Encouragement

Dec 08 2023

Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Two

Once the Maccabees evicted the pagan, removing a statue of Zeus, driving the idolaters from their Holy Temple, they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate it to the Lord. The dedication was an eight-day process and required the use of sanctified oil for the Lampstand—the seven-candlestick menorah that stood in the first room of the sanctuary. But they only had a one-day supply of holy oil, and it would take eight days to make more. Nevertheless, they lit the menorah and began the sanctification process. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! This is the essence of the eight-day celebration. The miracle of the anointed oil with the lighting of the Lampstand in the Holy Place, restored the light of the Word of God again. 400 years of silence and darkness was now going to be broken.

Jerusalem was ablaze in light, as each family burned candles at the doors of their houses. Today they celebrate this festival with a nine-candlestick menorah—one for each day the oil burned, and the center candlestick is the “servant candle” which is used to light the others. God spoke through His prophet Isaiah: “My servant shall bring light to the Gentiles.” John, the disciple of Messiah, said, “Jesus is the true Light that lights everyone who comes into the world” (Isa. 42:1, Jn.1:9). Jesus Himself declared two months earlier, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, “I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). Every day for eight days the candles are lit: one on the first day, two on the second, etc., until on the last day all eight candles are lit. This is why it is also called the Festival of Lights. Unlike other feasts, there is no fasting or mourning. It is a celebration of joy.

Joy to the world!

*See this article by Sharon Hardy Knots and R. G. Hardy for more background.

Dec 07 2023

Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day One

Break out your Menorah and candles!

Tonight, December 7, 2023, is the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. We are going to explore this celebration, the story, and the miracle over the next eight days. To kick us off, here is a summary of Hanukkah from an article by Sharon Hardy Knots and R. G. Hardy.

Setting is in winter
400 years between Malachi and Matthew
God’s silent as Israel was sent into captivity of the Assyrians and Babylonians, because of idolatry.
Secularized by Alexander’s rule during the Golden Age of Greece.
Jews had become secularized and assimilated into the pagan culture.
Finally a group known later as the Maccabees revolted.
Their motto was: “Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!”
The name Maccabees. An acronym, from the first Hebrew letter of each word in the motto.
They took back the Temple that had been desecrated and defiled to restore it.
The rededication to the Lord was an eight-day process.
The miracle of the sanctified oil, of which there was only enough for one day of the eight-day process is the celebration of lights—Hannakuh.

Nov 21 2023

The Power of Thanksgiving

We’re excited to have a brand new podcast: When Mercy Triumphs. In this first episode, our president, Keith Curlee, shares an encouraging word for Thanksgiving. Ben Ward shares a song to open us up. Enjoy and have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Nov 16 2023

2023 Holiday Open House

You can also text or call Ben Ward at 646-491-1304 for more info or to RSVP.

Nov 10 2023

Israel’s Resolve

Israel and the pressure to ceasefire and stop the war before absolute victory.

When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

2 Kings 13:14-19 NASB2020

The pressure that is building momentum on Israel to ceasefire, to diplomatically come to a peace, to vilify them in the name of humanity, while Hamas continues its total disregard for humanity, should be rejected by Israel. In both wars, Yom Kippur and the Six Day War, where they were invaded in both instances, they answered with force and were on the verge of dealing with their enemies, and were diplomatically pressured to stand down. Both were victorious, but because the nations brought pressure for peace they could not finish in real victory.

Now, once again the nations say, Israel has the right to defend itself, but that’s enough. The barbaric invasion they are fighting for is the right to exist, not just defend. Where is the nations’ outcry for ceasefire in the Ukraine/Russia conflict? The nations have always put limitations on Israel and held them to a different standard.

The “peacekeeping” UN is anti-Israel. They fought Israel and the 1948 recognition of becoming a nation. The Sovereign God and His prophetic word brought it into being. Israel needs to continue in its resolve to wipe out Hamas and drive them into the Sea of Forgetfulness, never to be again.

In the passage above, the King of Israel cried out to Elisha for Israel’s deliverance from its enemy, Aram, the Arameans, Syria. He was instructed to shoot an arrow out the window and then strike the ground. He did so but not with the resolve to see the enemies totally defeated. Elisha asked, “Why did you stop? Where was the resolve and the desire to see total victory?”

So often we cry out to God for deliverance and settle for relief and for comfort to be restored.

In 1994 I met on the border of Lebanon with a Syrian Senator concerning water purification. After our discussion concerning business, he asked me to talk politics. He said, “You are a Zionist?” I replied that I was American. He then proceeded to tell me Israel is like sugar in water—it will soon be dissolved. I referred him to the historical fact of the above recording in scripture that Syria exists because of King Joash’s lack of resolve and Syria’s history of conflict with Israel was not something to boast about. Not to mention the fate of Damascus prophetically stated in the scriptures. So much for that business deal.

Back to the subject of Israel’s resolve to deal with Hamas. David resolved to kill Goliath by choosing five stones to slay not only Goliath, but his brothers who stood with him. David did not just kill him, but he took Goliath’s sword and cut his head off. Making sure he did not just knock him out, but ensuring his defeat. He took it and paraded it before all of Israel declaring “the Lord of the armies is our God.”

“To You, Lord, I lift up my soul. My God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies rejoice over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.”

Psalms 25:1-3 NASB2020

My prayer for Israel is that they will not be ashamed and give in to the shamelessness of the nations and their vain imaginations. Shame was the first ungodly emotion that Adam and Eve felt that caused them to hide from God. Hamas will not, will not rejoice over Israel and Israel will not be put to shame. May those who deal treacherously with Israel be put to shame. Hallelujah to the Lord of armies!

-KC