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Every night of Hanukkah we light a candle.  On the eighth night the whole candelabra is lit up, representing the miraculous provision of oil that lasted eight days instead of one.  On the first night of Hanukkah, I always think the single candle looks a bit odd standing alone.  There’s so much potential, I think to myself, looking at the empty candle holders beside the one.

Ever feel like you are the only one burning for Yeshua?  You might be a stand alone in your family or in your work place, in your school, or even feel like it in your place of worship.  Be encouraged this Holiday season that what you see on day one of Hanukkah is only the beginning of the miracle.  God wants to use your flame to kindle the other wicks around you.  In Matthew 5:14 Yeshua speaks to you this way: “You are the Light of the world, like a city on a hill glowing for all to see”…”In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that they  may glorify your father in Heaven.”  Let me encourage you not to shrink back in insecurity or lessen your glow by your own feelings of inadequacy.  You were always meant to shine!  God will use your flame to bring glory to his name.

There are family members that are watching your deeds right now.  They are looking for meaning and purpose in life and your witness may bring the necessary spark to ignite their flame.  I believe that whole families are going to shine bright for him in this season.  Unsatisfied co-workers are looking for a better way to live and will notice the fruit of your dedication.  It’ time for the life of Messiah to infiltrate the darkest corners of the market place!  As you burn for Yeshua, be willing to stand alone, and it won’t be long before others are lit up around you.

Tonight at sundown we will celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday known as the festival of lights.  History tells us that the beginnings of the holiday took place at a turbulent time in Israel.  The land of Israel was controlled by a Seleucid king who didn’t allow them to worship the God of Abraham but insisted on the worship of false greek deities.  After this Tyrant desecrated the temple, a family of brothers who had had enough banded together for the freedom of their people and the restoration of true worship in Jerusalem.  The miracle of Hanukkah happens after Judas Maccabee and his brothers regain control of Jerusalem and want to rededicate the temple to the Lord.  Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This miraculous event inspired the eight night yearly celebration of Hanukkah.

I’m reminded in this story that the God of the universe is looking for those he can partner with in the earth.  The Maccabean revolt is a beautiful picture of a family who would not be passive in their worship of the one true God.  They fought for two years in gorilla style warfare in order to see reformation in their land.  It was their great zeal for righteousness that would not relent in the midst of great oppression and darkness reigning in their kingdom.  They were committed to see covenant restored in Israel.  When they found that there was only enough oil for one day, they had a decision to make.

Will I ration what I have out of fear that it might run out? Or will I lay it all on the line, using every ounce of what I have so that He can bring the increase?  They believed that their dedication would please the Lord so they chose to burn their oil no matter what!

It is also clear from the miracle of Hanukkah that God was dedicated to the dedication process of the temple. He will give of Himself, so that we can live in purity and holiness completely set apart for Him.  When you run out, He will always run in!  The great thing about being partnered together with someone is that you don’t have to do it on your own.

My prayer in this season:

Lord, I want to burn for you!  I want to give of myself completely for your service.  Forgive me for keeping what you have given me for a rainy day and not using myself up on you.  I believe you are able “to perfect that which concerns me” and you are committed to making me holy.  Where there is lack in my life, I will trust you.  Thank you for showing yourself strong on my behalf and doing great wonders on account of me.

At the beginning of November we were privileged to host two nights to honor the Lord by standing with His people Israel. Here is a recap of the event: There was a unity of the Spirit as we gathered and the Spirit of Adoption was felt by all. Matthew Rudolph brought a powerful word to lay a foundation for standing with God’s people. He spoke with authority: “Throughout human history, in the beauty of God’s design He chooses the weakest, the smallest to partner together with so that in the end only His glory and power will be seen”. God’s choosing of Israel has always been about His Glory. Our desire to be in the center of His heart concerning Israel can not be based on some romantic, emotional, or even nationalistic viewpoint of the Jewish people and the land. A healthy vision for Israel has everything to do with God himself and His divine order, covenant, honor, and eternal word. I Cor. 1:27-31 says that God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. God has always sought the insignificant of the earth to make His name great through. Israel’s story past, present, and future declares the faithfulness of a great covenant keeping God!

