Showing posts with label true Light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label true Light. Show all posts

November 3, 2013

2013 Thanksgiving and Hanukkah converge on “Thanksgivukkah”

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah converge on “Thanksgivukkah” for the first time since 1888
It last happened in 1888 and, according to one calculation, won’t happen again for another 77,798 years: the convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.
This year, Nov. 28 is Thanksgiving and the first full day of the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, which begins at sundown the previous night.

Hanukkah 2013:   November 27-December 5
What is Hanukkah?
the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev -- celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.
More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.
When they sought to light the Temple's menorah (the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah (candelabrum) lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled.
On Chanukah we also add the Hallel and Al HaNissim in our daily prayers to offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for "delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few... the wicked into the hands of the righteous."
Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil -- latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there"); and the giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.
(quoted from :
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-is-Hanukkah.htm)


latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts)

 
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Exodus 13:21
Adonai went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night.
Leviticus 24:3
Outside the curtain of the testimony in the tent of meeting, Aharon is to arrange for the light to be kept burning always from evening until morning before Adonai ; this is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations.
Isaiah 9:1
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land that lies in the shadow of death, light has dawned.
Isaiah 60:1
“Arise, shine [Yerushalayim], for your light has come, the glory of Adonai has risen over you.
Revelation 21:23
The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s Sh’khinah gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Yochanan 1:4-5
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
In him was Chayyim (Life) and the Chayyim (Life) was the Ohr (Light) of Bnei Adam. [TEHILLIM 36:10 (9)]
And the Ohr shines in the choshech [TEHILLIM 18:28], and the choshech did not grasp it. [YESHAYAH 9:1]

April 13, 2013

5 am lesson: Key to walking in courage and power

http://kzlam36.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/new-life-challenged.jpgJesus the Son of God had demonstrated to His disciples (and all believers who want to be His disciples) how to walk in the mighty power of God. Jesus told us plainly that no one had seen God except Him. When one sees Jesus one sees God. So His mission on earth was to show us how God is like. God is Almighty. He walks in supreme power. Jesus also walked in supreme majesty and power. Power came out of Him when patients touched Him (His clothes) by faith and they became healed immediately. Demons submitted themselves to Jesus voluntarily.
Jesus told His disciples that all who believe will do the same things that He did and even greater things. To Jesus being like Him (in word and deed) is a natural thing. Those born of God's Spirit are spirit and have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. All that God has given to Jesus He has given to those who believe in Jesus. Like Father like Son (and sons). So why are we not seeing this supernatural and transformational change in many of us? The distinct manifestation of the Son of God in us?
Today's message for the 5am class is: the key to living and walking in His power. The key is in Jesus. Thus we are on the right track when we continue to read the word of God revealing Jesus to us.
Jesus has revealed two of His secrets to success:
Success Key one: Walking in the Light.
He announced that He was the true Light that gives light to every man in the world. (John 1:9) He commanded His disciples to take heed that the light which is in them is not darkness. (Luke 11:33-36) He warned them of the dark forces behind the hypocrites -namely Pharisees, scribes and lawyers (symbol of religiosity in appearances and not in truth and motives; in flesh and not in spirit) of that generation which He called evil and perverse. (Luke 11:37-54; Matt.15:1-20; 16:1-6)
What is the spirit behind the hypocrites? The spirit of the world. They were blinded and dull and hardened with worldly philosophy (which runs on natural laws). They just could not see or understand the supernatural laws that Jesus had demonstrated in reality. God is supernatural. No man can possibly understand the matters of God without Jesus. But their jealousies and covetousness (which is idolatry) had hardened them further, even to the point they were willing to perish forever.
Jesus summed up their depraved condition: “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. But everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20)
Jesus Himself was undeterred by such dark hatred and opposition. He continued to walk and operate in the Light of God. He manifested God's Light.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in Go.” (John 3:21) Only those who do the truth can come in the Light of God and the deeds are done in God! Nothing can be more powerful than deeds done in God! This is the success key of Jesus -doing everything in God's Light, that is, in God. God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
What does this mean to those who want to have this success key? The answer is in 1 John 1:6-10. (Read the whole passage and meditate and pray)
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Success Key two: Walking in understanding of the matters of God.
One thing that Jesus repeatedly told off His disciples was their not understanding what He told them about the matters of God, that is, the Kingdom of God.
He demonstrated how the Son of God has the power over natural matters: walking on water, calming the wind and sea, multiplying (without limit) food stuff out of the unseen resources in heaven, making demons (evil spirits) tremble and submit to Him, commanding (by mere words) physical things to happen (healing, deliverance, giving life back to the dead etc.). Power was evident in Him. Even King Harod admitted. Sick people touched the hem of His garment and were made well.
Why did the disciples not use this power when they were alone? They just could not understand the supernatural matters, the matters of God's Kingdom then. The key word is 'understanding'.
That is why Jesus spent a lot of time teaching them and all who followed Him at that time about the Kingdom of God and how it operates. Jesus was very clear about the way it functions. He is from above and He has seen how it operates in the supernatural realm. He knows it is real.
When Jesus sent out his disciples two by two to preach the Gospel, calling for repentance, healing the sick, casting out demons, saying the Kingdom of God was near, He gave them the power of God through His word. He instructed them by word and His word came to pass. They merely obeyed and witnessed that indeed what Jesus had spoken came true.
After Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples continued to obey and waited for the power from above, the Holy Spirit. Indeed the power came as told. After they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit their spiritual eyes were opened and they had spiritual understanding of the whole Kingdom of God message. They were transformed from a bunch of fearful humans to overcomers (as in Revelation 12:11).
Today, how do believers receive such supernatural understanding of the kingdom of God?
GUIDE ONE: ASK! (Luke 11:9-13)
11:9 Ask, seek, knock
11:13 how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
GUIDE TWO: PRAY! (Ephesians 1:17-23)
17 pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened
19 know the greatness of His power toward those who believe
20-23 know the power in Christ. He is our head. We are His body! We can be filled with His fullness!

2024 not abandoned: a new spiritual journey

How may we hear God and understand Him more accurately? Last night while praying my heart purposed to start afresh the unfinished journey ov...