the Miracle of Hanukkah

Messianic Bible info@biblesforisrael.com

A candle is lit each night of Hanukkah to remember the miracle

 

Shalom Gems,

 

"I will say to the prisoners, 'Come out in freedom,' and to those in darkness, 'Come into the light.'"  (Isaiah 49:9)

 

This coming Thursday night will be the first night, of the eight-day "Festival of Dedication," Hanukkah!

This wonderful holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the Jewish Temple by the Hasmoneans, also known as the Maccabee family, and the miraculous single-day supply of oil lasting a full eight days in the process of that re-dedication.

 

The first Hanukkah on the 25th of Kislev in 164 BC heralded freedom from Greek rule, the purification of Jerusalem from pagan influence, and the restoration of God's House — the Temple in Jerusalem.

 

With the Temple recaptured from the Greeks and newly restored, the family of Judah Maccabee re-established the seven-day autumn festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) and the extra day of Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah, which concludes the annual cycle of Parashiot).

The Greek ruler Antiochus IV had forbidden its observance earlier in the year, so when the Temple was recaptured in December, they celebrated this eight-day festival.

 

And so, the keeping of Torah once again freely commenced.  Hanukkah, therefore, represents the renewed ability to study the Torah, which is compared to light.

 

 

Darkness Descends on Israel

 

"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!  Though I have fallen, I will rise.  Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light."  (Micah 7:8)

 

The Greek Empire had risen to power under Alexander the Great after Judah had served as a vassal state to Persia for two centuries.  After Alexander's death, the state of Judah was wrested back and forth by two of Alexander's generals seven times.

 

All the while, clashing starkly with "the purity of the Hebrew religion," the pagan culture of the Greeks was wildly offensive: naked wrestling, immodest dress and a preference for homosexuality, writes Richard Hooker in The Hebrews: A Learning Module.

 

However, while the Greeks influenced the language and culture of Jerusalem and the state of Judah (Judea), "they allowed the Jews to run their own country, declared that the law of Judah was the Torah and attempted to preserve Jewish religion,"  Such was the case, at first.

 

Two Greek monarchs, Ptolemy and Seleucus, battled for Judea until 198 BC, at which time Antiochus III, a Seleucid Greek, won the prize.  He allowed the Jews autonomy until defeat at the hands of the Romans began a program of Hellenization that pushed the Jews to abandon their monotheism for the Greeks' paganism,"

 

 

Image of Antiochus III on a gold coin

 

 After Antiochus III raised idols in the Jewish Temple, the Jews rebelled, forcing back the Greeks.  However, Antiochus IV took the throne in 176 BC and did not accommodate Jewish customs as his father had.  The son outlawed the keeping of Shabbat and the circumcision covenant, and carried out a cruel campaign against the people of God.

 

Antiochus IV gave himself the last name "Epiphanes" (meaning "the visible god") and destroyed every copy of the Scriptures he could find, selling thousands of Jewish families into slavery and murdering anyone who had a Scripture scroll in their possession.

 

Antiochus IV defiled the Jewish Temple by offering a pig on its altar, erected an altar to Jupiter and prohibited the Jews from Temple worship.

 

But the reach of that defilement was wider than the Temple.

 

"Women who insisted that their sons be circumcised were killed along with their babies.  Brides were forced to sleep with Greek officers before they could be with their husbands.  Jews were required to eat pork and sacrifice pigs to the Greek gods.  The teaching of Torah became a capital crime," writes Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf.

 

Although a great darkness had come over Judah and Jerusalem, "most Jews did anything and everything to remain Jewish," Apisdorf adds, including surreptitiously studying Scripture and even getting married in secret. 

 

  

The Rise of Righteousness

 

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place."  (Ephesians 6:14)

 

The Hasmoneans were a Jewish family with a seemingly impossible calling: to stand up for righteousness under the weight of an oppressor trying to eradicate their identity as well as empty the Temple of its holy purpose — and of its eternal light.

