A Christian Celebration of Hanukkah

A Christian Celebration of Hanukkah

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Happy Christian Hanukkah!  “Blessed are You, O King of the Universe, who has commanded us to be a light unto the world.”

 Although the events leading up to Hanukkah are not described in the Protestant canon, we can find the story in the Apocrypha in 1 and 2 Maccabees. In 164 B.C. Israel was ruled by the Greek empire.  The Greeks forbade the Jews from worshiping Jehovah and practicing the Mosaic Law.  The conquerors desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar and placing a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies. 

 Matthais Maccabeus, a priest, gathered true worshipers, including his five sons, into a small, but stalwart, army of only 12,000.  Matthais’ son Judas, became their leader. Miraculously, they defeated the Greeks and cleansed the Temple.  

 After rededicating the Temple, they wanted to light the Menorah (Lampstand) that stood in the Holy Place.  They found enough of the specially prepared olive oil to the light the Menorah for only one day.  Even so, in faith, they lighted the Menorah, and, again, miraculously, the oil burned 8 days until new oil could be prepared.

 Therefore, Hanukkah, the Hebrew word for “dedication”, is celebrated for 8 days.  Jewish people place lighted candles in the windows in celebration of this holiday.  Because of the candle lighting, Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights.

Biblically speaking, eight is the number of new beginnings.

 What is the significance of Hanukkah for Christians?  First of all, Scripture tells us that Jesus recognized Hanukkah. John 10:22-23 (NKJV) "Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch". 

It was during this same time that Jesus declared His role as messiah. John 10:27-30:  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one.'' 

 Secondly, the events in our world today are, in many ways, parallel, to what was happening in the time of the Maccabees.  In that time the Greeks did not seek to physically destroy the Jews.  They wanted to take away from them their faith and their customs.  They wanted to convert them to the worldly philosophies that denied the existence of a personal God and extolled the virtues of man. We see the same thing happening in the world today where many believe that man is a law unto himself and that the ways of God are antiquated and have no place in the modern world.  We identify with the struggle of the Macabees in our efforts to secure the right to celebrate Christmas and to maintain our Christian identity. 

 Hanukkah is a time to remember and to rededicate ourselves to those values that are worth fighting for and that bring love, joy and peace into our lives.  Hanukkah is a time to remember that it is the truth that sets us free.  Hanukkah is a time to declare the light of Jesus Christ.

 Below are 8 verses, one for each day, to meditate on during this Hanukkah season:

1.  Genesis 1:1-4 (NKJV) 

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 

4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 

2.   Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) 

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 

3.  Psalm 36:9 (NKJV) 

9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 

4.  Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) 

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 

5.  Isaiah 9:2 (NKJV) 

2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 

6. Isaiah 60:1-3 (NKJV) 

1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 

3 The Gentiles (the unbelievers) shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 

7.  John 8:12 (NKJV) 

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 

8.  Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) 

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

 During Hanukkah, I pray that we will rededicate our lives to the Lord and seek to walk in His light. Hanukkah Tova! (Happy Hanukkah.)

Moving Upward toward Civility Updated Again

Moving Upward toward Civility Updated Again

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

           

            (I first published this piece in November 2013.  I published it again in February 2017. I am updating it once more.)

We are today a culture of the uncontrolled tongue. News reporting too often becomes a shouting match.  Children have been bullied into suicide by the words of others.  Politics has degenerated into blame shifting and name calling. Comedy seethes with insults and character assassination. Many people go for days and weeks without hearing a kind word.  Incivility is devouring us and serves only to exacerbate the trials of our lives.

            We live in a world that is famished for an uplifting word.  It is time for the family of God to arise, speak up and speak forth words of kindness, life, and solution.   Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32--NKJV)

            While we must exercise our freedom of speech, we must also endeavor to speak the truth in love and to choose our words in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Although the following suggestions would be useful on the national and international level, they are beneficial on the grassroots level as well.  It is at the grassroots that the reformation back to civility must begin. 

        Let's agree together in prayer: “Lord, please send civility to our world, and let it begin with me.  I desire to speak out of Your love rather than out of my fear, low self esteem, anger and disappointment.”

Suggestions for more civility in dialogue:

1.     “Before we get any further into this discussion, let me point out where I agree with you.”

2.    “I appreciate the thought and effort you have put into this.”

3.    “We can disagree and still be friends.”

4.    “I am sure that if we put our heads together, we can come up with a solution that we can agree on.”

5.    “Please go ahead and share your concerns.  Then give me an opportunity to share mine.”

6.    “I have a problem with some of your ideas.  Can you help me to understand your thoughts?”

7.    “Let’s have this discussion over  lunch.”                                                                                                                                                                                   

8.    “Please” and “thank you” are still politically correct phrases.  So is, “It’s good to see you.” 

9.    Nearly everyone responds positively to a sincere smile.

Scripture admonishes us to pray for those in authority over us even if we don’t like their policies:  

     ^“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” (1Timothy 2:1-3--NKJV).

What a thought:  I am more likely to lead a quiet and peaceable life if I pray for people, including those in authority, than if I complain about them. 

One of my favorite prayer-hymns is “Turn My Heart” by Lynn Deshazo based on Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” 

Remembering that in His kingdom, we are all called to be kings and priests, we must first sing this song over ourselves.  Cultural transformation must begin with me.

Turn My Heart

By Lynn Deshazo

Turn my heart O Lord
Like rivers of water
Turn my heart O Lord
By Your hand
Till my whole life flows
In the river of Your Spirit
And my name brings honor
To the Lamb.

When we have allowed the Lord to turn our hearts, we can ask Him to turn the hearts of our leaders.  We can pray again with on a few word changes:

Turn Trump’s heart O Lord
Like rivers of water
Turn his heart O Lord
By Your hand
Till his whole life flows
In the river of Your Spirit
And his name brings honor
To the Lamb.

Let us then pray for our land:

Turn the land’s heart O Lord
Like rivers of water
Turn our hearts O Lord
By Your hand
Till our whole life flows
In the river of Your Spirit
And our name brings honor
To the Lamb.

We will then be praying for the Lord’s agenda and not our own.

     Our Lord Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:35-37--NKJV)

Insults, insinuations and invective are idle words. Idle words do nothing to change anyone's opinion.  Remember  "Insults are the last resort of insecure people with a crumbling position trying to appear confident." (Wisdom Quotes)

     Father God, today I pray Your word over my life and the lives of others around me.  ”Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14--NKJV)