Branch of Israel

Will My Pet Go To Heaven

2023-03-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

I want to talk on a something that is near and dear to mine and my wife’s heart, so I am devoting today’s topic to all the animal lovers out there. More importantly, I want to answer why I believe we will see our pet’s in heaven.

Before I do, let me preface it with this, I read a few different websites just to see what the various opinions are, and I have to admit that some of the information to me was very sad, where others gave it their best shot. I remember one site gave the impression that animals do not have feelings, therefore they do not have a soul. To me, it was very obvious this person has never owned a pet before.

We are born with a body, soul and spirit. The Bible tells we are born into sin and the spirit is not of God, this is what I believe influences our soul. When an animal is born it has a body but what about a soul and possibly a spirit?

In Genesis 2:7 God breathed into man and he became a living being. In verse 19 the animals are called a living creature. Then immediately after that in verse 21 Eve is formed and not described with any of those things nor did God breathe into her.

The rabbis believe that if the Bible tells you something once it is therefore inferred the next time some of the details are dropped. Also, the words living being and living creature are identical in the Hebrew and both could be translated as a living soul. So is it very possible that God breathed into the animals and Eve, absolutely or they both would have been dead as the dirt they were made from.

If I could stop here that would be enough for me, but now we need to look at what does a soul consist of. The Hebrew word is nefesh which comes from the root meaning to breathe in and out, take a breath, or refresh oneself and is used only as a verb. The word nefesh means soul but as you will see it has many attributes and is used only as a noun.

The soul encompasses more than just a living breathing person it is also a person’s feelings, desires, inclinations, life, will, and disposition, where life is in the blood and breath. Does an animal possess all of these? Yes.

So it seems the main reason people say an animal will not go to heaven is the fact the Bible never mentions it. Well first off all, the Bible was not written for them but for us and is to be used as a guide for our life not theirs. I can see it now a pet owner talking to their dog, “Now Spot in order to receive Jesus you must pray this prayer with me or you will not go to heaven.” And yes I have seen the videos where people have dogs that pray before eating.

So in close, if animals do not exist in heaven, then why is Jesus seen on a white horse in heaven, and why does John see Jesus as a lamb in the book of revelation? What about the 4 living creatures?

Shavuot (Pentecost)

2021-05-16T11:08:00.008-04:00

In the spring just like the fall we have different feasts. The spring brings about two main feasts Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost), in the fall it gives us the third which is the Feast of Tabernacles. These are the 3 main feasts in which the Lord wanted celebrated in Jerusalem every year. The same was true in the days of Yeshua (Jesus) when He and His family went there as well as He and His disciples.

A lot of people think of Pentecost as a New Testament festival but there was a reason the disciples and everyone else were all in Jerusalem that day, it was for Shavuot. In other words, this is a celebration that has been going on since the days of Moses. Traditionally the rabbis claim it is was the day when Moses received the Ten Commandments, but if you calculate it out according to Exodus19 you see that it was more than 50 days after Passover. Shhh! Do not tell them that, it will be our little secret.

Yet… the Lord tells us to celebrate this holiday and how. According to Leviticus 23:15-21it originally was to be a new grain offering to the Lord (vs. 16) and it is to be a holy convocation, or calling together, with no work (vs 21). It is the only holiday that is not celebrated on a specific date but 50 days after Passover. Hence that is how it gets its name Shavuot meaning weeks in Hebrew and Pentecost meaning fifty in the Greek.

Prior to this holiday is the counting of the omer and originally the only way to count the 50 days between Passover and Shavuot was using an omer or a measure of grain. For seven weeks, or seven Sabbaths (vs15) they counted the omer until the 50th day, then they would bring in the offering of the first fruit into the temple.

During the counting of the omer there were other events that took place at another time within history. After the death of Yeshua we the see the following:

Day 1 of the omer: Yeshua was seen by Mary Magdalene and some of the other disciples
Day 8 of the omer: Yeshua appeared to Thomas and the disciples again
Day 40 of the omer: Yeshua had appeared to disciples during these forty days and then ascended into heaven
Day 50 of the omer: the Holy Spirit fell on 120 people as tongues of fire in the upper room

Looking at what each number represents we see:

1 - God as a unity and as a source
8 - New beginning
40 - Symbol of testing, trial, closing in victory or defeat (Israel in Wilderness and Jesus on the desert); cleansing (Noah and his family in the ark while the earth flooded and cleansed itself of man's sinful nature)
50 - Symbol of liberty, freedom, jubilee

How to Celebrate:
When celebrating Shavuot Jewish people all over the world generally will stay up all night and have Bible-thons to see who can read the most. The book of Ruth is generally read in synagogues on this holiday because it tells of something special that happened during harvest to a non-Jewish person. In Nehemiah 8:8 the same word used for convocation in Leviticus is translated as reading or recitation, and they read from the book.

Sounds like a wedding feast to me. I remember we used to take our prayer-shawl, tallit in Hebrew, and hang it on the ceiling like a canvas or chupah as we call it in Hebrew. This is prayer shawl that hangs over the bride and groom as they get ready to come into covenant. Then we would celebrate and dance under it practicing for the great wedding feast with King Yeshua.

Customs:
Some customs during this holiday hang branches, flowers or fresh fruits in their home or synagogue. It is a reminder of the flowers that blossomed on Mt. Sinai the day the Ten Commandments were given. According to Exodus 34:22 this holiday is known for a time of reaping the first fruits of wheat harvest which were brought into the temple as an expression of thanksgiving. This is why it is also known as the holiday of reaping or first fruits.

Another custom is to have dairy products, like cheese blintzes for example, but no one knows for certain how dairy products were introduced. A couple of thoughts, the Lord brought the Israelites into a land flowing with milk and honey. The sages liken this to the verse in Song of Solomon 4:11, Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue…. Another thought, and this one I thought was pretty good, the Hebrew word for milk has a numerical value of 40.

Some events that either happened or speculated about on Shavuot:

The receiving of the Ten Commandments
King David was born and also died on this day (This is based on tradition only)
The Holy Spirit fell
The Western Wall was opened for visitors in 1967 after the six-day war.

The main thing on this holiday is to be led of the Lord and there is no right or wrong way to celebrate it. So no matter how you want to celebrate it, just know that Yeshua obviously wanted all of us to love on Him all the time which is why He gave us His Holy Spirit!

Until next time...

Separation Anxiety

2020-08-23T06:31:00.010-04:00

This COVID virus has really caused people to do some good things, bad things, and not sure whether the last is classified as strange or weird things. Recently my wife and I were watching the English news channel for Israel and they showed that people were hugging trees. Now I know that this is not something new but they showed a clip where people were hugging trees not to protect “Mother Earth” but it was helping them to overcome separation anxiety.

The one I really do not get is they interviewed a lady hugging a tree and her “partner,” as she called him, was right there hugging another part of the same tree. Partner? Is that like a dance partner? The other question to ask, why is she not hugging him instead of the tree? The tree is hard, cannot hug back and has no emotions or feelings towards you like your spouse, not partner, would give you.

So where am I going with all of this? It is surely not to make you think because of Corona that the world has turned upside down, but instead it is a form of separation anxiety. For those of you who are not planning on going to heaven this will be the norm in hell except there will be no one around you, trees included, for you to grab affection from. In fact, hell has no emotion and is devoid of all of that.

How do I know? I never went to hell but before I was a believer I experienced what the devil feels like. Then after I became a believer the Lord allowed me to experience that same feeling again to know what the devil and hell feel like. All I can say is this, it is something that you try to get as far away from as possible and want nothing to do with it. Unfortunately in hell it is all around you for ever and ever and ever.

In Mark 9:44 Jesus is talking about offenses but also is describing hell in part. He says hell is a place where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. Yes I am aware that this verse was not part of the original manuscripts but it does agree with the testimonies of those who have visited hell. I will add this too, it is place where you never overcome separation anxiety because you will have eternity to realize that you should have spent time with Jesus and gotten to know him before it was too late.

So if you want to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior then pray this prayer:

Lord, forgive me for I have sinned against You and have separated myself from You. I give to you everything I have ever done and ask You to come into my life and be at the center of it. Teach me how to walk with You and never feel lost or separated again. Take away from me any anxiety, worry, or grief that I have and fill me with Your love and peace. I love You Jesus and thank You for giving of Yourself for me.
In Jesus name, AMEN!

Until next time...

Basking in God's Glory

2020-07-04T12:55:00.001-04:00

I do not know about you, but I hunger and thirst to walk in God’s glory and presence just like Moses did.

See during the early to mid-90s my wife and I learned how to soak and move in the glory of God. This was during a time when a movement called Times of Refreshing was moving through the body. What was it and what was it all about? Truthfully, it was a time of God’s spirit being poured out on the body and revitalizing them to be able to have the strength and ability to move on to the next wave of God.

How did this work? Soaking was becoming a big thing almost like a fad but for the body of believers. But what is soaking? It is a time of relaxing in His presence while soft worshipful music would play and the people would just relax and let God minister to them without intervention from anyone else.

Before you can ask, how do you know when God has showed up? Let me ask you a question, how do you know when someone has walked into the room without you seeing them? It is through your natural senses; well the same is true with God except your spiritual senses also kick in.

My wife and I have had several occasions where we knew either Jesus or an angel had walked into the room even though we could not physically see Him. We knew He was there and sometimes even to the point as to where He was standing, all the while not being able to see Him, just feel His presence.

See when God shows up you sense such an intangible presence that is weighty and peaceful beyond comprehension. This is called the glory or kavod in Hebrew. Let us examine this much closer.

The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (Davidson):

כבד – I. to be heavy; II. to be weighty, honored, respected, mighty; III. to be or become vehement, violent, great; IV. to be grievous, burdensome; V. to be dull, of the senses also of the mind.

When the Israelites saw the glory they defined it as a consuming fire in Exodus 24:17. God said His glory consecrates as in Exodus 29:43. So it is obvious it not only consumes but consecrates making holy and set apart for Him and Him only.

Another word I would like to look at Shekinah which literally means dwelling or to dwell among men. Such as in Exodus 25:8 God is speaking, Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.

This makes me think of John 1:14, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Interesting, God told Moses to build Him a place so He may dwell among the Israelites, this is the physical. In John we see the spiritual paradigm shift to Jesus coming to dwell inside of us bringing His glory. Oh! Does that mean we are the sanctuary? Absolutely! (Revelation 21:3) In fact, I believe that we have all of what the temple represents (symbolically speaking of course) plus all of the 7 spirits that are upon Yeshua since He is in the temple (Isaiah 11:2; Revelation 4:5):

Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Might
Knowledge
Fear of the Lord
Holy Spirit

So putting all of this together, abide in Him till He guides. If you truly have Him as your Lord and Savior then you should be able to walk in all that He has for you as well as in His glory because it is in us with Him!

For more information see my blog I wrote several years ago, Praise Till We Worship in His Glory.

Until next time... Shalom!

The Love of God - A Hymn

2020-06-10T04:50:00.008-04:00

One evening my wife and I were watching a movie of a true story that took place in the early 1900’s around the time of WWI. Though I was not familiar with the content it was still very moving in how one of today’s hymns came about.

Many have written books and songs about the love of God and have done very well at it. Some of you might be familiar with an old hymn called Love of God. Yet out of the 100% of you who know the hymn, I would be willing to say that probably less than 1% are familiar with the derivation of the words in the third stanza.

Frederick M. Lehman was forced to take a job at a packing plant because of a business loss. While there he had written two stanzas to a hymn about the love of God. Unfortunately he was unable to come up with a third stanza. In those days a song had to have three stanzas. In the movie it was mentioned three represented the trinity and a song was incomplete without a third line.

According to Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Histories, someone had given Lehman a card that he used as a bookmark and the following words were inscribed upon it:

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade: To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole Though stretched from sky to sky.”

At the bottom of the card it told the story how these were found written on a cell wall in a prison some 200 years before. It was not known why the prisoner was incarcerated nor the origin of the words. In due time, he died and the men who had the job of repainting his cell were impressed by the words. Before their paint brushes had obliterated them, one of the men jotted them down and thus they were preserved.

These words fit his last line of the hymn perfectly and was published in 1917. Yet it still does not answer, where did this man learn to write something so spectacular? Well let me take you back in time to the 11^th century to meet a man called Rabbi Meir Ben Issac Nehoria who was a cantor in Worms, Germany.