The second night we sought to give practical application to those whose heart is set on standing with the God of Israel, but don’t know what to do other than praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Praying with understanding is important. Below are some of the reasons that we stand with Israel in outline form. We believe that there will be a shift in our region from promise to possession as the church begins to identify herself with the God of Israel. Let’s possess all that the Father has for us as we walk together with Israel!

1. Israel is still:

a. the apple of God’s eye (Psa.148:14; Zech.2:8)

b. His inheritance (Deut.32:8-11; Rom.11:29; Psa.33:11-12)

c. close to His heart

i. GOD LOVES ISRAEL – shouldn’t we?

ii. “They ARE (not were) loved on account of the patriarchs.”
(Romans 11:28 RSV)

iii. “Israel … I have loved you with an everlasting love.”
(Jeremiah 31: 1/3 NIV)

2. God has not finished with Israel

a. God hasn’t changed His mind or His plan. He is still working His amazing plan.

b. “God did not reject His people whom He foreknew.”
(Romans 11:2 NIV)

c. “You are My servant; O Israel, I will not forget you.”
(Isaiah 44:21 NIV)

d. “I will bring you back into your OWN land … I will give you a new heart … and put MY Spirit in you …”
(Ezekiel 36:24/27 NIV)

3. We honor our heritage. A culture of honor recognizes our faith heritage.

a. The gospel itself is a Jewish message about a Jewish Messiah given to Jewish disciples within a Jewish context.

b. Jewish Roots. The Christian Faith wasn’t born in a vacuum.

c. The root supports you! Romans 11:17-20

i. Choose to honor rather than be haughty

d. The oracles of God were given through the Jewish people Ro. 3:1-3

i. Oracles were understood as supernatural words given through a human medium. Living words!
ii. The scriptures – were primarily written by Jews to Jews.
iii. Gen. 1 – Acts 15 assumes that in order to walk with the God is Israel you must become a Jew. From Heb – to End of Revelation most of the scriptures are addressed to Jews. Hebrews, James – addressed to the 12 tribes scattered among the nations, Peter, John and Jude believed to be addressed to Messianic Jews and most of the book of Revelation is addressing God’s future plan for Israel

e. Romans 9:1-5

i. The adoption – God’s choice of the seed Abraham as a people and reading glasses for understanding Ro. 9-11. Rejection and Acceptance. Becoming grafted in to our roots.

ii. The Glory – The manifest presence of God revealing Himself

iii. The covenants – Abraham, Moses, New Covenant (Jer. 31:31)

iv. The giving of the law – the Torah that was the revelation of God’s character and ways. Our tutor to lead us to Yeshua the messiah. Gal. 3:24

v. The service of God – the priestly system that showed how we should approach God and our need for Yeshua.

vi. The promises – both those that have been fulfilled and are yet to be fulfilled.

vii. The fathers – examples of the men of faith like Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets

viii. The MESSIAH! Yeshua the root and offspring of David

4. Spiritual alignment

a. God’s priorities should be our priorities. What is important to God should be important to us.

b. God’s divine order – Israel is my firstborn. (Ex. 4:22)

c. To the Jew first (Romans 1:16; 2:9-1)

i. Taught by Yeshua practiced by Paul

ii. Matthew 15:24 “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

iii. Matthew 10:5-6 “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.”

iv. Luke 24:45-49 “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power on high.’”

v. Acts 1:4,8 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

5. It is a dividing line issue. Whether we stand with Israel or not will be a dividing line issue in the last days.

a. Take action because it’s such a pivotally important time. Today, the showdown that we face is so close to being the nations of the earth against Israel and whoever is left that stands with them.

b. The final issue will be “Who is for God and His way and who isn’t?” The Lord has called us to be a people who will stand with moral and biblical convictions for critical issues…and this is one.

