Tag: Ephraim

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”

Until The Two Become One (Must read, by Ken Rank)

Following is a terrific article by Ken Rank explaining the Two Stick Prophecy of Ezekiel 37, a passage that is largely overlooked by theologians in its significance.

Until the Two Become One

by Ken Rank

What the herders did not see before them was their brother. In fact, before Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, they had spent at least many hours with him, dining, being entertained, and also being berated and yet they saw only an Egyptian. To anyone who joseph-brothersmight have been standing at a distance, looking upon Joseph and that family of herders, being able to see that they were family would likely have been impossible.

The Prophet Ezekiel gives us a similar end-time picture in that we have two players who might just as well stand in such contrast. In chapter 37, verse 16, where we read the following:

“And you, son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for his companions, the sons of Israel. And take another stick and write on it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions.”

What is easy to miss in the above verse is that Ezekiel takes two blank sticks that represent people and he is to identify who the two sticks are. The first he determines as Judah and those who are joined with Judah. The second stick is said to be for Joseph, but a stick that is Ephraim, and it includes the House of Israel and those joined to Israel. So we have a lot going on in this one verse. Most scholars believe that these two sticks represent the Whole House of Jacob, what was once a great nation that divided into two Kingdoms, Judah and Israel. But why the use of those names?  Continue reading at United2Restore

Global Reading of Shema Prayer Announced for Monday

Yesterday, I received an email alerting me to a global initiative to pray the Shema at 9 p.m. Jerusalem time (2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time).  I encourage readers here to participate in solidarity with Brother Judah as we call on the Holy One of Israel.

IMG_20150520_090553276A personal note on the Shema:  while this is a recitation of Scripture and a declaration of our Elohim (God), this has also become a commandment that I make into the spiritual realm that surrounds me as I declare to All Israel to Shema, HEAR!!  As often as you pray/declare the Shema, remember that you are making a statement to All Israel and the spiritual realm around you as well as our King hears and presses this forward to the ears of those yet deaf!

Here is a link to the article on Breaking Israel News:

Global Reading of Shema Prayer Announced for Monday Amid Growing Crisis Around World

Ephraim’s Shifting Paradigm by Ken Rank

Good friend and fellow sojourner, Ken Rank of United2Restore, has written a terrific article that sums up a lot of history and the quandary that Christendom is in as they try to reach the Jews.  But maybe, just maybe, we’ve been looking at this all wrong because we have used the wrong lens (paradigm) to understand Scripture.

This is a terrific read that is well worth your time and may challenge your thought process in several important ways!  Enjoy!

 

Ephraim’s Shifting Paradigm

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Ken Rank
Category Ephraim

Most historians believe that a good solid understanding of history is the best guide in terms of understanding the future. History often stands as a beacon of things to come because humanity has not always prodigal sonexcelled at not repeating its mistakes. And so it has been between Christian/Jewish relations for the last 2000 years. Where these two peoples should stand more united against their common foes, they remain at odds usually over poor conclusions, bad definitions, and false assumptions. This has been a two –sided coin in terms of fault, but it also might be safe to say that the coin lands on one side more often than the other. Though the Christian means well, his evangelical paradigm brings with it a line in the sand which he uses to determine who he can and can’t call brother. Couple this with the fact that most Christians tend to live out of the “New Testament” (NT) and don’t study the Tanach or “Old Testament” (OT) as much, it then becomes easier to understand why these two people who have far more in common than they realize seem to stand at odds with each other more often than not.

Whether Christians realize it or not, Christianity began as a sect of Judaism.[1] There was a Jewish rabbi, a teacher, whose name was Yehoshua[2] (Yeshua being the short form, commonly known today as Jesus) and he had many followers. He taught from the Torah (the law, God’s instructions), and he was believed to have walked out the contents of the Torah to perfection, as intended by the author. The book of Acts declares that as many as 20,000 or more Jews believed that Yeshua was messiah[3] and, though this may come as a surprise to some, many people now believe that the Jews were not necessarily his main target audience. While his message and work would appear to apply to all, the weight of his message was aimed specifically at the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.[4] What has been widely misunderstood for a very long time is just who the lost sheep of the House of Israel are.

