The Festival of Lights For many people in the diaspora – both Jews celebrating Hanukkah and Gentiles observing this celebration – Hanukkah is all about dreidels and latkes. However, if you happen to be in Israel during Hanukkah, go to a children’s party in a kindergarten or elementary school. You would be amazed, as was I many years ago, that it is all about light and lights! Many Hanukkah celebrations begin in full darkness, then the light of a candle – the first Hanukkah candle – pierces the darkness, and then – more candles and more lights! It’s very beautiful and very impressive! One of the central songs sung during Hanukkah is called BANU CHOSHECH LEGARESH – “WE CAME TO DRIVE AWAY THE DARKNESS” – and this is indeed the overwhelming feeling one gets during these celebrations: The light came to overcome the darkness! In this sense, one can’t miss the connection between Hanukkah and Christmas. I don’t believe that Yeshua was born on December 25 (see the article here, on this blog: “When Was the Silent Night?”), but in a sense, it doesn’t matter. For millions of true believers, Christmas is a celebration of the true Light coming into the world! One thing that seems to me absolutely amazing about Christmas, is the fact that it happens in the darkest time of the year (at least, in the northern hemisphere). This is so beautiful and symbolic: In the world’s darkest hour, the light comes! And the same is true about Hanukkah: BANU CHOSHEKCH LEGARESH – Light comes into the world, and darkness cannot overcome it! Jesus Celebrated Hanukkah We read in the Gospel of John: And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. What is this winter “Feast of Dedication”? It’s not mentioned in Leviticus 23, where all the biblical feasts are described and their observance is commanded. So what did Jesus celebrate in the Temple? Of course, John is referring to Hanukkah. The story of Hanukkah is preserved in the books of the Maccabees. However, these books are not part of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), and therefore, surprisingly, we find the clearest mention of Hanukkah in the Bible, in the New Testament! Not only did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah, according to the Gospel of John, but he observed it in the same Temple that had been miraculously rededicated by the Maccabees just a few generations earlier. In order to understand it, let’s turn to the history. History of Hanukkah Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. It happened in the 2nd century BCE – the intertestamental period – which is why Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Tanach. The Jewish people were then living under the oppression of King Antiochus IV and Hellenistic pagan practices. The ruling Syrian dynasty of the Seleucids required full assimilation in all aspects of life: language, arts, lifestyle – everything was to conform to the Greek way of life. Antiochus enacted a series of harsh decrees against the Jews. Jewish worship was forbidden; the scrolls of the Law were confiscated and burned; Sabbath rest, circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death. In 164 BCE, Antiochus even desecrated the Temple: the altars, the utensils, the golden Menorah were all defiled. Antiochus’s men went from town to town and from village to village to force the inhabitants to worship pagan gods. One day they arrived in the village of Modiin where an old priest, Mattityahu, lived. There they built an altar and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the Greek gods. Mattityahu replied, “I, my sons and my brothers will remain loyal to the covenant which our G?d made with our fathers!” After that, Mattityahu left the village of Modiin and fled, together with his sons, to the hills of Judea and all loyal and courageous Jews joined them. Thus, the uprising began. After Mattityahu’s death, his son Judah became leader. Judah was called “Maccabee” – a word composed of the initial letters of the four Hebrew words Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim Hashem, “Who is like You, O G?d” – and therefore it is called the Maccabean Revolt. Realistically, the Maccabees had absolutely no chance of winning. The Syrian army consisted of more than 40,000 men – it was another David vs. Goliath scenario – but, as in the story of David, God performed a miracle, and after a series of battles, the war was won. When the Maccabees, miraculously, recaptured the Temple, they had to cleanse and restore it. They entered the Temple and cleared it of the idols placed there by the Syrians. They wanted to light Menorah, as it is commanded in the Torah: Bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.[1] However, according to the Talmud, they found only a single jar of undefiled oil, and that was only enough to last a single day. Taking a leap of faith, they relit the Menorah , and by a miracle of God, it continued to burn for eight days, till new oil was made available. In memory of this, Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration, was established. On each day, an additional branch of the nine branched Hanukkiah is lit with the shamash (“helper” candle), which sits on the middle branch. The Light Shines in the darkness This is the traditional story – but there is something more to be aware of. Not many people realize that the Maccabees had not won their independence when they proclaimed the Festival of Hanukkah. Antiochus was still their ruler, and Syrian troops still occupied Eretz Yisrael and even most of Jerusalem. The light of the first Hanukkah truly shone in the midst of the darkness! In this sense, the light of Hanukkah, shining in the darkness, prophetically foreshadowed this Light of the Messiah! This reminds us of the words of John about Yeshua: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [2] According to the Gospels, the Light of Yeshua also came at a time of the darkness and foreign oppression; the hand of Rome was heavy upon Israel, the nation could hardly bear this oppressive yoke. No wonder everybody waited for a deliverer – hoping and believing the footsteps of this deliverer had already been heard! Thus, we may say that both celebrations, Hanukkah and Christmas, look to the Messiah, but from two different perspectives – like two olives on each side of the Menorah in the beautiful vision of Zechariah that is read in synagogues on the Sabbath of Hanukkah: “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts[3]. [1] Exodus 27:20 [2] John 1:5 [3] Zech. 4:2-6 www.eteacherbiblical.org .