 

The head of the family, Mattisyahu (Mattathias), was serving as a priest in God's Temple in 167 BC when a Greek official tried to force him to sacrifice to a pagan god.  Mattisyahu resisted and killed the official, which triggered reprisals by Antiochus IV against the Jews.

 

Nevertheless, Mattisyahu — and after his death, Judah, one of his five sons — took charge of the fight against the pagan Greeks and earned the name "Maccabee" (possibly from "hammer" in Hebrew) because of their hammer-like blows against their enemies.

 

Three years after the Maccabee uprising, in 164 BC, the Hasmoneans had taken back Jerusalem and purified the Temple.

 

It took another 20 years before the Hasmoneans pushed the Seleucid Greeks out of the Land of Israel with the defeat of the Acra citadel, a stronghold that has recently been revealed after a decade of excavations just outside Jerusalem's Old City walls.

 

 

A fully lit Hanukkah menorah in Israel.  Each flask is filled with oil.  (Go Israel
photo by D. Friedlander)

 

That the many were defeated by the few is heralded as the main miracle of Hanukkah: that Judah and the Hasmoneans succeeded in defeating the pagan Greeks who had so offensively defiled the Temple of God, the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land given to Israel.

 

The Maccabees served as a light that pushed back the darkness; by faith, their "weakness was turned to strength; and [they] became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies."  (Hebrews 11:34)

 

While the Greeks devastated the Jewish community at the time, they would not succeed in destroying the Hasmonean conviction to worship the God of Israel alone.

 

And while the Greeks defiled the Jewish Temple, they would not succeed in eradicating its means for purification — oil.

 

Despite the pagan altars within her and impure animals that were offered to idols on the Temple's holy ground, a day's worth of purified oil remained concealed on the Temple grounds with its seal intact.

 

This jar of oil, sanctified to the God of Israel, would help push back the spiritual darkness that had overcome the Temple.

 

And while it was only enough for a single day, it miraculously burned for a full eight days.  By the last day, the Jews had prepared enough sanctified oil to keep the light shining perpetually.

 

 

A fully lit Hanukkah menorah glows in the darkness.

 

 

 Let Your Light So Shine

 

"Open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."  (Acts 26:18)

 

During the years of His ministry, Yeshua (Jesus) walked the Temple Courts during Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, and told those gathered around him: "The works I do in my Father's name testify about me." (John 10:25)

 

Yeshua pointed to His own deeds, which were all good, as a testimony of His identity and of His Father's character.

 

In the context of the Festival of Lights, another name for Hanukkah, Yeshua may have had in mind his Sermon on the Mount, where he said, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16)

 

The term "good works" is idiomatic for the commandments of Torah.

 

Yeshua told His disciples that if they kept the commandments of Torah according to His teaching, they would retain their saltiness and their light would shine before men and bring honor to God.

 

The half-brother of Yeshua, Yaacov (James), elaborated on this point, saying that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."  (James 2:17)

 

Good deeds done by those faithful to God allow His Spirit to shine from within them, illustrating "the light of the world" and giving glory to Adonai's Name.

 

 

 For the Festival of Lights, this image of God's light shining through His people is emphasized further by noting the basic components of fire — a spark and a source of fuel — as well as by contemplating that God Himself provides both our Spiritual Light and Oil.

 

Oil is understood to be a symbol of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).  It has had an important role in Jewish life for millennia as a means of anointing.  In Judaism, anointing was performed for kingship, for the priesthood, for prophets, for the healing of the sick, and for purification.

 

Where the anointing sanctified the priests and treated the sick, "anointment conferred upon the king 'the Spirit of the Lord,’ [that is to say], His support (1 Samuel 16:13–14), strength (Psalm 89:21–25) and wisdom (Isaiah 11:1–4)," states the Encyclopedia Judaica.