He had written a poem 90 verses long and the first 44 verses were written as an acrostic. Acrostics are found in the Bible like in Psalm 119 where each line begins with the Hebrew letter of the alphabet, and considering there 22 letters he just doubled them up, like AA-BB-CC…

This poem eventually was instituted and read on the first day of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Shavuot in Hebrew) in Ashkenazi synagogues around the world.

It was not until years later after the hymn was published that Alfred B. Smith would bring to light the reality of the mystery behind the third stanza. Yet even more so amazing was how the words just seem to perfectly fit into the hymn. Sounds like something only God could do.

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star

And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled

And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus:

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints' and angels' song.

When years of time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men, who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God's love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam's race-

The saints' and angels' song.

Chorus:

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Chorus:

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints' and angels' song.

Shalom until next time...

First Four Seals of Revelation

2020-05-14T07:18:00.006-04:00

I would like to share with you something that I feel is probably not discussed in church and is something I am not sure too many have seen. It comes from the book of Revelation in chapter 6 and deals with the first four seals which I believe very very strongly they have already been released upon the earth. You will see why shortly.

Seal 1: Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

I want to first dispute any thought that this is Jesus on the white horse. Why? In Revelation 19:11-16 it describes him on the white horse and He is wearing many crowns and is not described as a conqueror but as Faithful and True.

Seal 2: When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

This right here is one of the key reasons the Jewish people today are still looking for the Messiah to come. They are saying when He comes He will bring peace to the earth, this is why Jesus was not a good fit in their eyes. As of this day and age, we are seeing murders, pandemics, and wars.

Seal 3: When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

Note that in the Middle East oil and wine are very prolific.

Seal 4: When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

This horse’s rider has Hades following, in contrast to Revelation 19:14 where Jesus has the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

If we were to look at all of the 4 colors together, white, red, black, and pale/green, depending upon your version, today we have what is known as the colors of the Palestinian flag (shown in partial within the horse). I will let you research it, but look at the majority of the Muslim nations and their flag’s colors you will see they are all very similar.

When Mohammad’s Muslim religion eventually took off it was ruled by the sword especially after the Jewish people refused to follow him. They started by killing off anyone, including family members, that did not believe like he did. He was sent as a conqueror and has removed any peace in the world. Their religion is all based on works and is judged according to a set of scales. As of 2015 there were 1.8 billion Muslims or approximately 24.4% of the world’s population. Please note that the number Muslims is just an average, but appears to be the general consensus throughout the internet.

I think it is time to take note that the end is near and we need to pray.

Until next time...

Where Am I in the Equation?

2020-04-19T01:08:00.002-04:00

I need to let you in on a little secret about myself. It seems like when I have something that I am very comfortable with, I absolutely refuse to let it go. For example, I have a pair of Israeli sandals that once I got them broken in, or as my wife lovingly tells me, I broke them out, I will not let them go because they are extremely comfortable. Well, the same is true with one of my Bibles. I have had it for well over 20 years and some of the pages in it literally look like something you would see in a Bible museum in Jerusalem with fragmented pages. I rarely call it my Bible but my notebook because I have written so much in it that I tend to use it as a point of reference.

I noticed in Deuteronomy 8 a note I had written, Why the Lord had the Israelites in the wilderness.

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.
(Deuteronomy 8:2-5)

The key to these verses is in the last verse, Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

Is it just possible that God is using Corona to draw us closer to Him? Is it possible that we have become so comfortable with the world that we have forgotten Who created us and everything else around us? I think so. In vs. 17 He states the haughtiness of man’s heart, My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth. See God is not in the equation because they have become comfortable with life going really well for them, just like the frog in the beaker.

I had this exact conversation with God the other day in one of my journaling times concerning the virus. He asked me: Think of it like this when a child is punished, what goes through their mind? I responded, they have been wronged, they are angry, or they do not want to be sent to their room because there is nothing to do. He said, that is it, right there, nothing to do. What do you think would happen if I were not in the equation of something to do? What do you think would happen if all of a sudden life became so hard or difficult that you cannot talk to anyone including people in your home? It would be very hard because people are made to naturally want fellowship, and that is the reason I created man so that they would have fellowship with Me. But there is a problem with that, man chose not to, but instead with other people. Where am I in the equation now?

Man has a will of their own and can do whatever he wants, but again I created man to come after Me, to follow Me, and seek Me not go after, follow, or seek after the world but Me and Me alone.

Life in Me is not like life on earth, this is the reason why people visit heaven never want to leave. In the eyes of a New Ager, it would be the ideal utopia, except theirs only exist in their minds and not their hearts. They are chasing after a lie that leads only to hell. Where am I in that equation?

God is calling to you during this time and giving the exact same chance that He gave to the Israelites in the wilderness. The first two statements in the Ten Commandments are about following Him. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. (Deuteronomy 6:7, 8)

Where is your heart and your focus during this time? Is it on God or on what you desire to do when this is all over so you can get back to, life as normal? Where is God in your equation?

Until next time...

For Such a Time as This

2020-03-09T08:39:00.000-04:00

On Monday, March 2nd, Israel is voted for the 3rd time in the past year. This time however, the turnout seemed somewhat smaller. Even the people sitting outside representing their respective candidate were very few in number. Yet there was still an excitement in the air about wanting to vote Benjamin Netanyahu in again.

In Israel he is known as Bebe for short. One lady and her husband, an older couple mind you, were pulling up to park and had their music blaring, horn honking, and the woman in the passenger seat was dancing and shouting “Bebe! Bebe! Bebe!”

The people obviously are tired of it, but at the same time the majority of the people still want Netanyahu. According to the media it was the largest turnout since 1999. Out of the top 2 contenders he was the only pick, and for now I believe God still wants him in office. Besides, it is for such a time as this. But why is that?

Purim follows a week later on March 9. If you are not familiar with this minor holiday then you need to be because there are some prophetic things that are a paradigm shift to the book of Esther. I will also add the books of Nehemiah and Ezra as well.

For example, in 2015 the day before Purim Netanyahu spoke before congress. I liken him to Mordechai exhorting Esther. It was like he was quoting chapter 4:14, For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” In the very next election America received her queen that loves Israel.

In a Lobe Log article, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that he believes it is “possible” that President Trump was sent by God to protect the Jewish people from Iranians. Pompeo’s remarks came during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, after he was asked if “President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from an Iranian menace.” In likening Trump to Esther, Pompeo added that he was “confident that the Lord is at work here.”

I noticed something interesting that I never caught before, there is a correlation between the book of Esther and the book of Ezra. Esther takes place in the walled city of Shushan, located in Persia. Cyrus was the king of Persia during the time of Daniel (Daniel 1:21; 6:28; 10:1). Not only were both of them in Persia but they also were the vessels God used to help the Jewish people. Esther saved them from being annihilated and Cyrus brought them back to Jerusalem.

Two years into his term, President Trump moved the embassy to its rightful place in the capital of Jerusalem on Israel's 70th birthday.

On May, 14, 2018 the U.S. embassy moved to Jerusalem, 70 years after the founding of Israel, resurrected as the Jewish state, in May, 1948. Seventy years is a completed lifetime, as the Psalmist states: "The years of our life are seventy years". Seventy years in Jewish outlook is an historical time unit, representing a significant chapter in human history. Seventy years after the first Temple was burned by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews were driven into Exile, the exile ended and many returned to Israel and rebuilt Jerusalem. Seventy years signifies completion and full circle.*

According to the book of Ezra the next thing to happen is for the 3rd temple to be constructed. They have almost everything in place but the location. The red heifer exist, the clothing and musical instruments exist, they have started doing sacrifices, and the money still pores in helping to fund its very existence.

Please pray for both President Trump and Netanyahu as they appear to be used as the vessels for these end time days. Pray for Israel she is wayward and yet things must happen and come into play before the return of Yeshua (Jesus).

Until next time...

* Excerpt from the American Thinker

Quote or Scripture - Test Your Skills

2018-10-26T05:24:00.006-04:00

As believers we tend to accept things for granite. It has been a problem within the body for years with most people accepting what they hear as gospel. That is, people make comments or quotes as if it is directly from the Bible.

Well… I thought that we could just play a little game and see how many you can guess are in the Bible or where did it originate from? Some will be obvious and others not so obvious. So are you ready?

God helps those who help themselves

While most people might give credit to Benjamin Franklin, its earliest appearance was found in one of Aesop's fables—Hercules and the Waggoner.
Cleanliness is next to godliness

Rabbi Phineas ben Yair in the 2nd century AD wrote this in the Talmud. It is popularly credited to John Wesley's sermon in 1778.

The Lord works in mysterious ways

This one is believed to have come from a hymn written by William Cowper in 1773 titled, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way."

Who is your covering?

1 Timothy 2:5 reads, For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus. According to Steve Hill, this comes from the Roman teaching that salvation is only possible if you are a part of the Roman institution and submitted to a priest. Hierarchical submission is not New Testament it is an invention of the Roman/Pagan system. It came in when a pagan priesthood was imposed upon the people of God.

Money is the root of all evil

In 1 Timothy 6:10 it reads, For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. The key here is, the love of money.

Jesus came to abolish the law:

Really, says who? In Matt 5:17 it reads, Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Pride goes before the fall

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

God won’t give you more than you can handle

No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I can see where this one might be fuzzy to some, but to me God is giving to us something in a trial to test, not everyday. So when something comes at you it is not necessarily a test/trial but could be from the adversary as well. After all our fight is not against flesh and blood but the rulers and principalities of this world. (Ephesians 6:12) Besides God wants to handle it and He does not expect you to handle anything.

Spare the rod, spoil the child

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. (Proverbs 13:24)

Love the sinner and hate the sin

St. Augustine in his Letter 211 (c. 424) contains the Latin phrase which translates roughly to "With love for mankind and hatred of sins." The phrase has become more famous as "love the sinner but hate the sin" or "hate the sin and not the sinner" (the latter form appearing in Mohandas Gandhi’s 1929 autobiography). Quoted from Catholic Answers

Even though this is a quote it is not too far off from scripture: Leviticus 19:17; Deuteronomy 12:31; Proverbs 6:16-19; 8:13; 15:27; Zechariah 8:17

Patience is a virtue

Some attribute it to The Canterbury Tales, written during the 14th century. However, scripture states patience is a fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; there is nothing in the Torah such as these. (Galatians 5:22 - ONM)

The lion shall lay down with the lamb

Isaiah 11:16 states, And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.

Too heavenly minded and no earthly good

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4) Focusing on Jesus gives us the ability to live life here on earth much easier and with peace, and we will not walk in the fruits of the flesh - vs. 5-9, but instead walk in love vs. 10-18.

BONUS: Can you quote the scripture verse from Hezekiah 4:6?

Well how did you do? Did you get half of them correct? Just to encourage you, I learned from some these as well since I too have quoted some of them like they were scriptural. NOT ANYMORE!

If you have any that I may have missed let's add them to this list. I would love to see what some of you come up with.

Until next time... Shalom!

The Promises of Isaiah 27:6

2016-09-24T17:44:00.001-04:00

In the days to come Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6 One New Man Bible.

What we see here is the prophecy that Israel will become prosperous exporting its fruit to the world.

Living in Israel has taught us to eat fruit in season rather than out of season. In other words, when the mango is gone, unlike in the United States, you have to wait until next year to get more. It makes you really appreciate the fruit that much more.

Israel today is a major exporter of fresh produce and a world leader in agricultural technologies considering the fact that the geography of Israel is more desert than arid enough to have the ability to grow anything. BUT! not only just produce and agriculture but technology, health, and environment to name few more.

The last Hebrew word in that verse is t'nuva which can be Biblically translated to fruit or produce. Today it means: produce, crop, yield or output; the modern word for fruit is peh-rote. There is a company in Israel called Tnuva for that very reason, and they sell products such as milk, eggs, yogurt, and butter.

As one can see Israel may be small but we are very prosperous in many ways and in areas that goes around the world.

Until next time....

Raising Our Children Through the Eyes of Wisdom

2015-03-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

In the Bible a lot of times people read the word law but never really know what it means. A Greco-Roman mindset, or western way of thinking, would think of it like a set of rules over us to keep us in line. While this sounds all good and true it is not necessarily correct.

