Happy Hanukah

Hey friends. This blog is going to be brief. Jenny and I are on our way out of town to play at a couple of Messianic congregations; we will be celebrating the beginning of Chanukah with them. (If you'd like to know more, please check out our website: martygoetz.com)

Yes, it's the "Feast of Dedication"; eight days commemorating the victory of the Maccabbees, a Jewish family that rallied Israel to overcome the oppression of their Syrian-Greek enemies and recover their land and their temple. The rededication of that temple is the focal point of the Chanukah celebration.

Legend has it that there was only enough sacred oil left in the devastated and defiled house of worship to keep the "menorah", the lampstand, lit for only one night; it had to burn continually in keeping with the law of G-d. However---"a great miracle happened there!"---and the lamp burned for eight days, filling the temple with light and allowing enough time to replenish the supply of consecrated oil.

Thus, we remember this glorious event with the lighting of the "hannukiyah"- an eight branched menorah - illuminated night by night by night, all the candles being lit by the ninth candle called the "servant candle".

Though we are in the midst of the Christmas season, many don't know that the one whose birthday is celebrated this month celebrated Chanukah!

"Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus (Yeshua) walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch." (John 10: 22-23)

And so, we begin the feast, also called the "Festival of Light". We will light the first candle on the menorah, spin the dreydl - a top - and eat "latkes"- potato pancakes, a traditional Hanukah food. We will sing songs, recalling what the God of Israel did - and continues to do - for his people.

Most of all, we will "re-dedicate" our temples - our bodies, our minds, our lives - to the service of our Lord. We will pray to truly be "the light of the world" that our savior, Yeshua, called us to be.

After all, He is "the light of the world"; and He shines - not just for eight days - but FOREVER!

Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas!

Oh, and, by the way, if you'd like a CD featuring songs for these beloved holidays, we have one! It's called "Festivals of Light"; it was produced beautifully by Tom Howard - and I think you'd enjoy it. It might also make a good gift for a friend or loved one. Once again, you can see it at "martygoetz.com". Okay, enough commercials!

My family and I hope you have a wonderful, fruitful, delightful, and enjoyable holiday season!!

Shalom, Peace, in the Prince of Peace, Yeshua - Jesus!!!

G-d bless us everyone.

Marty

Give Thanks!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!

For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!

For His mercy endures forever!" (Psalm 136: 1-3)

These days, I don't hear much on the "alphabet networks" (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN) with which I agree or viewpoints with which I concur. However, on Thanksgiving morning, I tuned in to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS, (as I am wont to do every year on this holiday.) I don't pay that close attention to what is said by the network hosts of the event. I enjoy having it on for the familiar sights and sounds and the general festive atmosphere it brings to the house. Nostalgic memories of days gone by mingle with preparations for present day celebrations. Along with the tastes and smells of the day, these thoughts and feelings are a recipe for deep reflection and heartfelt emotion.

Consequently, the personal thoughts of one of the commentators, Maggie Rodriguez, caught my attention. She expressed her appreciation for the fact that Thanksgiving is mainly about one thing---family! No shopping for gifts is required, no sending of cards, no decorating of the home, putting up of trees or lights or anything else; all that is required is a grateful heart, an awareness of blessings received and some loved ones with which to express these things.

I heartily agree with the aforementioned broadcaster! (And so does my wife!)

Therefore, Jennifer and I truly have enjoyed this particular week. On Tuesday, November 24th, she and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. The next day, our daughter, Danyel Misha, came home from college. We gathered that evening with some of her best girl friends from high school and had a pre-Thanksgiving feast, masterfully cooked by Jenny! The next day, (Thanksgiving Day), we ate leftovers---which always taste even better to me---and watched movies and just generally "hung out" with each other.

My extended family is not very big; the "tribes" of Goetz and Yaffee (my wife's maiden name) have shrunk considerably in this current era. Our household is small as well; it's just Jenny and Misha and I---and our old dog, Maggie!

In light of this fact, we are exceedingly thankful to God for the bounty of having one another to love and cherish and celebrate! We are reminded every day of the preciousness of life and the eternal value of the time we share together. I'm certain the same could be said for you and the ones you hold dear, no matter what that looks like.

Irrespective of our lot in life, this is a time to thank God for each and every blessing.

I wanted to take a moment to thank God for you and to send you holiday greetings from my family and me.

May this season bring with it joy, peace, health, prosperity and every good thing.

And if it is attended by "various trials," may God give the grace to "count it all joy, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience...that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)

In consideration of all these matters, may I add to Ms. Rodriguez' much appreciated thoughts these closing words?

All who are believers in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob---and followers of His Son, Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Messiah Jesus---ARE the family of God! That is to say, if you belong to Him, you BELONG! No one is truly alone who is a member of this divine household.

As it has been said, (and sung): "And we, being many, are one body in Messiah...and everyone members of one another...loving each other, with God as our father, who loves us as a mother loves her newborn child." (Romans 12:5)

Years ago, my family sang the above words on a video recording called "Psalm Enchanted Evening."

Misha was little then; she is no longer. I send this message to you with a current picture of her, along with her canine companion, Maggie.

We all wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season...in which we all GIVE THANKS!!

Gratefuly yours,

Shalom, Peace,

Marty and his mishpochah (family)

Come Back!

Pictured here is LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans; and the view has me thinking about comebacks.

