Month: January 2016

A Reward Worth Pursuing…

I was only in the US Army for about four years, IMG_20160128_180358573but was blessed to attend multiple special skills schools as well as a nice variety of deployments to several parts of the globe.  When Napolean Bonaparte said, “a soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon,” he might have been speaking of me.  No question, I loved the challenge of hard schools and difficult duties.  In a twisted way, suffering is fun.  It separates the men from the posers.

In spite of the fact that I recognize those bits of colored ribbon fade and will eventually be destroyed by fire, I still pine for those days of testosterone, sweat and tears.  Maybe it’s just the way I’m wired.

Being wired that way, though, is not necessarily a bad thing…  Maybe it has usefulness for the Kingdom.  Throughout Scripture, over and over, we witness God taking simple and seemingly insignificant men and women to do significant works.  We remember Gideon, David, Ruth, Esther, Josiah, etc.  The list could go on and on.

Well, you and I, though we may feel insignificant in a world gone mad, live in a time of history wherein it is clear God is raising up men and women from among the ‘nobodys’ and ‘who is thats’ to do an amazing work in our day.  But, what ‘bit of colored ribbon’ motivates us to fight long and hard?

You may think, ‘I don’t need no stinking ribbon…’, but Scripture actually speaks of an everlasting reward and acknowledgement that is well worth pursuing.  Continue reading “A Reward Worth Pursuing…”

71 years ago today…

Seventy-one years ago today, a group of people was released from the prison in which they had unjustly been placed.  But, only a remnant walked out.  Most had been incinerated, shot, gassed and other attrocities…  all at the hands of a madman who used Christian doctrine to justify his inhumanity.

January 27, 1945 was the day that the Jews were liberated from the concentration and extermination camps of Auschwitz.  It is a generation on and Christendom has largely not taken responsibility evidenced by the fact that there is little notice of knifings and terror attacks in Israel today.  Why aren’t there more tears?

Following is an article that caught my eye about this day and thoughts from someone in the Land.  In it he refers to an article I wrote some time back as part of a series.  I hope both articles challenge you to consider deeply the roots of antiSemitism in Christianity and what we must do about it.  And, ignoring it is NOT the right answer…

Why We Should All Remember January 27th {with tears}

Many dates stick in people’s memories—February 14th, July 4th, December 25th—but I doubt January 27th is one that stands out in yours.  For most, this date is insignificant. So much so that one website diminishes the importance of the day down to “Chocolate Cake Day”1. The day comes and goes each year with little or no acknowledgement.

But for some, this day is honored and remembered every year.

Seventy-one years ago today, on January 27, 1945, the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz were liberated by Soviet Soldiers. This was one of the largest sets of camps freed and one of the final steps in the fall of Nazi Germany.

Today, January 27th is remembered as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Being in Israel, the country restored to the Jewish people just three years after their liberation, makes this date more surreal than ever.

In my first class here, I learned about Israeli history, Jewish beliefs, and the horrific words and actions of “Christians” throughout history towards Jewish people. (Continue…)

 

 

On the radio twice this week…

I’m humbled to have been asked to be on the radio twice this week, both shows are on Hebrew Nation Radio.

Remnant Road LogoA little while ago we finished a couple hours of recording for the Remnant Road show that will air on Monday, January 25, 2016 at 8 a.m. Pacific (11 a.m. EST).  Host Daniel Holdings interviewed Al McCarn (sometimes host, sometimes guest on the Remnant Road) and me about last week’s B’ney Yosef Plenary Session in Chapel Hill, TN.  Our discussion played off of a number of clips from interviews of committee chairs that were recorded at the Plenary Session.  The recorded interviewees were Tzefanyah Pappas, David Altman and Tommy and Dorothy Wilson.  All told, it was a fun two hour discussion about prophecy, Scripture and the coming together of the dry bones!  Tune in tomorrow to catch the show when it plays, or, as soon as it is put into the archives (maybe a week or two) I will post a link so you can download and listen at your leisure.