Background
The Greek word for law is nomos which means: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, usage, or law. This is the same word used for Torah in the Septuagint.

The Hebrew word Torah means: teaching, instruction, or doctrine.
According to the Dictionary of Targumim, Talmud and Midrashic Literature: teaching, law, Pentateuch(the first 5 books: Genesis-Deuteronomy), in general Jewish law or Religion.

Now there is one more word I would like to look at and that is the Hebrew word musar (pronounced: moo-sar) which means: correction of children by their parents, of nations by kings, of men by God, admonition, discipline, instruction, or doctrine.

Application
Let's look at Proverbs 1:8 which states:
My son, listen! Obey the instruction of your father!
Do not forsake the teaching of your mother!
(One New Man Bible)

The reason I used this version is because the rendering of the first the Hebrew word (Sh'ma) is translated correctly. It does mean just to hear, because the root meaning of the word is obedience, so to not only listen but to listen obediently.

Now note that there are two words here that sound similar in this verse: instruction and teaching. Are these words the same or are they really different? Well according to the Websters Dictionary of 1828 it defines them as follows:

Instruction: The act of teaching or informing the understanding in that of which it was before ignorant; information.

Teaching: Instruction

Well if they mean the same thing then what is this verse trying to tell us? You noticed that the word for Torah is teaching or instruction; if that is the case then in the Hebrew both words must be Torah and translated differently to show it is the same thing without being redundant. Right? Wrong!

Let's now look at the Hebrew to see what is really there and how this verse really translates. The first word for instruction in the Hebrew is musar and as you saw earlier it basically refers to correction, but the root of that word yasar (pronounced: yah-sar) means: to correct by blows or stripes, to chastise, to correct by words by exhortation or admonition.

As harsh as this word appears it is obviously not a true father's heart to beat his son till he bleeds, but rather brings instruction/correction by words that exhort or admonish the child. If the child still does not heed his words then yes it is time for a spanking out of love for them (Proverbs 13:24).

The only one that we know who went through this extreme love for us and took a crucial beating for us was Yeshua, as shown in Isaiah 53:5. In fact, the Hebrew word for chastisement in that verse is... you guessed it, musar. In Hebrews 5:8 it says: Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Now lets look at the word for teaching and we find that it is Torah and you already learned that it means to teach or instruct. So how does this apply? Well we all learn from our mothers because they are the ones who carried us, birthed us, and nurtured us. We learn love, relationship, and affection from them. In a Jewish household it is the mother who cooks and takes care of the house, she also is the one who trains her daughter(s) to learn and do some of the same things she does. When they are old enough to marry they will step right into that role without having to learn it from scratch.

The son on the other hand learns the basics of life from her like how to live and love. We see in Proverbs 10:1 that a foolish son is the one who brings grief to his mother. Why? Because she is the one who poured her heart and love into him.

I like how the the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia put it best about the mother's role:

In vain do we look in the Scriptures for traces of the low position which woman occupies in many eastern lands. A false impression has been created by her present position in the East, especially under Mohammedan rule. Her place as depicted in the Scriptures is a totally different one. Women there move on the same social plane with men. They often occupy leading public positions (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14). The love of offspring was deeply imbedded in the heart of Hebrew women, and thus motherhood was highly respected. Among the patriarchs women, and especially mothers, occupy a prominent place. In Rebekah's marriage, her mother seems to have had equal voice with her father and Laban, her brother (Genesis 24:28, 50, 53, 55). Jacob "obeyed his father and his mother" (Genesis 28:7), and his mother evidently was his chief counselor. The Law places the child under obligation of honoring father and mother alike (Exodus 20:12). The child that strikes father or mother or curses either of them is punished by death (Exodus 21:15, 17). The same fate overtakes the habitually disobedient (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).

In one place in the Torah, the mother is even placed before the father as the object of filial reverence (Leviticus 19:3). The Psalmist depicts deepest grief as that of one who mourneth for his mother (Psalms 35:14). In the entire Book of Proverbs the duty of reverence, love and obedience of sons to their mothers is unceasingly inculcated. The greatest comfort imaginable is that wherewith a mother comforts her son (Isaiah 66:13).

So obviously from the point of view from the Torah the mother plays more of a role than we would think today.

In closing a true mother obviously not only helps teach the Torah and its principles to her children but also many other important things that life brings about.

Let's look at Proverbs 31 at the opening statement which says: The words of King Lemuel, the [burden] which his mother taught him. Who taught this to him? It was his mother. I would say that this was a God fearing woman that knew what she was talking about.

I almost forgot one thing and that is the title of this blog is called: Raising Our Chidren Through the Eyes of Wisdom. We never looked at the word for wisdom. Stick with me I promise that I am almost done.

In Proverbs 2:1,2 it states: My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding.... There are more places in the first 10 chapters of Proverbs where wisdom is giving advice, but the question to ask is who is wisdom?

The Hebrew word for wisdom is chochmah (remember that the "ch" is guttural) and this is a feminine word. So it looks like it comes back around again, that the one teaching us is still the woman/mother.

Shalom until next time....

How Many Feasts are there in the Bible?

2013-03-23T14:37:00.002-04:00

I have found that over the years that I can get on a whim about something, write it down, then forget about simply because I get distracted, or move onto something else. The problem with that is I found that I have material here and material there, but pulling it together is another story. Surely, I am not the only one that has run into this before.

Recently, I was asked a question about the different feasts, and as I was explaining it I told him that I would email him something about it. Well, being able to pull all the material together is another thing. It may be in one place in my mind, but in 10 or 15 places on my hard drive. Anyway...

The Bible explains the different feasts to us, and depending upon which book, or verse, of the Old Testament you read depends upon your conclusion as to how many feasts there are. So the question becomes How many feasts are there? Based on Leviticus 23 there are 7, yet according to Exodus 23 there are 3. So which is it? Let's see what is the difference between the book of Exodus and the book of Leviticus, and you will see that the answer is more obvious than it appears.

In Exodus 23:14-17 the Lord is telling the Moses "Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me."The 3 feasts mentioned are:

Passover (Feast of Unleavened Bread)
Shavuot (Feast of Harvest); also known as Pentecost
Sukkot (Feast of Ingathering); also known as Feast of Tabernacles

So the big question is, why does Leviticus have 7 feasts?
If we look at Leviticus 23:3-36 we see them as:

Passover
Unleavened Bread
Firstfruits
Shavuot or Pentecost
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

Looking at the above list we do see the 3 feasts previously mentioned, but did God add 4 more to the list? The answer is yes and no. Let me say this first, in Leviticus even though it mentions 8 feasts or appointed times* (see Keeping the Feasts), the first being the Sabbath I do not include it. Why? Because this is the only one that is repeated weekly, and is a time of rest not celebration or fasting. In verse 4 God tells us "These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them.". They are to be done yearly and at a certain time each year.

Starting with Passover we see that it is only to be celebrated 1 day, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be celebrated for 7 days. Jewish people today say that Passover is 8 days, but that is because they are blurring the two together as one. Dovetailing that is the Feast of Firstfruits, or Harvest. Now 50 days later we have the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, also known in Hebrew as Shavuot. This ends all of the Spring feasts, with 2 feasts.

In the Fall we start off with Rosh Hashonah, or the Jewish New Year; nine days later there is Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement. Finally following up with Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles.

Overall, it should be now much clearer. We start off with Passover closing out the Spring with Shavuot, then in the Fall we start off with Rosh Hashonah and close it out with Sukkot.

We can also see the how this ties in with Yeshua (Jesus). In the Fall, starting off Rosh Hashana we have the blowing of trumpets announcing the coming of a great and mighty King and Messiah. On Yom Kippur, we have the ultimate sacrifice for all us that has been given. Then on Sukkotthe we have the birth of the One all were waiting for. Approximately 30 years later we have Yeshua at the Passover (Last Supper) where Yeshua dies on that same day. On the first day of Unleavened Bread He rested, and then is raised up on First Fruits as our offering. It was 50 days later that the Holy Spirit fell on Shavuot where now we have the gift of tongues.

I realize that the above statement summarizing the 7 appointed times leaves a lot of room for more explanation, but that is not the scope of this blog at this time. Maybe in a latter one I could discuss that.

Until next time... Shalom!

* = I use the word feasts and appointed times interchangeably because of the actual translation as shown in the NASB.

Celebrating a One New Man Passover

2012-04-04T06:07:00.000-04:00

In 2010 my wife and I did a One New Man Passover with Sid Roth. Below is the haggadah he outlined for me. He told me, the whole service should reflect Yeshua (Jesus).

We want each and everyone of you to be able to celebrate it this year yourself, as well as all the coming years ahead. We need to be ready to celebrate/practice for the final feast that we all will partake in with Yeshua in His Glorious Kingdom. Hope that you all can enjoy and have fun with it, and remember to celebrate it with Yeshua in the middle of it. Chag Semeach (Happy Holiday)!

Introduction

Passover is one of the oldest and most beautiful holidays that we celebrate. It is a springtime feast, and was originally a time of new beginnings for the Israelites, even though they fled in haste.

It always begins on the fourteenth day of the month of Nissan. Since God’s original calendar actually revolves around the lunar cycle and not the solar cycle, like ours does, we will always see a full moon on this night. According to Exodus 12:2 the calendar starts anew. In Exodus 13:4 it is to be the month of Aviv (translates to Spring).

We also see that Passover is known by four other names:

1. Chag Ha-pesach (The holiday or festival of Passover)

2. Chag Ha-matzot (The holiday or festival of Unleavened Bread)

3. Chag Ha-oviv (The holiday or festival of Spring)

4. Z’man Cheir-useinu (The Time of our Freedom)

Overview of the Seder

Four Cups of Wine (Represents the four “I wills” found in Exodus 6:6,7):

The Cup of Sanctification: “I will bring you out”
The Cup Deliverance: “I will rescue you from their bondage”

The Cup Redemption: “I will redeem you”
The Cup of Praise: “I will take you as my people”

Matzah:

It is also known as the Bread of Affliction to remind us when the Israelites left Egypt in haste. They did not have time to let the bread rise, instead it was baked by the sun as they ventured out. The matzah is also described in Isaiah 53:

Holes: “He was pierced for our transgressions” (vs. 5)

Flat: “He was crushed for our iniquities” (vs.5); “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” (vs. 10)

Stripes: “By His stripes we are healed.” (vs. 5)

Salt Water:

Represents the tears and sorrow of the Israelites, but it also represents the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea.

Seder Plate:

1. Chazaret: As described in Exodus 12:8, we are commanded to eat bitter herbs (plural). This can be a whole bitter herb, an onion, or a piece of lettuce.

2. Z'roah: The shank bone is to remind us that the central feature of Passover used to be lamb. Since the destruction of the temple in 70 AD all that is left is a dried up shank bone.

3. Charoset: This sweet mixture of apples, nuts and honey represents the mortar used for making the bricks. Its sweetness reminds us of the servitude that preludes the sweetness of redemption.

4. Maror: The bitter herb, or horseradish, is used to remind us of the bitterness that the Israelites suffered as slaves in Egypt.

5. Karpas: This green vegetable reminds us that this feast is celebrated in the springtime. It is also to remind us of the hyssop plant that was used to spread the blood over the doorposts. According to one of the great rabbinical sages of old, Passover was also an agricultural festival and a time for the Israelites to give thanks for the earth's rich bounties.

6. Betzah (also known as chagigah, or Festival Offering): This roasted egg represents the daily temple sacrifices before the destruction of the temple. It also shows the symbols of suffering and oppression in Egypt. While most foods become softer in boiling water, eggs become tougher just like the Israelites.

Hadelaketh (Blessing of the Festival Candles)

(The mother of the house lights the candles and recites.)

Leader: Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olom, she-shalach et bin'cha y'cheed'cha Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, li-h'yot or ha-olam v'seh ha-pesach shelanu l'ma-on n'chyeh biz'chuto. Ah-main.

Translation: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sent Thy Son, Thine only Son, Yeshua the Messiah, to be the light of the world and our Passover Lamb, that through Him we might live. Amen.

Kos Kaddish (Cup of Sanctification)

The first cup is called the Cup of Sanctification, and it simply sanctifies the table and all of the preparations.

Leader: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olom, boray p'ree hagafen.

Translation: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who created the fruit of the vine.