Christmas is inundated with some rich wonderful holiday music that lends a profound fullness to the holiday season. The messages in this music are far different than most of the music that we listen to throughout the year. With days shortened and the breathtaking migrations now concluded, the last leaves of autumn would spin in some nimble dance set to the music of the seasons, bow in the exit of a season well lived, and then graciously turn the stage of the world over to a winter’s rest. With fall having spun off the stage until the next year’s curtain call, the world would rub sleepy eyes, wrap itself in a fleecy blanket of wooly-white snow, roll over and slowly drift off to a winter’s slumber. And it was on a horizon of frothy snow and winter’s white that Christmas headed our way. I grew up with Christmas carols listlessly floating through our house throughout the holidays. With the tree sparkling in a perpetual cascade of color, the woodsy aroma of burning hardwood in the fireplace, frothy hot chocolate rubbing everything sweet, windows resplendently edged by frost’s brilliant artistry, and with snow tenderly pirouetting with winter’s wind, the music drifted through the house and cavorted with our hearts. It somehow lent a voice to it all, and in doing so it seemed to draw out and magnify the deepest essence each thing. Music gave the season a voice. Its melodies embroidered everything, framing all the elements of the holidays and showcasing them in a way grander than any museum could ever hope to replicate. And in the embroidering, it brought them all together in a splendid sort of unity wherein their voices coalesced in a manner so utterly marvelous that you almost couldn’t stand it. While the sweetness of the melodies were ‘captivating’, I later learned that the prose in the lyrics were ‘life-changing’. Although I had not recognized it earlier, the power of the words exceeded the majesty of the melody. And I soon learned that although I had left the words aside on the distant edges of the melody, it was the words that moved me. The melody was the means by which the words were delivered. I had paid attention to the packaging of melody, thinking it alone was the message when all along it was the lyrics. The Lyrics of the World The world is inundated by music, or what purports to be music. It likewise embroiders everything, framing the elements of our lives and our existence. Its penmanship is born of the musing of men, absent of anything more for by ourselves we cannot be more. Therefore, it’s scrawling’s will be infected by the poison of our depravity, spun bare by the bane of our bias, grated thin by our greed, and it will be held a helpless hostage to the confines of our limitations. And because man’s music is crafted by both pen and ink of this sort, we would be wise to ask, “What are the lyrics?” What is it that’s embroidering and framing this world of ours? What is it that’s lending a voice to our seasons? What are the words that we’ve pushed off to the distant edges of the melody? What are the lyrics, because if we listen to them, we will live them. The Lyrics of Christmas The lyrics of Christmas are freed of the scrawling penmanship of men. And because they are, they call us to all that is good and to live expecting all that is great. They inspire us against the bane of mediocrity and the cancer of selfishness. They bid that we boldly raise ourselves beyond ourselves and be merciless in throwing down everything that throws us down. They challenge us to embrace the wholeness of our humanity rather than wallowing in the greed of our depravity. They are lyrics of the very liberation that we fear, but the exact liberation that we need. They call us to a restoration of everything that we were made to be but everything that we have stubbornly refused to be. They are lyrics penned by a God who stepped into the sordid rubbish of our own soiled depravity so that we might join Him in a grand reversal of humanity restored. They are the lyrics of a great turning, of a freefall reversed and destruction destroyed. They are the light relentlessly shining into the twisted catacombs of our own creation within which we have buried ourselves. And if in fact we live the lyrics that we are listening to, these are the lyrics that I wish to hear. These are the words I wish to sing. And so, at this time of Christmas you might ask yourself, “What are the lyrics that I am listening to?” For whatever they are, they are what you will live.

