Judas Maccabee and his brothers continually fought battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves. But their trust was in God.
Listen to Judas' confession on one occasion: "When all his followers saw the host coming against them, they said to Judas, 'How can so few of us fight against so many? Besides, we have had nothing to eat all day, and we are exhausted.' Judas replied: 'Many can easily be overpowered by a few; it makes no difference to Heaven to save by many or by few. Victory does not depend on numbers; strength comes from Heaven alone . . . Heaven will crush them before our eyes. You need not be afraid of them'" (1 Maccabees 3:17-21).
The Israelites also had to face enemies far bigger than them. Deuteronomy 9:1-3 says: “Hear O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations GREATER AND MIGHTIER than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims (giants), whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”
I know that you, too, often face dilemmas that loom much bigger than you can handle. Don't focus on your difficulty. Look to God. He is your Strength. He is your Source. He is your Sufficiency. He will always do what you cannot do. When we try to handle our problems we usually make a mess of the job. Put them in God's hands for He knows what is best to do.
Victory does not come by intelligence or fleshly strength. It only comes from God. Just as God delivered the Maccabees time and time again as they faced insurmountable armies, so God will deliver you as you trust in Him. Make sure you have the right confession. Don't confess your problems; confess your trust in God. It's the way to victory.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights" because of the relighting of the Menorah. This was a huge thing that happened that day, because the Jews knew that God had commanded the lights in the Holy Place to BURN CONTINUALLY. They were to never to go out--and they had been out for a long time! God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).
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 then 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
Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? Because "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were growing in the courts like a forest! But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar
Are you reading the Scriptures I posted for you? If not, you can still print them off. Go down a few posts and you’ll find them. We loved talking about the Scriptures we read last night, especially how Jesus Christ is the One who lights every person who comes into the world.
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, he walked in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.
We are coming to the end of another glorious Christmas Day as we celebrated family togetherness and the birth of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. As we end our big Christmas Dinner we always have sharing. Whoever wants to may give a toast to someone they want to appreciate or speak of revelation on their hearts. The sharing this year was very insightful. Later in the day, after dessert, we ended with a family concert. We love to give opportunity for the upcoming talent amo
* Jesus didn't come with pomp and ceremony. He came as a babe. Luke 2:12 tells us: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a BABE wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Yes, a baby! God chose the One who will rule over all kings and nations to come as a baby. No wonder the devil hates babies, for this is the way Jesus came.
Day 1
As a family, we love to celebrate Christmas, not the tinsel and glamor, but the preciousness of gathering together as a family. We also love to remember the most amazing event in the world when God sent His Son to this world—into the womb of a woman and to be born as a little baby.
I have just discovered the second stanza to the carol, O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL. I had never seen it before, but love the words.
I am sure you will enjoy this poem from Val Stares, who is the Director of Above Rubies in Australia.
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.
What are you filled with this Christmas? Many folks have cars filled with gifts, homes filled with decorations, tables filled with food, and stockings filled with things we will never use. We are filled to over the top. However, when we read about the birth of Jesus we find that instead of being filled with the things of the world, they were filled with the Holy Ghost!
Here is another lovely poem from my friend, Val Halloran:
I love the prophetic words of Christ in Psalm 40:7, 8: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God.” All through eternity, Jesus Christ was already the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). He bore the weight of this burden all through eternity until God’s perfect moment in history.
I love the last stanza from Christina G. Rossetti's beautiful song, "In the Bleak Midwinter" which she wrote in 1872. My children learned this poem when they were young. You may like to encourage your children to learn it, too.
God told Simeon that he would not die until He had seen the Messiah! When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord, dear old Simeon perceived that this baby was THE MESSIAH for which he had been waiting. He took Jesus up in his arms and proclaimed: "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A LIGHT TO LIGHTEN THE GENTILES, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luk
We are currently in the season of remembering the most wonderful celebration in the history of the world--when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth as a little baby. We know that this was not the actual time of his birth, but it is the time we remember His miraculous incarnation.
I love to discover new words. In fact, I quite like making up new words. Sometimes we must find new words to describe very special and beautiful things. Here are some words to fill your home.