Yachatz (Breaking of the Middle Matzah)

(Remove the middle piece of matzah.)

The Rabbis explain that the three matzahs represent the three classes of Jews: The Cohens, the Levis, and the rest of the Jews (or Israel). Another explanation says that they represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Either way the middle piece is not representative of the name Levi or Isaac, however, there is a very interesting explanation. Even if we could understand a number of things about Jewish traditions and viewpoints it still would not explain what happens to the three matzahs during the Passover feast.

On the other hand, Hebrew Christians today believe this matzah represents the three persons of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Here is one of the many things in the Passover Feast that can be truly understood by the believer in the Messiah, whether they have a Jewish background or a Gentile background. Think for a moment about how the Lord Yeshua observed that last Passover. When He took the matzah, what did He refer it to? What did He say it represented? We will answer these questions later on.

(The middle matzah is broken, wrapped in a napkin and hidden. The children will later look for this piece of matzah.)

Mah-Nishtahnah (The Four Questions)

(The child rises and asks the leader.)

Why is this night different from all other nights?

Once we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord, in His goodness and mercy, brought us forth from that land, with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm.

1. On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night do we eat only matzah, which is unleavened bread?

2. On all other nights we eat vegetables and herbs of all kinds; why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?

3. On all other nights we never think of dipping herbs in water or in any-thing else; why on this night do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in charoset?

4. On all other nights we eat either sitting upright or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?

Answers to the Four Questions

1. We eat these unleavened cakes to remember that our ancestors, in their haste to leave Egypt, could not wait for breads to rise, and so removed them from the ovens while still flat.

2. We partake of the maror on this night that we might taste of some bitterness, to remind ourselves how bitter is the lot of one caught in the grip of slavery.

3. We dip twice in the course of this service, greens in salt water and maror in charoset, once to replace tears with gratefulness, and once to sweeten bitterness and suffering.

4. On this night to recline at mealtimes in ancient days was the sign of a free man. We demonstrate our sense of complete freedom by reclining during our repast.

Makot (The Ten Plagues)

The Second Cup is called the Cup of Deliverance. Ten drops are to be spilled out of the cup. Each drop is in remembrance of a plague God visited upon Egypt while the implacable Pharaohs heart hardened.

(Everyone places one drop of wine for each plague mentioned)

Leader Assembled

1. Dom 1. Blood

2. Tz'far-day-ah 2. Frogs

3. Kee-neem 3. Gnats

4. O-rov 4. Flies

5. De-ver 5. Livestock diseased

6. Sh'cheen 6. Boils

7. Bo-rod 7. Hail

8. Ar-beh 8. Locusts

9. Cho-shech 9. Darkness

10. Ma-kat-b’cho-rot 10. Slaying of the first-born

Maror (Bitter Herbs)

(The maror and charoset are mixed together. Enough maror needs to be taken for the next section.)

The bitter herb speaks of the sorrow, the persecution, and the suffering of our people under the hand of Pharaoh. The charoset is a symbol of mortar, representing the clay bricks which were made by our people in Egypt. Thus, we remember how bitter is slavery, and how it can be sweetened by God's redemption.

Leader: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olom, asher keedshanoo b'meetzvotov, v'tzeevanu al-acheelat maror.

Translation: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast commanded us to eat the bitter herbs.

(Eat the bitter herbs and charoset.)

Koreich (Sandwich)

(The leader breaks the bottom matzah and distributes two pieces to all. The assembled place some bitter herbs between the two pieces of matzah.)

Rabbi Hillel observed that in Exodus 12:8 and Numbers 9:11 we are to eat bitter herbs and matzah together. Thus, this has become a traditional part of the Passover.

(The sandwich is eaten.)

Tsafoon (Search for the Afikomen)

(The third cup of wine is filled.)

(The children may search for the Afikomen and return it.)

Earlier in the service, we asked you to take note of the questions over the breaking of the middle matzah. These were in reference to how the Messiah observed that last Passover night. We want to know what was being represented when He took the matzah. Think of it for a moment. The middle matzah was taken out, broken, and wrapped up in a cloth. It was then hidden out of sight for the first cup and the second cup, but at the third cup it was found and partaken of. Again, what does that remind you of? Just so, the broken body of our Lord was taken down from the cross, wrapped up carefully in the linen grave clothes, hidden out of sight in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Aramathea. It was not until the third day that He was found by His disciples. He was seen by as many as 500 Jewish men on one occasion, and He has been partaken of ever since, as the Bread of Life. Not only is the death of the Messiah taught in the Passover, but also His resurrection from the dead! Is it any wonder that when Jewish people receive the Messiah there is a sense of fulfillment and completeness that is indescribable? They are finally able to see that everything they have observed from their youth points to the Messiah through the Passover and in Judaism.

(The afikomen is broken and distributed to all.)

And He [Yeshua] took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remebrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Leader: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olom, asher keedshanoo b'mitzvotov, vitz-e-vanu al-acheelat matzah.

Assembled: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and has commanded us to eat Matzah.

(Eat the matzah)

Kos G’ulah (Cup of Redemption)

(The third cup of wine is lifted up.)

This cup is called the cup of Redemption to remind us simply of how God redeemed Israel out of Egypt with an outstretched hand. Also, it was our redemption through the blood of Yeshua our living sacrifice. In the same way, after the supper He took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20.

Leader: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olom, boray p'ree hagafen.

Translation: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who created the fruit of the vine.

Kos B’racha (Cup of Blessing)

This is the fourth cup and it is not to be drunk. Yeshua said, “...I will not drink of this cup until that day when I drink with you in My Father's kingdom” Matthew 26:29.

In biblical days, and even now in some of the Jewish cultures, it was customary that after the fathers had agreed on making a match, the bride to be was confronted and told of the proposed matrimony. In a public setting, friends and relatives would be invited to come and witness the betrothal. A part of this ceremony was to introduce the bride to the offered groom and give her the opportunity to accept or decline. This was done by presenting the groom with a silver cup of wine filled to the brim. If he would signify the agreement, then he would do so by lifting this cup of wine and drinking from it. By doing this he was entering into a covenant of betrothal that could only to be nullified through divorce. This cup was normally given to the bride that accepts to sit at times as she would ponder the face of her groom to be, and even drink a bit of wine from the cup to bring to remembrance the wedding feast yet to come.

In the same way, Yeshua is coming for us, His bride, and we will not drink that last cup with Him except when He returns and we can see Him face to face.

Next year in Jerusalem!

L’shanah ha’ba-ah b’Yerushaliyim!

How to Celebrate a One New Man Shabbat

2011-12-03T09:39:00.000-05:00

Before moving to Israel we celebrated Shabbat with a group of people in our home every Friday evening. We always opened our meetings with the lighting of the candles, and then had communion with my wife's wonderful (I cannot emphasize this part enough) homemade challah. After this, if God did not already take over the meeting we might worship, or talk a little about something God had shown one of us, discuss different scriptures, or even do a teaching. In one of our meetings a 10 year old boy taught us from the book of Habakkuk and what the Lord showed him it meant. Whatever we did, we never tried to put God in a box, and He always showed up faithfully every time. That is why no two meetings were ever the same.

Keeping the feasts brings blessings (see Keeping the Feasts) . We knew a man that had his own business. When he kept all of the feasts his business was doing quite well, once he stopped so did his customers. After he and I talked he realized what had happened, and came to one of our weekly meetings. The following week was the busiest week he had not seen in a long time. He now is excited about celebrating all of the feasts because he understands the difference between keeping them and not keeping them.

We want to do what the Word of God states rather than keeping tradition. We long to experience
God corporately and look forward to Him being in the midst of our meetings. We remain expectant for His presence and He never disappoints. Yet, what we did is nothing beyond what anyone else can do.

The following is just a basic guideline to help you start celebrating one of your own.

What is the Sabbath?
God created the Sabbath for all of us to rest including Himself. "On the seventh day God rested before blessing and sanctifying this day" (Gen. 2:1-3). Sabbath in the Hebrew is Shabbat, and literally means to "cease." According to the rabbis the three Hebrew letters that make up the word for Shabbat (SH-B-T) are used to remind us of these three verses:

1. God finished (vs. 1)
2. God rested (vs. 2)
3. God blessed and sanctified it making it holy (vs.3)

The Sabbath is generally observed from sundown Friday concluding on sundown Saturday.

What is the One New Man Sabbath?
God wants us to delight in His plans and His presence as spoken in Isaiah 58:13-14, ...and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and you shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord, And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth…. According to Hebrews 4:9 There remains a rest for the people of God. This Greek word for rest (Sabbatismos) is used only one time in the New Testament, and it means: a keeping of the Sabbath; the blessed rest from toils and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshipers of God and true believers. Therefore, we can all come together into that rest as one in Him, both Jew and Gentile believers in Adonai (Lord).

So on this day usually we greet one another with a Shabbat shalom b’Yeshua (Sabbath peace in Jesus). Expressing not only His peace, but also the full completeness of His rest.

What are the elements?
According to rabbinical Judaism we are to have three basic elements for the Sabbath: the candles, the bread and the wine. Looking at these from a Christian perspective we now see what the rabbis instituted as tradition can now become pure enjoyment. This is because these elements may be viewed as His body. One other item that may be included on the Sabbath is the shofar where this is his voice, which bellows out of the mouth of the body.

Within each of these items we will look at it from the rabbinical point of view, then from the perspective of the One New Man (ONM).

Candles
Rabbinical: In all Jewish homes that celebrate the Sabbath there are always two candles to be lit. Each representing the two commandments found in Ex. 20:8 Remember (zachar) and Deuteronomy 5:12 Observe (shamor). The candles were not originally used. The rabbis added them into the observance of the Sabbath later on. It came about because of the way the Pharisees and the Sadducees interpreted the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament). The Sadducees believed that the Torah should be carried out to the very letter, leaving people to sit around in the dark on the Sabbath. On the other hand, the Pharisees still believed that the Sabbath was a day of rest, but felt that people should be allowed to kindle their lights before the Sabbath began.

Sabbath candles are lit and a blessing is recited over them no more than twenty minutes before sunset. This ritual is performed by the woman of the house, if the woman is not available then the man of the house is left to do it. After the candles are lit she waives her hands over them three times then covers her eyes before saying the blessing. As the mother waves her hands over the light it is to symbolically spread the light. Then as she covers her eyes this is to prevent her from fully enjoying the light until it has been blessed. It is at this point that the rabbis say that the Sabbath has officially started, as the mother opens her eyes to fully enjoy the lit candles and the Sabbath.

Prayer: Bah-ruch ah-tah Ah-doh-nai Eloh-hay-nu Meh-lehch hah-oh-lahm ah-shair ki-d’shah-nu bi-mits-voh-tahv v'tsi-vah-nu l'hahd-leek nair shell Shah-baht. Amen.
Translation: Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the universe who set us apart and commands us in His commandments to inflame the lamp of the Sabbath. Amen.

ONM: As the candles are lit the woman covers her eyes in reverence to the Glory of God. As she is waving her hands it is representative of spread God’s glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The candles also represent his eyes (Revelation 1:14).

Prayer: Bah-ruch ah-tah Ah-doh-nai Eloh-hay-nu Meh-lech hah-oh-lahm ah-shair ki-d’shah-nu b’Yay-shu-ah ha-Mah-shee-ahch or hah-oh-lahm. Amen.*
Translation: Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe who has made us holy in Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world. Amen.*

Bread
Rabbinical: Two loaves of bread are generally used on the Sabbath called Challah. It symbolizes the double portion of manna that fell in the desert on the Sabbath (Ex. 16:22). In some traditions a cover is put over the two loaves. This represents the dew that covered the ground and prevented the manna from getting dirty (Ex. 16:14). Some of the breads have sesame seeds on it, and this is to represent some of the dirt from the ground that might have been picked up along with some of the dew. The bread is broken and not sliced with a knife because it symbolizes the day when all weapons of war will be done away with at the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 2:4).

