Holy Cross Parish

01/21/2021

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12/24/2020

NATIVITY SERVICE — Christmas Eve, December 24th, at 7:00 PM

Our annual Nativity Service, celebrating the birth of the Messiah Jesus will be held on Christmas Eve, December 24th, at 7:00 PM. Because of the pandemic there will be no Christmas party afterward.

Come to the manger with us. Jesus is the one and only Reason for the Season. Wise Men still seek him. Will you be among them?

I’ll be looking forward to seeing you tonight, December 24th, at 7:00 PM, for Evening Prayer (Ma’ariv). I’ll have a special Christmas message to share with you from the pulpit.

Be sure to invite your family and friends. There may have been no room in the inn, but there is always room for more at Holy Cross. We are a faithful and friendly congregation have a place for you and yours.

Merry Christmas! Messiah is Born! Glorify him!

12/23/2020

The is an absolutely Must See seven minute video!

This important video from the Messianic community in the State of Israel is more evidence of why we must have a theology of continuity, rather than a theology of replacement, and why knowing and embracing the Jewish roots of our faith is so important.

I hope that you will watch it. From it you will learn that there is much more to the Nativity narrative (the Christmas story) than you realized. In the video you will learn about Bethlehem Ephrathah, Migdal Edel (the Tower of the Flock), the true story of the shepherds, and more. This is truly a must see video, and it will leave you wanting to learn more about our Jewish roots. Watch it, and share it with others.

If you are in the greater Omaha area we invite you to join us for Nativity (Christmas) Services, Thursday evening, December 24th, at 7:00 PM. I will be preaching on the Messianic prophecy given by Micah the Prophet some 700 years before Jesus, Yeshua, was born. Micah 5:2-5 is one of the most important prophecies in the Holy Scriptures.

At Holy Cross our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14), teach the faith which was once delivered in the first century (Jude 3), and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord (Matthew 25:1-13).

Everyone is invited, and visitors are always welcome. We are a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you!

After all their preparations Mary and Joseph were devastated to hear the news that late into Mary's Pregnancy, they had to suddenly travel back to their ance...

12/18/2020

There is a lot of Important News from Holy Cross parish for me to update you on. You can read all about it on my blog.

GOD’S WORD TODAY — Our New DAILY Radio Broadcast! This coming Monday, December 21st we are launching a new daily (Monday through Friday) ra...

12/18/2020

HANUKKAH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT — God’s Salvation in Troubled Times

The eight day festival of Hanukkah ends this evening (Friday, December 18th). Unbeknownst to most Christians, Hanukkah is an important festival for Jesus’ disciples. You can read about it in the Gospel According to John, chapter 10. I hope that you will view this MUST SEE 6 minute video produced by the Messianic community in Israel. It will open your eyes, lift your spirit and give you hope.
Maranatha — O Lord Come!

Did you know Jesus celebrated Hanukkah?! We dive into John 10 and learn why Yeshua's visit to the temple provoked such expectation! Learn more about the sp...

12/12/2020

Be sure to tune in on Saturday, December 12th, at 9:30 AM Central Time for THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED on KCRO radio 660 AM in Omaha and 106.7 FM in Lincoln, Nebraska. Not in Eastern Nebraska or western Iowa? No problem! THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED can be heard coast to coast and around the world over the Internet. Just go to the KCRO website and click “Listen Live.” Here is the link:

kcro.com

We will be continuing our series titled, “Studies in the Book of Daniel,” on Saturday December 12th. The Book of Daniel foretells the coming of the “vile person” Antiochus Epiphanes, the suffering he would inflict on God’s people, and that he would defile the Holy Temple. In this broadcast we will be talking about Antiochus Epiphanes, the Maccabees, Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication, John 10) and the martyrdom of seven brothers and their mother under Antiochus Epiphanes as recorded in Second Maccabees, chapter 7. You will not want to miss this broadcast!

I am attaching for you the latest post on FR. NOVAK’S BLOG. You will not want to miss reading this blog post. In it we are ANNOUNCING our NEW DAILY RADIO BROADCAST called GOD’S WORD TODAY that will premier on Monday, December 21st at 9:45 AM. So mark your calendar and tell your family and friends.

To God be the glory!

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:...

12/11/2020

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, ‘How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly’” (John 10:22-24).

The eight day festival of Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukkah) begins at sunset tonight. Hanakkuh is Hebrew and means “Dedication,” and the Feast commemorates the Dedication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, and the miracle of the oil. One day’s oil burned miraculously for eight days in the Menorah of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem — and that is why the festival is sometimes called the Feast of Lights. You can read all about it in the Books of First and Second Maccabees.

