We were blessed to visit our two oldest sons and their families in Florida for Thanksgiving week.

Shalom, dear friends and family:

We hope that your Thanksgiving Celebration was filled with good food, family, and of course, football; now we move into the season of advertising overload and every conceivable attempt to get us to ‘buy this’ or ‘order that’ and believe the hype – this will solve all your problems: no, this will make all your dreams come true: no, this will cure what ails you: and we all need to be reminded that Messiah has provided for all our needs, solves all our problems, and heals daily. No hype, no pressure, just an outpouring of love we cannot contain.

Don’t recognize the image? It is a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission………our only vehicle is a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe – great car – bought used when we returned to America from Israel, and it now has 150,000 miles on the odometer. Earlier this month, we had to replace the transmission. Not planned. Not in any budget. As the bumper sticker says, ‘life happens,’ and of course, God is our source. Please agree with us for the resources to pay for this new transmission and for our vehicle to continue to provide reliable transportation for many more years.

ISRAEL UPDATE

The latest news is that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist group, agreed to a 60-day cease-fire in Lebanon. President Joe Biden announced Hamas’ unwillingness to release its hostages – something that the rest of the world has noted for over a year. Hezboallah began sending rockets into Israel on 8 October of last year, ‘in support’ of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists.

A quick read of Lebanon’s history shows that Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 and 1982, both times in response to terrorist attacks from Southern Lebanon. Israel occupied Southern Lebanon until 2000 when all troops were withdrawn. UNIFIL (The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon) was established in 1978 to ‘keep the peace; monitor Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, and ensure that the PLO and subsequently Hezbollah maintained a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon and did not attack Israel. Like most UN “Peace Keeping” forces deployed since 1945, UNIFIL is a colossal failure…………and costs approximately $ 550,000,000 annually to maintain, paid by the UN, which gets approximately 30 % of its funds from us, the United States. Our ‘tax dollars’ at work.

There seems to be a flurry of activity prior to the upcoming inauguration of the President, and not surprisingly, with the ‘ceasefire’ in Lebanon, other Iranian proxies in the area are now stepping up the attack on Israel – last night, the Houthis in Yemen. Other concerns in play now are Russian and Chinese involvement in the region.

Let us be vigilant in prayer and continue to believe in the release of all hostages.

HANUKKAH

Although according to Jewish custom Hanukkah is considered a “minor” Jewish festival, today it ranks—along with Passover and Purim—as one of the most beloved Jewish holidays, full of light and joy and family celebration.

Unlike many Jewish holidays, Hanukkah (also known as the Festival of Lights and also as the Festival of Dedication) is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The historical events upon which the celebration is based are recorded in Maccabees I and II, two books contained within a later collection of writings known as the Apocrypha.

Interestingly, it is mentioned in the New Testament in John 10:22 – “ Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ”  and we have a record of the Jewish leadership questioning whether Yeshua was the promised Messiah.

In the year 168 B.C.E., the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes sent his soldiers to Jerusalem. The Syrians desecrated the Temple, the holiest place for Jews at that time. Antiochus also abolished Judaism, outlawing the observance of Shabbat and the festivals, as well as circumcision. Altars and idols were set up for the worship of Greek gods, and he offered Jews two options: conversion or death.

On the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev in 168 B.C.E., the Temple was renamed for the Greek god Zeus. A Jewish resistance movement – led by a priestly family known as the Hasmoneans, or Maccabees – developed, resisting the cruelty of Antiochus. The head of the family was Mattathias, an elderly man.  His son, Judah, became the chief strategist and military leader of the resistance. Though outnumbered, Judah Maccabee and his fighters miraculously won two major battles, routing the Syrians decisively.

Although historians debate the causes and outcomes of the war in which Judah Maccabee and his followers defeated the Syrian armies of Antiochus, there is no doubt that Hanukkah evokes stirring images of Jewish valor against overwhelming odds. Other themes of the holiday include the refusal to submit to the religious demands of an empire practicing idolatry, the struggle against total assimilation into Greek culture and loss of Jewish identity, and the fight for Jewish political autonomy and self-determination.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” is the festival that commemorates the purification and rededication of the Temple following the Greek occupation of that holy place. Today, the holiday reminds Jews to rededicate themselves to keeping alive the flame of Jewish religion, culture, and peoplehood so that it may be passed on to the next generation.

