HAPPY CHANNUKAH

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HAPPY CHANNUKAH
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Channukah?

• Channukah (literally, "dedication") is an
  eight-day festival that celebrates the
  restoration of the Temple service following the
  victory of Judah Macabee and his army over the
  Selucid Greeks in 166 B.C.E. Each day of the
  holiday, an additional candle is lit in a menorah
  , a candelabrum, until on the eighth day all
  eight candles are lit. They are placed in the
  window to publicize the miracle of the victory of
  the few against many and that the only undefiled
  cruse of oil that could be found burned for eight
  days rather than one.

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So what?

• Israel is a physical representation of the
  spirit. Look at Israel and you look at the
  spiritual realm (not always a pretty site).
• So what can we see in the story of Channukah?

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1. Channukah is an eternal battle

• After the victory of Channukah, Israel was faced
  with Rome, the rise of Islam, the Holy Roman
  empire, Russia, the Protestant reformation, the
  Nazis, the Arab Israeli wars and now, the
  Interfada

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• There are always battles to fight. Jesus died and
  was resurrected to ensure our victory of the
  Ultimate War, not to ensure us of the absence
  of battles.

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2. Compromise is NOT an option

• It is impossible to fight on two sides at the
  same time.

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3. Numbers are deceiving

• Israel has almost always been in the minority.
  G-Ds secret weapon is the fact that He is
  invisible to our enemies.

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4. The priests of G-D overpower the kings of this
World

• G-Ds ways are not the ways of this World and
  when we employ His ways, the World is
  unpleasantly surprised.

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5. Dont rest after the battle

• Victory is not the end of a battle. You must go
  back to what the enemy destroyed, rebuild, and
  rededicate.

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6. Let G-d finish the battles

• G-d always has the most spectacular last laughs.

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Ephesians 6

• 10. Finally, be strong in the L-rd and in the
  strength of His might.11. Put on the full armor
  of G-d, so that you will be able to stand firm
  against the schemes of the devil.12. For our
  struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
  against the rulers, against the powers, against
  the world forces of this darkness, against the
  spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly
  places. 13. Therefore, take up the full armor of
  G-d, so that you will be able to resist in the
  evil day, and having done everything, to stand
  firm.14. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR
  LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE
  BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,15. and having shod
  YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF
  PEACE16. in addition to all, taking up the
  shield of faith with which you will be able to
  extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil
  one. 17. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and
  the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
  G-d.18. With all prayer and petition pray at all
  times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on
  the alert with all perseverance and petition for
  all the saints,

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Happy Channukah!