 

Of the Messiah (Anointed One) to come, the prophet Isaiah announced, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord."  (Isaiah 11:1–2)

 

Messiah Yeshua announced His anointing in a synagogue in Nazareth when he read from the scroll of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  (Luke 4:18–19; see also Isaiah 61:1–2)

 

 

The Messiah's light shone throughout His life and continued to burn brightly even when confronted with the darkness of death.  Death could not hold Him and extinguish His light. 

 

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:4–5)

 

With the oil of Adonai's Ruach upon and within Him, the Messiah is an Eternal Light.  By living out His anointing He brought "a crown of beauty," "the oil of joy" and "a garment of praise" to the mourners of Zion.

 

As Isaiah prophesied, the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners in darkness, the mourners, and the grievers of Zion — having received the freedom and favor of the Lord — "will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated."  (Isaiah 61:1–4)

 

Just as promised, through the Messiah those covered in ashes and a spirit of despair would receive the oil of joy and "be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor."  (Isaiah 61:3)

 

Through Adonai's life-giving work, the once-devastated children of God would be re-activated to rebuild the ancient ruins and renew the ruined cities; His people would stand as oaks of righteousness for "the display of His splendor," a calling that radiates light.

 

 

Miraculous Oil for the Poor in Spirit

 

Having come "to bring good news to the poor," Yeshua said in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."  (Matthew 5:3)

 

"Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation," writes Got Questions, led by S. Michael Houdmann. "Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers."

 

This spiritual poverty is reflected in the single flask of oil found in the recaptured Temple.  While enduring the unspeakable darkness of Greek oppression, that flask did not hold enough oil to fulfill its purpose in the House of God to keep the Menorah lit while more oil was made.

 

Only with a miracle could this oil be multiplied, and it took the intervention of God Himself.

 

In the Temple, the Almighty intervened to make the flask of oil last for eight full days — as if adding the oil of His Spirit to sanctify and renew the devastated Temple.

 

Likewise, when we are poor in spirit, humbly acknowledging our reliance upon God, we can praise Him for sanctifying and renewing our spirit with His, as David did when He wrote, "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."  (Psalm 23:5)

 

 

 

During this joyous eight-day season of Hanukkah, Gena, please help us reach out to the Jewish People here in Israel and around the world with the Good News that Yeshua is the Light of the World.

 

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness."  (John 12:46)

 

May you be filled with oil of joy this upcoming Hanukkah and clothed with the garments of praise during this Holiday Season!

 

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16)

 

Down Hill From Here

Well it happened Gems, I turned 60 and  survived!

I thought of the phrase "it's all downhill from here" and of course it got me  thinking about a jewel.

I decided to take a positive view on the quote, so I'm going to share some sound downhill lessons I have learned.

Downhill is more leisurely than up because you're not fighting gravity right? So pick your battles, many of our journeys can be more easy going if you're not bickering over the non essentials. I have learned to ask myself "does this circumstance have eternal significance?"

Example:

My grandson wanted to sleep over but he doesn't yet wipe his own butt which I tell him is a must to sleep at Nana's. His rebuttal on the subject is "I can't wipe my own hiney!" I of course ask him why, and before responding, he gives me a look of disbelief, like what is wrong with you Nana clearly you know the answer to the dilemma!  

"I can't wipe my own hiney because I can't see it?"

Sometimes we are focusing on the wrong thing in our need to be right or heard or seen. We have to change our outlook on the situation so we can envision answers instead of obstacles.

Like many of you I have struggled with this pandemic for MANY reasons, one being loneliness. I definitely battled with depression.  There were days I just wanted to stay in bed, head covered, and be blue, dejected, dispirited downcast , just plain downhearted. Can you relate?

My downhill experience was to make sure the minute I woke up I got out of bed and immediately made it. It's not like this was a new concept as I make my bed every morning, I'm kind of OCD about it, OK I am OCD about  it. The point is, it was an intentional decision to get out of the bed! 

For me riding my bike became my therapy, unfortunately in Florida most roads are flat so there weren't many actual down hills other than passing over a speed bump. Take what you can get.

