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Lessons from Hanukah and the Maccabees

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You probably have heard about Hanukah, the winter festival of the Jews in which they light the menorah. However, you probably don’t know the story of the Maccabees behind it. There is lots to learn.

First, I tell you the basic history, and then a little about how the rabbis interpret it, and how the Jews celebrate today. Then, I offer some thought questions.

The wildest thing is how it parallels today! Stick with it to the end. Then, really think. What were the issues then? Now? So, what does it mean to be faithful to YHWH?

Notice, that the Macabees were lauded for serving the good of the whole even at cost to themselves. But wouldn’t have the Antiochus officials said that they should have Hellenized and gone along, and given them more money? Sometimes you judge how much someone has contributed by how much they lost and not how much they gained.

Teaser: I didn’t find the miracle of the oil in I Maccabees.  Not in II Maccabees. Hmmm. But I did read about the Battle of Emmaus! Wow!

More resources.

  1. Get the text.

2. Rabbi Sobel gives you amazing number study  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVjpUHT_slE  

My A&P and messianic friends will like this.

3. Here is the consensus rabbinical explanation. (So very funny: I asked a respected rabbi here this question and he referred me to Rabbi Google. I figured I had so little knowledge that such would not be a reliable source. Was he perhaps unwilling to face public pressure because the people like Hanukah? I may never know.)

https://www.myjewishlearning.com › article › transforming-hanukkah
Why Were the Rabbis So Uncomfortable With the Maccabees?
That being the case, why do the Rabbis decide to focus entirely on this miracle of the oil? The 16th-century Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Judah Loew, offers a concise answer to this puzzling rabbinical emphasis on the miracle of the oil: The main reason that the days of Hanukkah were instituted was to celebrate the victory over the Greeks.
4. Here is the Lubavitcher word on the holiday. They are very conservative, millenial, and evangelistic.
https://www.chabad.org › holidays › chanukah › article_cdo › aid › 4588772 › jewish › 13-Facts-About-the-Maccabees-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm

13 Facts About the Maccabees Every Jew Should Know

13 Facts About the Maccabees Every Jew Should Know By Menachem Posner 1. The Maccabees Are the Heroes of Chanukah The Maccabees were Jewish fighters who led the revolt against the Syrian Greek ruling class, who had suppressed Jewish religion in an effort to spread their Hellenistic customs and idolatrous beliefs.

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Controversial Issues Current Events Holidays Moedim Repentance

Day of Atonement : What is Sin?

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There seems to be quite a lot of confusion about what sin is, how sin is best dealt with, and to what extent gentiles should keep the Mosaic Law. All answered here. And a great time to answer them, as we approach the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement is a moed, an appointed time, one of the “7 feasts of Israel”, and appointment of the people with God.  The Day of Atonement a time to repent, to seek forgiveness of God, to reconcile with God and with others.

I will cover the basic scriptures on this topic from Torah, cover briefly the consensus Jewish thinking and the Chabad/Lubavitcher viewpoint. Then, let’s go into the New Testament about what sin is and how sin is best dealt with.

SHOULD WE KEEP THE LAW? IS SIN MERELY FAILURE TO KEEP TORAH?

We should have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Torah and Tanakh, for without them, we could not understand Jesus/Yeshua. On the other hand, we should not trample the greater gift of Jesus/Yeshua.  Nor should we think we, in our unlettered and prideful state are so much smarter than Peter, James, and John, or Paul. Let’s consider what all of these teachers had to say, shall we?

We will find that both in original Hebrew thinking and in New Testament thinking that sin is “missing the mark.”  What mark? For Paul: the glory of God. High mark. So, how would be come up to that bar? Only Jesus Christ/ Yeshua HaMesiach/Son of God could help us that far up.

