Tonight we lit our first candle for Hanukkah. This is a Jewish festival commemorating an event that happened in the time between the Old and New Testaments, a group of Jews forcefully reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem and then purified it, welcoming back the presence of the Lord. I think this is a very special festival, not just because we know that Jesus celebrated it, but because it celebrates God seeing to it that His Temple is purified and Holy and in a place where people can get access to Him.
I am sure that this is also what He is doing now all around the world we are hearing of more and more prayer houses and Tabernacles. Just this week Helen was told of two more Tabernacles or ‘God spaces’ that people had felt to set aside and consecrate for Him, Jesus the King of the Jews, right here in Melbourne.
So as we lit the first candle tonight we remembered the reclaiming of the Temple in the time of the Maccabees, and also that God is very much now today wanting us to forcefully reclaim Temple space, purify it then welcome back the presence of the Lord, that is set apart for Him both in our own bodies and also some of ‘our’ space.