Today's Hanukkah story.
A MOTHER'S COURAGE (Day 4 of Hanukkah)
(Forgive me for sharing such a gruesome story, but it is history)!
A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and while he was maimed and helpless, fried him alive! In the same manner, they tortured and killed her second and third sons.
The third son cried out: "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out: "We are prepared to die rather than sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).
Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus Epiphanes tortured her fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor.
She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying: "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child . . . Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.
This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.
May God help us to be courageous mothers. I believe it’s time for a renewal of courage which seems to have disappeared from our nation today. Instead of rising up for truth and freedom the majority are submissively cowering to ungodly mandates, lockdowns, and masks and giving up their God-given freedoms. Courage is more than a virtue. It is a muscle which must be exercised. The more we exercise it, the more we will grow in courage. And we need to exercise it now. If we don’t brave up now to face these issues in our nation, how will we fare when we face the “mark of the beast” which will eventually come? These things are like a pre-curser and prove what we will do in the final round.
The great men of faith in Hebrews 11 did not start out brave. They grew in courage. What was their testimony? “Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight” (v.34. NLT).
May God save us from being cowardly submissive and may He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face.
Ephesians 6:13: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all TO STAND.”
Have a great day,
Nancy Campbell
(You can read the whole of this amazing story in the Apocrypha in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).
Would Jesus stay in lockdown?
FAMILY DEDICATION SERVICE
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication (the Bible name for Hanukkah), He walked in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around Him.
In this time when we are facing oppression of lockdowns and clampdown of free speech in this nation, it is a good time to refresh ourselves of the story of the Maccabees who rose up against tyranny to save their nation. The brave stories of the Maccabees remind us to never cower in the face of tyranny. I’ll share a story each day of Hannukah for you to read.
Do you want to be ruled by Communist China? This will be inevitable with a Biden/Harris presidency.
The greatest thing you can do is build a strong marriage and strong godly family. Every stable and strong family help toward building a strong nation. Build a little more into your family today, something lovely, truthful, powerful, and eternal. 
God is a God of justice. “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne,” the psalmist writes in Psalm 89:14. God orders the world with justice and it is the way He wants our homes and nations to be ordered.
Have you found it incredible to believe the corruption that took place in our recent election? It is truly unbelievable, isn’t it? I am sure you have read hundreds of stories of the corruptions by all different ways and means, including the planned glitches in the Dominion voting machines. We could list pages of findings, but just a couple to remind us of what we are facing.
The first question “The Westminster Shorter Catechism” asks is:” What is the chief end of man?”
Do you remember when Joseph and Mary and the family traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover feast? Jesus was only 12 years old at the time. At the end of the first day of their homeward journey, they could not find Jesus They thought he was with friends and family, but when they couldn’t find him, they realized he was missing. They had to return to Jerusalem and after three agonizing days of searching they found him.
You are accomplishing great things in your home.
Dear mother in the home,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your precious family today. May you be filled with thankfulness, today, and every day of the year.
A thankful attitude changes our world. It changes our attitude toward our husbands. It changes our way of thinking toward our children. It changes how we view our homes. It determines whether we live in enjoyment or misery. It truly is a world-changer.
“The darker the night, the brighter the light.” The darker it gets and the more deception takes over people’s minds, the more we must shine. Isaiah 60:1-3: “Arise, shine: for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee . . .” The greatest way we shine for Jesus is through our unveiled faces, revealing His image to all we meet. 
Dear ladies, I find it so hard to believe what has happened to our nation? I can’t believe how nearly every one has given in to masks and whatever some “authority” has mandated, even though it is not a written law, and is against the Constitution, and against the way our Creator intended us to live!
Gather with God's people today. If your church is still not open, find one that is. If your church is still not singing, find one that is!
Embrace your glorious high calling today. God has ordained you for this task and you are walking in His perfect will. 
We sang this powerful hymn by MARTIN LUTHER at our Family Devotions this morning. The words are so powerful, aren't they? Here are all the words for you.