On the note of house cleaning I was also a freak about that. Just ask my kids I'm sure they would have 10 stories off the top of their heads of my obsession. My oldest son Anthony told me I could spot a piece of lint on a freshly vacuumed carpet, this was not a complement. On one of my "occasions" he told his younger brother Nathanael not to make eye contact with me .

I have learned that dirty dishes, laundry or even unmade beds have no eternal significance. They can't replace laying on a blanket on a mountain in TN with your oldest grandson looking for shooting stars, or watching your son with his own family playing in a waterfall. 

We read of sisters in the Bible, Mary and Martha who experienced this when Yeshua (Jesus) came to visit and Martha felt like Mary was leaving all the OCD to her.

Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Yeshua’s feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

King David was a downhill guy. In 1 Samuel 30 he shares a time when the men in his army were so angry with him they talked about stoning him. I encourage you to read the story for yourself to get the full impact. 

"David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and daughters. BUT David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."   1 Samuel 30:6

When David wrote the 23rd Psalm he was definitely a man in conflict.

v4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

David was choosing to focus on the "downhill" side of things. God would get him through it.

I am also directionally challenged! Seriously I can get lost if there are only 2 turns involved. I have no sense of direction, where the sun rises and sets is of no aid to me.

I keep this on my dashboard so if I start to freak out, I read it out loud. 

It's amazing how it can redirect my emotions. 

When I think back over the years and how many journeys I ruined for myself and my kids because we were lost. I would immediately shut off the radio so I could see the road signs, hit the steering wheel as if it was the cause of my hysteria, hit the brakes, threaten to go back home, not that I knew how to do that. Basically kill the chance of happiness for any of us.

My down hill decision to this, enjoy the ride. Pack a snack if you think you will be gone a while. Savor views you would have missed because chances are you will never find them again. Leave early so you're not stressing over being late in case your OCD about being late, just sayin.  We now have the beauty of GPS, I think it could have saved many family outings and possibly marriages.

I'm sure there are numerous lessons learned in 60 years, you could probably add many to the list. The bottom line is life is a journey at any age. I am beyond blessed with mine, the good and the bad. I consider myself the richest woman alive, I have an inheritance money can't buy!

My grandchildren from the top:

Lucas, Ezra, Anthony holding Hannah, Josiah

Nehemiah and me 😍

You don't have to have grandkids or even kids for that matter to be rich, you just have to find things that you choose to make you happy and let it be all downhill from there. Having a relationship with Yeshua (Jesus) that gives you access to our Father is the greatest downhill  experience you can have and share. It's the ride that last for eternity!

Well Gems, thanks for sharing my birthday takeaways. I pray you will transform your own "downhill" experiences into jewels. I applaud you for all the speed bumps you have overcome and all the journeys yet to come. Thank you for being the downhill to my experiences, getting to share them with you always makes my heart happy.

Just in case I missed yours, Happy Birthday!

Don't Vote Like A Pawn

 

Gems,

I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to give me the right words to share with you in this jewel.

As you all know we are in a peculiar time. I guess we shouldn't be surprised as God Himself called us to be a peculiar people.

Deuteronomy 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We have prophets coming out of the wood work with messages from hope to doom faster than we can listen to them. We have churches closing both in buildings and homes. We are divided in so many areas, from friendships, families, political beliefs and I'm sorry to say religious convictions.  The media is having a field day with our emotions, principles, faith and honestly making many second guess where truth may be found.

This jewel is not to address all those battles except the last one, TRUTH.

It came after getting a text from a new friend and sister Donna. Part of her text begged the question "Are we being used by those in authority? I'm wondering if we are being used as pawns?" 

I found myself pondering those words for quite some time, so I humbly ask, who are you a pawn for?

I'm not here to open a debate on your thoughts or mine for that matter. I just felt like it was my responsibility to you, my faithful readers to give you a reminder of what God told us, those who call themselves believers in Yahweh, the only true God, Yeshua, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit, no matter what denomination you are from. 

