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Chanukah, Night 8: Miracle of Rededication

December 29, 2019
Miracle of Rededication

The word Chanukah means “dedication,” and the miracles the holiday celebrates center on the rededication of the Temple. The victory God won for the Maccabees brought a fresh start for Jewish worship. At last, they had their Temple back, and they could honor God as He had called them.

As Believers, whose bodies are called temples of God (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), we have the opportunity of renewed dedication every day. Each new dawn offers us the potential for starting over, drawing closer to God and watching Him work wonders of growth in our lives. His mercies and compassions are new every morning and open up opportunities for us to discover miracles latent in our rededication.

On this eighth night of Chanukah, we search our hearts to identify how we might need to rededicate our attention, discipline and faith to abiding in Jesus.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place eight candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“Commit your way to Adonai” (Psalm 37:5a).

“Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

“Let us hold fast the unwavering confession of hope, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

“His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22b–3).

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua” (Romans 8:1).

“Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Prayer

Father, thank You that each new day, each moment, is bursting with potential for us if we will dedicate ourselves to You in it. Thank You for these opportunities for a fresh start and new hope. Thank You for working in our lives and being involved in our stories. May we seize each hour to rededicate ourselves to You so that we might see Your miraculous power alive and fresh in our hearts.

Chanukah, Night 7: Miracle of His Light Shining Through Us

December 28, 2019
Miracle of His Light Shining Through Us

As we look at Chanukah and its miracle of light, we can’t forget the remarkable fact that God uses us to shine His light to the world. He places His Spirit inside each one who puts their faith in Jesus as the Messiah. And His light in us reveals Him to those around us. When we love as the Bible commands us and serve selflessly as Jesus did, we display God’s goodness and point a hurting world to Him.

New Covenant Scriptures call us to live by the power of God’s Spirit in us rather than from our old nature and our own strength. As we do, we exhibit the characteristics of His Holy Spirit, and His marvelous light shines forth into a world darkened by sin. (See Galatians 5:16, 22–25 and 1 Peter 2:9).

On this seventh night of Chanukah, we give thanks for the honor of shining God’s light to a dark world.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place seven candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“So that you might be blameless and innocent, children of God in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Among them you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

“For once you were in darkness, but now in union with the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light” (Ephesian 5:8).

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

Prayer

Father of Lights, thank You for giving us Your Spirit and the privilege of revealing You to others as You live in us. Help us to abide in You, remaining close so that we will walk each day by Your Spirit, not falling into the ways of our old nature. May we seek Your presence hour by hour and lean in to hear Your voice. Help us to be quick to obey You so that nothing hinders Your light from shining brightly through us to a world starving for light.

Chanukah, Night 6: Miracle of Purification

December 27, 2019
Miracle of Purification

God’s instructions for building the Temple had included meticulous detail and beauty. The Temple was His holy dwelling place; it had to be pure. Its desecration at the hands of Antiochus’ regime was unbearable for God’s people. When they regained the Temple, they wanted to cleanse it and rededicate it as soon as possible. God performed the miracle of the oil, enabling the light to burn as they went about this most holy task.

God works miracles in our hearts through the gift of new life and the impartation of the Holy Spirit. He has given us the righteousness of Messiah and works to transform our lives into His image. As God looks upon us, He sees the purity of Jesus’ life and blood, counting our faith in Him as righteousness even as He works to purify us into His likeness day by day.

On this sixth night of Chanukah, we reflect on God’s grace toward us and His power in us to purify us into the likeness of Yeshua (Jesus.)

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place six candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“The Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’ – and he was called God’s friend” (James 2:23, see also Genesis 15:6 and Galatians 3:6).

“He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son …” (Romans 8:29).

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Prayer

Father, Your purity surpasses all that we can imagine. Without Jesus, we couldn’t even come near to You. But through His sacrifice, You receive us and count us as pure. Even so, You faithfully work in us to help us live more purely each day. May we do our parts by abiding in Your presence, saturating our lives with Your Word, living by faith, and walking by the Spirit.

Chanukah, Night 5: Miracle of God’s Light

December 26, 2019
Miracle of God's Light

Chanukah is about a miracle of light. One of the ways the Bible uses the word light is to represent knowledge. It’s a metaphor that is still used today: we are “enlightened” when we have knowledge and understanding but we’re “in the dark” when we don’t.

In the Psalms, David refers to God’s Word as a lamp to light his way. A dark path conceals all kinds of dangers, but enter light, and we have information to guide our steps. With light, obstacles become visible and predators exposed. We see where to find the level ground and what to avoid.

And so it is with the wisdom provided by God’s Word and His Spirit within us as Believers. God’s light is a generous gift to benefit us as we walk this life. The Bible reveals life hazards and dangers and shows us the straight road of His way. He gave us His Spirit to lead us to truth, and He promises to supply wisdom for the asking.

On this fifth night of Chanukah, we recognize God’s miraculous gifts of light – His wisdom and truth available to us through the pages of His Word and His Spirit within us.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place five candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“For You light my lamp. The Lord my God illumines my darkness” (Psalm 18:28 NASB).

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ Is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

“But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a).

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Prayer

Father, thank You for the miracles of light: You sustained the Chanukah lamp for eight days; You gave us Messiah as the Light of the World; You give us Your Word to guide our path and Your Holy Spirit to lead us into truth. May we desire Your wisdom and guidance as we long for the light of day.

Chanukah, Night 4: Miracle of Our Salvation

December 25, 2019
Miracle of Our Salvation

None of us deserves the salvation God grants to those who believe in Jesus, and we can’t earn it. We are marred by sins of long ago, let alone today, and we simply don’t measure up. Salvation is a pure gift of mercy and love offered by our holy God through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

“We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way,” Isaiah 53:6 tells us. “So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” That God would attribute our sin to Jesus and, in turn, count Yeshua’s righteousness as ours is a supernatural, divine act of grace. It’s a spiritual miracle – one that grants us eternal salvation.

Through a Chanukah miracle, God saved the Jewish people of the second century from the violence wrought against them by the Seleucid army. Small and weak as they were, they couldn’t have made it on their own against their powerful foe. Through the miracle of salvation, God saves us from an eternity separated from Him. We couldn’t conquer the enemy of sin on our own, so God made the way for us.

On this fourth night of Chanukah, we recognize the priceless gift of salvation that Yeshua has given us. We celebrate the Gospel; it is “good news,” indeed.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place four candles in the Chanukah lampstand tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Shamash, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Shamash, or Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

“…if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Prayer

Jesus, how can we thank You enough for dying for us? Father, we are so grateful for the gift of salvation. We praise You for Your holiness and stand in awe of Your grace toward us. May we never grow complacent of heart toward this invaluable gift, and may we grow more eager every day to share it with others.

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