ONM: Yeshua's (Jesus) body is representative of the One New Man. He was born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem – Hebrew: Bet-lechem). The Hebrew word for bread (lechem) has three meanings: bread, food and grain. Yet the root meaning is to war or fight, as in to fight over kneading the dough. So not only was He born in the House of Bread, but put into a trough where food/grain was put for animals to eat out of, and now He wars for us in intercession (Hebrews 7:25). In John He is a called the Bread of Life (John 6:48), and then He tells the disciples at the Passover to take the bread and eat it for it was His body broken for all.(Luke 22:19).
Not only is the bread twisted together three times and raised three times, but is also baked with a coating of egg. This represents the trinity, and on the third day Yeshua rose for us. The shining egg coating represents His glory that shines forever.

Prayer: Bah-ruch ah-tah Ah-doh-nai Eloh-hay-nu Meh-lehch hah-oh-lahm hah-moh-tsee leh-chehm min hah-ah-rehts . Amen.
Translation: Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe who has brought forth the bread from the earth. Amen.

Wine
Rabbinical: The cup of wine is called the Kiddush, or cup of sanctification which comes from Ex. 6:6 "I will bring you out". The fruit of the vine has always symbolized the joy of God’s provisions in our everyday lives as told in Psalm 104:15. The blessing is recited over the cup to usher in the Sabbath.

ONM: The cup of wine represents His blood (Luke 22:20) and also represents the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). Without blood we would not have life, and without His blood being shed for us we would not have life in Him.

Prayer: Bah-ruch ah-tah Ah-doh-nai Eloh-hay-nu Meh-lehch hah-oh-lahm boh-ray p’ree hah-gah-fehn . Amen.
Translation: Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe who has created the fruit of the vine. Amen.

Shofar
Rabbinical: According to the Mishnah (the first writings of the Oral Torah), the shofar is used for the announcing of a festival, mustering of troops for a war, warning of danger, and assembling the people in the midst of battles, and for coronations of kings and priests.

Rabbi Isaac acknowledges in the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah 16b that “If the shofar is not sounded at the beginning of the New Year, evil will befall it the end of the year. Why so? Because the accuser (satan) has not been confused…”

Traditionally speak there are four ways the Rabbi's blow the shofar.

Tekiah (Blast)– one long blast
Teruah (Alarm) – 9 staccato notes (Should sound like someone crying - signifying a plea for mercy).
Shevarim (Broken)– 3 short notes
Tekiah Gadolah (The great blast) – This is played for as long as possible.

ONM: In Exodus 20:15, the Hebrew word for sound is "kol" (pronounced coal), and the Hebrew word for trumpet is shofar. The word kol also means voice, and God is the voice of the shofar. This is why Ephesians 6:12 tells us "…we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm." Therefore, we blow it (not necessarily according to how the rabbi's do it) to clear the air spiritually with His voice, yet, we also use it to welcome our Lord Yeshua’s presence into our home.

Conclusion
The most important thing to remember is no matter how you celebrate it, never get in the way of God, and never ever try to do it a particular way every time. It is alright to go into it with an agenda, but be willing to step aside when God tells you "I got it from here."

Until next time... Shalom!

* = Walk With Y’shua the Through the Jewish Year, Janie-sue Wertheim and Kathy Shapiro; Purple Pomegranite Productions.

The Circle

2011-09-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Recently my wife and I were at a beach in Kiryat Chaim (click on the location link below this article) after Shabbat, where we stood and watched a crowd of people, mostly adults, dance in a large circle (see photo). It reminded me of dances like The Freeze and Line Dancing. As if on cue, everybody knew the dance routine to each song, and it appeared as if no two dances were identical. I was told that they learn these dances from kindergarten age.

About that same time I read an article in a Jewish newspaper, as part of my reading for my Hebrew studies, titled: Choni HaMagel and until cake cake cake. As an outsider having not been raised here in Israel this baffled me as to what it meant. So of course I ran it by my Hebrew instructor, and he explained to me that first of all HaMagel means the circle maker, and is not Choni's last name as I initially presumed. He then explained to me that the three references about the cake refers to a circle dance that little children in kindergarten learn.

So what is the deal with the circle?

There are many references to circles all around us, both obvious and not obvious. We see from photos of the earth that it is round, some of the creatures of heaven are round like a wheel (Ezekiel 1:15-21), and around the throne in heaven are the 24 elders (Revelation 4:4). In the less obvious, cells in our bodies are round, and atoms are rounds.

The Hebrew word for feast or festival is chag, which is usually in the form of a circle for dancing and feasting. It can also mean that the feast is to be celebrated in a circular or yearly fashion. Another Hebrew word dor translates to generation, and can also be the word for circle, in the sense of generations which are a circular or cyclic in nature.

In our Greco-Roman mind we see the creation as the beginning of a time line and its destruction as the end of that timeline, but the ancient Hebrews see time as a circle. As believers we should know that life will continue on whether here on earth, or in heaven or hell.

God obviously had something behind the purpose for the circle more than we can even imagine.

Oh... so what about Choni? Well the story goes something like this. He was living in a village where it had not rained for a very long time, and the people inquired of him to pray for rain. So he had decided to go out into the field and draw a circle in the ground. He placed himself inside the circle and told God that he refused to come out of that circle until it rained. Unfortunately, it did but not enough to do anything. He petitioned God again that it was not enough and that he was not coming out until they got a sufficient amount rain to fill the cisterns and the underground storage tanks. It did just that.

To finish the story, there was such an abundance of rain that the people approached the man asking him to pray and ask God to stop the rains. God honored his prayers and the rains ceased.

Until next time... Shalom!

Moving from the Month of Nissan into Iyyar

2011-05-31T15:15:00.007-04:00

There are some things that I have been learning since living here in Israel that I was not aware of before. Because they are so new to me, I have decided to let Wikipedia do the explaining this time.

As most of you know, the month of April ended with Passover and it turns out that there is one holiday that Israeli's make a big deal out of. On the last day of Passover there is a celebration called Mimouna. It is my understanding that it originally came from Morocco. Either way, businesses close down and everyone enjoys this day with cookouts and get togethers. I thought that I was the only one who got excited about getting to eat bread again after Passover, but here it is a common thing obviously. Now we all know why they like to have this celebration.

The month of May started and ended with some different events that I was not familiar with in the United States. The first one was Yom Hazikaron which is Israel's memorial day and was celebrated on Monday, May 9th. On that day the air raid sounded for 2 minutes and a few of us went outside to stand in honor of the opening of this memorial day with our hands on our heart (which they tell school kids to do). I was later told by one Israeli that I work with, that at that very moment vehicles everywhere stop and people get out of their cars to stand in respect of those who lost their lives. Wow!

The next event is called Yom Ha'atzmaut and this is the celebration of Israel's independence in 1948. Everything literally shuts down for this celebration which begins on the evening of May 9th right as Yom Hazikaron is ending. We were in Jerusalem that Monday for dinner and to see how they celebrate this wonderful occasion. The excitement of things did not really get rolling until 9pm that night. There was literally 4-5 different concerts going on throughout Jerusalem. It is literally like our July 4th. Then the evening ended with fireworks displays everywhere.

On the following day and throughout, different aircraft could be seen flying by in formation. Ranging from helicopters to large commercial jets, both civilian and military. The most impressive one to me, was El Al doing a formation fly by which comprised of several different jets from old to new.

We are looking forward to seeing more and more of the celebrations here in Israel, whether common or not compared to what we had in the states. It is just the thought of being here and getting to be a part of it that makes it exciting.

Until next time... Shalom!

What Ever Happened to Passover

2011-04-23T03:32:00.008-04:00

The Passover season is finally upon us and we can celebrate one of most momentous feasts talked about in the Bible. It is also one of the more enjoyable holidays by both Jews and Christians alike. Even though the two groups differ only in one area, the Jews choose to keep it yearly (Lev. 23:4), whereas, the Christians go one time.

Consider this feast as part of the cycle of blessings (see Keeping the Feasts) which should be kept yearly if we want to walk in them.

As is with every tradition, things always get added to or taken away from. In the case of Passover it was added to quite a bit from its original inception. Let's look and see what happened.

Preparation Before the Meal:
In some Jewish homes (generally more orthodox) they will go to great extremes to clean the house. There will be a removal of all of the leaven (chametz in Hebrew) even to the point where utensils that touched any leaven may even be sold to the next door neighbor, and then bought back after the Feast of Unleavened Bread is over. Some Jewish grocery store owners have even done a similar thing by selling their store during this season and then buying it back afterwards.

After the home has been thoroughly cleansed the father and the children will go around the house with a candle, a feather, a wooden spoon and a paper bag. The mother of the home will already have placed some bread crumbs around the house in the corners, and the father will search for it with his candle. When he finds it, then he scoops it into the wooden spoon with the feather then dumping it into the paper bag. Once this process is fully completed, the father will then announce that they found all of the leaven and then take all of the utensils outside to be burned.

How much more should we as believers be willing to clean our homes (both spiritual and physical) when it comes to the leaven (junk) in our lives. Yet, we tend to watch things, say things or even posses things that we know we would be too embarrassed for Yeshua to see, and still expect God to move supernaturally for us.

The Day of the Service:
Now that the house has been cleansed, it is time to prepare the meal and the table. The table is arranged elegantly because this is, though a tradition, a very special occasion/meal.

As the family members, and sometimes friends, come together they carefully arrange themselves around the table noting not to take the head seat or the special reserved place at the table. The leader, generally the father or grandfather, of the service will take his seat at the head of the table to officiate the meal.

Seder (Order of the Service):
Please keep in mind that Passover is a variation on the theme. In other words, no two homes will do it exactly alike, yet the overall theme is the same. Some homes will have a six hour meal and others only a one hour meal.

According to Exodus 12:8 we are to eat a roasted one year old male lamb without blemish with bitter herbs (note that it is plural) and matzah. That was it and nothing more! But somehow the Rabbi's got their hands on this and felt that there needed to be something more to it. So what went from a simple evening meal designed by God turned out to be a long drawn out feast designed by man. [Please note that I am by no means bitter about this at all. Because I have been doing this since I was a child, and still continue to do it to this day (except for much larger crowds). My wife and I thoroughly enjoy celebrating the Passover even with the extra stuff added in, and it never seems to get old to us.]

It should also be noted that when the rabbi's instituted all of the extra items into the Passover they also did it with the Messiah in mind. I believe very strongly that God uses man in ways that they are not even aware of. Especially the sages of the past with their so called "religious ideas."

One of the items placed on the table which gets lots of attention is a seder plate. It is a round dish with six items carefully arranged according to its Hebrew word on the plate itself. They are as follows:

Chazaret: As described in Exodus 12:8, we are commanded to eat bitter herbs (plural). This can be a whole bitter herb, an onion, or a piece of lettuce.
Z'roah: The shank bone is to remind us that the central feature of Passover used to be lamb. Since the destruction of the temple in 70 AD all that is left is a dried up shank bone.
Charoset: This sweet mixture of apples, nuts and honey represents the mortar used for making the bricks. Its sweetness reminds us of the servitude that preludes the sweetness of redemption.
Maror: The bitter herb, or horseradish, is used to remind us of the bitterness that the Israelites suffered as slaves in Egypt.
Karpas: This green vegetable reminds us that this feast is celebrated in the springtime. It is also to remind us of the hyssop plant that was used to spread the blood over the doorposts. According to one of the great rabbinical sages of old, Passover was also an agricultural festival and a time for the Israelites to give thanks for the earth's rich bounties.
Betzah: It is also known as chagigah, or Festival Offering. This roasted egg represents the daily temple sacrifices before the destruction of the temple. It also represents a symbol of life itself, a triumph over death.

Now here is an example of the order of a somewhat typical service which is taken from my Hagaddah (a book used by Jewish people to help guide them through the meal. The word means "to tell".):

Bedikath Chametz - Removal of the leaven
Hadelaketh - Blessing of the festival candles
Kos Kaddish - Cup of Sanctification
Urchatz - Washing of the hands
Karpas - Greens
Yachatz - Breaking of the middle matzah
Mageed - Story of God's redemption
Mah-Nishtahnah - The Four Questions
Arba-Aht Ha-Baneem - The Four Sons
Makot – The Ten Plagues
Dayenu - It would have been enough for us
Rachatz – Washing of the hands
Motzi-Matzah - Blessing over the matzah
Maror - Bitter herb
Koreich - Matzah and maror sandwich
Shulchan Orech - Festive meal
Tsafoon - Search for the Afikomen
Kos G’ulah - Cup of Redemption
Boreich - Blessing after the meal
Kos Hallel - Cup of Praise
Kos Eliyahu - Cup of Elijah
Nirtzah - Closing Prayer

As you can see the list is quite extensive and it should be fairly obvious why a Passover meal can take a few hours or more. Not to say, quite a while before getting to the meal itself. There are Jewish people today that do not like a lengthy meal, and yearly the jokes come out about how long Passover takes to do. Visit Aish.com around this time of year and you will find plenty of humor there along with some videos.

