regulate

verb reg·u·late | ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt also ˈrā-regulated; regulating

Definition of regulate

1 a : to govern or direct according to rule

b (1) : to bring under the control of law or constituted authority

(2) : to make regulations for or concerning: regulate the industries of a country

2 : to bring order, method, or uniformity to: regulate one’s habits

3 : to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of: regulate the pressure of a tire

Growing up in a small Southern town situated in the Bible belt, there were more than a couple denominations with sins that I couldn’t find in the Bible.

One denomination said that drinking alcohol was a sin Continue reading “Does God ‘regulate’ sin?”

I stole this for Shabbat!

I miss Israel! Particularly Shabbats! Nothing, and I mean nothing beats silent streets, shops closed and watching sunsets in the most peaceful place on earth, even the Presence of Abba.

A bit ago Christy Ellis, MeWe friend, posted this video on her feed and I was immediately homesick. Besides the incredibleness of what Chief Joseph River Wind just witnessed, notice the peace at 3pm as Jerusalem shuts down. Notice the shops closed. Notice the very light foot traffic, and that hurried, as everyone is headed home for Shabbat!

Homesick.

So, yes, I totally stole the video, but just HAD to share! Can’t wait to be back in the Land for Pesach! Come with us!

Hating my brother…

Lately, I have found a new use for YouVersion. Call me slow, but it only took me about two months to figure out that they have added an audio icon allowing the Scriptures to be heard instead of (or simultaneously while) read. The benefit for me is that I spend hours on the road each week with my job and I can much more easily redeem the time.

About ten days ago I started listening to Jeremiah and just let it run. I turn it on as soon as I get on the road and pause it at each work stop. The result is that by Friday afternoon, I found myself in 1 John, having listened to nearly half of the Bible. I can’t wait to finish and start over at Genesis.

While my mind may be wandering through many thoughts as I drive, I know Truth is going in and, at the very least, it is being absorbed by my subconscious. And, this opens a whole ‘nother discussion about the very real physical changes, even at the DNA level (scientifically proven, cue Tzefania Pappas’ presentation at the 3rd Bney Yosef Congress), that occur in the brain based on what we are putting in. Kelly, my wife, would offer a supporting opinion based on Switch ON Your Brain, by Dr. Caroline Leaf. But, I digress.

So, early Friday afternoon I wrapped up my week’s drive while listening to Ephesians through 2 Peter, then interestingly, our Shabbat gathering Continue reading “Hating my brother…”

Solomon and the baby… today!

IMG-20161015-WA0003 I woke with a jolt, realizing that I did not know where I was. The sheets and pillow felt different in the darkened room. The sounds were all wrong. I lay motionless, frozen, waiting for the fog to lift from my mind as my eyes glanced around the room in an attempt to orient myself.

At the same time, strangely, the story of Solomon, the two harlots and the baby was playing in the corners of my awareness. Slowly, I began to recall my surroundings. Kelly and I had fallen into bed exhausted the night before from hours of travel and late arrival at Tzemach’s guest house in Giv’at Ye’arim, Israel. It was Shabbat morning and we were again in the Land of the Patriarchs!

But, why Solomon? I pondered before slowly getting out of bed to stand on the outer porch with a cup of hot tea to listen to the birds as the sun climbed higher in the sky. I had been considering the whole division of the baby a week earlier, but it seemed an odd thing to wake thinking about. I pushed it to the back of my mind with the excitement of the day. Continue reading “Solomon and the baby… today!”

Two sisters needed…

A dear friend and prayer warrior feels called to come to Israel in October for a nine day prayer journey. She and a friend believe that they are supposed to be a four-some. If you are a lady who feels called to this place and time, please contact me and I will connect you with the lady heading this team up for a specific assignment.

Shalom!

Heading back to Israel…

The sunset was stunning as we saw hurricane Florence from the Almighty’s perspective. We were not scheduled to fly out until tomorrow, but the deteriorating weather and Abba’s provision carried us out 24 hours early. What a blessing! Miss the storm AND get another day in Israel. Win – win!

Details of our escape are posted at aniyosef.com.

As I looked down on the sunset while it slowly changed through a spectum of vibrant colors, I

Continue reading “Heading back to Israel…”

Denying Yeshua

In recent months I have watched with some dismay as multiple people around me have strongly considered or actually taken the leap and converted to Judaism. The move itself is not so problematic except that the conversion process generally demands a firm denial of Yeshua as the Messiah and that is monumental.

My journey out of a Christian pulpit and to the Hebrew roots of the faith began when I started to evaluate many of the traditions I had been handed. Each traditional understanding of Scripture, handed down from Christian theologians for up to 1600 years, had to be evaluated against what Scripture actually said. And, central to it all was the looming question regarding Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah.

I knew coming into the study that Christianity had some things very wrong, but experience told me that somethings were right. The key was to tease out the valuable elements and leave the rest behind. I was a bit perplexed as I began exploring many sources of information to find that Judaism, like Christianity, was filled with traditional interpretations that simply do not add up to Scripture. Continue reading “Denying Yeshua”

A blank check….

Have you ever written a blank check? Most of us have at one point or another, but always with a general idea what the amount would be when whoever we gave it to filled it in.

Not long ago I wrote a blank check with NO IDEA how much it would cost. I did it in complete faith that the One to Whom I wrote the check would fill it out as He saw fit without overcharging me.

Yep, scary stuff, but I said, “Father, any price. I’m willing to pay any price, just lead me to fullness of truth.”

I should have expected it, but Continue reading “A blank check….”

Ruth, Jordan and the Balm of Gilead

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a blog and the first couple posts jumped out at me. They spoke directly to some areas where the Father has been teaching me. The beauty of this blog is that it is a sabra telling her story of ministry to the heart of God and a wound that we unwittingly exacerbate by picking sides.

I pray you will take the time to not only read the first three posts in Orna Grinman‘s current series, but also take the time to peruse her blog. Read her story, and pray for this dear sister that is on the cutting edge of healing and restoration for kol Israel!

And, as a side note…. I am so excited that during Sukkot she is going to be the guest of Ani Yosef one evening to come and share with us! I can’t wait!!

Here are those three posts:

Part 1: Crossing Over – A Hebrew

Part 2: You Look Like a Ruth

Part 3: It is Being Produced Again

May Abba bless you as you absorb and ponder what HE is speaking about the region!!

Is hate the answer? Yishai Fleisher and the Palestinian Question

My plans for the summer did not include reading or in any way weighing in on the discussion of Palestinians. Honestly, while I probably should have been more educated on the issue, I can say that aside from driving through Judea and Samaria during each of my last three trips to Israel and avoiding roads that have the big red and white ‘enter at your own risk’ warning signs, the Palestinians have not been on my mind. I’ve been minding my own business. Until a few weeks ago.

While the circumstances and players are not important to this article, a sequence of conversations and confrontations brought me face to face with a simple and very uncomfortable fact: what if I’m related to the Palestinians?

Now, some of you are chuckling because you know well my Swedish blue eyes and very European ancestry, even if I tan easily to a deep bronze. But seriously? What if I am related?

The simple truth is that I believe I am. Continue reading “Is hate the answer? Yishai Fleisher and the Palestinian Question”