Why does the  Bible  call Jesus a Wonderful Counselor? It seems to me that I need Him to be my counselor more than anything. How can I really apply His ‘Wonderful Counseling’ to my life? Sincerely,  Abby Dear Abby, We all need good counselors—mentors to help us along in life. And at Christmas time, it’s good to recall this classic Christmas passage, which reveals the four glorious names of the Newborn King: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful  Counselor , Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace….”  –  Isaiah 9:6-7 Jesus, our Advocate, our Wonderful Counselor, not only gives us wise counsel, He also has the power and grace to help us. Here’s one of my favorite stories: A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. A Christian Scientist came along and said, “You only think you are in a pit.” A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into a pit.” A fundamentalist said, “You deserve the pit.” A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in a pit.” A Social Gospel pastor came by and said, “We brought you some food and clothing while you are in the pit.” A Calvinist said, “This was no accident, you know.” An optimist said, “Things will get better.” A Pessimist said, “Things will get worse.” Jesus came along, grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the pit. Why should you want Jesus Christ for your counselor? Here are 4 powerful reasons: 1. Jesus Is a Counselor with Power To Resolve As a wonderful counselor, he does not just give counsel, he pours in the power for a successful resolution to your problems. In  John 3:10-15 , Jesus counseled Nicodemus. Nicodemus saw the miracles of Jesus. He recognized that no one could do these things unless he was from God Himself. But he needed Christ to open His legalistic heart: “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”  –  John 3:10-15 In  John 4:28-30 , Jesus counseled the Woman at the Well to face her past and trade her shame for salvation. He understood the loneliness of a broken life and poured in significance and delight. “The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.”  –  John 4:28-30 In  John 5:6-10 , Jesus counseled the paralyzed man by the pool. He understood his personal limitations and provided healing and power. “When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected.”  –  John 5:6-10 Counselors can only give us a plan to deal with our problems. Even the best counselors can’t provide the strength to overcome them. Only the Wonderful Counselor can. 2.  Jesus Knows Everything About Everything John 11:1-3  declares that Jesus is not just wise. He is God Himself. He knows everything, from eternity past, to eternity future.  John 1:1-3  states: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God .  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”  –  John 11:1-3 A mom was cleaning out the garage—a chore she hated. While sorting through “treasured stuff” her daughter Megan had accumulated over the years, the mother came across a questionnaire Megan had filled out while completing her master’s degree. In response to the question, “’what is the most important counsel you ever received from your mother?” Megan had written, “Always rely on your own good judgment.” And to “What was the most important counsel you ever received from your father?” Megan answered, “Ask your mother.” No one on earth has all of the answers. Only Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor does. 3. Jesus Not Only Knows You Very Well, He Knows Exactly The Path You Should Go We often become self-reliant and assume we can figure out our lives by research and the advice of others. But so often, we start on Plan A and end up on Plan Z.  Psalm 139  teaches that Jesus created every fiber of our being. He knows exactly what we are thinking and what we will do before we do it: You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  –  Psalm 139:1-13 A little girl learned that Jesus watches over her to see everything she does. Her mother said, “doesn’t it bother you that He sees everything you do?” “Oh, no. He loves me so much he can’t keep His eyes off of me,” she replied. Jesus can’t take His eyes off of you! He watches your every step; and He knows the right path for your life. 4. He Is Always Available and Never Even a Fraction of a Millimeter Away from You When Jesus lived upon the earth, He could only advise those around Him. That’s why when He ascended into heaven—He sent the Holy Spirit who never leaves us and always counsels us! John reassures us in  John 14:16-18 : “Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Counselor) to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you.”  NET I have had a wonderful friend and counselor. Gary Shrader served as my associate pastor my entire ministry. He drove his dilapidated truck to Tucson from Oklahoma. Gary is the wisest man I ever met. He learned common sense from living on a farm. Gary was brilliant and had a deeply spiritual heart from spending time with God. We ministered together in the same church for 38 years. His best advice to me was dispensed when our church was about to split over spiritual warfare. I was 29. I was terrified. Gary calmly commented: “Roger, it’s about this time that the average pastor does something really stupid.” I followed his wise advice and waited upon God. God intervened. The church not only survived the conflict...it flourished! Throughout my years in ministry, my soft-spoken friend listened intently in every staff meeting. At the conclusion, Gary saw right to the heart of the issues and wisely guided our staff to make the right choices. Now, Gary suffers with Stage 4 brain cancer. He bears the pain with the same quiet courage and wisdom that he has lived his entire life. The only Wonderful Counselor I know who is better than Gary is Jesus. He is  the  Wonderful Counselor who knows us completely. He leads us perfectly. He never leaves us, never forsakes us! Love, Roger

