Torah Portion this week: Va Yeshev, Genesis 37:1-40:2
Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8, Zechariah2:10-4:7
Brit Chadashah: Acts 7:9-16
Hoping everyone has a wonderful December as we start Erev Hanukkah. Feast of Dedication on Thursday night December 10th.Readings are Torah: Numbers 7:1-8;4 and Brit Chadashah: John 10 :22-39, light our first candle. Kislev is a month of Hope. This is a recap from the site Chabad .org.
Story of Chanukah in brief.
“During the time of the 2nd temple ,the Holy Land was ruled by cruel Greeks, the Chanukah lights remind us of the great miracle that a small band of Jews defeated the mighty Greek armies The Maccabees risked their lives to keep Torah Alive!. Another great miracle was the oil. The Greeks had made the oil for the temple impure. One jar was found but would only burn 1 night they needed 7 days to make new oil, So Great was their love of G-D that they lit the oil in faith, and it burned for eight days. With tremendous Joy the Jews cleaned the temple and began to serve Hashem again. Joy has the power to overcome any negative thing and break any evil decree! Every day we add another candle till all eight candles on the Menorah are ablaze, charging up ourselves with light. The light of Chanukah candles is holy. The miracle of Chanukah occurred in a dark time.”
The Maccabees had courage and never lost hope. The United States needs this same courage over this election. Our prayers, fasting and self-sacrifice through Yeshua will Make America Great Again. I want people to be encouraged and learn to overcome doubt, anxiety and fear. The following prayer can help. Create your own prayers but learn the word of God. It is your only true weapon against evil.
In the book, The Prayer That Changes Everything, by Stormie Omartian, she defines Worship as …Entering into God’s presence expecting His love, peace, and joy to overtake you no matter how you feel at the moment. Its proclaiming that He is bigger than anything you face.
During these trying times it is important while we are home, we take time to get to know the word. In times of trouble and distress people need leaders who can help them to get through without fear or anxiety. To utilize this time to grow in wisdom and relationship with Yeshua.
Stormies’ prayer to give Yeshua praise is as follows, “Yeshua I worship you above all else. You are my creator, my heavenly Father .my almighty God. You are my light and my salvation; whom shall, I fear? You, Yeshua, are the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27). I cast my burden on You, Knowing You sustain me, and I will not be shaken (Psalm 55:22). Thank you, Yeshua, that when I seek You, you hear me and deliver me from all my fears, that You save me out of all mt troubles. Thank you that your angel camps around me to deliver me (psalm 34;4-7). Yeshua I give you all my anxiety and fear. I surrender my hold on them and release them into your hands. Instead, I lift my eyes to You, for you are my help in time of trouble. I refuse to entertain discouragement and instead choose this day to find my encouragement in You. I Thank You for the sound mind that is able to see the truth and discern what is happening around me. Thank you for the courage to go forward and fulfill the destiny You have for me. Scriptures to support this is as follows:
Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 3:4-6, 1John 4:18, Psalm 34:6-7, Psalm 33:8