We are getting ready for an election. Maybe one of the most important of our time.

I'm not here to lobby for a man as my hope is not in man. I do know that we, those who can vote, were put here by God for such a time as this. So what do we do with that?

On a personal note I have been dealing with feelings of depression and loneliness at a deeper level  than any other time in my life. I have gone through some personal heartache, as many of you have, that have left me feeling deserted by mankind as a whole. Mostly because people cannot fill the void in my heart, it's no ones fault, it's just a reality. Perhaps you feel the same way.

These feelings of inadequacy and pain, and not to sound like a  narcissist, but the feeling like no one really gives a crap have given me the false impression that I no longer have a voice.That somehow I am just a pawn in this game that's being played out before us all. 

Part of this depression can make me/us "feel" like we can do nothing for the Kingdom of God.

I am here to remind myself and you that we are planted during this time for a season and reason. Whoever God puts in your garden right now is being watered to grow weeds or seeds. Whether you are trying to or not you are witnessing to those around you.

You have the most powerful tool you can possess, your voice!

My friend Ziggy reminded me that in Genesis the enemy started out as a snake, later he is described as a roaring lion, then finally in Revelation as a dragon. His continued growth and fear that he provokes is no match for what God said His children are. We are conquerors of snakes and dragons!

Romans 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

My dear sisters text this morning reminded me that we all have a voice, we just have to choose how to use it. For me it's Gena's Jewels and more importantly my right to vote.

With that said I want to remind each of us that we are not necessarily voting for a man, as all men have failures, but we are voting for our Christian convictions. This is the weapon God has placed in our hands. When we speak we are either standing for or against God.

I want you to imagine Yeshua, Jesus, is standing at the election booth, or the mailbox with you as you cast your ballot because my friend we will all answer to Him when we stand before His throne for what we did here on earth as His servants.

We may not be able to single-handedly change the world but we can use our voice/vote to line up with what God commands. 

We can pray and vote for the candidate that supports life and Israel.

Let's go to the word:

Deuteronomy 5:17 you shall not murder.

Exodus 23:7 stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will no acquit the guilty.

James 2:11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder."

Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement."

*If your candidate does not stand against abortion you are voting for murder.*

Genesis 12:2-3 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Zechariah 12:9 And on that day I will seek to  destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 2:8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye.

Numbers 24:9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you."

Genesis 27:29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mothers's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"

Psalm 122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!" For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. 

Ezekiel 34:30-31 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God declares the Lord God."

Hebrews 10:30-31 For we know him who said "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

*If your candidate is not supporting Israel you are fighting against God*

We can continue as pawns for the world or we can fight as Knights for the King.

Use your voice wisely!!!!

You will get what you vote for on earth and in Heaven!

Out With The Old

              



We are all familiar with this quote, maybe too familiar I'm afraid. 

I moved, yes again, to a sweet townhouse in Odessa. One of the things I love about this quaint home the Lord blessed me with is my screened-in porch. I love being outside and I have the best view of the woods. It's a conservation area so I don't have to worry about any building going on while I'm here.

I spend a lot of time out here, actually, I'm writing this jewel from my outdoor oasis right now.
So here's the thing about us, humans, in spite of all the beautiful trees I see and the abundance of wildlife that I hear praising God on a daily basis my eyes are drawn to one treetop that I have to go out of my way to see. 


There at the top is a dead branch and every day I say to myself, I really wish someone would cut off those dead branches. That was until yesterday when I heard a crow making quite the ruckus. You know how loud crows can be. It seemed all his yelling was directed at me as there were no other birds nearby that I could see. I finally looked up and said "what are you yelling about?" 

He then broke off a piece of that dead branch, Gems I actually heard the snap of the branch breaking. As he did I heard the Holy Spirit say "he needs those dead branches to build his nest."  I realized this crow was looking for that very kind of branch. What was dead to me was going to help keep life for him. That crow was probably yelling at me to leave his branches alone!

