10:22-23 (KJV)
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
It was winter in Jerusalem during the feast of dedication (Hanukkah). Yeshua was there in the temple. If Yeshua observed this feast why wouldn't we observe it since we are His disciples?
During the days of the Seleucid reign over Israel, a very wicked man, by the name of Antiochus Ephiphanes, came to power. He was very interested in spreading Hellenism throughout his kingdom. Eventually, he made Torah observance, circumcision, Shabbat (Sabbath) observance, and the sacrificial system illegal. In fact he put up an altar to Zeus in the Temple of God and slaughtered pigs there (the abomination of desolation from Daniel 12:11). Women who had their infant boys circumcised were killed and had their sons hung from their necks. Many Jews accepted Hellenism to save their lives, but a family, the Maccabees, refused to submit to the persecution and started a revolution. Although seriously outnumbered, the Maccabees were victorious. This story is worth knowing and repeating to our future generations.
When the Maccabees retook Jerusalem they needed to cleanse and rededicate the Temple. One of the items that they needed to set up was the menorah. Tradition says that they only had enough oil for one day and it would take eight days to prepare more. Yet, when they lit the menorah it miraculously lasted for the full eight days. No one knows if this was true or not, but this became the basis of the holiday. A special eight branched menorah is lit each night of Hanukkah as a reminder. It has become known as the festival of lights. The menorah has been called "the light of the world". Yeshua called Himself the Light of the World (John 8:12) and drew a connection between the menorah and himself. Why shouldn't this be important to us?
In Mark 13:14 and Matthew 24:15 Yeshua spoke about a coming time of trial for Israel that would look very similar to what had occurred during the days of the Maccabees. Although the time may also depict another yet future time, Yeshua was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.
Mark 13:14 (KJV)
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Matthew 24:15 (KJV)
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Again Yeshua was drawing connections between the past, the immediate future, and potentially the far future. Shouldn't we understand these things?
The rededication of the Temple was important to the Jewish people. It was important to God. Believers are also called the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Shouldn't we learn something from this?
Hanukkah is indeed a Jewish holiday, but it is so much more than that. It mattered to Yeshua and it should matter to us. Hanukkah is also a holiday for the Christian.
See also:
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