Also in my Hagaddah I have a section called the One New Man. This is an abbreviated section which leaves out items that do not point to the Messiah. If you would like to receive a free copy please email me and I will send it to you. Specify whether you would like the traditional version or the One New Man version.

Conclusion:
As we have seen, the original Seder meal was only suppose to be as long as a regular meal takes to eat today, but then the sages stepped in and added their opinions to it. Whether it is right or wrong does not matter, what matters is that we can see Yeshua all through it. Which to me clearly states that this is one feast that He truly Fulfilled.

Until next time... Shalom!

Praise Till We Worship in His Glory

2011-02-26T06:11:00.008-05:00

Recently I was on my way to the Ministry of Interior to apply for Aliyah, after having been there a few times before. As I was going to transfer buses the Lord spoke to me saying “meet Me at the wall.” I said, “Lord can’t you talk to me here?” Considering He is omnipresent. "Why the wall?" I asked. All I heard was “less distractions.”

So I hopped on the bus going the opposite direction, and along the way He tells me to open one of the prayer books to page 76 when I get there. After I arrived there the first thing I thought of was that I wanted to go into the room at the back left corner of the wall.

Entering the room I could feel His ever strong presence as I had before. Yet I also noticed something, a lot of people standing right where I wanted to be. So I started to push my way to the back of the room when I stopped to see why all these men had gathered in a circle. Suddenly an older man grabs me and tells me in English to get closer as if he was wanting me to be a part of what was going on. That is when I realized that it was a bar-mitzvah, but not just one bar-mitzvah but three of them at the same time throughout the room. I watched for a minute or two, but knew that God called me there for a purpose and it was not to partake in a bar-mitzvah (so I thought).

I finally made my way over to the area where I had felt God the strongest before, but noticed that all of the prayer books were in use. So I started to pray waiting for one to become available. During my prayer I was not getting anything. Instead I was still trying to figure out what the difference was between being distracted at the bus station and being distracted by all of the bar-mitzvahs all about.

When one did come available I quickly grabbed it up, opened to the page God told me to and prayed the only prayer on that page. Nothing exciting except that it was a basic prayer of blessing, and I do not even remember over what. Then I happened to glance down towards the bottom of the page and read the following commentary:

“The sages taught that one should set forth the praises of God before making requests of Him.” Then they compared two Hebrew words d’zm’rah to the verb tizmor (prune) as found in Leviticus 25:4. They went on to say, “We are to recite verses of pruning which are designed to cut away the mental and spiritual hindrances for proper prayer. Thus by focusing on God’s glory all around us.”

Right away I thought of John 15:1-8 (NASB)

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

Larry Lea years ago did a study on the Lord's prayer which really launched his ministry internationally. He found that we need to open up with praises to Him (...Hallowed be thy name). Considering that the Lord's prayer has six parts to it, he mentioned that we need to praise him for ten minutes. This was how he was getting his church and people around the world to pray for one hour.

I looked up the root meaning for prune and it means to pluck. As if plucking an instrument or fruit off of a tree. If we abide in Him (Yeshua), and we allow Him to prune us then we will bear much fruit. I have to agree with the sages that pruning (praising) is a cutting away of the flesh and the spiritual hindrances in our daily lives. The other thing to keep in mind is that Yeshua gave us ALL authority as well. That means that we too can take authority over the bugs (spiritual) that attack our flesh and Spirit man.

Ruth Ward Heflin stated in her book Glory that not only do we need to praise Him, but we also need to worship Him then the glory will fall. Worship is a form of pruning.

Worship helps us to get rid of a lot of life’s spiritual and natural frustrations. Through worship God brings to us a wholeness of body, mind and spirit. God is refining our understanding of true worship. True worship comes from the heart, in love and adoration unto the Lord. [W]e praise until the worship comes, so, if we want the glory, we worship until the glory comes. When you praise, worship comes, and if you want a great depth of worship, then you must have a great height of praise which enables you to ascend to the top of the hill. - pp 80,86.

My wife and I learned this simple process back in the mid 90's and have applied it in our own lives numerous times finding it to be very true. As a result, we have seen healings, angels in our meetings, people getting set free from oppressions, true worship....

Now please know that I do not normally agree with the rabbis or the sages (rabbis that were teachers of the oral Torah known throughout history – e.g. Hillel, Akiva or Gamaliel found in Acts 5:34), but once in a great while they actually get it right. Not only do I believe that this one of those times, but I will step out on a limb to even say that I feel sometimes that they get actual revelation(s) from God. A lot of the sages that wrote these commentaries in the Mishnah (writings of the oral Torah) were after Yeshua’s time.

Is is just possible that they may have understood the principles of what Ruth Ward Heflin realized centuries later? After all according to what they said, we need to praise first then focus on verses concerning pruning, or should I say verses concerning worshiping Him. Think of the Psalms.

If you are a worshiper or a worship leader, then apply these simple Jewish principles and watch God move. He will not let you down. Based on personal experience I can promise you that.

To finish my story about the bar-mtizvah, I watched it until the very end and was a little saddened because they all walked away quietly without singing and rejoicing like they had done earlier. Yet, I still felt that they had praised and worshiped God in their own way.

Until next time... Shalom!

To Bless or Curse, that is the Question

2011-01-01T15:15:00.000-05:00

Generally when we think of a blessing we usually think of it as something that is a standard to say or to do. Like the Catholics bless with the signing of the cross over people so as to sanctify them, the Jewish people raise their hands spreading their fingers apart representing the Hebrew letter shin (the first letter of the Hebrew word for Almighty). Others believe that it is to be an exclamation like, "bless you brother/sister", or "I am so blessed." But does anyone really know what it means? This is the problem because we tend to use words in our vocabulary without checking them out. We hear our kids do it all the time. They use slang words because they want to be cool like their friends, but really have know clue what they are saying. The body of believers do it as well.

I hope that this short teaching will help explain the differences in the things we say and why some of them should never be released into the airways. Proverbs 18:21 states the tongue speaks both life and death. That means that we bless (life) and curse (death) out of the same mouth and do not know it. I hear Christians make poor confessions all the time and then wonder why they are sick, unhappy at times, or having problems in their lives. Yeshua states in Matthew 15:17-20 that only what comes out of our mouth from the heart defiles (death) us.

Cursings:

In the list below I have chosen not to add one of the words for curse because I feel that it does not belong here. The word is bless, and an example of this is found in the book of Job (1:11 as curse, and 1:5 cursed also translated blasphemed). The reason the author translated this word as curse is because it means the opposite of to bless. The actual Hebrew reads no bless(ing).

Here are five different words for curse from the Hebrew.

Kah-lahl – To be lacking or light (as in something is missing – like a light material is not strong or sturdy). Gen. 8:21
Ah-rar – A very strong and harsh word that means to abhor or detest , but its root meaning is to spit. The action behind the word is to flow (more as a liquid like spitting saliva is a flow). This means that you can flow in cursings just like you can in blessings. Ex. 22:28 (pray for our president)
Qah-vav – To pierce through creating a cavity or a hole. Num. 22:11
Nah-kav - Means the same thing as Qah-vav . Prov. 24:24
Ah-lah – An oath as in a binding agreement which includes the curse if it were to be broken. Neh. 10:29.

Blessings:
I like the way Jeff Benner (Ancient Hebrew Research Center) best describes it:

The Hebrew verb barach means to bless as seen in Genesis 12:2 but can also mean kneel as in Genesis 24:11. A related Hebrew word is b'rachah meaning a blessing or a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete meaning behind barach in the sense of a blessing. It is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. God "blesses" us by providing for our needs and we in turn "bless" God by giving him of ourselves as his servants.

Now putting this all together, let us look at a scripture verse to see how some of it actually applies.

Genesis 12:3
And I will kneel before those presenting gifts (b'rachah) who will kneel before you presenting gifts (b'rachah), and those who give lightly (qah-lahl) to you, I will spit upon (ah-rar).

Obviously we need to be very careful in what we say and do because it is apparent that a blessing carries more weight than a curse. Besides I want to be in His perfect will and get lots of good gifts.

Until next time - Shalom!

Proverbs

2010-11-07T10:55:00.000-05:00

The book of Proverbs was written to be used as a wise set of rules that we should follow. That is why some of them were written as parables so that it would be easy for us to understand and remember.

The Hebrew word for proverbs (pronounced: mish-lay) actually means to compare as a parable or a story. The root meaning behind this word is to rule or have dominion. This would be someone who compares, as a rule, to help keep one on the right path. Or as parents we have dominion, or authority, to help set our children straight based on the Word of God. As stated in Deuteronomy 6:7 (NAS), "You shall teach them [God's Word] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

The original Webster's dictionary of 1828 defines it as, "a canonical book of the Old Testament, containing a great variety of wise maxims, rich in practical truths and excellent rules for the conduct of all classes of men."

Examples of these definitions are shown between the fool and the wise man, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel – 12:15 NAS. Other examples we see are in the first several chapters of the book of Proverbs. Solomon is emphasizing to a young man, as if his own son, to stray from the seduction of the adulterous wife, stay out of sin or watch out for the wicked.

Wisdom is also seen crying out in a similar manner. Now, is it possible that Wisdom is also the Holy Spirit that calls to us to help keep us straight? The Hebrew word for Wisdom (chah-ch-mah - keep in mind that "ch" is guttural) is feminine in gender, and the same word for Spirit in Hebrew (roo-ach) is also feminine in gender. If we truly believe that the three are one, then is it possible that Wisdom and the Spirit of God are also one in the same? I leave that up to you to decide because it goes beyond the scope of this writing (not to say that I might not pick it up myself sometime later on.)

Now when Yeshua (Jesus) walked the earth He also spoke in parables, and it was for a two-fold purpose:

He spoke with the same wisdom and teaching that the writers of Psalms did. And He was not trying to change what the Jewish mindset already understood with a new mindset.(Matthew 5:17-19; Revelation 22:16;Proverbs 30:6; Deuteronomy 4:2;12:32 )
He also spoke these parables as something that we could learn from to live our lives by.

I would like to sum it up with this for now from Proverbs 1:2. For me this is the key verse for all of Proverbs in Solomon's opening words. I personally translated this from Proverbs (hopefully I will have the rest of Proverbs 1 to post at a later date). It states: To know wisdom and correction, to understand with discerning words of understanding. Stay close to the Holy Spirit and He will lead, teach and correct you in all that you do (Proverbs 3:5,6). Until next time... Shalom!

Sukkot

2010-09-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

According to Leviticus 23 we are to celebrate Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, on the 15th day of Tishri of the Jewish calendar. It is to be an 7-day celebration of great rejoicing, remembering the use of the huts that our ancestors might have lived in while in the wilderness for 40 years. Of course the huts we see today are flimsy and nowhere as sturdy as those back then. The roofs may be constructed from either bamboo sticks or palm branches, loosely arranged so that the sky can be seen through them. It must have at least three walls large enough for a small family. This way Jewish people today can truly get a feel for how our ancestors felt when they would sit down to eat. You may also see fruit hanging from them. This is because it commemorates the harvest season in Israel and as such, this festival is also known as the Holiday of Ingathering. Jewish people all over the world will either spend the week in these huts eating and sleeping, just enjoying a meal or two, or have it as a reminder to them of our ancestors.

In Nehemiah 8:17 it states that from the time of Joshua, the son of Nun, until after their release in captivity from Babylon they did not sit under their huts. This was about a period of 800-900 years.

Water Libation
Every morning during the Feast of Tabernacles, the priest, along with the rest of the congregation would go down to the Pool of Siloam and draw water into a golden basin. Then they would enter through the Water gate (which is where it got its name) as they would walk back to the temple when they heard three blasts of the silver trumpets played. Now at the same time as the priests were going to get the water, another procession went to a place in the Kidron Valley close by called Motza. Where the people gathered willow branches, and stuck them on either side of the altar of burnt offering, bending them over towards it, so as to form a kind of leafy canopy.