I realized just because something looked old didn't mean it wasn't useful. This of course got me thinking about people and how far we have come from honoring the elderly.

                          
The way of the righteous. Gems we don't just become righteous. It is a process and to be honest I don't think we even know what that means until we get older.

I went to a church service years back and the music was so loud I actually had to plug my ears, it was awful. What was worse than the volume of the music was what the Pastor said when he came to the microphone. He said "if the music is too loud for you, you must be too old, then this isn't the church for you."
I left.... Not because I was insulted that he called me old, I wasn't what I would consider old yet. I left because he was telling the congregation that old people had no place there. How very sad that moment was for the body of Christ.

Yeshua is letting us know that He has no age limit on His children. Old men will dream dreams. Many people say you know your dead when you stop dreaming. I love hearing older people share about things from the past that they walked through personally.

You have heard me speak of my dear friend and mentor Fran Bozeman. Oh how I miss her. She got me through so many difficult times with her love and wisdom. She told me stories of her life that made me want to serve God in a deeper way. She had the right to speak into my life because she had been through many of life's challenges and survived.

When I was a little girl my hero was my grandma Sophie. She was one tough cookie! Grandma raised her 6 children pretty much on her own. She worked from home long before being an entrepreneur was cool. She used to bake wedding cakes to make money. I can remember having sleepovers at her house and running up to the door, the aroma of fresh cakes wafting its way out to the yard. I couldn't wait to get to the bowl that contained leftover pieces of cake from whatever creation she was putting together.

Sophie lived a humble life, she didn't have a lot of money but she took pride in everything she did. Coming from a large Italian family, my grandmother was one of 13 and had 6 children, she eventually had a lot of grandchildren. When it was our birthday she gave you a dollar bill with Happy Birthday written on it. She said you didn't really want the card anyway and she didn't want to waste money. She was very creative, I did get that from her. 

Her home was simple, there weren't a lot of knick-knacks lying around, it was always neat and orderly. As a devout catholic the only thing she displayed was a small likeness of Mary holding Jesus, I still have it. 
The thing is my grandmother wasn't a big talker, I know where did I come from?
She didn't give me lots of lectures on life or even talk about hers. She was a living illustration.
I can't remember my grandmother complaining and trust me she had many things to overcome. She had integrity, she was generous and kind. She gave what little she had to others and she served God however she thought would please Him. To be honest we never really talked about God. I did go to mass with her on sleepovers and when I wanted to visit a nearby church as a teen she was worried because she heard they spoke in weird languages but she didn't stop me. She was truly the gospel message without using words.
I learned more life lessons from my grandmother's example than any other person growing up.

When my oldest sister got married I sat proudly next to my grandmother. I remember leaning over to her and saying "grandma when I get married I want you to be in my wedding." She laughed and said "you won't want some old fat woman in your wedding." 
I didn't forget that promise and years later as I planned my wedding I asked her to be my matron of honor, she thought I was kidding. When she realized I wasn't she said "where will you find a dress to fit me?" Did I mention my grandmother was also a seamstress? Finding a dress was the least of my concerns. I was honored to have my grandmother a part of a very special event in my life.

Right behind her is my sister Darlene. That's whose wedding it was when I asked Sophie to be in my wedding. I didn't notice that till just now as I'm writing this jewel. Tradition says not to outshine the bride but my grandam did, she was stunning!

I still keep this picture in my bedroom. I love this frame with the crown on it, it's so appropriate for my grandmother who was truly a queen in my eyes.

Gems I guess what I'm saying is out with the old is not a good idea at all! We need the generations before us to remind us of what was good and bad in our lives. They are our history, their input will affect our future.

I pray this will serve as a gentle reminder to all of us to honor the elderly. Don't assume because they look old they aren't useful. LISTEN to them they may save you years of un-needed grief. 

