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Vultures and a Broken Cross

A few weeks ago, April 25th, 2015, to be exact, we were coming home from the Shabbat IMG_20150425_170133288_HDRservice at Issachar Oasis in Irmo, SC.  As we flashed past an old country church, I saw a sight that I had to turn around and take pics of.  On top of the church were about 25 buzzards or vultures.  This is a church that is still in regular use…

As we stopped to take several pics I noticed a tent in the adjacent graveyard for a funeral service that had very recently happened.  It all led to an eerie feeling.   Maybe even the ring of prophecy, but I resisted the temptation to post pics and just filed it away in the back of my mind.

Well, six weeks later, today, we are again traveling the same road on our way home from Shabbat and IMG_20150606_171954659_HDRI see something that takes my breath away, while hearing my son behind me gasp, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!!  Dad, did you see that?”

“Yes!!  Wow!!,” I exclaimed, as I hit the brakes and looked for a place to turn around for pictures.

We have not seen this building since the April 25th pics, yet here was the same church building with the cross broken off and dangling by a seeming thread.

Just, wow!!  suddenly, I hear the echo of my son’s voice saying, “Woe, woe, woe!!”

Very eerie.

Prophetic?  I don’t know, but seriously shocking.

Tzitzits in a snap?

Here’s a quick/fun post…  The other day I used tzitzits as a case study for how we can learn to keep commands and allow others to interpret commands for themselves within the lines Abba has given us.

snap-br-1-300x300A friend sent me a link for a website advertising “Tzitzit in a Snap.”  Neither he, nor I have any affiliation and I do not normally promote businesses, but I thought this interesting enough in the wake of our previous discussion that I decided to share it.

(Personally, I was drooling all over their attache case…   LOL!  Very 30’s Casablanca-esque…  I have no need of one, but it sure is purty.)

The tzitzits at left are a pretty classic example of one person’s interpretation that fits the spirit of the command, but might ruffle some feathers…  Do we learn to walk at peace and let people be obedient with ‘different colors’ while still ‘coloring within the lines,’ or do we demand that they fit our box?  What do you think of these?

Discuss.

Blessings, Pete

Have arrived back in the US

Late yesterday evening, after traveling some 24 hours, Kelly and I walked into the house and for the first time in our lives, it did not feel like ‘home.’  Honestly, it has the comfort of

It is believed that this is the overlook where Yehovah promised the land to Abraham.  Here we are looking out toward the Mount of Blessing.
It is believed that this is the overlook where Yehovah promised the land to Abraham. Here we are looking out toward the Mount of Blessing.

an old shoe, that pleasant familiarity, but our heart is 6300 miles away in Haeretz Israel.  Right now, I can’t wait to be back, particularly in Judea and Samaria.  That region and the Golan drew us more than any other!  There was an amazing connection in our souls to Northern Israel that we simply cannot explain.

I have learned and experienced so much in a profoundly life changing 12 days that it will take weeks to process it all and months to record snippets as I write.  I can’t wait to see how the Spirit leads and teaches as I move forward, but if it is anything like his work over the last couple weeks…  Wow!!

For now, I have the pleasant task of preparing presentations for multiple fellowships and congregations that I will visit with over the next 5-6 weeks.  There is also grass to cut and house to clean so we prepare for 50+/- Sabbath-keeping mishpocha (family) who will be here with us tomorrow.

More as I have time to write and share of the many pictures taken.  For now, thank you for your prayers and support.  May Abba bless and guide…

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Visited a Crime Scene, Today.

Today, we visited the scene of a crime.  It actually is one of the primary reasons I came to Israel.  Next week’s Congress is vitally important in the process of restoring the whole House of Israel, but today was a required prerequisite.  Without returning to the scene of the crime committed by our fathers against the Holy One of Israel, all of next week’s efforts would be for nought.

DSCN0912Today, we visited the ruins of the ancient temple build by Jeroboam at Tel Dan.  The facts of the crime are simple:

In order to cement his new kingdom and kingship he,

  • Established a new priesthood
  • Established new holydays
  • Redefined God with gods.

Sound familiar?  Kinda like what Christendom did…  new priesthood/religion, new Continue reading “Visited a Crime Scene, Today.”

Today is a Day of Confession!

We leave in a few minutes for Dan, way in the north.  We’ll drive 3.5 hours each way to go see the replica of an altar to an idol.  I have been looking forward to and dreading this day all at the same time.  I wrote about the significance of the place a while back.  It is where Israel committed great sin and apostasy.

