Blessing Israeli Believers December 2019

A Year End Note From Blessing Israeli Believers Co-Founder Dov Schwarz

What an amazing year our amazing Savior Yeshua has given to us! He has provided in so many ways and done so many things in our midst. And do not forget-we are all in this together as we await His soon coming Kingdom to be ushered in by our soon coming King!

In 2019 many of us participated together prayerfully and financially in the lives and ministry of Israeli Believers in Messiah Jesus. Some Israeli Believers also took the gospel and discipleship in Messiah Jesus to the nations in 2019. Here are some specific places and some of those who received the gospel we will not know of until the next life in eternity:

In Israel: Jerusalem, Netanya, Haifa, The Galilee, The Golan Heights!
The Nations: Many states in the USA, Rwanda in Africa, over 200 Countries worldwide to potentially two hundred million homes through our television broadcast!

In Israel, quite literally, many thousands of Jewish people heard the gospel of Messiah Yeshua. Some received Him as Messiah and Lord, and many seeds were planted and watered! Just stop and think for a moment what it means to be involved with such beautiful and fruitful work!

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John 15:16)

Also in Israel, we partnered with Israeli Believers in Messiah Yeshua who have helped save many babies from abortion. Abortion is a terrible problem in Israel, as well as many other countries. Here we get to partner with Be'ad Chaim-Israel Pro-Life that was founded and operates under the leadership of our Savior King Messiah Yeshua! In our relationship with Be'ad Chaim we have been able to participate in seeing so many Israeli babies spared and given life-Oh Hallelujah!

We have also been blessed by participating in Holocaust Survivors outreach as well as support for the poor and needy by sponsoring Israeli believing families who needed our financial help in 2019. Whether they are not yet Israeli believers or those who have already received Messiah Jesus, they have certainly experienced His love and mercy through your prayers and generous support in 2019!

Happy Chanukah!
Sundown December 22 to sundown December 30, 2019

Chanukah is known as the Feast of Dedication. It has very special implications though it was not mentioned by name or commanded to be celebrated or observed in the Old Testament. We see it mentioned specifically in the gospel of John.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. (John 10:22)

The events surrounding Chanukah are mentioned in the Book of Daniel and involve a wicked ruler named Antiochus Epiphanies from the Greco/Syrians and his cutting off the temple sacrifices.

He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:11-12)

Most of the historical accounts of what became Chanukah are written in the Books of The Maccabees. In approximately 165 BC this Antiochus, having sowed much division amongst the Jewish people by spreading Greek idolatry through Hellenism, then came in with an overwhelming army-conquered Jerusalem-sacked and desecrated the temple with idols and other forms of abominable desecration.

A family who loved the Elohim of Israel, later would become known as the Maccabees (meaning: Hammer)miraculously and victoriously fought against the Greco/Syrian forces. Having regained the Temple, they needed to first cleanse it so they could re-dedicate it to the Lord. Hence, we get the name the Feast of Chanukah or Dedication.

A legend then developed that though there was only enough oil for the Temple menorah (seven branched lamp) to burn for one day-that one day's worth of oil lasted for eight days! This was the amount of time needed to produce more of the special oil. This is also considered to be a big part of the miracle of Chanukah, which also gave it another name-the Festival of Lights. Whether the "oil" part of the story is only legend or not ~ the miracle of the Maccabees defeating Antiochus and the re-dedication of the Temple is so very powerful for all of us as we look to 2020.

Often times in this New Covenant life we allow for idols to be set up in the Temple. Today the temple is our body and through compromise with the philosophies of this world and our own temporal desires we can be overcome with strongholds. Yet, our great Messiah Jesus wants us to take up the hammer of confession of sin and repentance and put on the whole armor of God! With these we can take back the Temple and re-dedicate it to our Father in heaven through our Messiah Yeshua, and by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh ~ the Holy Spirit!
(1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Ephesians 6:10-18)

As we look forward to 2020 may our great Savior Yeshua help us to be filled with the oil of His Holy Spirit! To all of you who supported our BIB partners and work in 2019 we say THANK YOU! And may we together dedicate ourselves to a fruitful New Year in Israel and the Nations through Blessing Israeli Believers in Messiah Jesus!

Dov Schwarz