Then the priests, who gathered the water, would go up to the altar to where 2 silver basins with narrow holes in them were located. The basin on the eastern side had a little wider opening for the wine, and the one on the western side had a smaller opening for the water. The wine of the drink offering was poured at the same time the water from Siloam was poured into the basins. The wine and the water came together under the altar and flowed together back to the pool of Siloam. Here we remember what is written in John 19:34, “…but one of the soldiers pierced [Jesus’] side and immediately blood and water came out.”

With the drawing of the water, there was much rejoicing and celebration going on in the temple. In fact, this joy was so immense and the celebrations so uplifting that the sages of Israel emphatically stated in the Mishna (Sukkot 5:1) that, “He who has not seen the celebration of the Festival of the Water Libation has never experienced true joy in his life”. Let us remember that Jesus is our Living Water as described by the prophet in Jeremiah 2:13, "For my people have committed two evils: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water!”

After the water libation ended then all the worshipers would sing the Hallel (Psalms113-118). This was generally sung while a choir of flutes was playing, unless it was on the Sabbath. At the end of Psalms 118 everyone with their lulavs would shake them towards the altar.

Lulav and Etrog

In Leviticus 23:40 and Nehemiah 8:14-18 the rabbi’s had determined that “…the fruit of the goodly trees” was referring to the etrog, and the “…the boughs of thick trees” refers to be the myrtle. The “…branches of palms” meant the lulav, and the “…willows of the brook” referred to the willow trees.

The etrog looks like a slightly larger lemon only harder, and has a slight lemony fragrance since it is in the same family. It is to be without spot or blemish, and is considered the most important symbol of the four items. The palm branches must be strong enough and high enough to be shaken. The myrtle is believed to be a small leafy tree.

It is believed the waving of the lulav is not based on the wave offering as described in Leviticus 7:34 or 14:12, but instead according to the Talmud it is done to keep off evil spirits.

Waving the Lulav and Etrog
The following should be done slowly and deliberately concentrating on the symbolism’s and intentions of the act.

Stand facing east.
Hold the lulav out to the east (in front of you) and shake it three times. Each time the motion of shaking should be a drawing in to you -- i.e., reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in.
Repeat the same motion three times to your right (south), behind and over your shoulder (west), to your feet (north), raising it up above you, and lowering it down below you.
The lulav is also waved during Hallel while saying: "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever." This verse occurs twice during Hallel.
The lulav is again waved while saying: "Let Israel say that His lovingkindness endures forever"
Again it is waived while saying: "We implore You, Lord, save us." For those of us already saved, then we could say something like: "We love you Lord, thank you for saving us."

Simchat Torah
The day after the end of Sukkot, making it seem like there are 8 days total, is another celebration called Simchat Torah. Which means “Rejoicing with the Law” or “Rejoicing with the Torah”. This is the end of a year long cycle when the reading of the entire Torah has ended. The Torah Scroll has the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy which are read throughout the course of the year. It is believed that this custom was developed during the exile in Babylon. In this tradition, there would be much celebration with singing, hand clapping and dancing.

In the same way when we as believers in Yeshua haMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, get to the end of a full year of reading, why could we not have a little Simcha, or rejoicing as well. I think Yeshua would really love it, and probably would be celebrating right along with us.

Until next time - Shalom!

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

2010-09-18T19:10:00.003-04:00

Ten Days of Awe
The first ten days in the 7^th month of Tishri are called the Ten days of Repentance, The Days of Awe, or the “High Holy Days." During these ten days, according to Jewish tradition, God opens up three books of our life:

Those who are righteous during the year
Those who are wicked
Those who are in between

If a person sincerely repents during these ten days then God will grant them forgiveness for another year. According to Maimonides we are constantly to regard our fate and destiny of the entire world as balanced between guilt and acquittal. So if we commit just one sin then we lean the scale towards fate and destruction. If we are to do one good deed then it leans towards salvation. – Sounds like works to me!

Yom Kippur
It is known as the Day of Atonement, the White Sabbath, or in the Talmud as the The Day. During this 24-hour period in the synagogue everything is covered in white. The Torah covering is replaced with a white one, and the tables are covered with white cloths. The men will even wear white yarmulkes, which represent purity, holiness and atonement for sin. The rabbis will even wear white robes representing the robes that the priest wore in the temple.

²⁹“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. ³⁰For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. ³¹It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. ³²And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; ³³then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. ³⁴This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 16:29-34 NKJV)

According to verse 29 on the 10^th day of Tishri (seventh month in the scriptures) we are to afflict our souls and do no work at all. This word afflict has multiple meanings such as to become humble, to bow down or put down, or to stoop.

Care was taken to arrange the Jewish calendar so that the 10^th of the month of Tishri should never fall on a Friday or a Sunday but always on a Saturday. Because it would, in some respects, be very inconvenient to celebrate the Day of Atonement either immediately before or immediately after the weekly Sabbath. To prevent such an inconvenient occurrence, it was determined that in some years either a day should be added to the following month of Cheshvan, or a day taken from the month of Kislev, which follows Cheshvan.

Yom Kippur marks the end of the High Holy Days and is our final chance to repent for our sins. So Jewish people will do a complete fast for 24 hours from both food and water while they are soul-searching.

The rabbis have noted that repenting by fasting and prayer only atones for the vows or sins committed between God and man. When a sin was committed between two people then that person went to the other person to ask them for them their forgiveness. Just like a famous Jewish Rabbi mentioned in Matthew 18:15, If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

It is the only time of year that the synagogues are packed out. It is common to be in there all day long until sunset. There are five services that begin at sunset the night before and continue the next day. Then at the end of the service the shofar is blown with one long blast signifying that the people have extended themselves during the long day of prayer, and to reach out during the coming year toward new insights and a more meaningful life.

The most famous prayer is the Kol Nidrei (All vows) prayer and is done in the Friday night service. This is the most powerful and emotional prayer throughout the entire service. These vows are the ones mentioned earlier between man and God and they are asking Him to remove them. All the services have prayers or readings that lead the people to have thoughts of repentance. That is why the book of Jonah is read during the afternoon service. In the morning service the prayers are concluded with what is known as the Yizkor or memorial service. It is supposed to be a prayer that is to help us to remember the dead, but it is more than that. Though it is uncertain of its actual beginnings, somewhere around the 5^th century, it was introduced as a prayer for Yom Kippur. Then in the 11^th-13^th centuries, during the period of the Crusaders, it became mandatory for Jews to recite this because of the thousands of Jews that had died. However, please note that this prayer is not a prayer to remind us of the dead, but more of a prayer to the dead.

It is also customary during this time of year in some sects to have the traditional mikvah, which symbolizes the purification and regeneration, or new birth through repentance.

Atonement of Sins
In the more orthodox circles they observe what is known as Kaparot, or the making of atonement for sins, and this is still practiced by some even to this day. This is not mentioned in the Talmud, but is believed to have begun during the time of the Babylonian captivity. The early rabbis did not agree with it because it is considered barbaric. The process involves taking a chicken by the head, with the right hand and then swinging it over their own head three times announcing: “This is my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This cock or hen shall meet death, but I shall enjoy a long pleasant life of peace.” Then it is slaughtered and either eaten by the owner and his family, or given to the poor. However, since many have considered this to be such a barbaric procedure the custom of using coins has been replaced. Then the money is given to the poor.

Why do some still believe very strongly even today that it is to be done with a chicken? Well they believe that there must the shedding of blood to atone for one's sins. That is true, but nowhere in scripture does it mention the use of a chicken for sacrifices. It was either to be a bull, lamb, goat, turtledoves or pigeons for the sin offering. That is why I am glad that there was only one ultimate sacrifice - Yeshua.

Until next time - Shalom!

Feast of Weeks

2010-05-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

Like Passover Pentecost, also known as Feast of Weeks, is celebrated during the springtime as described in Leviticus 23:15-21. This holiday does not fall on a particular date instead it is celebrated 50 days (see Counting of the Omer) after Passover. Which is around the sixth or seventh day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. It commemorates when God gave the Israelite's the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai.

However before I explain about Shavuot, I need to preface it with a bit of understanding from Leviticus 23 first.

Like the farmer who has a yearly cycle of sowing and reaping, the same is true with the feasts. In Leviticus 23 it clearly lays out for us the 7 feasts, with the Passover being one of them that the Lord wants us to continually celebrate. According to this chapter the Lord mentions in several verses that all the feasts are to be kept throughout all generations. This was a reiteration of what He mentioned in Exodus 12:24 before the 613 instructions were put into place. Not only does he tell us to keep it ongoing, but He also tells us when He wants us to celebrate it.

The three main words that the Lord uses when talking about the feasts are (Leviticus 23:4):

Appointed (Moe-ahd)

Convocations or gatherings (Mik-rah)

Feast or festival (Chag)

Moe-ahd: an appointment or a meeting at a set time. Its root meaning is to repeat. In other words, it is a meeting that is to be repeated every time that appointment comes up at a set time.

Mik-rah: a calling together for a meeting as an assembly. The root meaning is to call together for an event or a reading such as from a scroll. The KJV describes it as a dress rehearsal.

Chag: an outside gathering together for a festival. This is usually in the form of a circle for dancing and feasting. It can also mean that the feast is to celebrate in a circular or yearly fashion.

Putting these three words together in context with the scriptures reveals to us that God wants us to come together and meet at the same time every year at a specific day and time. We are to have lots of feasting, rejoicing and dancing. So when He returns we will then celebrate the Passover in heaven with Yeshua (that’s Hebrew for Jesus) in a very festive way, and it will not be something new to us.

What is Shavuot?
The Hebrew word Shavuot means Feast of weeks, whereas, in the Greek it is called Pentecost. Since these two words appear to be different, we see that they really are the same. The word pente is the Greek word for fifty, henceforth, we celebrate Shavuot fifty days or seven weeks after Passover. Thus proving that both words do truly mean the same thing.

Shavuot is also known by three other names:

The time of giving of our Torah
The holiday of reaping
The holiday of the first fruits

When celebrating Shavuot, Jewish people all over the world generally will stay up all night and read the bible, or have biblethons just to see who can read the most. The book of Ruth is generally read in synagogues on this holiday because it tells of something special that happened during harvest to a non-Jewish person.

My wife and I, along with others, would celebrate it with all night prayer and fasting. Then end it in the morning with a wonderful homemade breakfast (which is where the word was derived from break-fast).

It is also customary to see branches, flowers or fresh fruits hanging in a home or synagogue. This is in remembrance of the flowers that blossomed on Mt. Sinai the day the ten commandments were given. According to Exodus 34:22 this holiday is known for a time of reaping the first fruits of wheat harvest, which were brought into the temple as an expression of thanksgiving. This is why it is also know as the holiday of reaping or first fruits.

Some events that either happened or were believed to have happened on Shavuot:

The receiving of the Ten Commandments fifty days after Passover
King David was born and also died on Shavuot (according to the Talmud)
The Holy Spirit fell
The Western Wall was opened to visitors in 1967 after the six-day war.

Eating
One of the big things on this holiday that is customary is to have dairy products especially cheese. The sages liken this to the verse in Song of Solomon 4:11, Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue….

Whenever I read something in the scriptures about honey it makes me think about a story from the Middle Ages. When the male child was five years old he was old enough to go to school and study the Torah (the first five books). On his first day of school the rabbi would come to his house and pick him up whisking him away on his shoulders. Girls were not allowed to go to school in those days so they would have to stay at home with mom and learn from her instead.

Once the boy arrived at the school the rabbi would sit him down at a desk with a piece of slate that had the Hebrew letters written on it in honey. He would then lick off each letter as he would recite its name. I believe that this would instill into him that the Hebrew language was sweet. This reminds me of the Psalm that David spoke in Psalms 119:103 of how His Words are sweeter than honey.

The Omer
During the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot, Jewish people would do what is called the counting of the omer. Which was used for helping them to determine when it was exactly 50 days after Passover.

An omer is a measure of grain, which was brought into the temple on the second day of Passover as an offering. Then it was to be counted for seven weeks. On the 50th day, they would bring in the offering of the first fruit into the temple. They would use the grain as a way of measuring the seven weeks until Shavuot. For them it was a joyous time because they were looking forward to what was up and coming. Think of this in the same manner as a child does before their birthday.