This is not rabbinic thought. Nor is it sloppy Christian “messianic”  — shall we say messy legalism.My position is we should have more respect for the Jewish traditions today, more learning about the Torah, and a full understanding of our own New Testament. We get into trouble when the unlearned take part of a Scripture and blithely take away others’ faith. They feel very spiritual and righTeous doing so, but…. the results are very regrettable, first for others who are made worried… but later themselves when they find they have disrespected Jesus.

RETURNING TO THE FAITH; RECONCILING WITH GOD

Today I am most concerned to help concerned Christians back to settled faith, and comfort in the grace of God, after they have been pummeled and battered by ignorant messy-anic folks who want to make them feel guilty because they are not fully keeping the Mosaic law. Sin is much more than merely transgressing the Mosaic Law. It is pretty hard to keep the Mosaic Law. Always was. particularly, now when there is not Temple and no sacrifice.

Sin is bad and we should acknowledge that sin exists. This failure to acknowledge sin is rampant. Sin is foolish, harmful, but also knowing about sin is an opportunity to return to God. Wonderful Hasidic wisdom.  But the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, our wonderful Messiah who is more than we ever imagined, has come and invited us into His own righteousness. This is the wonder. Let’s not overlook that. This is the awesomeness of the sonship message. It is all of grace; it is all of faith; it is not without works.

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2093-atonement-day-of

https://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/yom-kippur/yom-kippur-customs-and-rituals

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/177886/jewish/What-Is-Yom-Kippur.htm

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2830/jewish/What-Is-Sin.htm

https://free.messianicbible.com/tag/kol-nidre/#.YzbaPUzMI5s

https://perrystone.org/the-day-of-atonement-leviticus-chapter-16/

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Controversial Issues Discipleship Holidays Questions and Answers

Feasts of Israel

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Friday night, tomorrow at about 6:00p, Rosh HaShannah (sometimes known as the Jewish new year) begins. We know considerable about the Feasts of Israel, how they foretell Jesus, and about how they foretell the “last days” — which we are obviously in. If you want teaching on this, particularly the prophetic part, let me know. We can do a series.

Ww have had some expressions of interest from some folks, from different angles, because there has been a fad/interest in other parts of the world wide church. It is very easy to get puffed up or hot under the collar or make silly invidious judgements when one does not know a great deal about the subject matter. Let’s get together and learn. It is as much about growing inside as it is about knowledge.

Austin events Holidays Holy Spirit guidance

Pentecost is On — Meetings back to Zoom for the time being

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We had a pretty good Pentecost Potluck party. The Awakening is On. It starts by repentance/healing — letting God clean us out so Holy Spirit can flow through us. It means be being filled. It means moving in the gifts – even in creative miracles. It means speaking the Word in boldness.
I really thank the 3 people who really went out of their way to come. Those who did not, really missed it.
Given lots of ins and outs that I won’t go into, I’ve decided to go back to Zoom for the time being.
See you Sunday, I hope!

If you are looking for mid-week meetings, this week you can tune into www.Revival.com — as well as the usual recommendation of T & Th https://perrystone.org/
and Friday evening https://www.chavdaministries.org/Groups/1000047680/Chavda_Ministries_International/Media/Media.aspx

This guy is in LA and you can get his service in the afternoon, and also Friday prayer https://www.youtube.com/user/ShekinahWorshipTV

Most pastors NEVER recommend you watch someone else – for more reasons that one. I’ll just say: if you have any questions, let me know. Just be sure you are fed. There is LOTS available, so beside YOUR OWN prayer, singing, and Bible reading — there is no reason not to be fully fed and grow as fast as you can, especially if you have to be inside. There is benefit to sticking to one channel, rather than getting confused: one preacher teaches faith and another not so much, and a third not at all. Even in the short history of this church, we have had this problem. So you are best advised to tune into recommended sources.

But it it time to be out. Listen to God and serve people.