6. A word concerning Israel’s neighbors

a. Middle Eastern proverb “my enemies enemy is my friend”

b. Differentiating the spirit behind radical militant Islam and the arab peoples.

c. Two eyes vision for the middle east sees the both sons of Abraham through the love of God – Isaac and Ishmael

7. Worldwide revival. The Jewish people’s acceptance of Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) will lead to:

a. life from the dead (Ro. 11:15)

b. world-wide revival of unprecedented magnitude (Acts 3:19-21)

8. The return of the Jewish people to the land and their salvation are linked to Yeshua’s second coming.

a. Matt. 23:37-39

b. Matt. 24:14 – Gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth and coming back full circle. Acts 1:8 to Matt. 24:14 to Matt. 23:39

Acts 3:21 – Yeshua held back in heaven until the restoration of all things

November 4th at 7pm & November 5th at 7pm
It’s an honor to host two nights of worship and prophetic teaching on God’s heart for Israel on November 4th and 5th.  Isaiah speaks of the darkness that covers our earth today…  Zechariah prophesies the turning of all nations against God’s people, Israel…  Joel speaks of an army of young and old arising… Acts tells us that revival will come to the whole world and all of Israel will be saved.  Did you know that we are apart of something so much bigger than ourselves?   We are living in a day the prophets spoke about and God’s end time plan is unfolding in front of our very eyes. We believe God is restoring a covenant people in the earth.  Come worship with us as we seek to be a part of that faithful company.

Special Guests: Matthew and Serah Rudolph

Matthew is a Jewish believer in Jesus whose heart burns for God’s glory to be seen in Israel and the nations. Experiences gained from growing up in an missionary family living in places like India, Europe, and the Middle East have given him a broader understanding of the heartbeat of God for the nations. Matthew serves as the International Director of Gateways Beyond International, which is a family of messianic missional communities with ministry bases in Cyprus, Switzerland, Germany and the United States.  Matthew is also the base leader for the community in Cyprus where he overseas the staff and various ministries. Matthew and Serah married in 2002 and together they serve as the Directors of the Gateways Training School based in Cyprus, a six-month discipleship program focused on equipping and launching young people into the harvest field.  Matthew and Serah have led numerous short-term outreach trips to Ethiopia, Israel and much of Europe. As a worship leader and teacher, Matthew seeks to draw believers and non-believers alike to encounter the manifest presence of God through a lifestyle of daily worship, discipleship and outreach.

Chandy and Sarah Thomas:  

Chandy is an anointed preacher and a revelatory teacher. He has a burden for the church world wide to see the bride of Christ walk in God’s full purpose and plan. The Word comes alive as he shares passionate truth from a place of honest devotion to Jesus. Both Chandy and Sarah carry an anointing in a lifestyle of faith and minister prophetically and have seen many miracles of healing and deliverance. Sarah expresses the prophetic mantle on her life through her voice, dance and influence in creative arts. She is gifted and seasoned counselor especially to women and young couples and carries a strong gift of discernment. With a heart for missions, Chandy and Sarah have ministered in various settings from the streets to prisons, feeding centers, orphanages, villages, churches, youth groups in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America and the Middle East. They have 3 beautiful children and live on the island of Cyprus and lead the second year of the Gateways Training School. As a family they have postured their lives as a call to worship in the nations.

Worship Leader: Kes Evans

Kes was born into missions. Her Parents are Messianic Jewish believers and have faithfully served in ministry for over 30 years. She was born on the mission field while her parents were serving in Cyprus. Kes grew up in the nations gaining first hand experience in different cultural and ministry settings. Her heart now burns to see God’s purposes for Israel and the Nations fulfilled in her generation.  She also has a passion for music and the arts. She is a worship leader, and along with the worship team in Cyprus has recorded three CDs.

We are in a beautiful time of year here in the Northwest.  This is the season on the Hebraic Calendar known as the Fall Feasts.  This past Wednesday night was Rosh Hashanah and the first of the fall feasts.  The feasts are not just simply celebrations for the Jewish community around the world, but a delight for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.  In  Leviticus 23, the writer describes these feasts times as “the Feasts of the Lord”. There are seven holy convocations to the Lord, where God says that He wants to meet with His people.  Yes, you have access to God anytime you draw near by the blood of the new covenant, but just like a marriage there is something special about a “date night”.  My wife and I get to enjoy each others company every day of the week, but both of us are especially blessed when we set intentional time on the calendar to come away for undivided attention and affection.  This is also true of our relationship with the Lord and he is excited about this fall feast season for that very reason.  He wants your undivided attention.  He longs for you to come away with Him.  It’s time for a date!

Nehemiah Rudolph