During the years of 1996/97, I led worship with the local Vineyard Christian Fellowship every third week. One Sunday morning, after I'd finished leading, I was walking to the back of the auditorium. I was full of Holy Spirit, and as I walked, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "You are a Levite." I recalled that some Levites led worship at the Temple in ancient Israel, and so I decided that that was what He meant. When I led again, as I set down my guitar and started my walk to the back to touch base with the sound man, the Lord said to me, "You are a Levite." I thought this was cool, just like the real Levites. Later, after I'd led again, and as I was on my way to the back, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You are a Levite." I thought that He may have meant that I was a spiritual Levite. Cool.
Last Fall, I was watching Christian testimonies. When I needed a lift, this was a way of getting it. I ran out of videos and something called, "One For Israel," came on. I wasn't sure what they were, so I turned one on. It was about Jews who met Jesus, or as they called Him, "Yeshua." I found that I got the same lift. Cool! Some time later I was thinking about them, and it occurred to me that there might be more to this Levite thing than I'd earlier thought. But I had no idea what. Not knowing what else to do, I thought I should watch some documentaries about this subject. I found some on YouTube and started watching one. At some point, the story was about the House Of Israel being under siege by the army of Assyria. After 3 years, the Assyrians broke through the defenses, and to make a long story short, the House Of Israel went into exile in Assyria. I believe they were there for 70 years. Then, the Mede/Persian army attacked and overthrew the Assyrians. They told the people of the House Of Israel that they were free to stay and live among them or they could leave. Many left and headed north through the Caucasian Mountains, between the Caspian and Black Seas and eventually ended up in central Europe. From there, some went to the British Isles and some went to Scandinavia. Later, the ones that went to Scandinavia built boats and started doing raiding parties on the surrounding countries. Some went to what is now Normandy and started doing what Vikings do best. Rape and pillage. They started marrying women of what would become France. The Vikings started converting to Christianity and were accepted into polite society. The video I first watched had men from Scandinavia coming to Normandy during the 1500's. At this point, I thought to myself, "wait a minute, my parent's family tree was only able to go back to Normandy during the 1500's." I sat stunned. I knew what God had told me years before, but I really didn't expect to find proof, especially on my first try. I then remembered my search over the years for the real origin of my family name because for whatever reason, I wasn't satisfied with the explanations I had found. On my first try after connecting my family tree with the House Of Israel, I found some new information that said, "the family name Coates originated in Normandy." I once again sat stunned. A few weeks or so later, I looked it up again, but found different information that was connected to a geneology group that said, "the family name Coates originated in Normandy." I've since found that whenever I go to look up something on this subject that I need, I find it incredibly easy.
I've almost accepted the fact that what God has been preparing me for all these years is to, with His direction, go find Lost Sheep of the House of Israel. Recently, I was thinking and realized that the only other person I found that had been woke up is a Japanese woman who knew nothing about Christianity, Judaism, or for that matter, any other religion when she had a dream where someone told her that her father was descended from Judah. At first, she had no idea what that meant, but as she sought out what this was about, God led her to a bible. From there, it all came together. Between the 2 of us, our tribes are in Israel. Within a day, I was on Yair Davidiy's" site and by pure chance, I stumbled on a video what He says that when it's time for the 10 to wake up, it would be Levites who God would wake first. It's like it all just falls into place. Right now, I feel like I have accepted it. I like to tell God stories from earlier on in my life, but this is my main call. Don't take my word for it, seek God and scriptures about it. Further more, I seek only to wake people up, not steal them away from the church. God may, but not me. What would I do with them? And learn to think for yourself.
Yair Davidiy is an orthodox Jew and is a scholar, who lives in Jerusalem. He is part of a group called, "Brit/Am Hebrew Nations." Not British/Israel, though. I'd avoid that. Yair believes that much of the church is actually descend from the Israel. He doesn't seem to have a problem with Christians at all. He seems to think that the next time Yeshua comes, He will save the Jews. Yair also says that Israel include both the Hebrews and the church. He does, however say, that it is God alone who will reveal to them who they are. I've never heard of a Jew like him. His research isn't widely known in Israel and depends strictly on donations. He is also single. - God promised that in the last days He would wake these people up. I'm proof of it. Shalom.