As some of you are aware, Step with Christ Ministries is a supporting partner of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and follows the Messianic Jew initiative quite closely.
On a personal level, and as it pertains to my own continual Ministry training, I feel as though Jewish Rabbi mentors such as those involved with the fellowship as well as Rabbi Schneider from Discovering The Jewish Jesus,and Rabbi Eckstein offer Old Testament insight that only adds to our understanding of the New Testament, and magnifies the power and understanding of the Godhead. I firmly believe that the Judaic roots of the Christian Faith bring a more complete understanding of the Power, Glory, and Love of God!
These teachers as well as so many others give Christians a more robust understanding of how the Old and New testaments are connected. As ( Marie ), a follower from Philadelphia so eloquently yet simply puts it, " Jesus did not come to abolish the old Testament, but to fulfill it. ''
Today, much of Christianity tends to completely forget the Old Testament, Marie, as well as myself are happy to have found teachers from the Messianic Jew initiative which tie these two books together in such a way that one cannot help but to more fully understand how they together create a much deeper level of FAITH in our Father and Creator. The highlighting of the plethora of God's Love Promises foretold by His chosen messengers,and Prophets culminating to the greatest promise of all with the birth of Our Messiah provides not only for an immensely deep and well founded level of faith, but additionally a fuller understanding of the powerful Love our Creator has for each of us.
As Hanukkah began at sunset last evening, I thought it to be an opportune time to First and Foremost wish our Jewish Brothers and Sisters a very Happy Hanukkah with heartfelt wishes for Godly blessings throughout the upcoming year. We pray that turmoil and atrocities in the area quell and leave the firm understanding that " The Lord is Indeed Our Protector ", firmly understood by ALL.
( The Following ' Story of Hanukkah ', has been extrapolated from my " Discovering The Jewish Jesus " December newsletter as it is a succinct and short depiction of the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah,.................The Feast of Dedication.
The Story of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is thought of by most of us as an exclusively Jewish holiday. Interestingly enough, the only place that Hanukkah is mentioned in the Holy Bible is in the New Testament: " At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem" ( John 10:22 )
The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication, and therefore called, The Feast of Dedication. This feast commemorates the Jewish people's rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem to the Lord.
The history of Hanukkah began when the Greco-Assyrians invaded and captured Jerusalem. They attempted to destroy the culture and religion of the Jews, and desecrate the Temple of the Lord. During this time, a group of Greco-Assyrian soldiers marched into a Jewish settlement and demanded that the Priest there, Mattathias, sacrifice a pig to their pagan god, Zeus. Because Mattathias feared the Lord more than the soldiers, he refused to sacrifice the pig! A fellow Jewish onlooker, fearing the Greco-Assyrians wrath, volunteered to sacrifice the pig. In response to this,
Mattathias drew his sword and killed him.
This act of conviction and courage was so inspiring to the rest of the Jews that they right there and then joined Mattathias and formed an army. Under the leadership of Judah ( Mattathias' son )
this army of our Lord successfully stopped the Greco Assyrians from overtaking their settlement, and eventually drove them out of the whole region!, including Jerusalem and the Temple !
This victory climaxed with the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the innauguration of The Feast of Dedication in 164 BC.
When the Jews lit the Menorah ( the lampstand inside the Temple ), during the re-dedication they found that there was only enough oil to burn for ONE day. However, tradition states that the oil burned supernaturally EIGHT days!!! Thus, the Hanukkah menorah that Jewish people light each year has eight candles, representing these eight miraculous days of burning. An additional 9th 'Servant' candle on the Hanukkah Menorah is used to light the additional candles each night of Hanukkah.
" LOOK FOR HOW MANY WAYS TO BLESS ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. PRAY FOR THEM. GIVE TO THE PURPOSES OF THEIR SALVATION. YOU WILL BE BLESSED."
....... ( Genesis 12:3 )
Again, Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish brothers and sisters. May the Lord our God bless you with the everlasting and overwhelming Peace of the Holy Spirit !
STEP WITH CHRIST MINISTRIES
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