Monthly Archives: December 2025
Chanukah – Did You Know?
CHANUKAH . . . DID YOU KNOW –
According to 2 Maccabees, Chanukah (Dedication) is presented as a belated observance of Sukkot (Tabernacles/Booths). The people of Israel had been unable to celebrate the Feast of Booths at its appointed time due to the persecution and desecration of the Temple under Antiochus IV. After the Temple was cleansed and rededicated, the people celebrated for eight days “as the feast of booths,” carrying leafy branches and offering praise, intentionally echoing the rites of Sukkot (2 Maccabees 10:6–8). The text explicitly states that this extended celebration was instituted because they had missed Sukkot while hiding in the mountains and wilderness like beasts, and so Chanukah functioned as a delayed festival of restoration—reclaiming joy, worship, and thanksgiving to God in the renewed sanctuary, much as Sukkot celebrates God’s provision and His Presence dwelling among His people.
As followers of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus the Christ, we recognize and celebrate in every season the cleansing and dedication of this earthly temple of flesh (1 Cor 3:16) by and through the shed Blood and broken Body of Messiah on the cross – The One Who is the Light and Life of Mankind. (John 1:4)
HAPPY CHANUKAH
The Job of Every Believer
AS Believers, what is our job?
Rhonda and I understand we speak to an audience of mixed denominational and religious backgrounds. With that said –
There are misconceptions in the mainstream denominational system concerning the responsibilities of believers.
There are misconceptions in the Hebrew Roots/Messianic camp about who and what they are and are to be about.
And then there are misconceptions in each camp concerning the other.
But the ultimate and primary responsibilities of believers in every camp are the same. So what are those responsibilities ? What’s The Word Say?
(Ecc 12:13) To sum up the whole matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the duty of everyone.
(Mic 6:8) He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
(James 1:27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble;to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
(Isa 58:6-10) “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say,`Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
(Matt 25:34-40) – “Then the King will say to those on His right hand,`Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 `for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 `I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,`Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 `When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 `Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “And the King will answer and say to them,`Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
James 2:15-16 – If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit
(James 2:17) Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
(James 2:18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
(James 2:21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
(1John 3:16-19) We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him,
(Rom 12:13-16) distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
(Heb 13:2-3) Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.
(Luke 3:10-ff) – What shall we do ?
And The Messiah said –
(Mark 1:14-15) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
(Matt 28:19-20) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Mark 16:15) – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
(Luke 4:18) “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Matt 23:23 – And don’t neglect the weightier matters of the Law – Justice, Mercy, Faithfulness.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Basar – Hebrew for ‘Gospel’. Also the Hebrew word for ‘flesh’.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-2, 14)
Yeshua/Jesus is the Gospel
(Luke 24:25-27) Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
(John 14:1) “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
(Rom 10:9-10) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
(Deut 18:18-19)`I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 `And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.
(Luke 9:35) And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
(1John 3:4) Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
(John 16:8-9) “And when (Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 “of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
(Acts 15:1) And certain ones came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.
(Gal 1:7-8) “ . . . but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh– who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands–
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:8-13)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:16-19)
And Messiah said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)
THE GOSPEL IS AND MUST ALWAYS BE CENTERED ON MESSIAH YESHUA/JESUS THE CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED . . .
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