At some unknown point in history a man by the name of Rabbi Akiva and 24,000 off his students all died of a terrible plague during the time of the omer. Since then, the omer is not celebrated anymore, but observed more as a time of mourning rather than a time of happiness and celebration. Please know that this is more of a religious holiday only and is known as Lag b’omer, or the the 33^rd day of the omer.

During the counting of the omer there were also some other events that took place at another time within history. After the death of Yeshua (hebrew for Jesus) we the see the following:

· Day one of the omer: Yeshua was seen by Mary Magdalene and some of the other disciples (John 20:1-20).

· Day eight of the omer: Yeshua appeared to Thomas and the disciples again (John 20:26).

· Day forty of the omer: Yeshua had appeared to disciples during these forty days and then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-9).

· Day fifty of the omer: the Holy Spirit fell on 120 people as tongues of fire in the upper room (Acts 1:15-2:4).

The Wave Offering
The first offering during the counting of the omer was of the barley, whereas, the second offering in Leviticus 23:15-22 refers to the wheat. Please keep in mind that these two offerings are done 50 days apart.

In Alfred Edersheim’s book The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, he explains how the wave offering was performed by the priests. He also gives what he had determined the weight and dimensions of the bread according to the Mishnah (book of oral laws or traditions). He believes that each loaf weighed approximately 5.25 lbs, was approximately 28" long (7 handbreadths), 16" wide (4 handbreadths), and 4" thick.

Contrary to the common rule of the Sanctuary, these loaves were leavened, which, as the Mishnah, informs us (Men. v. 1), was the case in all thank-offerings. The common explanation--that the wave-loaves were leavened because they represented the ordinary food of the people--only partially accounts for this. No doubt these wave-loaves expressed the Old Testament acknowledgment of the truth which our Lord embodied in the prayer, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' But this is not all. Let it be remembered that these two loaves, with the two lambs that formed part of the same wave-offering, were the only public peace and thank-offerings of Israel; that they were accompanied by burnt and sin-offerings; and that, unlike ordinary peace-offerings, they were considered as 'most holy.' Hence they were leavened, because Israel's public thank-offerings, even the most holy, are leavened by imperfectness and sin, and they need a sin-offering. This idea of a public thank-offering was further borne out by all the services of the day. First, the two lambs were 'waved' while yet alive; that is, before being made ready for use. Then, after their sacrifice, the breast and shoulder, or principal parts of each, were laid beside the two loaves, and 'waved' (generally towards the east) first forwards and back wards, and then up and down.

In Closing
Years ago Tommy Tenney coined the phrase: Presence Evangelism. Just think for a minute of what that really means, then think about what happened when the Holy Spirit showed up in Acts 2. We need to be a people of His presence to the point that it will cause people to repent and change their ways when they come into a room where He is. We should be so soaked and saturated with Him that we take His presence to others without ever saying a word.

Until next time.. Shalom!

Counting of the Omer

2010-04-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

During the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot (Pentecost), Jewish people would do what is called the counting of the omer. Which was used for helping them to determine when it was exactly 50 days after Passover.

An omer is a measure of grain, which was brought into the temple on the second day of Passover as an offering. Then it was to be counted for seven weeks. On the 50th day, they would bring in the offering of the first fruit into the temple. They would use the grain as a way of measuring the seven weeks until Shavuot. For them it was a joyous time because they were looking forward to what was up and coming. Think of this in the same manner as a child does before their birthday.

At some unknown point in history there was a rabbi and 24,000 of his students that all died of a terrible plague during the time of the omer. Since then, the omer is not celebrated anymore, but observed more as a time of mourning rather than a time of happiness and celebration.

During the counting of the omer there were also some other events that took place at another time within history. After the death of Yeshua (hebrew for Jesus) we the see the following:

Day one of the omer: Yeshua was seen by Mary Magdalene and some of the other disciples (John 20:1-20)
Day eight of the omer: Yeshua appeared to Thomas and the disciples again (John 20:26)
Day forty of the omer: Yeshua had appeared to disciples during these forty days and then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-9)
Day fifty of the omer: the Holy Spirit fell on 120 people as tongues of fire in the upper room (Acts 1:15-2:4)

Until next time... Shalom!

Chanukah

2009-11-30T22:41:00.001-05:00

Chanukah was not always celebrated in the way that we know it today with its giving of gifts and all of its lights. In fact, it was believed that the rabbi’s did not want to celebrate something that was commemorating a military victory. This thought eventually changed sometime well into the Talmudic times during the 5th century. At first, the giving of gifts were nothing more than gelt (Yiddish for money). It was not until the Jewish people got closer with the Christians that the giving of money became the giving of gifts learned from their Christmas holiday.

The word Chanukah in Hebrew means, dedication. It was on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev (usually falls in December - click here for dates), that the temple was rededicated. This holiday, though considered one of the minor ones, is also known as the Festival of Dedication, or Festival of Lights. It is to be a very joyous and happy holiday. Even, fasting and mourning are not allowed during this holiday season.

The History
The story of Chanukah comes from the book of I Maccabees 1-4. It starts with Antiochus Epiphanes, or as some have known him Antiochus the Illustrious, coming into power. He became king in 175 B.C. over Syria, which is a city in Antioch, and he was a very greedy man for both power and wealth. In order to keep people in unity with him, he would persuade them with gold and riches.

After taking over Egypt he then came against Jerusalem with a very strong force. Noticing the way that the Jews lived he did not hate them as a people, just their beliefs, and he wanted all of them to believe like him. Yet there were two groups of Jewish thought. Those that lived and thought like the Greeks were known as Hellenists, and those who held firm to their Jewish ways of life were known as the Hasidim. When Anitochus came along it was no too hard for him to convince the Jewish people to become Hellenistic because of their fear of him.

On the 15th of Kislev in 167 B.C., Antiochus started desecrating the temple and all of its Jewish religious associations by burning Torah scrolls and selling any gold items such as menorahs. In the middle of the temple he placed a large statute of Zeus on the altar. Then on the 25th of Kislev he offered the flesh of pigs to it. The Jews were told that they could not celebrate the Sabbath anymore or be circumcised. Young male boys were forced to run naked in sports events which was was common at that time. Anyone caught going against his decrees would be put to death.

Just outside of Jerusalem in the small town of Modin, there was a man there by the name of Mattathias who had five sons. He was a well respected man and was not willing to give into the ways of the king. One day while Mattathias was in the market one of the hellenistic townspeople sacrificed to Zeus. Anger rose up in Mattathias and he killed him and one of the king's guards, as well as, tore down the altar. Then Mattathias and his 5 sons fled to the hills knowing that they were no longer safe there. As well as some others who were for the Lord fled with them. The place that they fled to not only became their new home, but it was there training ground as well. They even learned how to creep upon the Syrians at night without being seen.

Shortly after this Mattathias died, but before his death he appointed his son Judah, who was warlike ever since a child to be his successor. And he not only became their new leader, but he also was like a lion in action.

In time Judah's army had grown, yet were still smaller than the armies of Antiochus’ men. They would attack either in the daytime or nighttime, and sing praises to God for their victories. Antiochus made different attempts battling against Judah thinking that eventually these men would tire, and that the defeat would be theirs. BUT, when God is on your side you always know that you have the victory. As a result, Judah and his men defeated Antiochus and his men in 165 B.C. On the 25th of Kislev they rededicated the temple the same day that Antiochus' men had desecrated it. There was much rejoicing with songs, harps, lyres and cymbals, with sacrifices all for 8 days. That Judas, his brothers and all of the congregation of Israel decreed to observe the re-dedication for 8 days ever year.

As such because of his defeats he was known as Judah the Maccabee. The word Maccabee actually was an acrostic formed from the words that translated to Who among the mighty is like Thee, O God? There are two thoughts on the actual translation or meaning of the name Maccabee. Some thought that it was a war cry against the Syrian-Greeks, or most widely accepted belief is that meant Hammer.

Celebrating
Please note that what I am about to mention here goes against the normal thought in Judaism, and is solely based upon my own findings. In the book of Maccabees no where does it mention that they found a small cruse of oil which lasted for 8 days. Instead the story talks about how they rededicated the temple and made all new items for it where it had been desecrated (1Maccabees 4:36-51). Judas, his brothers, and all the congregation of Israel decreed that every year starting on the 25th of Kislev that they should celebrate for 8 days the re-dedication of the temple.

The rabbis felt that this 8 day celebration came about because of a small cruse of oil that was found and should not have lasted more than a day. However, the big miracle of this was that it lasted for 8 days. Since I cannot find this anywhere I see this as a myth and not truth, but that does not stop me from enjoying the holiday. Yet, do not take my word for it instead read the book for yourself.

The Menorah
The candles should be burnt commemorating the miracle that had taken place. In the temple the original menorah used a seven-branched candelabra versus the nine-branched used today for Chanukah. Both menorahs have a center candle called Shamash, meaning either caretaker or servant, which is used to light the other candles. It is placed a little higher than the rest of the candles to show that it not part of the other ones. The other eight candles are considered as the primary candles, and are placed from right to left since Hebrew is read from right to left. Then candles are lit from the left to right because the newest candle is always lit first. This is a practice that is generally followed as a tradition because God is omnipresent.

The practice of why we burn one additional candle each night came from one of the well known sages, Hillel. He felt that from a view of holiness it was better to increase, where another sage, Shammai, thought that we should decrease one candle each night.

What We Eat
Generally on this holiday foods fried in oil are eaten, for obvious reasons, since the oil is symbolic of the miracle. Some of these foods are doughnuts (also known as sufganiyot) and potato latkes (potatoes made like pancakes).

Another food is a cheese dish. This is from the book of Judith also found in the Apocrypha. She had fed cheese to the general of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, and as a result he became very thirst. So Judith gave him large amounts of wine, and until he became drunk and passed out. Then while he was asleep she beheaded him, and as a result the when his armies found out what happened they all fled in fear.

Goose, or any of fowl with lots of fat, such as duck, are eaten. Originally it was the fat of these birds that was used in preparing the oily foods like the potato latkes.

The Dreidel
The exact origin of the dreidel seems uncertain. One thought is that the Jews that who rebelled against Antiochus posted children outside playing with the dreidels while they stayed inside to study the Torah. If someone were to come along the kids were there to warn them of it. Another thought was that the Jews who imprisoned for studying the torah would play with them to help pass their time.

The letters on the dreidel stand for A great miracle happened there.

Playing the Dreidel Game
On Chanukah there are different games that can be played. A contest to see who can spin their dreidel the longest, or who can get the most dreidels spinning simultaneously. The most common dreidel game is played with 2 or more people (fun for all ages). It is generally played with Chanukah gelt (chocolate wrapped in aluminum designed like coins) and all players start by putting something into the pot. Then taking turns spinning the dreidel the outcomes are as follows:

The player who gets everyone's Chanukah gelt first is the winner.

Conclusion
We see in Judaism that there are two holidays that have their counterparts (Passover - Easter and Chanukah - Christmas). We also see that in these holidays they have their traditions and themes that have been added to or taken away from over time. Yet they all have one thing in common, Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus).

How is that you ask? With Passover He is the bread of life (John 6:48), the unleavened bread(matzah). He died and rose on the third day, and on the third cup the matzah that was hidden appears, this represents His resurrected body.

Also, if God does not waste dates, when was Jesus conceived? I believe that it was in the Hebrew month of Kislev on the 24th day. Why? Well in Haggai 2:18,19 and states:

Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (which is the 24th of Kislev) from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. (These are all enjoyed during Sukkot) But from this day I will bless you.

Since the Jewish calendar and the Gregorian calendar do not line up it is possible that certain dates could overlap. In other words, the 24th of Kislev could fall on December 25th.

If we move ahead 9 months into the month of September, around the time of the fall feasts, it is still very warm here. During that time of year you will still find animals and shepherds in the fields because the rain has not started but is about to shortly. This where you will find the baby Jesus.

In Chanukah He is the light of the world, plus He is the Shamash (caretaker or servant) coming to pass His light on to all men (John 1:4). We also see the Holy Spirit as the oil that lasts forever and ever.

So keep in mind that Yeshua was sent to be the light of the world, and He as the Shamash gave us His light, the Holy Spirit. How much more should we as believers be willing to share that light with others?

Unitl next time, shalom.