Our purpose is to pray and repent for the sins of our fathers.

Christendom struggles with the idea that one can repent for ancestral sins, however, not only does Scripture specifically address this on multiple occasions, but it says tat it is a prerequisite for Yehovah’s to turn His face again toward His people and the Land.  The House of Israel has much repenting to do.

Here are a couple sample verses:

40 ‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, [a]because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. 45 But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.’”   Lev. 26:40-45

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10 They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to [c]revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”  Neh. 1:4-10

So I [a]gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.

“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us [b]open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. [c]Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You…..  Daniel 9

Continue reading “Today is a Day of Confession!”

We’re HERE!!! and, a surprise! (Pics, too.)

A loooong day of travel that started yesterday mid-morning with a two hour drive to the airport, and several travel glitches, but we are here!  Already, have had a couple neat blessings.

The trip is long, and we had a couple layovers.  A change in the Miami connection turned the 1.5 hour layover we originally scheduled into 4 hours of sitting, but no real hassle.  The Madrid layover was a bit more interesting…  The Israeli security screening team was no joke.  One member of our small party was pulled into a room to be searched, all her belonging were searched and she was questioned for about 30 minutes as passengers were boarding…  That was interesting and called for some prayer.

We arrived in Tel Aviv about 45 minutes behind schedule and hailed a taxi.  Fun conversation over the language barriers.  He was from Azerbaijan and knew little English.  I know less Hebrew, so it was interesting making a connection, but he’ll pick us up tomorrow!  What was even more interesting is that as we pulled up in front of our hotel, Kelly points to a man standing on the opposite side of the street and says, “Hey!!  That’s Continue reading “We’re HERE!!! and, a surprise! (Pics, too.)”

On the way!

All checked in and sitting at the gate in Charlotte.  Sallie is traveling with Kelly and me. She hasn’t flown in 30 years and we haven’t in about 20 years.  While much is the same, the whole security thing is a bit crazy.

We all had ticket ‘issues’, but a kind lady at check-in spent about an hour on the phone solving them.

Had a blessed time of prayer with the boys and blessing them before leaving the house.  They are apprehensive, but this is a great time for them to grow and put into action much they have been learning… 

Excited for this adventure.  Praying Yehovah’s leading, protection and guidance.

Couple quick notes…

Counting hours to our flight to Israel!!  Can’t wait!!  Do, please, keep us and our purpose in prayer.  Especially, May 25-28!!

Ray Gardner contacted me yesterday evening.  He has been having computer issues.  As soon as they are cleared up, he’ll be getting me more Torah Portion Study notes.  Hang on, they are coming!!

shavuos-recipesFound a cool blog:  http://blog.artscroll.com/  I love and use multiple Artscroll volumes, but the real eye catcher was the nice selection of recipes on the blog… all of which are in the cookbooks I did not know they had!!  Enjoy.

Elijah and running the race..

Elijah has long been a fascination for me!! My long time readers Eliyahuknow that a couple years ago I wrote a seven part series titled Elijah, Significance in the End Times.  While a long read, it really explores much Scripture and pictures in Scripture that deal directly with the end times.

There is no question that Elijah, or the spirit of Elijah plays a major role in the last days.  The last three verses of the Old Testament have very clear references to Moses, Torah, Elijah and the Great Day of the Lord.  We explored that a bit one time.  Even a very popular Christian praise song declares the significance of the days and connects them to Elijah, Moses and Ezekiel…  Again, we wrote on that.  Amazingly, even the author of that song does not understand the significance of the very words he penned!!

Well, yesterday I saw an exceptional video Continue reading “Elijah and running the race..”

Counting down… (and, a special song!!)

Several months ago, when we began planning/preparing for the trip to Israel it seemed so far off on the calendar.  I remember writing a countdown on my office calendar that exceeded 100 days and thinking, ‘it will never get here!’

Well, lately, things have been happening so fast my head is spinning and I can hardly sleep!  Abba has been directing pieces so clearly that this walk has simply been an amazing dream-like state where I wait with baited breath to see each new thing He will accomplish as He goes before us.  Truly, an amazing experience.

From the beginning, I have sensed that this Congress could have significance implications for many, many people.  This sense has been confirmed by many people through private and public words and prophecy.

I want to thank the many who have made this possible through gifts and prayer.  Time will tell, but your faithfulness may have incredibly far reaching impact.

My plan over the next several weeks Continue reading “Counting down… (and, a special song!!)”