Austin events Blessings Holidays Holy Spirit guidance Leadership Replication News

Holy Week letter to Jesus Name Austin

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It has been some time since I’ve had the warm fuzzies of having us all together. We are having connectivity challenges. So, I am taking this avenue, email, which uses less bandwidth. Please respond with increased spiritual bandwidth. Seek God; hear God; and share with us by reply all something God has blessed you with.

Tonight will start the Feast of the Lord called Passover. Once long ago, the Lord rescued the Israelites out of bondage. Most of us don’t put proper attention on how sin binds us. Most of us don’t even see how much in bondage we are in our society, with poor education, deceptive and detrimental medicine, fake & bleeding-is-leading news, a financial system of thievery, and corrupt government. Indeed, we have a substitute value system regnant, that loves sin and hates godliness. But God is working a great rescue operation.

Passover is called Passover because the death angel passed over the houses of the Israelites – who *were told to stay in their homes,* and to *mark those homes with the blood of the lamb*, and *were told to eat the lamb together as a family.* And then to be prepared to move out. How prophetic of our day. Believe God will keep you. Feel protected as you celebrate communion with me, with the Chavdas, with the Enlows or wherever. (See links on www.JesusNameAustin.org for distance communion.)

On the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, the liturgy and the words on people’s lips on the street was “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Save now.” That was the day that the Jewish families were supposed to be looking for a spotless lamb and taking it into their houses. On the day that Jesus took break and the cup in His celebration of the Passover, he was celebrating on the right day, but one day before the Sandhedrin – because over the years they had lost count. On the day that He was crucified, it was the day that families were slaying their lambs. Blood was running.

Then…it looked like the hopes of a the Kingdom were lost. One wondered if the guards or the Romans would come for more of us. The disciples and the women were huddled together. While they didn’t quite get it right in casting lots for the new 12th, it was an act of faith. There would be a tomorrow. Jesus’ mission would go on… somehow. Maybe?

But then, the women, the ones who had gone early to the tomb, came back with strange and awesome news.

We remember this. Let’s remember together.

HOSANNA, BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.

Reply all, or type in the comment section of the website. Stay tuned for instructions for Friday night and Sunday services.

Current Events Healing Holidays Sonship

Answer to Covid-19 Hidden in Purim Story

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Several things in the Purim story (Esther, Mordecai and Haman) are very prophetic. What I noticed today is that the King himself didn’t undo the bad decree, but let Esther and Mordecai head up the routing of Haman’s plans. The King, however, did take care of Haman, who died on his own gallows.

We were told by more than one prophet that there would be a shaking this spring. The world is certainly shaken by the covid-19 corona virus. It is proving a great time for China’s people and government to see how helpful the Christians have been, risking their lives to help others, identified in yellow jackets. It would be a great time for Christians here to prove themselves helpful: non-fearful, non-greedy, and compassionate. Certainly, many are calling us to prayer. Many have urged more prudence than the governments and official medical folks are offering. I always have a virus protocol, scientifically cited on my GreatShalom.org site (a list of supplements like garlics and over the counter sometimes very counter-intuitive things). Dr. Braverman and Dr. Gabriel Cousens are circulating their suggestions (hydration and essential oils and homepathics respectively). Perry Stone ended his prayer meeting tonight with some basic ways to build up immunity including Vitamin C and Vitamin D and elderberry juice. More than one of us have remembered John G. Lake’s experience helping in the plague in South Africa. Plague germs would die when they touched him — verified under a microscope.

Let’s us stand up as sons and daughters of God and be like Jesus. If our immunity is built up as much as John G Lake’s good, but whatever level we are, let us pick up the weapons and gifts we have — and not lay them slack on the ground mesmerized and paralyzed by the enemy. No! We remember the heart of what we were about: Jesus. We follow Jesus. Let’s do what Jesus would do. Amen.

Blessings of health, healing, wholeness, wisdom and God’s peace be to you, yours, your city and your nation. Amen.

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Blessings Holidays Mission

Merry Christmas and blessed new year

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Merry Christmas!