Next time you have questions, before hitting Google hit up grandparents 😉

Matthew Meant It

These are notes from my Torah Study Messianic Bible thought I would share.

Leviticus 21:1–24:23; Ezekiel 44:15–31; James 1:1–18

The truth is that as Believers in Yeshua, we are His ambassadors, royal family, and priests—we represent Him; therefore, each of us are held to a high standard of morality when interacting with the world and each other.

 

Biblically, we are called to sanctify God’s holy name:

 

"Do not profane My holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites.  I am the LORD, who made you holy."  (Leviticus 22:32)

 

In Judaism, this is considered the most important mitzvah (commandment) of the 613 mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) in the entire Torah.  Our behavior must exemplify our relationship with God.

 

In this way, we can be lights shining in the darkness.

 

"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."  (Matthew 5:15)

 

While we are all His representatives, each of us has a unique role in Adonai’s plan.  When we strive for greatness in whatever purpose God has given us in that Divine plan, and work on developing all of our God-given gifts and qualities, then we can bring honor to Him and light to the world.

God’s Plan Revealed in His Appointed Meeting Times

 

"The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are My appointed festivals [moadim], the appointed festivals [meeting times or feasts] of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies"’"(Leviticus 23:1–2)

 

In addition to instructing the Kohanim (priests) on how to meet with and serve Him, God gave the Israelites instructions about observing the moadim (special meeting times and festivals).  These include the following:

• Shabbat (Sabbath) on the seventh day;
• Pesach (Passover) for seven days beginning at sundown on the 14th day of the first month of Nissan;
• Bikkurim (Firstfruits) on Nisan 16;
• Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) 50 days after Pesach ends;
• Rosh Hashanah (New Year) on the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei);
• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on the 10th day of the seventh month; and
• Sukkot (Tabernacles) for eight days beginning on the 15th day of the seventh month.
• God introduces these appointed meeting times with the Shabbat —a holy day that reminds us God is the Creator of heaven and earth.  
• It testifies to the fact that God is still actively involved with His creation and sustaining it.  That is the starting point for faith. Since the Israelites are commanded to keep the Shabbat "in all your dwelling places (Leviticus 23:31)," the Shabbat forges a link between the Creator and every Jewish household. 
• The other appointed times listed above are sometimes referred to as the Feasts or Festivals of Israel but, in actuality, God says they are the appointed times of the Lord—His moadim. 
• These moadim were not merely meant to be remembrances of times past; each one gave the Israelites clues to God’s future plan of redemption for them and the world.  That is, each of these moadim or appointed feasts point to the Messiah in profoundly spiritual ways.
  

As Believers, we are privileged to see how Yeshua has either already fulfilled these feasts in His first appearance on earth or will fulfill them at His Second Coming.

 

Yeshua fulfilled the festivals of Pesach (the Passover sacrifice of a lamb on Nisan 14) with His final sacrificial/atoning death on Nisan 14 as the unblemished Lamb of God (Isaiah 53; John 1:36; Hebrews 9:11–14, 22–24).

 

In this offering of Himself, Yeshua also fulfilled Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

 

Yeshua then became our Bikkurim (Firstfruits) of the barley harvest held on Nisan 16 when He resurrected on Nisan 16 as the first of all who will rise from the dead on the Last Day (Psalm 16:8–11; Acts 2:24–28; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

 

Shavuot (Pentecost) on Sivan 6 is a celebration of the giving of the Torah.  On this same day (Sivan 6), Yeshua poured out His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) onto His Believers.  

 

The Ruach wrote the Torah on their hearts, empowering the Believers to live holy lives (Joel 2:28; Jeremiah 31:31–33; Acts 2).

 

The Fall festivals of Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets or New Year) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) will be fulfilled when the shofar blows and Yeshua returns to establish His reign on earth.  It will happen this way:

 

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [shofar]; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."  (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Matthew 5:17-19

¹⁷ “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. ¹⁸ Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. ¹⁹ So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.