restoration – Page 2 – 11:3 Restoration

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…”

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!!

Speaking of “Greater Israel”….

Just yesterday, I posted a bit about Greater Israel and the explosiveness of hte topic. well, imagine my surprise when I received the following news analysis and prayer points email today that delves into the very topic!! And, it all ties in very closely to a prayer tour regarding the Land that we are taking during our upcoming trip to Israel. Fascinating synchronicity!

greaterisrael5 Abba is up to something MAJOR in our days and potentially in the next few months! Please read all of the following:

Israel Headline News, Analysis, and Prayer Targets ~ 3.8.18
Prepared for Bney Yosef North America

Scripture Focus:
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? For shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Isaiah 66:7-9 Continue reading “Speaking of “Greater Israel”….”

Come!! Let us go up!!

All across Christendom there is an amazing, Spirit-directed, Torah awakening going on. The goal of Yehovah, according to Scripture, is the restoration of the Kingdom!

The house of Israel’s rebellion was not against the house of Judah, but against the house of David. See 1 Kings 12:19. In coming to Yeshua Ben David, we begin to heal this divide, but there is a next and greater step of allegiance:

If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
1 Kings 12:27 KJV

Do you really want to take steps toward restoring the Kingdom? Do you really, really want to see Messiah on the throne?

Then, here is the answer: make personal sacrifice and begin going to Jerusalem for the feasts… even if just once every year or two!! Help others get to the feasts. Send fellowship/congregational representatives!!

GO UP!!!

On that note, stay tuned for an opportunity to go up for Pesach and the 3rd B’ney Yosef Congress. Details in the next day or two…

Surprised by tears….

Over the course of the last six months, Al McCarn and I have been co-authoring a book, Ten Parts in the King, that is about to be published. We really had most of the book finished within two months of starting, but have sensed Abba guiding us toward refining the text and insuring the tone is right and compassionately humble. Part of His guidance toward that end, He has led us to place the manuscript before a number of persons from a broad background, both Christian and Jewish, for input, review and feedback.

One such reviewer invited us to middle Tennessee last weekend for a Sunday morning interview to be edited into two segments for her international ministry’s online video program. While details and links to this upcoming program will be released at the appropriate time, I tell you that to give the background for why we were there and something special the Father showed us.

Because we did not want to travel on Shabbat for the early Sunday interview, we reached out to friends, Eddie and Wendy, who graciously hosted us. Friday evening and all of Shabbat were wonderfully full of deep and thoughtful discussion about myriad topics, though the subject matter of the book remained central. Shabbat afternoon as we sat with them and another couple, Dean and Karen, under their back porch sukkah, our discussion again went to Ten Parts in the King and the details of the division between the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Then, as we dug deeper than the scope of the book, we were surprised by tears. Continue reading “Surprised by tears….”

I’m still here… an update.

My sincerest apologies for not having written more in the last couple weeks. The combination of having a too full plate, work and travel as well as just plain ‘hitting a wall’ has had me on a bit of a writing hiatus. My head is full, as I shared yesterday with the western South Carolina fellowships that gathered to hear an update on B’ney Yosef North America, but I have not been putting pen to paper. Several dedicated readers laughingly chided me on taking a break.

A reminder for all, the archives are a rich source of topics delving into the Hebraic. I even go back and read articles from time to time and glean still more from the exploration into the Word, church history and how Christendom ever wandered so far from the Way. Many of those articles serve a great resource to help others who are just starting this journey.

I hope, in the next couple days, to begin tackling a huge topic that affects all of us, but particularly the North American continent. The subject and its implications deserves a book, but I may only be able to apply a couple posts at this time. Never-the-less, it will set a foundation for us to walk out together another area of repentance as we repair the breaches.

Prophecy is unfolding. Here is how you can be a part of it!!

Indeed, prophecy is unfolding before our eyes and many are a part of the single greatest event in history taking g place. Read this article and note the several ways you can participate!

For the times they are a changin’ – UNITED 2 RESTORE – http://wp.me/p4cMjG-1kW

Behold! Geulah draws nigh!

Miriam was more than perplexed. She was filled with awe and wonder and holy fear. Who was she that she should be given the incredible favor to be visited by a brilliant messenger and hear not only that the promises of the Most High were about to be fulfilled, but that she, a humble righteous one would actually get to participate!

She could share some of what she knew, but most had to be held closely to the vest and wait on the Lord to unfold in His time. What wonder and excitement she must have felt. Then, to gather with Elizabeth who had another piece of the puzzle, another part of the whole, and compare notes? It brought a flood of tears of joy!! Not only was she not crazy and not alone, but the sudden revelation that the Father was working in multiple ways, through multiple people and yet keeping hidden, for a time the plan that was being manifest.

What must that heady cocktail of emotion, Divine Presence and deep conviction have felt like? How joyous to share with a few who knew and understood? How challenging to stand, even move forward, in the face of the myriad doubters and question filled observers?

I woke this morning pondering Ezra, Nehemiah, Miriam (Mary), Joseph, Elizabeth, Moses and many others who ‘happened’ to live at a critical juncture in prophecy and were gifted not only with the eyes to see, but the opportunity to participate! Each had a journey Continue reading “Behold! Geulah draws nigh!”

Is Ezekiel 37 Being Fulfilled Right Before Our Eyes?

About a week ago, I introduced Commonwealth of Yisrael to you. Following is an article about the project with many comments by co-founder, Kellen Davison. As a matter of full disclosure and to help my readers put pieces together there are three items you need to know:

I am on the board of Commonwealth of Yisrael and covet your fervent prayer as we undertake this project.
I am heavily involved in the leadership of B’ney Yosef North America (BYNA), a fledgling organization that seeks to bring unity to the House of Joseph in North America as part of a larger project that is international! All readers in North America should be considering getting involved with BYNA as I indirectly represent them to Commonwealth of Yisrael. (Strength in numbers…)
My stance and that of BYNA is that those of us from the nations who seek to be united to Judah as part of Kol Yisrael only have rights through the restored covenant in Messiah Yeshua, He who came for the lost sheep of the House of Yisrael. I.e., We will not deny Him and He comes with us… (More on this later.)

Is Ezekiel 37 Being Fulfilled Right Before Our Eyes?

“’And thou, son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it: For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it: For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel his companions; and join them for thee one to another into one stick, that they may become one in thy hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16-17)

During the recent Jewish holidays in September 2015, the Reconciliation with Israel Conference in Jerusalem, hosted by Kellen Davison, focused on recognizing the commonalities and addressing the areas that divide the two Abrahamic religions: Judaism and Christianity. As a result of conclusions made at the conference, Davison initiated the Commonwealth of Yisrael Project to help non-Jews join together in their common goal of bringing the Messiah Ben David, alongside the Jewish people, in a way that is mutually acceptable, conforming to Jewish law and Christian beliefs, and beneficial to all concerned.

The Commonwealth of Yisrael Project is intended to bring together non-Jews that love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and recognize God’s eternal covenant with Israel, unifying them with each other and connecting them with the Jews. Davison spoke to Breaking Israel News, explaining that in order to succeed, the project must focus on the strong points that join people together.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/60606/commonwealth-israel-project-aims-fulfill-ezekiel-37-today-biblical-zionism/#EftLHqB2xIRycJiu.99

A Reward Worth Pursuing…

I was only in the US Army for about four years, but 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…”