We are under orders LOL from Pastor Mahesh to wallow in Christmas! I saw one of those Christmas movies for the first time. I hear he likes them. Wow! it was heart warming. So nice. If you are alone, do that. And then see, you will want to give cookies or go out to eat with someone else. We need to learn how to love.

Blessed new year to you too. The word I gave on my Learning Disabilities podcast and will give on my Friday night prayer meeting (Facebook on Promoting God’s Kingdom (not my page)) is 2020. This will be a year when whatever you are looking at you should be seeing more clearly. This is a blessing, an encouragement, and also an admonishment to go DO something about it.

Hope we see your face soon. We are learning how to love. Calling in people who want to be formed as a disciple of Jesus. (You know, don’t you, that calling means going out, too? Those disciples of Jesus became his Apostles. That is the way it works.)

Love and blessings.

Blessings Holidays News

Purim Miracle in the News

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You probably know that we have just been through the Purim holiday, the celebrations the Jews make remembering the great deliverance through Queen Esther.  If you haven’t read Esther lately, I recommend you do. You will surely find great knowledge, wisdom, and blessings. Notice how God is hidden in Esther.

If you are following the news, you may have noticed that once again, President Trump has made a formal declaration on a day special to Israel. In response, PM Netanyahu called it a Purim Miracle and once again mentioned Trump in connection with Cyrus (Queen Esther’s husband grandfather more or less.) When Netanyahu mentions the right of self defense, he is also alluding to the book of Esther.

In recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel (as it has been since Joshua gave it to the tribes of Dan and Mannasseh, since Bashan is gone). Further, Israel won the attack upon them in 1967 and have since held this ground. It is strategically important because whoever hold the Goal Heights can easily shoot into all of Israel.

Subsequently Hamas, Hezobollah, and Iran took to bombing Israel. Part of the reason is that Hamas higher ups want to keep the now limited money for themselves, so their people are now in the streets, demonstrating against them. Hamas then opened fire on their own people. However, it is easier to shoot at Israel as a distraction tactic. However, when  Israel gets attacked, they attack back, harder and with superior force. So the “secret” headquarters of Hamas were destroyed today.

At the same time, anti-semitic words have come forth even in the US Congress. Haman builds gallows. Even more wild, the palace plot to take down Cyrus, was exposed this week. Last year, during Purim, when Billy Graham’s body was in the capitol building, Lance Wallnau said that the lies attacking the president would be exposed. The timing has been amazing.

This week also Pastor Mahesh Chavda pointed out that the Abrahamic blessing (that the nations are blessed in Israel/that he who blesses Israel will be blessed) has had an historical manifestation. About the time of the Balfour Declaration, there was a great revival called Azusa. About the time that Israel became a nation, we had great revivals such as those of Billy Graham, A.A. Allen, and Oral Roberts. I will add that about 1967 and 73 we had another great renewal of the church in the Charismatic Renewal. Now, Israel is blessed in Jerusalem being recognized as its capital, the Golan heights recognized, and the principle of dividing up the already incomplete Israel and given away for a false promise of peace is fading. Therefore, get ready for a great tsunami of blessing.

Many people including Pastors Chavda, Clarisse Fluitt, and Kevin Zadai and many others, have predicted a huge wave of blessing and revival. Whether you will be in on it depends upon whether you want to receive it. Open your arms wide to God. Love the Truth or you WILL be deceived. Bless God and bless the people of God and you will be blessed. Love the Truth and you will see through all the smokescreen, all the lies, all the darkness of the enemy.

Although God’s promises take awhile — like how would Calvin, Wesley, Spurgeon have imagined that there would be a modern Israel?– they are sure. Be on the right side. And when you are, you will have reason to celebrate, dance, and send goodies to your neighbors. Ha!

So I impart The Blessing to you. Be in Christ now! Enjoy the blessings of Abraham NOW! Amen.