Padres necesitan orar estas cosas:para reciban Jesu Cristo al senor en su vida, crezcan vidas sanos y puros, para que entienden y aprendan la disciplina y la novezca. Finalmente, El Senor los proteja del mal.

josafat parte 2 from Pibnogales Josue on Vimeo. Los conflictos y las amenazas de muerte y de invasión al pueblo de A Dios, se dieron cuando Josafat habia hecho lo mejor para volver a Dios.

La historia del joven rico nos enseña una gran lección; él se afanó por el presente y cuando vino a Cristo la demanda del Señor para tener la vida eterna le pareció demasiado alta; igual que a muchos de nosotros.

Hay una tremenda bendicion en la adoracion a nuestros Dios, por lo cual tenemos que tener conciencia de lo que esto conlleva, asi que pongamos atencion a lo que el Pastor Roberto Morales tiene para nosotros en esta predica acerca de la alabanza al Dios verdadero.

El Pastor Roberto Morales trae para nosotros una predicacion en donde habla de la unidad en la iglesia ¿Como funciona la iglesia sin unidad? ¿como puede seguir la obra del señor si no hya unidad en la iglesia? ¿puede el pastor trabajar si no hay unidad en la Iglesia?.

Podemos tener vida victoriosa en Jesu Cristo.

Asi que no depende del que quiere ni del que corre, sino de Dios que tiene misericodia.

Lucas 15, se encuentras 3 parabolas que tienen comun denominador, älgo se perdio pero tambien algo se encontro ya que el quiere tener un acercamiento con nosotros. Ahora hemos entrado a una guerra espiritual entre las fuerzas de Dios y la del enemigo, a que el enemigo va a tratar de varias formas que nosotros perdamos el enfoque y el llamaod que Dios he hecho.

Un santo no es una persona que es libre de pecado, no es un luchado. Nunca en su vida tampoco no es persona que murio para las cosas de Dios. Si Dios es santo, nosotros somos santos, porque somos hijos del Rey.