Hanukkah had been celebrated for more than a century and a half before Jesus, Yeshua, was born, and he personally celebrated the Feast of Dedication as recorded in John chapter 10.

Perhaps you are thinking, “Hanukkah is a Jewish festival and I am a Christian. Hanukkah isn’t for Christians, is it?”

Christ is simply the Greek word for Messiah. Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah, isn’t he? Is the Jewish Messiah for Christians? I hope so. He certainly is for us at Holy Cross! A Christian is a disciple of Christ, a disciple of the Messiah of Israel. We profess to be Jesus’ disciples. Do not disciples seek to learn from their teacher and live as he lived? What does the Bible say?

“He who says he abides in Him [Jesus/Yeshua] ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

Yeshua and the early Christians celebrated Hanukkah as any scholar of Second Temple Judaism and first century Christianity will tell you. The eleventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reports, "The first Christians continued to observe the Jewish festivals.”

At Holy Cross parish we are committed to returning to “the faith which once delivered” in the first century (Jude 3), therefore we value and embrace our Jewish roots as well as our Celtic and English spiritual heritage.

Although the candles are lighted in the evening, we will be lighting a Hanukkiah (Hanukkah Menorah) at Morning Prayer (Shacharit) on Sunday morning so you can experience it. We will be reading from the First Book of Maccabees, and I will be preaching about the feast.

Cheri and I are about to light the first candle on our Hanukkiah and then we will be enjoying potato Latkes for dinner, so I need to go… Have a blessed Hanukkah!

You can learn more about Hanukkah from this excellent three (3) minute video. I hope you will watch it. You will learn a lot in only three minutes. Enjoy!

What is the story behind this popular Jewish holiday? Watch this short 3-minute video to learn how good overcame evil, light won over darkness, and miracles triumphed over morass.

12/10/2020

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT — HOLY CROSS IS LAUNCHING A NEW DAILY RADIO BROADCAST!

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).”

We are happy to announce that Holy Cross parish in Omaha, Nebraska is launching a new daily radio broadcast beginning Monday, December 21st on KCRO Radio 660 AM in Omaha and 106.7 FM in Lincoln.

The new daily broadcast will air Monday through Friday and will be in addition to our weekly broadcasts on Saturday morning and Sunday evening. THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED radio broadcast will continue its current format of topical Bible studies at 9:30 AM on Saturday morning and 9:30 PM on Sunday evening.

The new daily broadcast is called GOD’S WORD TODAY and will be a book by book, verse by verse study of the Holy Scriptures. We will be studying the whole Bible in its proper cultural and historical context, beginning with the Gospel According to Luke.

In December GOD’S WORD TODAY will be aired at 9:45 AM Central Time, but on January 1, 2021 it will move to its permanent time of 9:30 AM.

KCRO has been broadcasting for more than forty years and is Nebraska’s premier Christian radio network. By broadcasting on 660 AM in Omaha and 106.7 in Lincoln GOD’S WORD TODAY and THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED can be heard throughout eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, as well as southern South Dakota and northern Missouri.

Not in our listening area? No problem! Both GOD’S WORD TODAY and THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED can be heard from coast to coast and around the world over the Internet. Just go to the KCRO website and click Listen Live.

kcro.com

In addition, every episode of THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED is being archived and can be heard any time, free of charge. When GOD’S WORD TODAY launches on December 21st, we will begin archiving each episode of that broadcast as well.

https://thefaithoncedelivered.podomatic.com

Want to support us in our mission? Just go to our parish website and on the Home page you will see a yellow Donate button. By clicking the Donate button you can make an offering to Holy Cross safely and securely through PayPal.

holycrossparishomaha.com

When we began THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED in October of 2019 with a weekly Saturday morning broadcast, it was a real step of faith for us. We did not have the monthly income to support a radio ministry. Not even close. But we believed that God was calling us to step out in faith. A clergy-friend in another state covered the cost of our inaugural broadcast, and God has blessed and prospered our work.

Some ten months later we doubled our airtime by adding a Sunday evening broadcast. Now, just a few months after going to a twice-weekly broadcast, we are launching a new daily broadcast that will be aired Monday through Friday This is a very exciting time for us, and we believe that it is just the beginning.

Remember, you can hear THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED Saturday mornings at 9:30 AM and Sunday evenings at 9:30 PM Central Time.

Beginning Monday, December 21st you can hear GOD’S WORD TODAY Monday through Friday at 9:45 AM. Beginning on January 1st 2021, GOD’S WORD TODAY will move to its permanent air time of 9:30 AM Central Time.