We live in Nashville and the Titans are our team. Last year they started the season with 10 straight wins. It was very exciting and we thought we were Super Bowl bound. It didn't work out; we lost in the first round of the playoffs. So we all thought, 'maybe next year!'

This year we began the season with 6 straight losses! Obviously this year would not be the "next year" we were dreaming of. However, following a "bye" week, when the team didn't play, they have returned with a vengeance; they have won 3 in a row and quite handily. As I said, I'm thinkin' comeback!

Life is filled with comeback stories. Remember when Bill Clinton hailed himself "the comeback kid?" How about Richard Nixon in 1968 when he rose from the political grave to capture the presidency? It appears the conservative movement is making a comeback; and maybe also the Republican party... which looked as if it would be in the electoral wilderness for a long time!

Sarah Palin is making a comeback; although her father says she didn't retreat...she just reloaded!

The words 'come back' evoke another image. Did you perhaps see the film, "Titanic?" Do you recall the character, Rose, clinging to a door from the sunken ship, weakly calling for a lifeboat to 'come back?' It took a whistle to alert the sailor searching for survivors; but the faint sound of her voice crying to survive..."come back, come back, come back"...is one of the most vivid movie memories ever!

Our nation needs a comeback, doesn't it? The economy, the national mood, the 'salt of the earth' American people, desperately need to come back from some serious doldrums. I've been around many years; things are as bad as I've seen them in a long time.

I'm thinkin' comeback! When and how...I'm not sure.

There is a 'come back' of which we all can be certain; the coming back to earth of Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel and Lord of all!

He won't return to the sound of a whistle. No, He will "descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The low murmur of a lone survivor won't bring him back. Rather it will be the cry of His kinsmen, Israel: "Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai---Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!" He promised...and it will be. Look it up...and look up! (Matthew 23:39)

So many of us feel like that character Rose; holding on for dear life to a scrap of what, moments ago, seemed so secure and indestructible. We find ourselves in strange and turbulent waters, surrounded by others victimized by unimaginable and unforeseen disaster. We wonder how long we will have to wait for our lifeboat; we wonder if we will be a victim or a survivor.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick," writes the author of Proverbs, "But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12)

The "Desire of All Nations" will come! It is written...and it shall be. (Haggai 2:7)

"This hope"--no longer deferred-- "we have as an anchor of the soul..." and the anchor WILL hold in these stormy seas. (Hebrews 6:19) He, the Lord Jesus, is the door to which we cling; and the lifeboat of His presence is coming back to save us...to the uttermost! (Hebrews 7:25)

Hang on! Cry out!! Sound the whistle of praise, prayer and intercession!!!

Go Titans! God bless America!! Come Lord Yeshua---Maranatha---Come, Lord Jesus, Come...Back!!! (Revelation 22:20)

He is... THE KING OF THE WORLD!

Shalom,

Marty

P.S. It's Thursday...Hi, Misha!

HEAVEN KNOWS

I love calendars. Except for the fact that they continually remind me of my approaching expiration date, -(gulp!)-, I like to mark the time. I particularly enjoy "quote" calendars; the type that decorate the day with sayings of famous people or timeless words of wisdom. My favorite ones have a daily scripture verse.

Jenny and I just recently returned from some extensive traveling. Usually, following such trips, I crash immediately after getting home. (My wife, on the other hand, goes straight to the office to catch up on work!) The first morning back, I'm always curiously excited to see what my desk calendar has to say about the day about to commence.

This last trip was quite unique. We worked in Los Angeles and stayed in a hotel hosting an Atheist's convention! The hall in which they met was adorned with huge portraits of Charles Darwin and photographs of Dr. Richard Dawkins, the most noted of modern day proponents of evolution.

One day, while Jennifer visited a friend, I wandered through the convention hall and sat in on the tail end of a lecture. It amazed me to think how similar their meeting was to any Christian or Messianic conference! The speaker addressed a rapt crowd, skillfully using power-point to drive home his message. In the hallways were numerous tables carrying books, recordings, personal testimonies and atheistic "chotchkies," that is, "stuff," like jewelry, bookmarks and bumper stickers.

I struck up some conversations with various vendors and, in the course of our discourses, told them of my beliefs as they shared theirs with me. The talks were pleasant enough but, after a while, my brain got tired and my body began to react almost physically to the strange heaviness that accompanied that gathering.

And therein lies the difference between a conference in which God is honored and one in which God is denied. At first glance, you wouldn't notice it. All the folks are decently dressed, polite enough and dutifully sport name tags so the participants can get to know each other more easily. But look a little closer; read some of the words on the t-shirts, catch tidbits of conversations, feel the general atmosphere of the place, and the similarities between the relative events fades away.

I was grateful for the opportunity to see such a gathering close up. I was even more grateful that, many years ago, my eyes were opened to the existence of my Creator and my heart was alerted to the need for me-the created-to worship Him! I am certainly no better than those folks at the Atheist's convention---but I am---quite undeservedly---more blessed!!

And so I found it fascinating that the first quote that greeted me as I turned the page on my day-to-day desk calendar was the following:

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

As I read that, I couldn't help think, with some degree of sadness, of those obviously sincere souls in L.A. who had dedicated themselves so passionately to denying that there is a creator behind creation; a "first cause" behind all that has "been caused." Their lives are haunted by one brooding, eternal question: Does God exist?

My simple little desk calendar reminded me that, as to that question---heaven knows---and answers!

May GOD Bless You,

Marty