The second interview, Continue reading “On the radio twice this week…”

Na’aseh V’nishma!!

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Barry Phillips taught us a terrific song titled Na’aseh V’nishma with the chorus line being ‘all You say, we will do and hear.’ 

What are HIS instructions?  Do we hear AND DO all?  Maybe my experience in church was different, but we professed ALL, did some, and followed carefully crafted and justified traditions of men.

No more.  All He says, we hear and DO!

Got Torah?

http://bible.com/100/exo.16.4.NASB

Is Obama Administration Responsible for Storm Jonas?

8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

An amazing phenomenon that has occurred over screenshot-www tropicaltidbits com 2016-01-21 21-55-45the last 30 years in the US is that the top five or seven most expensive natural disasters have come very closely on the heels of the President or senior officials making damaging statements or taking damaging actions against Israel.

In the last 24 hours news has broken that Obama and Co. have signaled support of BDS and are very negative about Jewish products that come from the Golan, Samaria and other parts of the misnamed ‘West Bank.’  Essentially, the US and the EU seem to be working in concert to squeeze Israel economically.  Yet, they forget,

And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.

I heard of the coming storm Jonas within the same hour I heard that Obama and his administration had signaled an agressive stance against Israel and I immediately asked, ‘is the epicenter of the storm going to be DC?’  A friend started searching weather sites and confirmed my suspicion.

Well, I’m not a prophet and do not claim to know what will happen, but Continue reading “Is Obama Administration Responsible for Storm Jonas?”

Updates: Rebovich Adoption and The Way (documentary)

Two items I would like to update for my readers….

adoptusEarlier today, someone asked me for an update on the Rebovich Adoption that I previously wrote about.  The Rebovichs sent me a little info that I can pass along and I know they still have needs that we can contribute to, links in previous post.  Courtney wrote:

At this point we are at the hurry up and wait stage. All the preparations we can do on our end are complete. The room is ready (with the exception of a few minor things) for baby Rebovich, and we sit and ponder His word in the meantime. Consider Moshe-he was in an open adoption between mothers. Then consider Samuel, who also was in an open adoption. His mother visiting him year to year and bringing him a cloak each time (1 Samuel 2:19). We begin to read each story in the Bible with adoption themes now, and see how beautiful it is. After all, we are all adopted

Continue reading “Updates: Rebovich Adoption and The Way (documentary)”

More on the Bney Yosef Plenary Session

In my last post I promised more about the recent B’ney Yosef Plenary Session in central TN. Honestly, I am still processing and incredibly busy with some of the work that came out of it in planning the upcoming B’ney Yosey North America Summit, info to be released as soon as I have it!!

Mike Clayton has just sent out his weekly newsletter that has his Torah Life teaching.  The first 20 minutes, or so, he talks about his thoughts on the Plenary Session and what he sees going forward.  Here is the video:

 

The Good Samaritan: Another Perspective

Once in a while I will be reading Scripture and suddenly a whole new picture will spring from the page and I will have a paradigm shift in perspective.  Remez is a particular favorite shift where one story tells another story.  One example I have written about and recently been reminded of is David and Goliath and their connection with the Book of Revelation!!

Triumphal entry of the Good SamaritanWell, a couple days ago, while searching for a Scripture verse that had the word ‘journey’ in it I stumbled on Luke 10:33, a verse I have read many times, but suddenly it jumped off of the page in a whole new way.

33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,

I couple questions popped into my head and in just a matter of seconds I knew the name of the Samaritan!!  Seriously!  And, the name of the man who had been beaten and robbed!

Let me explain.

We can often get locked into a specific or dictated view of Scripture that may or may not be right.  What we do know is that there are great depths to the Word of our King, some of which are only being revealed in our day… Continue reading “The Good Samaritan: Another Perspective”