Electronic outreach is the new street evangelism, and at Holy Cross we continue to dream dreams and see visions (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-18). In fact, we are already working on the next step in our electronic outreach.

Our mission at Holy Cross is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, teach the faith which was once delivered in the first century (Jude 3), and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord.

We hope that you will tune in to THE FAITH ONCE DELIVERED and GOD’S WORD TODAY, and invite your family and friends to do likewise. If you are within driving distance of Omaha or happen to be passing through, we hope that you will join us for Services. Sunday Morning Prayer (Shacharit) with a Sermon is at 9:00 AM. Everyone is invited and visitors are always welcome. We are a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you!

HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX CHURCH
Where the Word of God is not chained (2 Timothy 2:9)
7545 Main Street
Ralston, Nebraska 68127
(402) 573-6558

Rev. Victor Novak and Mike Choiniere hale from Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Ralston, Nebraska.

12/04/2020

The Latest Updates and Breaking News from Holy Cross parish in Omaha, Nebraska.

A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY HAS ARISEN — This Is HUGE!

A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY HAS ARISEN — This Is HUGE! And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all t...

12/04/2020

UNTOLD ARCHEOLOGY OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT — A Must See 20 Minute Video!

Sergio and Rhoda Voitenko are a young Israeli couple, and Youtube sensations. Since they began in 2017, their videos have had 26,814,532 views. The video, “Untold Archeology of the Temple Mount” was only posted on their YouTube channel on October 11th of this year, and it already has had 870,452 views. For anyone who has an interest in Biblical archeology this is a Must See video!

Sergio was born in Soviet Lithuania to Russian speaking Jewish parents. In 1992 his family made aliyah (moved to Israel). He was seven years old at the time, so he grew up in Israel, went to college there, and did his service in the Israeli military.

Rhoda was born and raised in Nazareth to very devout Arab Christian parents who have been active in ministry all of their lives. Rhoda’s dad is pastor of a small lBaptist church in Nazareth.

Sergio grew up in Nazareth Illit, which is the Jewish Nazareth, and Rhoda grew up in the Arab town of Nazareth. In 2008, there was a joint meeting between Arab and Jewish believers in Yeshua held in Nazareth. That’s where Sergio and Rhoda met.

They later married and moved to the United States where Sergio had a job offer. While living in the United States the Lord put them in the path with some very special people who, Sergio says, “shone the light into our lives and and that changed everything.” After spending seven years in the United States they returned to Israel three years ago and live in Nazareth.

Sergio and Rhoda’s story is beautiful. A Jew and an Arab together, believing in Yeshua, Jesus, who has broken down the wall of partition and made the two one. Through the Messiah Yeshua peace and reconciliation is coming to Israel one family at a time. Sergio says, “That's the only way to peace and reconciliation. That's that's what we believe, we've seen it. I've seen it happen with people only through Christ.”

You will find this video educational and uplifting. To God be the glory!

Archaeology at the Temple Mount is strictly forbidden. However, over the past hundred years, the Temple Mount went through many renovations, during which arc...

11/27/2020

Every year we hear talk of Christmas being a pagan holiday. The Jehovah’s Witnesses immediately come to mind when this charge is heard; but ...

11/26/2020

A HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING DAY!

Dear friends,

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving Day to all of the members and friends of Holy Cross parish!

On this special day prayer and thanksgiving we are attaching for you a link to President Donald J. Trump’s,

PROCLAMATION ON THANKSGIVING DAY, 2020

You will want to read it and share it with others. Here is the link:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-thanksgiving-day-2020/

As you offer prayers and thanksgiving to Almighty God our heavenly Father on this blessed Thanksgiving Day, you may want to add the Collect (Prayer) for Thanksgiving Day from the historic Book of Common Prayer:

O MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us, that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are also attaching for you a beautiful Thanksgiving Hymn:

WE GATHER TOGETHER TO ASK THE LORD’S BLESSING

This beautiful Christian hymn of Thanksgiving was written by Adrianus Valerius in 1597.

Here are the lyrics of the hymn,

We Gather Together

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

This hymn will bless your soul and lift your spirit on this Thanksgiving Day. You can listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FztAJagttPQ

God is at work all around us, and has been throughout time. We need only to have eyes to see and ears to hear. He loves us as dear children, and loves each of us as though there were only one of us. Regardless of the circumstances and the trials we face, we all have much to be thankful for.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:29).

Cheri and I love you and have you in our thoughts and prayers. We may not know you all personally, but God does! May God grant us all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Blessings,

Fr. Victor and Cheri Novak