Continue reading “Ephraim’s Shifting Paradigm by Ken Rank”

Email from Ephraim and Rimona Frank

Here is an excellent email I received from Ephraim and Rimona Frank.  It was a blast to their distribution list, so some may have seen it…

Shalom Fellow Israelite,

The other day I had to go and buy myself a new study bible, as the old one was falling apart.   Upon arriving home and opening it, I started reading a text that caught my eye.  At first I didn’t know where this excerpt was from but the following is what captured my thoughts:  “Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.  For YHVH has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.  The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, ‘Read this, please.’ And he says, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’  Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Read this, please.’ And he says, ‘I am not literate.’ Therefore YHVH said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden’” (Isaiah 29:9-14).

Continue reading “Email from Ephraim and Rimona Frank”

How to: Building Bridges with the House of Judah

Lately, I have had multiple interesting articles/emails come across my desk regarding the building of bridges between Jews and non-Jews.  The sources have been both Jew and non- with perspectives that have been varied, but a largely unified message:

bridge buildingSensitivity in language and culture when speaking to or about Jews concerning things of Scripture.

Like most of you, I came out of Christendom and have a considerable amount of ‘Christianese’ in my vocabulary that means one thing to me and something altogether different to those of Judah.  We may be well meaning, but our terminology, lingo and expectations can be heard as decidedly antisemitic.  Friend and fellow blogger, Peter Vest, recently published a post titled, Unintentional Antisemitism: Why Christian Institutions and Ideologies are Antisemitic Despite the Philosemitism of Individual Christians.  It is a short but instructive read about underlying expectations of Christendom upon Jews that have negative consequences.

Another recent source is a forwarded email I received from OvadYah Avrahami of Kol Hator titled We need to delete the word ‘conversion’ from our vocabulory.  He writes, Continue reading “How to: Building Bridges with the House of Judah”

Shema Video from Adat Shalom, Summerville, SC

Here is our first Shema video (other than our family) posted on YouTube by Dorthy of Adat Shalom Fellowship in Summerville, SC.  Please pardon the soft audio, I have attended this fellowship a couple times and it is a fantastic place of worship.  Non-Jews who love YHVH and are learning to walk in His ways!!  This is Ray Gardner’s fellowship and, ironically, I was adding Torah Portion notes that he sent a couple days ago to his page… Go check out that awesome resource as well!

And, thanks, Dorothy and Tommy for this video!  May it bless and encourage others!

Shema Challenge… Post up!

Yesterday, I posted a few thoughts concerning a recently heralded event in Israel that Jews are paying attention to.  Prophetically, it is fascinating that in the last 20 years many, many non-Jews have begun to walk the ancient paths of our Father.  This trend is accelerating!!

Here is a video of us singing the Shema, just as we have done for over four years now, and pronouncing to Israel that they are to ‘hear and do,’ Shema!!  Judah is beginning to see and watch this global phenomenon with quiet excitement as it portents the coming of Messiah ben David!  Encourage them and help get the message out by making your own video and linking it to the Shema Challenge YouTube channel and/or the Shema Challenge G+ page.  Share on Facebook, etc…  Also, we’ll mirror videos onto this blog as a demonstration of the size of this growing community if you will email us a link!  Just use the ‘Contact Us‘ page.

Prophecy at Breathtaking speed!!

Biblical prophecy is happening so fast in our day that it takes one’s breath away!  Things are happening that even a year ago seemed impossible!

Yesterday morning someone forwarded a news article to me that seemed almost impossible a couple short months ago.  Scripture prophesies the restoration of the House of Israel and the return to the land of the lost tribes, yet seemingly the whole world, from the Jews themselves to all of Christendom have stood against this future reality in one way or another.  Then, I read,

Government panel to look into connecting with gentiles of Jewish descent

The government announced the formation of a special committee to investigate the relationship between the state and gentiles, many of Jewish descent, who have shown an interest in Israel and the Jewish people.

In an advertisement that ran in several local newspapers, including The Jerusalem Post, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry described the exploratory committee and issued a call for public proposals regarding relations between Israel and “large groups around the world that have an interest in the Jewish people even if they are not entitled to rights under the Law of Return.”

Continue reading “Prophecy at Breathtaking speed!!”