The Miracle of the Oil

Originally, the eight-day holiday was intended to parallel the eight-day festival of Sukkot. The books of the Maccabees made no mention of the legend concerning a small jar of oil that unexpectedly lasted for eight days. Only centuries after the Maccabees’ defeat of the Syrians did the story of the jar of oil – which has come to be associated with Hanukkah – appear in the Talmud.

According to the legend, when the Maccabees entered the Temple and began to reclaim it from the Greeks, they immediately relit the ner tamid, which burned constantly in the Temple and has a parallel in our synagogues to this day. In the Temple, they found a single jar of oil, which was sufficient for only one day. The messenger who was sent to secure additional oil took eight days to complete his mission, and miraculously, the single jar of oil continued to burn until his return. The rabbis of the Talmud attributed the eight days of Hanukkah to the miracle of this single jar of oil.

Modern Observance

Although the practice of lighting the menorah (also called a hanukkiyah) was common throughout much of the 19th century, North American Jews tended to neglect most of the other traditions and practices associated with the holiday. By the 1920s, however, Jews increasingly added gift-giving to their Hanukkah celebrations, prompting some people to refer to Hanukkah as the “Jewish Christmas.”

In some ways, the transformation of Hanukkah was linked to the growth of North American Jewry within its unique environment. The elevation of Hanukkah to a major holiday was partly the result of Jews acculturating themselves to a North America that was overwhelmingly Christian in population and symbols.

Although Hanukkah had become an important holiday among North American Jews by the 1920s, it would be incorrect to regard it as an imitation of Christmas with an emphasis on the exchange of presents. Rather, North American Jews use this holiday as a celebration of family, reinforcing Jewish identity in a place whose population may be overwhelmingly Christian. Hanukkah is a means for North American Jews to feel a kinship with their neighbors while simultaneously asserting their Jewish distinctiveness.

Of course, as Believers, we see the Hand of God in the salvation of our people, and the fulfillment of ‘Jewish history in 9 words’ – “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat !”  https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/hanukkah/history-hanukkah-story

Most followers of Yeshua celebrate Christmas as the ‘first coming of Yeshua.’ All of us also celebrate our Messiah’s coming to this earth providing salvation, healing, and eternal life for us. We also enjoy a wonderful family time of giving and receiving, enjoying each others’ company, blessing others, and in that vein we send our love and appreciation to you and we wish you a very blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

PARTNER WITH US IN PRAYER

• ISRAEL and RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES
• US GOVERNMENT  TRANSITION
• HEALTH & MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

PARTNER WITH US IN FINANCES

There are a few options if you are prompted to partner financially in ministry with us:

If you don’t need a tax deduction, you can send funds to us via the INTERNET directly thru PayPal. Use [email protected], which is Michael’s account. Send as a friend, and there is no cost to you or us.

If you don’t need a tax deduction, you can send funds to us by check, payable to Michael Bryan, and mail to Michael Bryan, PO Box 255, Magnolia, MS 39652.

Tax-deductible donations by CHECK can be made payable to Isaiah 61 Ministries and mailed to:

Isaiah 61 Ministries
PO Box 255
Magnolia, MS. 39652

You will receive a printed receipt at year-end and our eternal gratitude.

Tax-deductible donations via the INTERNET can be made thru the KKCJ website, www.kkcj.org. Engage the “Give” tab at the top of the page, select “Staff Support,” and select “Michael Bryan.”

We are grateful to receive a partial salary from King of Kings Community to help with the work of ministry, and as God opens new doors for us, we know He will supply the needed resources to enable us to minister from America to Israel and to the Nations. May God continue to bless you as you continue blessing us and Israel.

Wishing you and yours a great holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, both, or something else.  May the God of all creation richly bless you and yours as we approach the end of this very event filled year.

We love you,

Michael & Patricia

Family Photo Album November